Delivered and Strengthened - 2 Timothy 4:9-22

Sermon Series: Buring Out?

As Paul concludes this letter to his friend Timothy we find a bunch of personal information that, upon a quick reading, doesn’t seem to have much significance for modern day readers. As we read over these references of mutual friends and co-laborers in the ministry it seems as if these last 14 verses aren’t worth spending a lot of time on. But I want to encourage you this week not to react too quickly and to take note of a couple of important reminders as we daily step out into the mission of God.

In verse 9 Paul makes a plea to Timothy – “Do your best to come to me soon.” Timothy was doing the work of ministry in the city of Ephesus, which was located near the far western border of what is modern day Turkey, near the Aegean Sea (which is an extension of the Mediterranean Sea). In order for Timothy to get to Paul, who was being held in Rome, Timothy would have to sail the Mediterranean Sea around Greece to Italy. But during the winter months travel along the Mediterranean Sea was enormously difficult and for the most part came to a halt. So it appears that Paul was writing Timothy during the late spring or early summer, realizing that if Timothy did not come quickly travel would cease for the winter, delaying Timothy’s travel for several more months.

The reason that Paul makes a plea for Timothy to come to him appears to be that all of his co-laborers in ministry (with the exception of Luke) were apart from him. Paul says in verse 10 that Demas had deserted him and “gone to Thessalonica.” The language Paul uses here isn’t incredibly strong and doesn’t suggest that Demas had abandoned Paul’s teaching and doctrine. Instead it probably implies that Demas had chosen for himself ease and comfort rather than a willingness to share in Paul’s sufferings (a choice that disappointed Paul and saddened him). In addition to Demas departing to Thessalonica there were others of Paul’s co-laborers who had departed as well, including Crescens who had gone to Galatia, and Titus who had gone to Dalmatia. Paul told Timothy that the only co-worker who had remained with him was Luke (vs. 11). So it appears that Paul was looking for some assistance in the great city of Rome and was asking Timothy to come, and to “get Mark and bring him . . .” Although Paul doesn’t express how he wanted Timothy and Mark to assist him, he does suggest that they would be helpful to him (most likely in the preaching and teaching of the gospel).

We can’t be certain of how this request impacted Timothy. We know that Timothy loved Paul and was committed to following his teachings and example. But we can’t know how connected and tied to the church at Ephesus that Timothy felt. Even if he had felt tied to those believers and that city Paul provides Timothy with some reassurance. In verse 12 he says, “Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.” Paul had probably hand picked Tychicus to both deliver this letter to Timothy and then to remain in Ephesus as a stand in for Timothy while Timothy was in Rome assisting Paul. Timothy, knowing that someone was remaining in Ephesus in his place, would hopefully have some confidence in departing for Rome knowing that someone would carry on the work that he was doing in that place.
In verses 13 through 15 Paul gave Timothy some specific instructions as he made his way to Rome. First Paul asked Timothy to bring his cloak. A cloak was “a large sleeveless, woolen outer garment made of a single piece of heavy material with a hole in the middle for allowing the head to pass through.” It probably looked very similar to a modern day poncho. This cloak would have helped provide Paul with some “protection against the damp cold of a dungeon during winter.” In addition to his cloak Paul also asked Timothy to bring his books and his parchments. It’s unclear as to what the contents of these books and parchments were. Some have suggested that they were personal documents, others have suggested that they were OT scriptures, and still others have suggested that they were blank and that Paul had intended to use them to write more. The third and final instruction Paul gave to Timothy as he traveled to Rome was to be on the lookout for Alexander the coppersmith. Again, Paul doesn’t add any specifics, but what he does make clear is that Alexander, through his actions (most likely making accusations against Paul or testifying against Paul), had done Paul great harm. Paul warned Timothy to be on the look out for Alexander because Alexander’s problem wasn’t with Paul personally but the message of the gospel. Paul says to Timothy in verse 15, “Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.” Because Alexander stood opposed to the message of the gospel he was looking to do harm to all those who proclaimed it. Timothy needed to be on the look out for Alexander because he would seek to do Timothy great harm, just as he had done to Paul.

In the midst of these personal references and instructions though, we find some outstanding news in verses 16 through 18. Verse 16 tells us that Paul had already undergone one trial while he was in Rome. During that trial none of Paul’s co-laborers, friends, etc. were willing to stand with Paul to encourage him, strengthen him, or to testify on his behalf. But despite this fact Paul tells Timothy, “the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed . . . I was rescued from the lion’s mouth . . . the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.” While all those Paul counted as friends deserted him, he had experienced the presence of God with him. And God’s presence with Paul had awesome implications! Because God had stood with Paul and strengthened him he was able to fully proclaim the message of salvation through Christ alone to the Gentiles. When Paul was put on trial he would have had the opportunity to testify on his own behalf. It appears that Paul had used that opportunity to tell the Roman officials who were trying him (and all those who had come to witness the trial) about the message that he proclaimed – that Jesus was God’s Son, that He had been innocently put to death by crucifixion where He endured the wrath of God for the sins of humanity, and that three days later Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death and making salvation available to all those who would trust in Him for forgiveness of sin. This would not have been the first time that Paul had done something like this. In the NT book of Acts chapter 26 gives an account of when Paul was put on trial before King Agrippa. The text tells us about the setting, “. . . Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city” (Acts 25:23). Then before this great audience filled with prominent men Paul gave testimony of how he had encountered Jesus, how his life had been changed by Him, and how he was calling all men to turn and follow Christ just as he had done. In his first Roman trial Paul had not actually proclaimed the gospel to all the Gentiles. But because his trial had most likely taken place in the presence of another great audience filled with prominent Roman officials and men Paul understood that his testimony and message would begin to spread throughout the city of Rome and the Roman Empire. So Paul was able to declare that he had fully proclaimed the message so that all the Gentiles might hear it.

