I remember one of my favourite TV shows running for the first season, it was a standard American detective show, that in the last episode finished with a cliffhanger scene, the bad guy that they had been chasing had taken one of the team hostages, there was a tense standoff, and the credits rolled as we heard a shot being fired. We never knew who lived or died because the show was not renewed for a final season. Every TV series has a final episode, and it will likely be some cliffhanger event that brings you to the edge of your seat in shock or awe at what has unfolded. Yet, there is something more profound when it is the final episode of a long-running TV series because it is a marked end. You will tend to have something that will try to draw to an end the Story that has been told, shock in some way, or summarise everything that the show might have been wrestling with. There is something more poignant about finality when we know this is it.

Paul has been gently nudging Timothy further into the call that is one of his life, as he has reminded him about their love and friendship, in the same way he has encouraged him to keep going for the Gospel. To rekindle the faith, entrust that faith to reliable people, and then contend for the faith amid the brokenness and sin of the world because the truth of Christ is the very hope of the world. It draws so much distraction and attraction, and Timothy must be content. He received it in childhood and saw its power in the life of his mum, grandmother, and brother in the faith of Paul.

If 2 Timothy were a TV series, it represents the Last four episodes of Paul’s known ministry, and now here in Chapter 4, we have Paul’s final words and his Final exhortation to his brother in Christ, fellow servant in the Gospel and Kingdom worker. There is something powerful about final moments, especially when we know that it is likely. Thus, there is weight to consider when we think about this Letter and these words to one of the people who meant the most to Paul in his life. Paul was in chains, under lock and key; he had suffered a lifetime and lived to tell the tale, yet as he was abandoned and alone, he seemed to know that this was it. He knew that he had run the race, and it was now over to the next generation to share the gospel and protect it. Thus, in theses 22 verses, we have the final words of Paul’s final letter, and what words they are.

1. Preach the Word in Season and Out of Season (4:1-2)

We have just heard about how beautiful, wonderful, and powerful the word of God is in the life of the believer, and for life in the church and world. Most importantly, that the scriptures are what make us wise to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. It is by the Scriptures that we come to know eternal life, and it is by the scriptures we come to know how to live in this life, as Paul reminded Timothy that all of Scriptures is God-breathed and useful. The word of God is the power of God in the church, because it is by the word that we know God’s power in the church as the Spirit of God uses it to effect Change in our lives and living. The word of God is central to who we are as people, and in the Kingdom because it is by the word we know power, and through the word we know life.

Paul’s final Exhortation to Timothy begins with a startling reminder – having the word of God comes with responsibility. As one TV Character quipped to his Nephew “with great power comes great responsibility” so Paul here begins to remind Timothy of the responsibility that comes with being charged to content for the faith and teach it. A charge so somber and important that it is given infront of two witnesses, the Lord Jesus Christ and Yahweh. Paul has called the Lord God and the son of God as his witnesses to the charge that he is about to give to Timothy. A commission that Paul suffered for and was willing to die for, is a commission that requires the greatest of witnesses to highlight It’s importance. Timothy must grasp that holding God’d word and offices related to it, comes with great accountability.

The Great Charge (1)

The encouragements at the end of Chapter 3 about how Timothy will use the word of God in Leadership and then by the Holy Spirit to equip the saint for every good work to the Glory of God is now grounded in the imagery of verse 1. The description of Christ as a witness and then the image of his final judgment (of the living and dead), and reference to his appearance and Kingdom, are all for one purpose. To remind Timothy that there will come a day when he will be held accountable for the ministry that he has been called to. Christ has saved Timothy. All of us, and then by the power of Spirit in the act of Grace empowers us to be in the word and be ministers of the word – it is all an act of God. Yet, we see here a glimpse of the Gospel paradox: while it is all God, we have a responsibility to it, and God will one day hold us to account. He is both the witness to our call and the judge. Paul wanted Timothy to place all that he might face against the picture of divine charge and accountability – to get on with the work of the Great Commission. God calls us, and God will hold us to account, so we must, in the power of the Spirit and by Grace, humbly strive to fulfil the call God has given us by the gifts God has given us.

You better Preach (2)

Thus, before the presence of the great witnesses and with the reminder of accountability, Paul gives Timothy the commission of readiness. A commission that goes out to every Gospel leader and preacher, whether lay or ordained, if, in some simple way, we are involved with the ministry of the word of God, then we are to position ourselves and posture ourselves as Timothy in the Presence of Jesus Christ and God the father, and with the sight of our coming accountability. We are to be ready, whether we are cachectic, Lay preachers, Bible study leaders, Deacons, Priests, or Bishops, if we have been called to the ministry of the word of God, a ministry to make known the wisdom of Salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, to teach rebuke, correct and train in righteousness on every excellent deed – then we better be ready to fulfil it. The Primacy command here is that Timothy must preach the word of God. This is nothing new for Timothy; rather, Paul’s repeated instructions to Timothy regarding the teaching and preaching of God’s truths. The truth of God is God’s word (2:9, 15).

