Bible Reading

2 Timothy Chapter 4 - Paul’s Song of Victory

Will you fulfil your ministry?

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2 Timothy is often attributed to be Paul's final epistle in the Bible. This would make 2 Timothy 4 the final chapter which Paul writes in the Bible.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."

2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV

The above passage is often referred to as Paul's song of victory, a song of thanksgiving that Paul is able to sing after a long arduous life serving the Lord.

If we too desire to sing such a song when it is time to cross the river to the other side, let us take some time to learn from the example of Paul.

1) Victorious over falsehood

Today's chapter begins with a call for Timothy to be a faithful preacher of the word, knowing that the Lord whom we serve will judge the living and the dead when He comes again (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

Paul warns that there will be people who rise up with itching ears, turning to fables rather than the truth (2 Timothy 4:3), and this is indeed what we see today. It is all too easy and tempting to seek after the new and the novel, or compromise the standard of God to appease our conscience and satisfy our desires.

While we may often lament about the rise of false prophets and false teachings (which harm and even kill the spiritual lives of many), Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 that we as hearers/listeners of the word have some responsibility to bear too.

Do we endure sound doctrine? Or through our desires heap up for ourselves false teachers? I.e., false teachers rise up in part due to the itching ears of us listeners!

This echoes the words that God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah - yes there are prophets who prophesy falsely, but it is precisely because the people of God love to have it so (Jer 5:31)!

If there is no demand for falsehoods and errant teachings which pleases our conscience and caves in to our lusts, then the work of false teachers is greatly hindered.

For our own sake (and the sake of our brothers and sisters), let us esteem and love the truth which has been once and for all delivered to us (Jude 1:3). By the power of the Holy Spirit, let us hold fast the pattern of sound words, that we may contend earnestly for our faith and be victorious over all falsehood and heresies.

2) Victorious over the worldly desires

In 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul notes that Demas has forsaken him. All we are told is that he loves the present world (more so than the ministry). Demas is not the only example of such a person - there's others like Diotrephes too who have gone astray (3 John 1:9-10).

Today, the allures of the world are not something to look lightly upon. If we do not guard our hearts, it is easy for us to start prioritising the amount in our bank accounts, the next promotion, or even our hobbies, rather than putting God first.

Paul himself was once considered extremely successful in the world (Phil 3:4-6). But after his encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus, Paul chose to count all things in this world as loss, as rubbish even, just so that He may gain Christ (Phil 3:7-9).

Paul's mind was always set on things above, rather than things of the world (Phil 3:19-21; Col 3:2). Paul was willing to lose all that he had in this world, be it his status or freedom - or even his own life, all for the sake of the ministry (Acts 20:24; 21:12-14).

Today, Jesus calls us to count the cost and consider carefully. If we want to be His disciple and complete this journey to the heavenly kingdom, we must be willing to forsake and let go of all that we have in this world, and wholeheartedly follow Him (Luke 14:26-33).

Are we willing?

3) Victorious over loneliness

From Paul's various epistles, it is clear that he has many spiritual companions and co-workers (see Romans 16). Indeed, as a servant of God, we need to appreciate our coworkers and learn to work well with our fellow members of the body of Christ.

However, Paul also had to learn to be strong even when he was all alone.

It is not common for us to feel alone in our ministry to God (1 Kings 19:10, 14). These are often our lowest points in our faith and service.

Sometimes, it is our mental and emotional state that blurs our vision and cause us to neglect the coworkers that are silently there accompanying us in our ministry (1 Kings 19:18).

In Paul's case, however, he truly was left alone physically and abandoned by all his peers (2 Timothy 4:16). Yet, in the spirit of Jesus our Lord and Stephen the Martyr, Paul forgave them and did not seek vengeance against them.

Paul tells us where his strength came from - the abidance of the Lord (2 Timothy 4:17). Indeed, whenever Paul faces great pressure and opposition in His ministry, we consistently see how the presence of God comforts and strengthens him (Acts 18:9-11; 22:17-21; 23:11).

When we feel alone in our ministry, let us learn to spend more time in prayer and reignite that conviction that the Most High God abides with us - Only He can comfort us and bring His work to completion.

The reward of victory

Running a race is exhausting; Fighting a battle is excruciating. Keeping our faith in the world we are in today is by no means easy.

