2 TIMOTHY 4
CAC It is striking how we get the thought of completeness introduced. In spite of all failure and departure there is the thought of completeness; the man of God is to be complete.
[p. 415] Timothy is to fill up the full measure of his ministry. Paul also refers to his own course as a complete one; he knew all the declension and the departure, and he had pointed out the sources of evil, but in his own service what was complete and perfect had been found. It is very encouraging to find this in an epistle that contemplates such failure.
JBS used to tell us we had a wrong idea of a remnant, as if it were a worn-out fragment whereas it is a bit of the original. Remnant times are times which give an opportunity for a bit of the original thing to come out, that which was at the beginning. We see in Philadelphia all the original characteristics of the assembly.
Rem It is very interesting to notice in the address to Philadelphia that the word ‘behold’ is not there (see New Translation). ‘Behold’ is a call to attention. They did not need arousing to the coming of the Lord; it is just “I come quickly”, Revelation 3: 11.
CAC It is most encouraging for us. There is a tendency in a day of departure to be unduly occupied with failure. Nothing could be more depressing than to feel it is all over and no getting out of it. To quote J.B.S. again, he used to say, ‘When a man says it is all over it shows it is all over with him’.
Rem If we are discouraged we shall discourage others.
CAC Paul could speak of some who were with him when he was near to being left alone. He was left alone at one particular moment (verse 16), but he can speak of some with him at this time.
Ques Would you distinguish between the remnant and remnant character?
CAC The remnant would include all that is for God; that was the idea in Israel. You find in Thyatira there is a remnant and in Sardis there is another; it is what is for God.
Rem There was evidently enough in the Old Testament to make Timothy complete.
CAC The scriptures he had known from a child were the Old Testament, but in chapter 3: 16 “every scripture” includes the New Testament. A good part of the New Testament was written at this time, possibly all except John’s gospel. There are certain writings recognised as divinely inspired and we do not need anything outside these writings; they are sufficient to make the man of God complete. It is very emphatic “complete, fully fitted to every good work”.
[p. 416] Ques What are we to understand by the man of God being perfect?
CAC It is the thought of completeness. The Lord says to Sardis, “I have not found thy works complete”. The great point is that we do not need to go outside Scripture for anything. It is an immense stay to be quietly settled in that. It is dangerous ground to go outside our limit. Scripture marks our limits. We might get a good spiritual thought, but we cannot be sure it is right until we find it in Scripture.
Ques Could you tell us about ‘good work’; would it refer to everything that is God’s will for us?
CAC It would be particularly the service of God. The man of God is given up to the service of God, and every good work would be everything that had place in that service. It is a question of acting for God; a man of God is made perfect so that he may act for God. There is a sphere in which we are called to serve God in connection with holy things; the truth, the welfare of saints, the interests of Christ; it is every good work in that connection and therefore everything must be in accord with the Scriptures. It is not the details of everyday life, but what a man is called to do in connection with the service of God.
Paul is going out in triumph, in assured victory, and he reviews his course in the presence of the Lord. He was in every way ready for the kingdom; it would bring him nothing but a crown. He does not look back on his course as many of us might have to do and say, it has all been failure from first to last.
Rem The apostle had failures.
CAC Why do the failures strike us? Just because they are such a contrast to what he was normally. It is a principle with God not to dwell on the failures of His people. The great object with God is the fruit of His work in His people. If only one thing in them is pleasing to God, He will single that out to speak of. To see what the grace of God can do with a man is what helps and encourages us. Paul could say, “By the grace of God I am what I am”; he took full account of what God’s grace had made him.
Rem Paul had profited by his failure.
CAC Paul had not failed in his ministry. He had fulfilled the ministry he was entrusted with, and he exhorts Timothy to do the same. “Fill up the full measure of thy ministry” (verse 5).
[p. 417] There is the idea of completeness; it is very encouraging to me.
Ques Is the crown here the same as the incorruptible crown in 1 Corinthians 9?
CAC The incorruptible crown is in contrast to all the honours a man might have on earth: “they do it to obtain a corruptible crown”.
It is deeply humbling to feel what a contrast our course has been to Paul’s, but it is very encouraging to see what divine resources can do for a man. Paul loved Christ’s appearing because all the principles that would be introduced then were already established in him; all that would dominate the kingdom had already its place in Paul.
Ques The way Timothy is charged is very significant. What is the thought of it? One would have thought that a faithful servant like Timothy would hardly have needed such a charge.
CAC He is put on his responsibility in a most solemn way. We need to give full place to the principle of responsibility; Scripture is careful to maintain it.
Rem Some seem to think responsibility such an ugly word.
CAC That indicates a bad state of soul. Any shrinking from responsibility indicates a state of soul morally bad, because we are creatures and the place of a creature in reference to God is one of responsibility.
The first effect of divine work in the soul is the fear of God, and that is the recognition of responsibility. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom; it is the first thing when a soul wakes up to feel it is responsible to God. Every light in which God is pleased to reveal Himself gives a new character to responsibility.