A great privilege and one that cannot simply be scheduled. Paul is not commending Timothy to make sure he gets on top of his weekly preaching preparation and to make sure he is ready for Sunday’s weekly 25-minute sermon slot. No, with this great ministry and Kingdom responsibility, Timothy must adopt a posture of readiness for all occasions and in all seasons. “Be prepared” here gives us the image of posture, like one ready to draw the sword because they are unsure what is coming. It is a bodily posture and a state of mind:

Announce it in Egypt and proclaim it in Migdol!
Proclaim it in Memphis and in Tahpanhes!
Say, “Take positions! Prepare yourself,
for the sword devours all around you.” Jeremiah 46:14

Then, in that posture of readiness to preach the word, regardless of the season of life or ministry that Timothy may be in, he must be ready to proclaim the good news of Christ crucified. Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, Timothy must be ready to contend for the faith and proclaim the faith by preaching the Gospel in every season. The five imperatives given here all, and then additionally four in verse 5 are all rooted in Paul’s description of the Scripture in 3:16 as Good breathed. The breath of God is the power of God, and the word of God means power. The Gospel here does not mean some simply evangelistic summary in the hope that someone new might come to faith. Rather, the Gospel is the core message that is found in the entirety of Scripture and includes all of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection – and the entire Story of God’s redemptive work in the world. The preaching of the Gospel is not simply a summary of our hope in this case but the expounding of all Scripture. Thus, as preparedness should become normative in Timothy’s life, “correct, rebuke and encourage” should remind him of the necessity of a strong ministry in light of the false teachings going on in Ephesus. He is again encouraged to correct wrong understanding of things, to rebuke those who are teaching lies and causing division, and then to encourage those in the faith and all to see the beauty of the true faith. Yet, it is not going to be an easy task; it will be in all the seasons of life, and it will require great patience and careful instruction. Timothy must be patient among those he is called to serve because it takes time for people to grasp the truths of heaven, and he must be gentle, and he must take consideration of the content (the likely implication of Instruction) that he uses to teach the truths of God. Timothy is called to be ready in all seasons, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching.

2. The Coming of False Teaching and Itching Ears (4:3-4)

Why does Timothy have to both consider the content that he is teaching and be patient in his teaching? Because humanity is destined to turn away from God. By our broken and sinful nature, we are compelled to look inwards or away from God towards the lies of the world and the idols that we make to suit our needs. As Timothy Keller once said “The true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention.” If you want to know what someone lives for, either look at their wallet and spending or consider their heart.- the things they naturally move towards. We love sin, or else we would not keep sinning; it is why those who have come to hear the gospel truth start to think of ways of lessening its demand and making it easier for people to accept, and it is why in the Kingdom, people sometimes become more concerned with their own platforms and desires that the call of God, or bringing Glory to Christ. We are broken in nature and selfish in desire – so we are compelled towards what we want. Even when we know the power of the Spirit, our desires still run in ruins in our lives. It is why Paul called himself the chief of sinners.

Great Patience will be Required Because people have hard Ears (3)

Not only will people look to the things they want to look to for their own heart’s desires, but they will also trust in themselves over their trust in God. They will also harden their ears to the truth of God’s word and the delight of being in the presence of those who will teach it. A time is coming when people will no longer endure/tolerate sound teaching. Paul means quite literally that their ears will choose to no longer hear it. Yes, we know that false teachers will not prevail at the end of all things from our previous chapters. Yet, we cannot grow complacent in this call because there will be those who will oppose God’s work, and as they tell people what they want to hear, then sadly, those people will be slowly given over to the lies of this world, as they harder their ears to the truths of the gospel and open them to whatever they want to hear.

Paul warns of this time coming, where even those who are willing to listen to something will not want to listen to sound doctrine, literally healthy teaching – because it is too heavy, too hard – it asks a little too much. So they would rather hear but will gather teachers who tell them what they want to hear. They will only want to listen to what suits their own desires and needs. In a world where you can define truth, then you won’t want to listen to anything that seeks redress; rather, you will only want that which affirms you. The teacher is accountable to God for what it listens to, but the church is accountable for what it is listening to and how it hears.