"But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

2 Timothy 4:5 NKJV

Nevertheless, throughout this chapter (and many other passages), we can see Paul's conviction (some might even say obsession) to fulfil His ministry.

Testifying for God defined all aspects of his life. And nothing - not falsehoods, worldly desires,, loneliness, etc. could shake or defeat him.

We too can be victorious. Because the God who preserved Paul is faithful and will likewise preserve us for His heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18).

All we need to do is, like Paul, to dedicate and entrust ourselves through prayer entirely to Him.

Related Topics

2 TimothyService

See Also

2 Timothy Chapter 3 - Holding Fast to the Faith

2 Timothy Chapter 3 - Holding Fast to the Faith

Paul reminds Timothy of the behavior of those who do not fear God in the last days (3:1–9). They love pleasure rather than God, are self-centered, and oppose the truth. Ironically, they are always learning yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Their pride prevents them from learning, understanding, or carrying out God’s will. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).  Today, these words are also spoken to us who believe in Jesus. We must stay alert and not imitate them, for such behaviors oppose and contradict the teachings of Jesus Christ. These serve as warnings and guidance for us, because we may unknowingly fall into these errors in our daily lives as well. When life becomes comfortable, we may love entertainment but dislike attending church services. When brothers and sisters in church face difficulties, we may stand by and care only for ourselves. We may become lovers of money, striving tirelessly for work and forgetting the work God has entrusted to us.  The Bible tells us that a person cannot serve two masters. They will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24). The greatest commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” The second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39).  In verse 10, Paul teaches us the attitude a God-fearing person should have: to follow sound teaching, have good conduct, steadfastness, faith, patience, love, endurance, and the ability to endure persecution. Verses 12–13 remind us: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”, because evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse. Blessed are those who rely on God to overcome persecution and endure trials, for through testing they will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).  In the final verses (15–17), Paul mentions something crucial: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Therefore, we must search the Scriptures, for in them we find eternal life (John 5:39). The words of the true God are full of grace, and His promises will all be fulfilled. Let us hide God’s word in our hearts so that we may not sin against Him (Psalm 119:9–11).  We pray that brothers and sisters will continually rely on the Holy Spirit to open our hearts, so that we may know the Lord more deeply, hold firmly to the truth we should follow, and remember that the way to the kingdom of heaven is narrow, not wide. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13–14). 

Can I Go To Any Church?

Can I Go To Any Church?

Christianity today is very divided and is vastly different from the church established by the apostles. There are many denominations, each interpreting the Bible in their own way. Yet to most Christians, many of these differences don’t matter and all churches still collectively belong to the body of Christ. As such, they believe that as long as one is Christian, they can be saved. I once invited a Christian friend to church. He was confused and said, “But… I already go to a church, why don’t you ask others who aren’t Christians?” Is it true that you can go to any church, and that you can be saved as long as you are Christian? Are all churches part of the body of Christ? Some Christians believe that, which is why it does not matter which church you go to. “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:22-23 NKJV “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18 NKJV It is a biblical concept that the church is the body of Christ, and Christ is head of the church. The bible goes on to say the following: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4-6 NKJV There is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. Is this reflected by all of Christianity today? Can we say we have one baptism today? Different churches preach different things about baptism. Some are for infant baptism, some are against it. Different churches have different takes on how baptism is conducted and whether it pertains to salvation. Is this considered “One baptism”, as it should be in the body of Christ? This points us to the issue of one Spirit. It was by the power of the Holy Spirit that the church was established on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). In the Acts of the Apostles, we also see clearly how the Holy Spirit guided the actions of the apostles (Acts 16:6). Moreover, the Holy Spirit was also referred to as the Spirit of Truth by the Lord Jesus Himself: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:13 NKJV If all churches are led by and established by the one Holy Spirit, how is it that there are so many versions of “truth”? As mentioned earlier, different churches have different takes on baptism. Other differences include tongue speaking. Some churches speak in tongues, while some don’t, who instead claim that tongues have ceased. Some churches hold services on the Sabbath and uphold it is a holy day, while most churches worship on a Sunday and claim that it is not important to worship on the Sabbath. Are all these contradictory pieces of information all from the same Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth? This brings me to my next point: One faith. Can we all say that we have the one same faith, if we have so many differences in our doctrines? Some Christians may argue that we can say we have the same faith, because we all believe in the same Lord Jesus who has given us salvation. These differences in doctrines do not matter. This, I think, is the fundamental reason most may give to justify why going to any church is fine. And they quote: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 NKJV Yes, as written above, it is through believing in Jesus that we can be saved. But is it right to say that nothing else matters? Is that all the Bible says about being saved? Did not Jesus also say, for example, that baptism is necessary for salvation in Mark 16:16? Can believing that baptism is necessary for salvation, and not believing that baptism is necessary for salvation, be considered to be the same faith, simply beacuse both parties believe in Jesus Christ? We can see how highly Paul esteems the oneness of the gospel in his warning to the Galatians, who were pressured to keep the Jewish law, including circumcision: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9 NKJV Let us look at what the Lord Jesus once said, which some may find shocking: ““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV We see here that the Lord Jesus has denied salvation to these people, who clearly believed in Him! If we truly believe in what Jesus says here, we ought to realise that it is not a mere belief and confession in Jesus that saves. If we say we believe in Jesus, yet do not believe in what He says, for example, regarding baptism for salvation, can we really say we believe in Him? This brings us to the last point: One body. If all churches were established by the Holy Spirit, there will not be so many versions of doctrines. These different beliefs cannot all be considered to be one faith, grouped under the umbrella of “believing in Jesus Christ”. There is only one gospel, as Paul says. There is only one complete truth that saves. After all, doesn’t it make sense that Jesus has only one message of salvation for us in the Bible, that should not be open to human interpretation, but rather by revelation of the Holy Spirit? And the role of the church is to uphold the truth! As Paul writes: “but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” I Timothy 3:15 NKJV The church is meant to be the pillar and ground of the truth, that is, to uphold the truth. If these churches do not have the truth, how then can they be considered to be the church of God, the body of Christ, in the Bible? As mentioned in Ephesians 4, there is one faith and one body. That means there is one church with the one complete truth that saves. Do you think you can be saved if you go to a church that does not have the complete truth of salvation, and is not truly part of the body of Christ? Today the True Jesus Church believes that we are the one true church of God that preaches the complete truth, passed down by the apostles through the Bible. The True Jesus Church preaches that Baptism, Foot washing and Holy Communion are sacraments necessary for salvation. We also observe the Sabbath, and believe that receiving the Holy Spirit, evidenced by tongue speaking, is necessary for salvation. These doctrines, can all be substantiated by the Bible and it is the same one faith practiced by the Apostles in the Bible. These will not be discussed in detail in today’s article, but please do reach out to us if you are interested in the learning the truth of salvation.

