2 TIMOTHY (Letter 55, Larry Crabb’s 66 Love Letters)
A SOON-TO-DIE SAINT LOOKS BACK AT LIFE—AND AHEAD TO LIFE!
Too often we pray counting on Him for successful surgery, a more peaceful emotional life, visibly impactful ministry-whatever we think we need to feel happily mature. But He tells us to count on Him for enough strength to stay faithful to His purposes no matter what happens and-through either our death or His Son’s return-to count on Him to get us to His party.
Here’s Paul, chained in a desolate, hard-to-find Roman dungeon [1:16–17] after years of beatings, imprisonments, hateful opposition, vicious slander, at least one shipwreck, days without food or drink, clothed in rags, feelings of unbearable pressure, and many sleepless nights. And now he’s waiting to be murdered by Rome for the crime of telling people God’s story.
If Paul took the pulpit in one of our churches today, I can’t imagine he’d leave any doubt that we’re out of line when we expect (or worse, insist) that our lives move along smoothly. He begins this letter to a young pastor by encouraging him to get over his fears and join in ‘suffering for the gospel’ (1:6–8). From a jail cell, he’s exhorting Timothy to tell the same story that earned Paul a death sentence, to live the same life that ruined any chance Paul had for an easy existence. Like no other, this letter forever destroys the illusion that He calls us to struggle-free maturity.
Fight the good fight now. Enjoy the good life forever.
The life He wants us to live now is a life both to endure and enjoy. At times, such strong endurance will be required that joy will seem a far-off hope, a lost experience. But without endurance, we will know little of the very real joy He provides. With endurance, a joy will develop that frees us to appreciate the pleasures of life’s blessings without requiring from them a satisfaction they cannot provide.
Through Paul’s earlier letter to Timothy, He told us that godliness, a life lived consistently with His story, has ‘value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come’ (1 Timothy 4:8; emphasis added). As he looked back on his life with all its problems and as he looked ahead to his execution, Paul had no regrets. He had endured hardship ‘like a good soldier of Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 2:3) and invited Timothy to do the same. But he also invited Timothy while he lived in this world to ‘take hold of the life that is truly life’ (1 Timothy 6:19), to ‘take hold of the eternal life’ that was in him from the moment he was converted, by fighting ‘the good fight of the faith’ (1 Timothy 6:12). Looking back, Paul knew that enduring the bloody battle of the good fight for truth with the prospect of a certain and eternal victory brought joy.”
“Sit with Paul in his dungeon. He’s old, his body is frail, he’s feeling deserted by his friends [4:16], and he’s lonely and tired, with no hope of seeing daylight again. He’s been fighting the good fight for a long time. Listen as he speaks for the last time before he dies:
‘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… and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing’ (4:6-8). My Old Testament people poured wine over all their offerings, every morning and every night, as a way of declaring their willingness to give themselves entirely to Him and His purposes [Numbers15:1-12; 28:7-8]. Fight the fight, run the race, keep the faith. Endure and enjoy until you enjoy Him forever with nothing to endure.”
2 TIMOTHY: From Ray Stedman
Click here for entire Bible Summary from Ray Stedman
to be completed
2 TIMOTHY – David Jeremiah (Understanding the 66 Books of the Bible)
Key thought: In perilous times, we must be steadfast and determined to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith.
Key Verse: God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of the our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:7-8
Key Action: The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2nd Timothy 2:2