The End of a Great Man

WE are always interested in great men; and when God places his stamp of

greatness upon a man, our interest in him is enhanced. No doubt Paul is the

most influential man of the Christian era. A study of his last days is intensely

interesting to all true Christians and to all Bible lovers. He has given us a

glimpse of these last days in the last chapter of Second Timothy. Here we are

told of his last days in the prison at Rome. His last words are addressed to his

son in the gospel, Timothy. It will do our souls good to study this lesson.Paul gives Timothy a serious charge. In verse 1 he says that Christ will

judge the living and the dead, and that this judgment will come when he

appears. This does not sound like Paul thought that Jesus was coming back to

this earth to reign here for a thousand years or so. No, he is coming to judge

us all.

Paul's charge to Timothy, and to all other gospel preachers is this: "Preach

the word." The gospel preacher has no choice in the matter. He is hedged in

and circumscribed by the gospel of Christ. This he must preach if the heavens

fall. He must "be instant in season, out of season." He must preach when there

is an opportunity; and if there is no opportunity, he must make one. He must

"reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." He must reprove

kindly and rebuke sharply. And the warm exhortations that a true preacher of

the gospel can give! And we must not forget to be long-suffering and kind.

Paul talks about a time coming when folks would not endure sound

doctrine. We do not need to be told that the time has arrived, and has been

here for hundreds of years. "After their own lusts shall they heap to

themselves teachers, having itching ears." Yes, there are always some ready to

preach what folks want preached! "Like people, like priest." "My people are

destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will

also reject thee, that thou shalt be no Driest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten

the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so

they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. They eat

up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there

shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and

reward them their doings." (Hos. 4:6-9.)

Paul tells Timothy in this farewell chapter to endure afflictions. And how

Paul had been afflicted! He had been in stripes above measure, often in prison,

three times he had been beatenwith rods, stoned once, in perils of waters, robbers, by his own countrymen,

by the heathen, in the city, in the wilderness, in the sea, among false brethren;

often had he been weary and in pain; he knew hunger, and thirst, and cold,

and nakedness; he knew what it meant to have the care of the churches to

burden his soul. (2 Cor. 11:23-33.) He wants Timothy to know what is in store

for a faithful minister of Jesus Christ. There are no "soft" places in the army

of the Lord. Our Master has said: "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the

air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matt.

8:20.) Being a preacher means hardships, privation, and toil. It is no sinecure.

"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." Servant of God. well done! He had been a good soldier. For a third of

a century he had obeyed his Captain implicitly. That Captain has never lost

a battle, and, thanks be to God, he never will. He does not even lose a soldier.

Every soldier of us will come to a victorious end if he is true to his marching

orders. He had finished his course. The race must be finished. Paul had come

to the end of his earthly race. He had kept the faith. There is just one true

faith, and Paul had kept it.

Paul, as you stand on the edge of the grave and the brink of eternity, what

can you see by the eye of faith? How does it look from that vantage point?

What of the future? "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 that love his appearing." After the

cross, the crown! After death, life!

In his last days he longs for Timothy. "Do thy diligence to come shortly

unto me." Timothy, I want to see you. I want to talk with you. I want your

comfort and encouragement. "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this

present world." Demas was in lore with the world. We cannot love the world and the Lord at the

same time. We must forsake the one or the other. Brother, do not try to love

the world and the Lord at the same time.

Other faithful workers had gone to other places. "Only Luke is with me."

It seems that the beloved physician stayed with the old soldier of the cross

until the very last. It is gratifying that Luke was with Paul to comfort and help.

"Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the

ministry." What a fine spirit! There was a time when Paul thought Mark was

not as profitable for the ministry as he ought to have been, but that time has

passed. Paul had rebuked him sharply. He would not take him with him on a

missionary tour. But Mark is now back in the good graces of Paul. Bring him

with you, Timothy. I want to see him. He will do me good, and he is a

profitable servant.

And, Timothy, "the cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou

comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments." This

is really pathetic! The world's greatest preacher is in jail. He feels the need of

a coat that he had left at Troas. Maybe the jail was damp and cold. He thought

of the cloak he had left with Carpus. Timothy, bring it. It does not sound

much like some of our "big" preachers today! I want my books, and especially

the papers. Perhaps they were papers that Paul had written himself. He wanted

to peruse them once more before he crossed the silent river.

"Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him

according to his works. Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly

withstood our words." Paul did not get "soft" at the last. Here was a dangerous

man. Paul warned Timothy against him. He had withstood Paul's words, and

he would withstand Timothy's. He might even take undue advantage of a

younger preacher. No, there was no hatred in Paul'sheart; he was perfectly willing to let the Lord do the rewarding, but he felt his

responsibility to warn against false teachers. And so should we!

At Paul's first answer, no man stood with him, but all men forsook him.

But Paul imitated his Master by saying: "I pray God that it may not be laid to

their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me;

that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might

hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." Many of the early

Christians were thrown to the lions, but Paul escaped this dreadful fate.

Paul was looking to the eternal kingdom. "And the Lord shall deliver me

from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to

whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." "The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy

spirit."