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T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
DECEMBER 18, 1021
PAUL’3 LAST WORDS Golden Text: “ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept th e faith .” 2 Tim. 4:7.
BESSON TEXT 2 Tim. 4:6-18. (Read Rom. 8:37-39; I Cor.* 15:57; Rev. 3:21.)
(6) F o r I am n ow re a d y to be offered, a n d th e tim e of m y d e p a r tu r e is a t h an d . (7) I h a v e fo u g h t a g o o d fight, I h a v e fin ish ed m y co u rse , I h a v e k e p t th e fa ith : (8) H e n c e fo rth th e re is la id up fo r m e a c ro w n o f rig h te o u s n e s s w h ich th e L o rd , th e r ig h te o u s ju d g e , s h a ll g iv e m e a t th a t d a y : a n d n o t to m e only, b u t u n to a ll th em a lso th a t love h is a p p e a rin g . (9) Do th y d ilig en ce lu com e s h o rtly u n to m e: (10) F o r D em as h a th fo rs a k e n m e, h a v in g lo v ed th is p re s e n t w o rld , a n d is d e p a rte d u n to T h e ssa lo n ic a ; C rescen s to G a la tia , T itu s u n to D a lm a tia . (11) O n ly L u k e is w ith m e. T a k e M a rk a n d b rin g h im w ith th e e fo r he is p ro fita b le to m e fo r th e m in i s try . (12) A nd T y ch icu s h av e I se n t to E p h e su s. (13) T h e c lo k e th a t X le ft a t T ro a s w ith C a rp u s, w h en
th o u com est, b rin g w ith th e e , a n d th e b o o k s, b u t e sp e c ia lly th e p a r c h m e n ts. (14) A le x a n d e r th e c o p p e r sm ith did m e m u ch ev il: th e L o rd r e w a rd h im a c c o rd in g to h is w o rk s: (15) Of w h om be th o u w a re h lso ; fo r he h a th g r e a tly w ith sto o d o u r w o rd s. (16) A t m y firs t a n s w e r no m a n sto o d w ith m e, b u t a ll m en fo rso o k m e: X p ra y God th a t i t m ay n o t be laid to th e ir c h a rg e . (17) N o t w ith s ta n d in g . th e L o rd sto o d w ith m e, a n d s tre n g th e n e d m e; t h a t by m e th e p re a c h in g m ig h t be fu lly k n ow n , an d th a t a ll th e G e n tile s m ig h t h e a r: a n d I w a s d e liv e re d o u t of th e m o u th of th e lio n .- (18) A nd th e L o rd s h a ll d e liv e r m e fro m e v e ry ev il w o rk , an d w ill p re se rv e m e u n to h is h e a v e n ly k in g d o m to ■whom be g lo ry fo r ever, a n d ev er. Am en. The epistles to Timothy, as well as th e epistles of Peter, Jude and John, suggest th e conditions which would exist un til th e end of the age. This epistle is personal, ra th e r th a n a gen eral . epistle to th e church, and has a sad refrain. (1) A Solemn Charge,, vs. 1-5, “ I charge thee, therefore, before God.” The word “ th erefo re” connects this verse w ith th e preceding verses where th e au tho rity and divine sufficiency of the Scriptures are clearly set forth. “All Scripture is given by- inspiration of God, THEREFORE, I charge thee before God, the Sovereign who sitteth upon the circle of th e heavens, and th e Lord Jesus Christ to whom has been com m itted all judgm ent.” (Jno. 5:22; Acts 1-0:42; X Pet. 4 :5 ). His judg m ent will continue for a thousand years, commencing w ith His parousia, or ap pearing, and ending w ith the judgm ent of the Great W hite Throne (Rev. 20: m
Outline: (1) A Solemn Charge, vs. 1-5. (2 ) A Shout of Victory, vs. 6r8. (3 ) A Strong Deliverer, vs. 16-18. Introduction: We have come to th e final words of Paul. They are spoken to Timothy, his son in th e Gospel. L ast words are solemn and sometimes sacred. The last words LESSON of a lost soul are ter- EXPOSITION rible. We treasu re the T. C. H orton la st words of our loved ones w ith a sacred ten derness. We have some reason for believing th a t P aul was released from prison a fte r two years and again took up his m issionary work which may have in cluded,a trip to Spain. P erhaps he re tu rn ed to Ephesus and found his pre- .dictions concerning th a t church fulfilled (Acts 20:29) “ F o r I kn ow this that a fte r m y depar ture sh all grievou s w o lves enter in among you, not sp arin g ' the flock.”
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