Much of Paul’s letters to Timothy read like a commentary on today’s society, even though he wrote these two thousand years ago. This week’s passage seems especially so.

You can find it in 2 Timothy 4:3:

In the first couple of verses of this passage, Paul charged Timothy to stand firm, preaching the Word of God with boldness. In this next verse, he explains why this is necessary and urgent.

The need for Timothy to be patient is critical. He will soon be entering some difficult times for Christianity, and Paul is about to describe what those times will be like. The situation that begins during Timothy’s ministry has sunk lower and lower throughout the centuries, and we see the continual progression of this today.

What is the problem that Timothy faced, and we face now? It is a lack of commitment to “sound doctrine,” the Word of God. Paul warned that very quickly, people would not want to be faced with the truth of Scripture, or the conviction that comes with it.

As we begin the fourth and final chapter of Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we see Paul turning to a more personal charge for Timothy and his ministry. Paul senses his death is imminent, and he is ready to pass on the torch to a young man in whom he has invested much.

Look at this week’s passage, found in 2 Timothy 4:1-2:

Paul is certain that his death is at hand. And he is ready to go. However, before that can happen, he must pass on a personal charge to young Timothy. Much of that is found in this fourth chapter if 2 Timothy. And, even though it is directed towards Timothy personally, there is much that we can learn from his words.

Paul begins this chapter with a very solemn charge. His language here is very similar to his statements in 1 Timothy 5:21 and 6:13. And the idea of giving a charge such as this isn’t limited to Paul’s writings. Moses charged Israel in Deuteronomy 19:1-10, and Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:7-8. Joshua, Samuel, and Solomon gave charges to the nation of Israel, and David charged his son, Solomon. Jesus gave such a charge to the disciples in John 13:34. Each of these charges, and Paul’s charge is no different, carries with it an air of seriousness and gravity.

In last week’s passage, Paul reminds Timothy of his upbringing, and how he had been taught the Scriptures since childhood. In that passage, he states again the relationship between the Scriptures and salvation. From there, he state just how critical the words of God are for ministry, giving Timothy a brief explanation of their origin.

You can see this week’s passage in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

In this passage, Paul gives what has become one of the most often quoted sections of Scripture concerning Scripture itself. The point Paul is making here is that Timothy should continue in the Word, just as he was raised in the Word. The main reason for this is that Scripture is of divine origin; it is from God himself!

Some understand Paul to be referring only to Old Testament Scripture here, since that is what he knew, and the New Testament wasn’t fully written yet (and much of it was written by Paul himself, anyway). However, in 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul refers to Luke’s gospel as Scripture, and in 2 Peter 3:15-16, Peter includes Paul’s writing in the category of Scripture. So a strong argument can be made that this passage to Timothy includes both Old and New Testament writings.

Paul draws a sharp contrast between Timothy and the false teachers that have been rampant in Ephesus. With the beginning of this week’s passage, he emphatically states that Timothy must be different.

Take a look at it for yourself in 2 Timothy 3:14-15:

Paul sees an obvious distinction between Timothy and the evil men and impostors listed in the previous verse. While they may spiral down in their unrighteousness, Timothy is to maintain a steady faithfulness to his ministry and to the gospel message.

Paul encourages Timothy to hold steadfast, and to continue in what he has learned. This certainly refers back to verse 10, where Paul reminds Timothy that he knows a significant amount about Paul’s teaching and lifestyle. But we must also remember that Timothy was raised by a godly mother and grandmother, both of whom taught him the Scriptures from a very early age (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy’s education in the Scriptures is what led to the faith of his family, and ultimately to his own. These examples are the first reason he must hold onto his convictions.