Friends, Foes, and the Faithful One
Friends, Foes, and the Faithful One
2 Timothy 4:9-22
William Carey, who is known as the “Father of Modern Missions”, arrived in India in 1793 and remained there, without a furlough, for 41 years. Yet, although Carey only saw about 700 conversions in a nation of millions of people, his translation work laid the foundation for the Gospel and is still bearing fruit today. Many people have heard of William Carey, but he was not alone in the work. In 1799 Joshua Marshman and William Ward joined him in India. Carey, Mashman, and Ward, along with their wives, became known as the Serampore Trio. Without their Gospel friendship, the work would not have happened.
On May 30, 1792, William Carey preached his now famous, “deathless sermon,” challenging Baptist pastors to attempt great things for God and expect great things from God. He passionately pleaded with them to use their means to reach those far from Christ and rescue people from eternal darkness. The sermon caused quite a stir in the meeting, but most were not convinced. You see, in 1792, it was unheard of for smaller churches to pool their resources in a joint effort to reach the lost in a foreign nation. The seventeen delegates gathered were about to close the day without any resolution when Carey reached out and grabbed the arm of his friend, Andrew Fuller, and cried out,
“Is there nothing again going to be done, sir?”
That single question penetrated Fuller’s apathy and ignited a passion for the nations. As one pastor notes,
The undeniable sincerity of the probing cry catalyzed the desire of an influential man into action and conscripted Fuller’s conscience into the battle against the evangelistic tepidity of the inert Baptists ministers.
By the end of that meeting, Fuller had joined with Carey to establish the Baptist Missionary Society which would revolutionize missions. “Is there nothing again going to be done, sir?” This passionate plea of a faithful saint to his friend would eventually lead to thousands upon thousands of sinners being rescued from the domain of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Beloved Son.
The story of the Kingdom of God advancing throughout the world is the story of Gospel friendships. It is the story of Carey and Fuller, of Whitfield and Wesley, of Paul and Timothy. But as we will see with this text, it is not only about the main characters, but the supporting cast. If things are going to get done for the Kingdom, it will take an army of faithful friends armed with the Gospel of grace.
This morning I pray that God will penetrate your apathy and ignite a passion for His glory that leads to the rescue of thousands and thousands of sinners to the glory of Jesus Christ.
The Partnership of Gospel Friends (2 Timothy 4:9-13)
As we reach the end of 2 Timothy, Paul realizes his time on earth is short, and he knows the only way he can continue his mission is through the work of others. In reality, he has always known this. As he penned those words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”, Paul fought to believe and train others to believe in Christ. He ran to believe and help others believe in Christ, and now that the time of his departure has come, he wants to see his friend.
Do your best to come to me soon. 2 Timothy 4:9
In the last moments of our lives, we want to be with those who love us. Paul wanted Timothy by his side. He wanted to see his face. He wanted to hold his hand. He wanted to hear his voice. He wanted to give him some final instructions in person. We don’t know if Timothy ever made it to Paul before his execution, but we do know that’s what Paul wanted. He wanted to see his friend.
In his book, Made for Friendship, Drew Hunter asks this question at the end of one of his chapters, “If you only had a few days to live, what friend that you haven’t seen in awhile would you want to come to your bedside?” Then he writes, “Why not reach out to them now instead?” Paul wanted Timothy to come to him soon. Paul wanted his friend.
Beloved, friendship is important. It is one of God’s greatest gifts to the world. J.C. Ryle writes,
This world is full of sorrow because it is full of sin. It is a dark place. It is a lonely place. It is a disappointing place. The brightest sunbeam in it is a friend. Friendship halves our troubles and doubles our joys.
Paul wanted to half his sorrow and double his joy, and he knew Timothy's presence would do that. Beloved, do you have anyone to half your sorrow and double your joy? Friendship is a wonderful thing, but how much more wonderful is gospel friendship? Friendship that is rooted and grounded in the person of Jesus Christ. Friendship built on a common mission to take God’s glory to the nations. This was the “secret sauce” of Paul and Timothy’s deep friendship.
Not only did Paul want to see Timothy before his death, he wanted to see Timothy, because he was lonely, cold, and wanted to read. First, Paul was lonely. He was lonely because the people he loved had left him, some for good reasons and others for poor ones.
For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 2 Timothy 4:10–12
Here, Paul introduces us to his supporting cast; his inner circle. He starts with Demas, and this was, no doubt, a painful introduction, “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” Although the text is not explicit, we can imply that Demas didn’t just walk away from the mission, but he walked away from Jesus. The language in verse 10 parallels the language in verse 8, “In love with this present world,” compared to “all who have loved his appearing,” Paul is probably pointing out that Demas has left the faith, loving the things in this world more than the things to come. He loved the temporal over the eternal.