The other implication of God standing by Paul and strengthening him was that he “was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” The reference here is probably just a reference to an experience of great danger. Others have offered different suggestions throughout the course of history. Some believe that it was to be taken literally and that Paul was rescued from being thrown to the lions as was sometimes done to Christians before Roman crowds. Others have suggested that “the lion’s mouth” was to be understood symbolically representing Nero (who was a great persecutor of Christians) or Satan. But there is no way that we can know for sure if Paul had one of these things in mind, so it is probably best to understand that God intervened in such a way that those hearing Paul’s case were confounded and unable to come to a conclusion of guilt, therefore sparing Paul from experiencing danger or death.

Though Paul found himself on trial with no co-workers or friends standing with him, Paul understood that he had not stood trial alone. He had experienced the presence and power of God, allowing him to proclaim boldly the good news of salvation through Jesus and to experience deliverance from those who were able to put him to death. Paul had tangibly experienced the faithfulness of God in his trial, which served as a reminder for him of God’s faithfulness to guard and keep him from every spiritual assault. So Paul says with great confidence in verse 18 that God would continue to rescue him from every evil deed, bringing him into His heavenly kingdom. We have to make sure we read this verse correctly in the context of the rest of Paul’s letter. The temptation is to understand the reference to “every evil deed” as a promise of rescue and deliverance from both physical and spiritual attacks. But the reference to “every evil deed” is more likely a reference to spiritual attacks only. Paul had said just a few verses earlier that he was anticipating being put to death as a result of his faith (4:6-7) and Paul had always taught that those who followed after Christ would encounter hardships, trials, and persecutions (see for example 2 Timothy 3:12 and Acts 14:22). We can’t understand Paul’s statement that God would rescue him from every evil deed to include physical attacks because this wouldn’t mesh with the rest of what Paul has taught. But Paul was confident, having trusted in Christ as his Lord and Savior, that there was no spiritual attack or assault that would come his way in which he would have to stand alone, where God would abandon him, and which would conquer him and separate him from God. He had written in his letter to the Romans, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things preset nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Because of this great confidence and assurance, based solely on the work of God through Jesus, Paul pointed the glory back to God saying, “To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

In verse 19 Paul asks Timothy to greet some of his friends in Ephesus before he leaves. In verse 20 Paul updates Timothy on some of his friends and their current locations and ministries. In verse 21 Paul delivers greetings to Timothy from some of the believers in Rome. And finally in verse 22 Paul closes his letter by saying, “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you [all].” Paul ends his letter to Timothy with the reminder that he needs Christ to carry out his work of ministry. Apart from Jesus Timothy would run out of strength (“. . . be [continually being] strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” – 2:1). Apart from Jesus Timothy would not have any source of new life, satisfaction, or refreshing that he would need for ministry (“. . . according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus” – 1:1). Apart from Jesus there would be no hope for Timothy, but with Jesus Timothy would have great hope for his work of ministry. Jesus had stood before God the Father on Timothy’s behalf and delivered Timothy from God’s punishment for sin. And if Jesus had interceded for Timothy in that way then Timothy could be confident that Jesus would rescue him from every other spiritual attack that would come his way. There was nothing that could separate Timothy from Christ – he needed only to rely on Him for the strength, grace, and hope that he would need to carry out his ministry.

If you are a believer in Christ today God has done an amazing work in your life. He has wrapped Himself in flesh, in the person of Jesus; He came to us when we could not get to Him; He suffered the full measure of God’s wrath for sin that we deserved; and having returned to heaven He intercedes for us, ever standing in the presence of God as a reminder that our penalty has been paid in full. If you have believed that in your heart, turned from your life of selfishness and sin, and placed your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior then your sins have been forgiven and you have been reconciled with God the Father. You have also been sent by God having, like Christ, been given “the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Are you being strengthened for this purpose? Are you confident that God will stand with you to help you carry out His mission? Are you carrying out the ministry God has given to you? This isn’t the demand of an oppressive God who stands demanding this service in order to earn His favor. This was the mission of God, Himself, and this is what He asks us to join Him in as a demonstration of our gratitude and love for Him and His work in our lives.

Connection Points Questions for Discussion:

1. Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you felt like you had to go through a trial alone? If so, describe that time and how you were feeling in the midst of it. Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you went through a trial with someone else, only to be disappointed by the other person? If so, describe that time and how it caused you to feel.
2. Who did Paul say was standing with him in his first Roman trial? In what two ways was this a help for Paul. What kind of confidence did this produce in Paul moving forward?
3. Are you confident of God’s presence in your life and if so, why? In what ways is the presence of God in our lives a help for us? Do you think the way you live your life communicates that you are confident of God’s presence with you or that you have to do life alone? What evidence do you have that suggests that?
4. How can we encourage you to be strengthened by Christ this week and to step out in faith so that God might work through you to put the love of Christ on display and give others the opportunity to hear from you the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus?