John Calvin Commentary 2 Timothy 4:18

"The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen." — 2 Timothy 4:18 (ASV)

And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work. He declares that he hopes for the same in the future; not that he will escape death, but that he will not be vanquished by Satan or turn aside from the right course. This is what we should primarily desire: not that the interests of the body may be promoted, but that we may rise superior to every temptation and be ready to suffer a hundred deaths rather than it should enter our minds to pollute ourselves by any "evil work."

Yet I am well aware that there are some who take the expression evil work in a passive sense, as denoting the violence of wicked men, as if Paul had said, "The Lord will not allow wicked men to do me any injury." But the other meaning is far more appropriate: that He will preserve him pure and unblemished from every wicked action. For he immediately adds, to His heavenly kingdom, by which he means that this alone is true salvation, when the Lord—either by life or by death—conducts us into His kingdom.

This is a remarkable passage for maintaining the uninterrupted communication of God's grace, in opposition to the Papists. After confessing that the beginning of salvation is from God, they ascribe its continuation to free will, so that, in this way, perseverance is not a heavenly gift but a human virtue.

And Paul, by ascribing to God this work of "preserving us to His kingdom," openly affirms that we are guided by His hand throughout the entire course of our lives, until, having completed our warfare, we obtain the victory. We have a memorable example of this in Demas, whom Paul mentioned a little earlier; for, from being a noble champion of Christ, he had become a base deserter. Everything that follows we have seen previously and therefore does not require additional explanation.