Back To Basics

Back To Basics

Anyone starting university will immediately appreciate the increase in autonomy and independence. For any university student, it may be tempting to join in hall activities and university societies, to pursue even greater academic heights like joining competitions, or to start building up a portfolio for our careers. If throughout our academic journeys we have always felt overshadowed, university may seem like the time to finally shine and show our worth. Moreover, a common feature of the “university experience” is being able to live alone away from home, regardless of whether you study abroad or locally in Singapore. The newfound independence and freedom can be both intimidating and exciting. If we are serious about our faith, we must consider how to ensure our time in university is something beneficial to our faith. Too many youths have lost their faith whilst in university. As Christians, we have a higher purpose and calling in this life. We have been empowered to transcend all the frenzy and chaos our peers may find themselves in. With a larger portion of your time under your control, the question is, how should we best use it? As we continue to further our education, many classes often start with a "Back to Basics" introduction, going through and reviewing some of the key concepts that one needs to know to be able to understand the subsequent lessons fully. Likewise, in our faith, it's often helpful to return to the basics and grow in these things. With the increased independence and freedom, many are caught up with the allures of university life and drift away in their faith. And quite a key deciding factor on whether we grow or drift is our daily cultivation routine. How much time do we spend each day in prayer? Practical tip number 1: Even amidst the busy university term, you must fight the temptation of setting a limit on your cultivation time. Don't just pray for 15 minutes because that is your habit. When your alarm rings, if you feel like you are having a good conversation with God, keep going! If you realise you've been distracted the whole prayer, quieten your heart, resolve to focus, and try again. And if you've been praying for 15 minutes for the past year, why not make it 20 minutes? And if 20 minutes is your current routine, why not work towards 30 minutes? Just as we go through university hoping to grow in knowledge and skills, as Christians we must also strive to grow in our prayers. The independence and flexibility of university life greatly aid and enable us to grow in our daily cultivation. (And if you aren't already using a timer to ensure you pray for a minimum amount of time, I highly recommend using one) Practical number 2: To set your prayer life in order, you must set the rest of your life in order. If we are often out late having supper, if we always return home late, we will struggle to find time to pray before we sleep. If we are doom scrolling on social media past midnight, when it’s time to pray, we will be tired and just say a short and quick prayer. And because we sleep late, we wake up late in the morning and say a hurried prayer (if any) before rushing to start our day. It’s called “life of prayer” for a reason - if we are serious about our prayer life, we must be willing to adjust the rest of our life around our cultivation habits. We must esteem our daily cultivation time and do our best to protect it. Practical tip number 3: On top of our routine prayers, make spontaneous and unscheduled prayers. Don't limit yourself to a fixed routine of "X minutes in the morning" and "X minutes before bed". Bow the knee whenever you're stressed with deadlines. Call out to God whenever you're feeling stuck with your work. Pray while you prepare for church work. God is faithful, and if we put in the effort to seek after Him each day, we will surely find Him. A sister from the UK testified how she would pray for a total of two hours through the day whilst living alone during her difficult university days. It got to a point where prayers were the highlight and joy of her day. And though those days were decades ago, her encounters with God back then still play an important part in her journey of faith even today. She actively serves in church and still runs around actively attending various church events despite no longer being so "young". A brother from the US did something similar, and he shared how each day when he returned to his college dormitory, it was as though God was waiting for him there because he had spent much quality alone time with God on his knees in his room. His relationship with God was something so real and living. He could clearly feel the presence of God in his life. University life isn't easy. Living alone, whilst liberating, can also be lonely and sobering. You will face new challenges that you may have never faced before. You will face even greater lows in your academic journey. But it is precisely these times when we learn to turn to God and pour out our hearts to Him in prayer. When we are alone in the dormitory, when it feels like no one around us understands or has time for us, God allows us to gain a slightly deeper understanding of what Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (You see, many of the teachings we've learnt from RE since young, about God being our refuge, about praying and entrusting to God, about God's love towards us... these are lessons we continue to learn for the rest of our lives. Time and time again, God teaches us these same lessons, but each time, we have a slightly deeper appreciation for His precious words. This precisely is what it means to grow as a Christian, to grow in our relationship with God and His words.) Unlike everything else from university that will end one day, your relationship with God is eternal . And all your encounters with God during your university days will become your own personal testimony and experience which no one can take away from you. We see this in Job chapter 2. Everything can be taken away from you, but no one can ever take God away from you. Most of the above can also be said of our Bible reading. How much time do we spend on the Word of God? You will have to do a lot of reading in university, be it papers or textbooks. We probably have experienced times where we dedicate hours trying to read and understand something, but still glean nothing out of it. The Bible is different. Unlike all other books, Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is living. The Bible is the only text in the whole world that is living. What does it mean for it to be "living"? Imagine each time we read the Bible, God is before us, feeding us with His teachings! After all, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord, and His words truly are spirit and life. Essentially, this means that whenever we quiet our