2 TIMOTHY 4 (NOTES OF A READING)
[p. 74] 2 TIMOTHY 4 (NOTES OF A READING)
CAC What belongs to this age will be broken up and set aside at His appearing, so it would not be possible to love both, would it?
Rem Loving His appearing involves a course down here just as loving this present age does; it is not just looking forward to the time for Him to have His rights, but it governs our present conduct. Demas went in for everything that was current on the earth.
CAC Loving His appearing is not merely an event, but the state of heart that values all that is coming in at the appearing.
Rem Both the rapture and the appearing are calculated to produce certain effects in us, and would work out in a certain way, as with Mephibosheth who neither showed outward gladness nor took up any position.
CAC Everyone in Jerusalem could see what he was looking out for. The slothful bondman who hid the talent could not be said to love His appearing. It would imply an extreme degree of faithfulness.
Rem So the crown of righteousness would be something superlative in that way. On the mount, Peter is engaged with that glorious Person.
CAC Yes, and he carried all the time the impression of what he had seen.
Ques Would the testimony be maintained at full height in that way? “He received from God the Father honour and glory, such a voice being uttered to him by the excellent glory” (2 Peter 1: 17).
CAC Yes. The Lord loves persons of that type. The Lord preserved certain saints; their walk and ways and state of heart were such as to call forth the love of Christ.
Ques What did the apostle refer to in verse 10, “Demas has forsaken me”, and, of Mark, in verse 11, “He is serviceable to me for ministry”?
CAC It looks as if Paul himself was a great test. He was so personally representative of the Lord that it was a very solemn thing to leave him. All in Asia had turned away from him, he had said.
Rem It would be a test today regarding our relations with the brethren. If we love His appearing it is a question of finding companionship, etc.
CAC It is part of our necessary exercise to take account of persons; not only doctrine, but persons, everybody that we come in contact with, how they really stand in connection with the Lord and His testimony. You do not commit yourself exactly to everybody.
Rem It is not altogether what a person holds, but how he conducts himself, showing what is in his heart.
CAC That is very important. We are called upon to discern the character of persons, especially those having the appearance of serving the Lord.
Rem It was not very commendable to go to Thessalonica.
CAC When we go wrong, we go to persons who are congenial to us. We are all tested by the kind of people we associate with. We should be on the lookout for the most spiritual persons. It was the greatest privilege of that day to be with Paul; there was great comfort for the spirit, but probably not for the body.
Rem Paul was living in the presence of the righteous Judge, and it would be a test to be with him.
CAC Tychicus had a very good reason for leaving Paul, for he had a mission. Sometimes service has to take precedence over privilege; there might be a service calling us to give up privilege. Even spiritual privilege may become a selfish thing.
Rem “Serviceable to me for ministry” — ministry was before him.
CAC Departure marked so many, but there was at least one who sought Paul’s company — one who formerly refused his company.
Rem Mark was to be brought with Timothy.
CAC He has to be content to accept a subordinate position, which is a test.
Rem Tychicus is a spiritually affectionate link between Paul and the brethren.
Ques Would this suggest that Mark’s gospel would be useful as supporting Paul in a peculiar way in service?
CAC Yes, I think that is good. In service Mark was one who could give help. It would lead us to peruse Mark’s gospel, and “Luke alone is with me” would lead us to consider Luke’s gospel. Both would support Paul. I suppose John had not at this time written anything.
“Books” and “parchments” make us think of what was written — they are not to be overlooked, whether the Scriptures or other profitable writings. I do not think you would have found any worldly books in Paul’s library.
Ques Is there any difference between the books and the parchments?
CAC It seems to show that amongst things recorded in written form there might be different grades of value. We need not attach the same value to every book published. Parchments would be intended to be permanent, something that would bear a good deal of handling. There is certain ministry of that character; other ministry would be for the time.
Ques What would the cloak be; it has been said it was his purse?
CAC That would not be of much value. The cloak would suggest the measure of the man, a big or small man.
Rem “Come before winter”. We are liable to forget that side — the needs of the servant.
CAC Legitimate needs are considered by the Lord and allowed for in His arrangements. Paul had left a good bit at Troas as well as his cloak.
Rem You are speaking of his address at Troas (Acts [p. 77] 20:9).
CAC I would give something to have notes of that address! He gave them a wonderfully comprehensive outline of the ministry of the assembly.
Rem Daniel knew by the books.
CAC He had paid attention to Jeremiah. Had he been careless he would not have known that the captivity would be seventy years.
If we pay attention to the ministry, we know what is going on in the ways of God; we should not know what is going on in the world by reading the world’s literature.
Rem Would the books suggest what had been put in order, current things? There were things to be set in order by the assembly for all time. What is particularly important is that which is current, the other may be basic and holds for all time; there is that which is special to the period. Parchment would be something loose in contrast to books. We are left to speculation.
CAC It calls attention to the importance of what is written and available in a permanent form.
Rem Parchments might refer largely to the New Testament writings prior to Paul, because he came in after.
CAC Yes, you can picture Paul’s delight if he could have got hold of one of the gospels, if any of them were written in his lifetime.
Then it says, “Alexander the smith did many evil things against me”.
Ques Do you suppose he was a Christian or just an opponent possibly?
Rem Paul leaves him with the Lord, as in verse 8, “The Lord, the righteous Judge”.
CAC It is a statement, “The Lord ... will render to me in that day”. It is a fact.
Rem There is a withstanding of the words of Paul today, we must beware of this.
Rem He seems to have felt very much that all [p. 78] deserted him.
CAC It refers to those who had been with him; they had run away from the colours.
Rem It was what the Lord had to go through, “And all left him and fled” (Mark 14: 50).
CAC It is the difference between weakness and will — I suppose it was a wicked will in Alexander, he was a definite adversary. It was a will which must be dealt with in judgment, but these brethren deserted him through weakness, they could not stand the test, they deserted him. There was a great difference morally between the two. They saw what was coming, his execution. A great deal that transpires is through weakness, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.