"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (4:6-8)
Paul's second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy) may have represented his last words to his close companion and partner in the Gospel. His tone suggests a great desire to encourage and motivate Timothy towards productive ministry and living, in view of Paul's imminent death.
As we read in the passage above, Paul does not look back on life with regret. Instead, he is grateful to have "finished the race" and "kept the faith." He looks ahead to "the crown of righteousness," turning his back on this world and its crowns. Anyone who has faithfully followed Christ may offer these same words at his or her death; they are not exclusive to spiritual giants like Paul. Indeed, in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus explains that the God's welcoming call to heaven will sound like this: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"
Paul clearly desires the same confidence for his disciple and friend Timothy. Like the other pastoral epistles, 2 Timothy features a plethora of "trustworthy sayings" that Paul dearly wishes to impart and impress on Timothy's mind:
1. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (1:7)
2. "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." (2:2)
3. "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs — he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.... In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2:3-6; 3:12,13)
4. "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." (3:1-5)
5. "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (3:14-17)
Paul's last words are marked with great practicality and understanding of the world's realities. His statements suggest that people tend to understimate God's goodness and power while overestimating the world's goodness. We may become paralyzed by fear, forgetting the infinite and awesome power of the Lord God Almighty. We may hoard the truth that God has given us out of concern about the "messiness" of becoming involved in others' lives. We may expect the world to be an "easy" place for the Christian, not grasping that Jesus's words will always be true: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b) We are often surprised by others' misdeeds, not remembering the great kernel of pride that drives each of us (without the Spirit's intervention and empowerment). We may undervalue the treasure trove in the Scriptures, seeking out other sources of truth.
Let us all, like Paul, seek to finish strong. It is clear that the rewards are well worth it, and the journey holds such great promise and purpose. May we become like the Philippian church: "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life — in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you." (Philippians 2:14-17)
QUESTIONS
1. Which of Paul's trustworthy statements is most meaningful for you?
2. Whom could you enlist as a partner in order that you could both finish strong as we head into 2011?
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