Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

 Sermon Text: 2 Timothy 4:1-8

 Other Readings: Jeremiah 20:7-13 and Matthew 10:5a,21-33



 

  1. Paul wrote this letter while he was in prison and was awaiting execution for preaching God’s word. That’s what he meant when he said he was being “poured out like a drink offering” (v. 6). But what is a drink offering? Consult Exodus 29:38-42 and Numbers 15:1-12.
     
  2. When Paul talks about “sound doctrine” (v. 3) he is talking about the correct and pure teachings found in God’s word. What are some sound doctrines that you have observed people not putting up with nowadays?
     
  3. Paul encouraged Timothy to “endure hardship” (v. 4) that inevitably comes with preaching and teaching the pure word of God. What are some of the hardships that preachers encounter? Scan our other two readings for this Sunday, Jeremiah 20:7-13 and Matthew 10:5a,21-33. 
     
  4. Paul also encouraged Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist” (v. 5). How should we understand what an evangelist is / does? Consult Ephesians 4:11.
     
  5. Paul had a tremendous pastoral impact on Timothy. Can you think of a pastor in your life who impacted you by the way he persistently preached the word and also lovingly corrected, rebuked, encouraged, and instructed you? Say a prayer to God for that pastor, thanking God for him and (if he’s still in ministry) asking God to help him in his ministry.

 

  1. A drink offering was a liquid (such as wine) that accompanied daily offerings during the Old Testament era. Along with the animal being sacrificed, the liquid would be presented to God and then poured out at the altar. One commentator then noted, “The passive voice and the sacrificial imagery underline that this death is not a meaningless one but rather a necessary event in the furtherance of the work of the gospel.”
     
  2. Answers will vary, based personal observations, but the list is long and includes – humans are sinful and accountable to God from conception, teachings on Baptism and Holy Communion, marriage and the family, etc.
     
  3. The prophet Jeremiah was mocked and even saw his friends plot against him. The apostles were labeled as in league with the devil (aka, “Beelzebul” in Matthew 10:25), they were hated, and they were persecuted so that they had to flee to other areas.
     
  4. “Evangelist” literally means “one who proclaims the gospel,” that is, the good news about Jesus. The question here, though, is whether Paul means this in a general sense or in a more specific function. In Ephesians 4:11, he seems to label “evangelist” as a ministry that in some way differed from other roles like apostles, prophets, and pastors. John Calvin commented, “[The evangelist] was an intermediate class between apostles and pastors, so that the evangelists ranked as assistants next to the apostles. It is also more probable that Timothy, whom Paul had associated with himself as his closest companion in all things, surpassed ordinary pastors in rank and dignity of office, than that he was only one of their number.” While we can’t say for sure exactly what Paul had in mind here, it's clear that he wanted Timothy to keep proclaiming the gospel no matter what others thought and no matter what happened to him.
     
  5. God be praised for the way he works through these men, and may you continue to be served by such pastors!