II Tim. 4:6–8 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also who love His appearing. ======================================= Paul wrote this last Epistle to Timothy, entrusting him with the greatest Message on Earth, “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified,” and all which that means, which is, in fact, the entirety of the New Covenant. This Epistle was written from the Mammertine Prison in Rome. During Paul’s day, this was merely a cell beneath a cell. In other words, it had no outside entrance; everything had to be let down through a trap door in the ceiling. It had been carved out of solid rock. This cell stills exists today, and I have been in it. As I stood there that day, along with others, I cannot even begin to tell you how I felt, knowing that the great Apostle had spent his last months of life in this cell, and knowing that he had written his last Epistle (II Timothy) from this very place. I began to read Verses 6, 7, and 8, but I could not finish. One might say, “The Apostle Paul is possibly the greatest example of Righteousness produced by Christ.” There never has been anyone else quite like the little Jew from Tarsus. When Paul said, “I am now ready to be offered,” he knew, no doubt by the Holy Spirit, that his work was finished. The word “offered” in the Greek is “spendomai,” which refers to a Drink Offering poured out. Paul uses the same word in Philippians 2:17. He looks upon himself as the libation poured out upon the sacrifice. The libation refers to the lesser part of the sacrifice poured out onto the more important part, i.e., the Drink Offering poured out upon the sacrifice of the lamb. Only one who considered himself less than the least of all Saints could write with such deep humility. The phrase, “And the time of my departure is at hand,” proclaims the fact that Paul’s work is over; otherwise, Nero could not have taken his life. The servant of the Lord is immortal until his life’s work is done. The phrase, “I have fought a good fight,” should have been translated, “I have fought the good fight,” because this is the way it is written in the original Greek. Paul wasn’t speaking of himself as fighting a good fight, but rather that he had fought the correct fight. It speaks of an action completed in the past with present results. Paul fought his fight with sin to a finish, and was resting in a complete victory. The phrase, “I have finished my course,” has reference to a race course. The words, “have finished,” is a like a Greek runner who has crossed the finish line and is now resting at the goal. Paul’s life’s work is over. The phrase, “I have kept the Faith,” refers to that to which the Lord had entrusted him. He had been given the meaning of the New Covenant; he also had been called upon to plant (or found) the Church. He was the Master builder of the Church. Paul had defended the great truth of the New Covenant, which is the truth of the Cross, in every way. He had defended it against the attacks of the Gnostics, the Judaizers, and others. He never allowed it to be compromised, perverted, polluted, or hindered in any way. We have what we have today because, against all odds, Paul “kept the Faith.” The “crown” to which he refers is, in the Greek, “stephanos,” and refers to the “victor’s crown.” The victor’s crown of righteousness is the crown which belongs to, or is the due reward of, Righteousness. The One Who will grant that is “The Righteous Judge,” Who is the just Judge, the Umpire Who makes no mistakes, and Who is always fair. This “crown” will be given to all “who love His appearing.” We might say that Paul, the spiritual athlete, his victory won, is resting at the goal post, awaiting the award which the Judge’s stand will give him (Wuest). -The Expositor’s Word For Every Day
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 17:00:31 +0000
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