The Won’t Listen to You, but They Will Listen to anything Else (4)

The sad thing is that Paul does not simply mean that People will grow tired of hearing the Gospel and decide not to listen to it. He is not referencing inactive listening; rather, he is referencing an active othering in the ears of people. They will begin to detest what God says and Gospel doctrine and teaching, and as they detest it, they will turn to other things, things that tell them what they want to hear. These individuals will turn away from the truth and wander into myths, showing the growing danger of apostasy. They will think, “What do I want to hear today, and what will affirm my identity, lifestyle and morality?” and then they will go and look for it with no consideration for “sound and wholesome teaching” and will move with the winds of their hearts desire to listen to teachers who can scratch the itch in their ear until they want the next fad. They will turn to myths. A word that is used five times in the NT, four times in Paul’s pastoral epistles and once in 2 Peter and every time, it refers to something that is contrary to truth in its nature – things that are false and fleeting.. Quite literally, they will chase after the fogs of this age; Eugene Peterson writes “They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages.”

3. Fulfill Your Ministry (4:5)

They might be poor listeners, and they may turn their back on the truth of the God who has been faithful and is always faithful. But Timothy will not. No, he will continue to do what he has been doing, what Paul has called him to continue to do, and what all who love the Lord must do. With the rekindled flame of faith and a clear picture of the world they are serving in, as well as the challenge that Timothy will face both internally and externally to fight for the Gospel, share the Gospel, and advance it, Paul still charges him further. The five imperatives of verse 3 (preaching, ready, correct, rebuke, encourage), along with the attitude of patience and consideration of content, are now added.

In light of the fact that there will come a time when people will harden their eyes to the truth of the Gospel and the life, it will bring and turn to other falseness as If they will truth – Timothy is to keep on going! Specifically, he is to exercise self-control/be sober-minded. This does not mean Paul is asking Timothy to be boring or sombre – rather, he is to keep his mind clear from distraction so that he can be focused on the things of Jesus. The verb is translated as be sober, but has obvious wider considerations here in light of the false teachings that are at work; Timothy is to be sober in every aspect of his life because what he has been called to is serious work. Secondly, he is to endure hardship: We see it in the verses that after this, things will get difficult, but the mark of genuine faith and true calling is day-by-day plodding. Thirdly, he must do the work of an evangelist, Timothy and all the reliable people he entrusts the faith to are to get on with the work of telling people about Jesus and disciplining them in the things of the Gospel. Whether they want to hear it or not! Finally, he is to fulfil his ministry – God has called him, and God will sustain him, yet Timothy (and each of us) must do our utmost to fulfil what God has called us to and use the gifts he has given us. Paul’s call for Timothy to remain faithful despite hardship and opposition.

4. Paul’s Reflection on His Life and Ministry (4:6-8)

The imperatives that Paul gives in verse 5 are slightly more personal and contextual for Timothy than the previous instructions to preach and teach the word. They are grounded in the reality of Timothy’s Ministry, yet they are not left there as Paul moves from the call to endure and fulfil to almost summarise both pictures in his own life, ministry and moment. This is the call, Timothy, and this will be the reality of all who choose to follow Jesus. At some point, they may end up like Jesus himself, being poured out.

13 And the grain offering with it shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the LORD with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. (ESV) – Leviticus 23:13

Thus, Paul is comparing his own situation and reality to that of the Jewish sacrificial system. He does not see the chains that he is in as defeat; rather, they are his offering unto the Lord. He is saying down his life for the sake of the Gospel; he is giving all of himself in response to all that God has given him, and he will gladly do it! He had once said, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain,” and now he shows how he believes it.

Yet, still seeing himself as a servant, Paul’s use of the passive voice in this moment shows that he knows it is God who has him in this moment. God is acting, Paul is serving, and in this example, Timothy must see the reality that all might be called into and for. His death is at hand; this letter is urgent, and he will soon hear Christ speak, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He has run the race, and now the finishing line is in sight.

Paul an Example of Living Sacrifice (6-7)

Paul was a man who loved Sports; he often used them as metaphors for life in the Kingdom and in service of the King; here, one last time, we see him deploy an image from Sports to summarise his purpose, call and the moment he is in for Young Timothy and all who will listen. As he now reflects on having fought the good fight, the gospel call into the world is like a 100-round boxing match, and Paul has stood firm in every round, contending for the one who sent him, even when the word has thrown some great right hooks. His ministry has felt like an Ultra Triathlon, yet now, in chains, Paul knows that the end is in sight and the victor’s crown will soon be his: In the power of the Holy Spirit, he has kept running. Paul is not glorifying himself but declaring that he has finished the course God has called him to run. In the ring and on the racing course, he has never lost sight of who has called him, he has kept the faith.