At the end of Colossians 4, Paul mentioned Demas as a Gospel friend and sent greetings to the church on his behalf. The church at Colossae knew Demas. They knew his testimony. They sang hymns together. They shared the Gospel together. They prayed together. Paul, as well as Timothy, would have known Demas well. But now, Demas has walked away from Jesus because he loved the world more. Beloved, let this be a warning: Demas had been a Gospel friend, a follower of Christ, a herald of the Gospel. But he became one who turned his back on Jesus and the church. If it happened to Demas, it could happen to us. We must continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
In what ways is the world drawing you? In what means is the evil one cultivating your desires for this world? What tools is he using to chip away at your love for God and grow in you a love for the world? Apostasy, walking away from Jesus, is not normally a hard turn, but a slow drift by a number of small decisions. It may start with cultivating worldly desires online which may lead to an apathy about reading the Word which may lead to a lack of desire to attend the gathering which may lead to a critical spirit which may lead to giving an ear to worldly philosophies which may lead to denying Jesus and going to hell. Jesus said in Matthew 7,
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13–14
The road to hell is often paved with many small steps away from grace.
Paul was grieved that Demas had deserted him. In fact, he uses the same word that Jesus used on the cross when he cried out to His father and asked why He had been forsaken. Demas’ departure was painful. Now, Paul had endured many painful departures even though they were of God. He sent other Gospel friends to carry on the work. Crescens went to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. We know of Titus’s work in Crete. He had probably put in order the churches there and was called to do something similar in Dalmatia. Crescens is not mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures, but tradition has him connected to churches in Vienne and Mayence in Gaul. The history of the church is full of no-name or once named saints who were faithful in small ways to spread the Gospel of Christ.
Paul’s once robust team of followers had dwindled down to two. He writes, “Luke alone is with me.” Now, please understand, this is not a shot at Luke. Paul is not saying, “And all I have is Luke so you better come quick.” Luke is the beloved physician who cared for Paul’s needs. He remained in his service as a faithful friend and doctor ministering to Paul’s physical body. Paul appreciated Luke’s service to him, but only having Luke would have been a glaring difference from the number of friends who were once at his side.
But Paul follows this with a sentence of Gospel redemption. It’s a statement that could be easily overlooked but is saturated with grace.
Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 2 Timothy 4:11b
Now, this is the same Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, who led to the break up of Paul and Barnabas serving together. Mark had wanted to return home and apparently abandoned Paul and Barnabas on one of their missionary journeys, and Paul did not want him to accompany them again.
And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. Acts 15:39–40
Yet now, years later, Paul writes, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” He is very useful to me. Paul had gone from not even wanting Mark on the same team with him to saying he was “very useful”. Again, we do not want to speculate about what might have happened. Paul may have softened in his view of Mark. Mark may have matured. Either way, God brought reconciliation between two Gospel friends for the sake of ministry. Beloved, you may have been useless in the past, you may even feel useless now, but that does not mean you have to stay there. Your story does not have a period at the end of it. God can still use you.
Recently, another Pillar church in the area planted a new church and sent one-third of their membership and one-third of their budget to this new ministry. It is a wonderful story of a church sacrificing their best so Christ’s name could be exalted in another place. What’s amazing about the story is that the pastor of the church plant had been fired from the sending church years before because of immaturity. But he remained part of the church and, over the next several years, grew in the Lord before coming back on as an elder and eventually being sent out as a church planter. He went from useless to useful. The Kingdom is full of stories of God’s grace working in ordinary people so that they grow and mature and can be used by Him.
Beloved, do not believe the evil one’s lie that your past sin has made you permanently useless in the Kingdom. God loves to redeem, restore, and renew sinners by grace for His glory. Paul said “Bring Mark with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” Maybe some of us need to view this from Paul’s perspective. Maybe you have children or grandchildren or people you have discipled who have disappointed you because of poor choices. That does not mean they will always disappoint you. Paul saw the growth in Mark and was able to say, “He is very useful to me.” Do not write people off forever. Pray for them and God may surprise you.
Paul wanted Timothy to get Mark and come and see him. But he also sent someone to relieve Timothy so the church would be cared for.
Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 2 Timothy 4:12
In Colossians, Paul writes that Tychicus, “is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.” Tychicus had been charged with the letter to the Ephesians and Colossians and was sent to help Titus in Crete. Here, we read that Paul sent Tychicus to relieve Timothy in Ephesus so that Timothy could come to him. Beloved, we should aspire to be like Tychicus, “a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.” I am grateful that we have many who are like Tychicus in this congregation. People probably didn’t name their children Tychicus and they may never name their children after you, but you are Gospel friends who refresh the saints and can be trusted with the message of Christ. It is a joy to serve alongside you.
