Jesus the Righteous Judge 2
—2Timothy 4:9-22
A verse by verse study in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. In this lesson we examine chapter 4 verses 9-22.
➤ Part 1. The first eight verses were about Jesus the Righteous Judge.
The rest of the chapter (below) closes the letter with various requests, comments, greetings, and the principle that Jesus judges people according to their deeds.
Part 2
3 Jesus judges people according to their deeds
2Timothy 4:9-22
¶“9Try hard to come to me at once, 10because Demas has deserted me having loved this present world,and he has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia (2Timothy 4:9-10).
¶“11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry. 12 Moreover, I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, most of all the parchments” (2Timothy 4:11-13).
¶“14Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him as his deeds deserve. 15You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message” (2Timothy 4:14-15).
¶“16At my first defense, nobody stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. 17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be proclaimed in full, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18And the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forevermore, Amen.” (2Timothy 4:16-18).
¶“19Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus. 21Try hard to come to me before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. 22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all” (2Timothy 4:19-22).
Crescens and Titus.
(Verses 9-10) —Paul is in need of company and helpers in Rome. But he also needs men in other places to maintain the work, preach the word and strengthen the churches. So he sends Crescens and Titus just as he sent Tychicus (verse 12). Nevertheless Paul misses them. He wants Timothy to try hard to come to him at once. (Timothy will appear on our list a bit further down.) Crescens and Titus, as men "sent" by the Lord through Paul, will be accountable in the Judgment for what they do.
Demas.
(Verse 10) —Paul says he has been deserted by his fellow worker, Demas who loved this present world. Demas was a fellow worker with Paul (Colossians 4:14, Philemon 1:24). When Demas deserted Paul, he also deserted Christ. Demas made a choice between this world and God’s kingdom. He chose what he loved most. How sad that he did not love God most. Well, he is accountable in the judgment for what he did.
Luke, Tychicus, Timothy, Mark.
(Verses 11-13) —Luke is the opposite of Demas. Luke is with Paul and standing by him, ministering to him. Luke had journeyed to Rome with Paul. It was on that journey they were shipwrecked at Malta (Acts 27). Paul also wanted Timothy to bring a "useful" preacher called Mark. Paul asked Timothy to fetch his cloak and his books, the cloak to help him through winter, and the books to help him with his teaching. Paul had sent Tychicus to Ephesus. The four men will each be accountable in the Judgment for what they did to serve Paul and serve Christ.
Alexander
(Verses 14-15) —Alexander the coppersmith is a menace to Christianity. Possibly he profits much from making idols and charms, and Paul is convincing people to turn away from them and turn to God. Alexander will be accountable in the Judgment for what he did to Paul.
The cowardly.
(Verse 16) —Here Paul talks about the reason he was brought to Rome. He was to stand before Caesar (Acts 27:24). On his preliminary appearance in court he stood alone, yet there were people who could have accompanied him but they all made themselves scarce. Well, they are accountable in the judgment for what they did.
Caesar.
(Verse 17-18) —The Lord stood by Paul and gave him strength. Paul used his defense to preach the gospel and set the record straight as to what he taught. The hearing went well enough. Paul was neither literally nor figuratively thrown to the lions. But Paul expected that the next time he was called into court, and he stood before Caesar, he would be sentenced to death. The Lord would rescue Paul, even after he was dead, by taking him to his eternal home at the resurrection and Judgment. At the thought of this Paul gives glory to the Lord. Even Caesar will be accountable in the Judgment for what he did.
Good Brethren
(Verse 19-22) —In these closing lines Paul mentions a number of fellow Christians who are good folk, live what they teach, and don't fall away. We must remember that the Judgment is not all about bad people and their punishment. At the Judgment Christ will also acknowledge good people and their good deeds, which he will reward.