Ques Grace is not set aside by responsibility, is it?
CAC Grace puts the proper mark on responsibility; it is entirely taken up in grace. Every responsibility is formed by grace; it is that which grace has brought in; it is measured by our privilege, and by the light that God has brought in.
Rem Demas disregarded his responsibility.
CAC Yes, Paul says, ‘He has forsaken me’ — a very solemn thing.
Ques Does responsibility take us back to the parable in Luke 19?
CAC There you get the Lord’s own teaching on the subject of responsibility; you cannot improve on the Lord’s teaching. There you get how men used divine wealth.
[p. 418] Responsibility turns on how you use divine wealth. The “high-born man” has brought wealth down and left it here. It is the knowledge of God, and responsibility turns on this — How do you make use of the wealth the Son of God has brought to you? The point is how to handle it so that it is increased. It is marvellous to think that we could increase what the Lord brought! We should not have dared to say we could increase it, but the Lord says, ‘Now you use my wealth in such a way that it increases, and if you do there is a day coming when I will say, Well done, thou good servant’. That is not all failure. There was a man who was all failure but he was a wicked servant; he did not know the grace of his master.
Rem We are apt to think we have to find something for God out of nothing, but that is what the wicked servant thought.
CAC That is the natural thought of responsibility, but the spiritual thought of it is that the Lord brought everything and we are to use what He brought.
Ques Is the pound the same as in Matthew?
CAC They were each given the same in Luke, but in Matthew each was given a gift according to his several ability. In Luke it is the general knowledge of God in grace that has been brought into the world and is normally or by activity increased, but with some they fold up the knowledge of God in a creed, and it has no living operative character. With a true Christian the knowledge of God is living and operative. We get here the common responsibility of all in the Christian profession; there is the same knowledge of grace, the same revelation to all. The Lord does not give an imperfect setting forth of grace to anyone; the believer uses it, but the unbeliever does not use it or trade. In one sense the idea is that grace is multiplied in its subjects, as we see in Colossians 1: 5, 6, “the glad tidings which are come to you ... are bearing fruit and growing”. We would think that the gospel was so big at the beginning that it would not get bigger, but Paul says it is growing. What is of God spreads out and increases through the exercises and activities of grace among ourselves. We came here tonight to do a little business, did we not? It is turning the stock over, and every time it increases. If you are used to give a little knowledge of God to another it is enlarged in you also, so it is distinctly bigger in the other and [p. 419] in yourself.
Ques Is that growth in the assembly?
CAC In the assembly what one has, what is there, becomes available for the good of all. We read here, “proclaim the word”, then “convict, rebuke, encourage” among the saints. We have every aspect inside and outside.
Ques When Paul says, “I have combated the good combat”, would that cover his whole course?
CAC It covers his responsible life in service. It does not say he had no failure, but failure was not characteristic of Paul. He says, “I have finished the race” — there was the beginning, the course and the finish. The apostle never turned back, never left his first love; he went on. If you speak of his failure, it grew out of his love to his people and going after them. His very failures were due to Christ’s love in his heart towards his people, but the Lord never says to him, ‘You have failed’. The Lord comes and stands by him and says, “Be of good courage; for as thou hast testified the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so thou must bear witness at Rome also”. It is a very unhealthy sign to be occupied with Paul’s failure. We need to see the wonderful character of life in Christ Jesus that marked a man down here. When we get occupied with failure it is because we see so much in ourselves, and it makes us want to be easy on ourselves.
Rem Timothy was not promised a very successful time; he was told the time would come when they would not listen, but he was to keep on.
CAC Yes, that is it, to keep on and “fill up the full measure” of his ministry.
Rem Paul must have felt deeply that all forsook him.
CAC It was the greatest moment in his history, I should think.
Ques Was it some special occasion before the emperor?
CAC Yes, I think he was permitted to answer at Nero’s court, and Nero was such a monster that the brethren were all frightened and forsook Paul, but he had the rich compensation of the Lord standing by him. Paul was allowed to speak before all the ambassadors of the world, “that all the gentiles might hear”.
It is very interesting to note the different occasions when the Lord manifested Himself to Paul; it is a most profitable study. It was a reality; it was not just as we say, ‘The Lord was with me’, and all we mean is that we had a fairly good [p. 420] time! It was very solemn that Paul could say, they “all deserted me”. It is very sad to think of the saints all deserting him.
Rem Paul’s pathway was like the Lord’s.
CAC Yes, I think it was given to Paul in a remarkable way to walk in the path trodden by the Lord.
Rem It is encouraging what he says about Mark.
CAC That shows how a servant may step out of the path in his responsible history and yet get back. Paul had to be very severe with Mark.
Ques “Delivered out of the mouth of the lion” — is that Satan or the emperor?
CAC Well, they were very near together! He may have meant being thrown to the lions; that was the end Nero contemplated for him.