Paul also asked Timothy to bring him a few things that would make his prison cell a little more comfortable.
When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 2 Timothy 4:13
The cloak, which was made of heavy material, was a circular outer garment with a hole in the middle for the head. Paul had probably left it with Carpus when he was arrested, and now he wanted it back because he was cold. This is a simple reminder that Paul’s prison stay was not comfortable. It reminds me of the story of Martin Luther who, when he was in exile and translating the New Testament into German, asked a friend to bring him socks. I imagine Luther working to spread the Gospel with cold feet just as I imagine Paul shivering in a prison cell wishing he hadn’t left his cloak with Carpus. Every time we lose the comforts of this world, it warms our hearts for the world that is to come.
Paul also requested the books and the parchments. Now, we do not know which books or what was on the parchments. Many scholars believe the parchments had portions of Scripture on them that would have been dear to Paul. If the parchments contained portions of the Scriptures, it makes sense that Paul would have wanted them. But what about the books? Paul was about to die yet he wanted books. He was indeed a lifelong learner.
Martin Luther once said, “One Book is enough, but a thousand books is not too many!” Christian, books are a wonderful resource to cultivate your mind. As my friend often says of the Greatest Commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” This is not a multiple choice command.” Some people take pride in how little they read or brag about how long ago they actually read a book, but Paul was about to die and he wanted his books. Beloved, read good books. They will change your life.
The partnership of Gospel friends was necessary to support the mission of the church and to encourage Paul’s soul. Paul had help, and he asked for help. Many of you need to learn from Paul and try not to do things on your own. We were never meant to live in isolation. God intends for us to live in community. This passage is dear to me because I have so many Gospel friends both in this church and around the world. What a privilege it is to labor with so many godly men and women for the cause of Christ! In the past several weeks I have been able to ask one of the sisters in this church to mentor women in India. I’ve asked one of the elders to handle a challenging situation. I’ve invited former residents to teach at an upcoming conference. I’ve called a pastor friend to welcome a member who has moved. I’ve called a dear brother for advice about my home. Beloved, Gospel friends are the best. Conversely, Gospel enemies are the worst.
The Pain of Gospel Foes
Those who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Paul was persecuted and thrown into a prison cell because people didn’t like the message of the resurrection. Yet, much of his persecution came from real people who knew him and hated him.
Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 2 Timothy 4:14–15
We don’t know any details about the harm Alexander did or even who he was. We can assume that some of the harm was done with words as he maligned Paul’s character and opposed the message of forgiveness in Christ. Alexander may have been the apostate mentioned in 1 Timothy 1 or the one who tried to make a speech in Acts 19:33-34 but was silenced by the mob. We don’t know the details, but let me draw a few applications.
First, we will face people who oppose the message of the Gospel, and they will not merely oppose the message, they will oppose you. They will be enraged against you because of what you believe. The Gospel is offensive, and people who hate the gospel often hate its messengers. Do not be surprised when people hate you.
Second, be on guard against those who want to see you suffer. Jesus called us to be as innocent as doves and as wise as serpents. We have to be on guard for those who hate the message of the gospel. Paul points Alexander out by name so Timothy knows about his opposition to the Gospel and can either avoid him or, at the very least, be aware of his schemes.
Third, trust the Lord’s final judgment. Paul quotes Psalm 62:12, “For you will render to a man according to his work.” Paul is not overwhelmed by Alexander the coppersmith because he knows that Alexander will stand before God one day and answer for what he has done. Anyone who works evil against us will have to answer for it, so we do not have to be undone by it. God is our avenger; He will make all things right.
This is a powerful promise to us as well as a reminder to look beyond our present circumstances and fix our eyes on eternity and the day when the Lord will make all things right. We can stand on these promises of God.
The Promise of God’s Faithfulness
Paul is lonely and cold. He knows his departure is imminent, but he also knows God is faithful.
At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! [But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:16–18
Paul writes “All deserted me, but the Lord stood by me and strengthened me.” Beloved, you are never alone. Never. Ever. He will never leave you or forsake you. He is with you always, even to the end of the age.
According to Roman law, prisoners underwent a pre-trial to address the facts of the case. This reference may mean that no one formally spoke up for Paul at the trial, or it may simply mean that none of his friends were present. Regardless, he felt deserted by his closest friends. Yet,like Jesus and Stephen before him, Paul did not want it held against them. Paul knew that, in that moment when everyone seemed to turn away from him, He was not alone. The Lord was with him. Beloved, how comforting is it to know that, regardless of who deserts you, you will never be alone? God is with you, and He will always be with you.