hearts and put in the effort to read the Bible, we will always gain something and be edified. And this is even more so for those of us who have the Spirit of truth dwelling in us! This assurance that no time spent reading the Bible will ever be spent in vain (unlike that extra hour you might try to spend on your assignment) should naturally motivate us to spend more time reading His word. Practical tip number 1: Don't stop reading until you are edified. Just like for prayer, it's helpful to train ourselves not to set a "limit" on our daily Bible reading (e.g. one chapter or 15 minutes) but rather to read until we are edified. Perhaps initially, we are a little distracted, but we need to muster up that resolve and determination to read through the passage and meditate on His words slowly. And just like how when we are full we will naturally know to stop eating, when we are edified from the word of God and have received our daily spiritual bread, we will know when we have read enough for the day. It's a hard feeling to explain, but a very spiritually satisfying one. And as shared above, all of us can experience this spiritual satisfaction each day. Practical tip number 2: Do not treat church work (e.g., preparing RE) as a substitute for your daily Bible reading. As university youths, chances are we are taking on more church work, be it as an RE teacher or in leading fellowships. However, church work is not an excuse to slack in our Bible reading. In fact, being diligent in our daily Bible reading is often what makes it easier to prepare for our church duties. By storing up the word of God in our hearts and actively meditating on His words, we have more to draw from when preparing for fellowships or lessons. On top of reading His words (emphasis: "on top of"), listening to sermons is worthy of our pursuit. One of the biggest blessings from the pandemic is the plethora of sermons on YouTube that we can listen to. Many of our peers in church do actively listen to sermons as part of their daily routine, and they can all testify of how much it has benefitted their spiritual lives. Living alone greatly enables this. While we head out to buy groceries, cook in the kitchen, eat our meals, do the laundry, why not listen to a sermon? The flexibility that comes with university life makes it the best time to grow in our service and fellowship attendance. By God's grace, the church provides us with many services and fellowships for us to attend. While attending all of them may seem like a tall order, we should be constantly pursuing to attend more. And as we become more present in the church, naturally, there'll be more church works for us to begin serving in. While studying in university, many youths grow to be actively involved in church. Practical tip number 1: It takes faith to make time to do church stuff Some may quote Luke 14:25-33 to say that we should carefully plan our time and say "no" to church services or church work if needed. And yes, that is true, but often, the problem is that we are too quick to turn down. For the record, the start and end of that passage in Luke 14 talk about the necessity of bearing our cross and forsaking all that we have to become Jesus' disciples! We must remember that we walk by faith and not by sight. If we only agree to church works when they can clearly fit into our schedule, then perhaps we will only be walking by sight. Walking by faith means saying "yes" to church work even if we do not know how our schedule will work out, but we still say "yes" because we know that serving God is the purpose of our lives. And by faith, we know that somehow, God will provide. By faith, we know God will give us the gifts we need to do His work. By faith, we know that God will guide us to finish all our deadlines on time and to get the grades we need for whatever path He wants to lead us on. Yes, there will be times when we feel overloaded and overwhelmed, but these are all good opportunities for us to once again pray to God and reflect on our purpose and direction in our lives, to once again remember the great love and grace of Jesus towards us, shown to us by His death for us on the cross. Remember, God will never shortchange you for the time that you offer up to Him. And more often than not, what we need to sacrifice to make time for church activities and church work is not the time for our studies, but our leisure time. Is it really the case that we have no time to take on additional church things, if we spend hours doom scrolling on social media each night? Practical tip number 2: Use our hobbies and interests to serve God. If you like writing, why not write articles and devotionals for the church? If you enjoy filming and video editing, the internet ministry welcomes you with open arms. If music is your thing, you can consider writing hymns (especially hymns for children, hymns based on Bible passages, hymns based on our basic beliefs, etc.). If planning activities give you satisfaction, why not help to plan activities for the RE students? If you have an eye for design, the church greatly needs you. Our gifts and talents all come from God, and the most satisfying way to use our gifts is to use them to serve and benefit the house of God. As we navigate university and are exposed to more allures of the world, it is always good to return to the basics. Though we always hear these things while growing up in church, each time we transition into a new phase in our lives, our resolve to hold fast to these "basics" are challenged. Yet, each transition into a new phase is also an opportunity to renew our conviction and grow in these fundamental aspects of our faith. In particular, university life gives you much more freedom and independence, possibly more than ever. Many end up getting really involved in campus life, taking on many extracurricular activities, building up a portfolio, and crafting their dream lives. And with whatever time we have left, we often would want to have time for ourselves, to have "alone time", time to unwind and relax. To be clear, I don't want to present a false choice here: you still can do all those aforementioned things. But as you pursue those things, there will be times when you experience the vanity that's described in Ecclesiastes. In these moments, readjust and realign yourself. We can lead a more meaningful life beyond just chasing after things in this world. And our leisure time, alone time, self-care time, etc., does not need to be mutually exclusive from faith time, church time, and God time. Make God a bigger part of your life. Pray more, read the Bible more, be more present and active in church. God wants to give you a life where you can experience His true joy and peace. You'll find that, indeed, there's none but Christ that can completely satisfy.

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