Again, Paul has his eyes set on the greater purposes of the Kingdom rather than his own well-being. This is crucial for our joy in the midst of trials. When we only focus on what is happening to us in the present moment, we can get bitter. Why is this happening to me? But, when we focus on how God is going to use what is happening to us, we have joy. Notice what Paul says, “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.” Paul understood his life had a purpose. The Lord stood by him and strengthened him so that the message of the Gospel might be fully proclaimed to the lost. God used Paul’s trial and imprisonment to put the Gospel on display.
Remember, Paul had set his eyes on Rome. He knew that when he went to Rome he was probably never going to see many of his friends again. But he wanted to go to Rome because it was the center of the world. If he could make a defense for the Gospel in Rome, then the message would be carried throughout the known world. What is the message? It is the message of forgiveness in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The message of the Gospel is a promise of deliverance from death and hell and a rich welcome into God’s eternal kingdom.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:18
Friend, if you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you will not be rescued from your evil deeds. You will have to pay for them. Every person has done evil and has had evil done to them. We are all sinners. But the message of the Gospel is that God sent Jesus Christ to live a perfect life and die in the place of sinners on the cross as our substitute. After His death, He was buried and rose again on the third day so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Friend, repent of your sins and trust in Christ. This life is a vapor. It will pass quickly. Even if you live to be 100, that is only one mile into a cross country road trip. You will have to answer for what you have done in this life, and you are unable to pay for the crimes you have committed. You need a substitute. This is why God sent Jesus Christ-to be our substitute, to take our sin and to give us His righteousness. The Christian message is that we are all sinners who can only be saved through Christ. The Christian message is that we are all sinners who have to be saved through Christ. The Christian message is that we are all sinners who will die forever unless we are saved through Christ. Will you oppose that message or will you embrace it?
Christian, God is faithful. He has promised to be with you and to deliver you from every evil deed by faith in Christ. He has promised to complete the good work that He began in you and bring you safely into His heavenly kingdom. We can focus on all the negative things happening in our lives, or we can focus on the promise of a God who is with us and will be with us to the end. The trials of this life are brief compared to eternity. Remind yourself pf the words of the great hymn,
This is my Father's world:
O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let earth be glad!
This is what Paul felt in that prison cell. He felt the betrayal and loss of a dear friend in Demas, the pain and great harm of the enemy in Alexander. He felt the sadness of friends Titus and Tychicus leaving him to minister in Crescens. But he also felt the presence of Jesus Christ the Lord of glory. Paul was not concerned with his own pain but with the purpose and power of God. God is faithful. This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad!
Paul concludes the letter with a reminder of the power of God’s presence and the beauty of Gospel friendships.
Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. 2 Timothy 4:19–22
Paul wanted to send greetings to his dear friends in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila, his fellow workers, and the household of Onesiphorus, who had refreshed his spirit and was not ashamed of his chains. Then, in a small way, he reminds Timothy that the Kingdom of God is continuing throughout the world. Erastus is in Corinth, Trophimus is in Miletus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia are in Rome along with all the Roman saints who are loved by God.
The church is full of no-name, once-named saints carrying out the mission of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Beloved, God wants to use Gospel friendships to fulfill His purposes. He wants to do that in this church. He wants to do that through this church. He wants us to labor with Gospel workers in Colombia, with a faithful church in Portugal, with like-minded churches in York County, in Virginia, and around the world. Paul was not a one-man show. He may have been one of the main characters, but he had a tremendous supporting cast.
William Carey reached over and grabbed Andrew Fuller’s arm and pleaded with him, “Is there nothing again going to be done, sir?” Carey was shouting, “I can’t do this alone. We have to do it together!” We must attempt great things for God and expect great things from God. One of Carey’s descendants would later write of that encounter,
This proved a creative moment in the history of evangelistic endeavor. Deep called unto deep. Fuller trembled an instant under that desperate, heart-broken gesture, and then his own soul was stabbed awake, and the Holy Ghost flooded his spirit. He also heard God’s sigh at the need of the lost. Often he had sympathized with Carey’s propaganda, though too fearful [timorous] for committal. Now, in a moment, he became a convert and colleague, the first of Carey’s captives, the first of Christ's expectant attempters.
Carey’s soul was stabbed awake, and the Holy Spirit flooded his heart and broke it for the lost without Christ. Carey needed Fuller. Fuller needed Carey. They needed each if they were going to reach the world with the Gospel.
Beloved, we need each other. We need other churches. We need Gospel friendships to obey the Great Commandment and fulfill the Great Commission. But Beloved, we don’t do this alone. As Paul ends his letter he writes, “The Lord will be with our spirit and his grace will be with us.” The work of the Kingdom is a community project. The Kingdom will go forth with an army of faithful no-name and once-named saints armed with the Gospel of grace and led by a gracious Savior who will never leave us or forsake us. If we want to reach the world, we must do it together as faithful friends laboring for the Faithful One. To Him be the Glory forever and ever. Amen.