The Surpassing worth of All that will Be (8)

Why? Because nothing that he has endured or suffered at the hands of the enemies of God compares to the surpassing worth and beauty of what he will receive from Christ. The Gospel is of supreme value in this life because, by it, we will grasp the surpassing fullness of life in Christ eternally. There is nothing that can compare to what we have received from God, nor is there anything that can take it from us. Thus, when we fix our eyes on the prize that is ahead, we will know the power of God’s sustaining Grace in our life because of our hope. Paul declares he has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. Now, in the Grace of God, he can look forward to the crown of righteousness that the Lord will give him on the last day. The Crown here refers to our final redemptive state in the presence of God, in the fullness of his love because of the sufficiency of Christ’s saving work. The final gift of grace and the fulfilment of the gift of grace is not Paul’s alone but belongs to everyone “who have loved his appearing”/ are “eager for his coming.” At the end of his life, towards the end of his final recorded work, Paul’s expectation of the crown to come at the end of the race is the realisation of Philippians 3:8-10: 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christa—the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death…

5. Personal Requests and Final Greetings (4:9-13)

After all the weighty teaching, the calls to perseverance, and the stark realities of ministry, Paul gets deeply personal in this section. Here, we see him not as the great apostle of doctrine, theology, or grand missionary vision but as Paul, the man—the man who longs for companionship, warmth, and the comfort of his close friends as he nears the end of his race.

The Beauty of Friendship Amid the Reality of Isolation (9-12)

Paul’s request to Timothy is simple but full of raw human emotion. He asks Timothy to come to him quickly. It’s a glimpse into the loneliness of ministry, particularly the loneliness that comes with leadership and deep sacrifice. Paul, who had given everything for the sake of the gospel, now finds himself mostly alone, his once vast circle of companions dwindled down to just a few. Demas, we are told, has deserted him, having “loved this present world.” That’s a sharp sting, isn’t it? Someone who had once been in the trenches with him, had seen the mission and the cost, but now couldn’t keep going and has abandoned ship.

You can almost feel Paul’s sense of abandonment, but there’s something deeply Northern Irish in this moment. We’re a people who understand loyalty and betrayal, aren’t we? Paul names it—he’s honest about it, but he doesn’t wallow in it. Instead, he turns to those who’ve stayed, those who are still faithfully walking the road with him. He asks Timothy to hurry, and you get the sense that it’s not just a logistical request but a heart’s cry for companionship, for the presence of someone he loves and trusts.

Ministry is hard, and sometimes people will leave you, but that makes the friends who stay all the more precious. Luke, faithful as ever, is still there. And he mentions sending others off, continuing the work even as his own work draws to an end. There’s something quietly beautiful about that—a kind of faith that says, “Even though I’m nearing the end, the mission goes on.”

Bring My Coat (13)

And then there’s this simple, practical request that always hits me. “Bring my cloak.” It’s cold, and Paul, the great missionary, the great theologian, the man who wrote so much of the New Testament, is cold and wants his coat. It’s so human. We can read these epistles and sometimes forget that Paul was just like us—he needed practical things, like warmth. He was suffering and wanted the comfort of not just the word of God but his coat and his parchments too.

In this request, there’s a glimpse of something crucial for all of us in ministry. Paul doesn’t just ask for spiritual help or company; he asks for practical, tangible things—his coat, his books, his scrolls. It reminds us that being in ministry isn’t just about the grand gestures of faith, the preaching, or the teaching, but it’s about the everyday realities of life, the cold mornings, the practical needs, and the importance of looking after ourselves in the midst of it all. Paul, even in his final days, was still a student, still a learner, and still had work to do. There’s no sense of him giving up or retreating—he’s still engaged, still preparing, still running his race, right to the very end.

For me, this is a gentle nudge to remember that we’re not just spiritual beings; we’re human. We need warmth, we need rest, we need fellowship, and we need to keep learning. Paul, even facing death, wasn’t finished. He wanted his parchments; he wanted to study more. There’s always more to learn, always more to do, and God still has work for us in the ordinary moments of life.

In these verses, we see Paul, the theologian, become Paul, the friend. And it’s a reminder to us all that, at the heart of ministry, there are relationships, friendships, and the simple acts of kindness that sustain us.

6. Opposition and the Lord’s Faithfulness (4:14-18)

Paul doesn’t shy away from being direct here. He names Alexander the coppersmith, warning Timothy about the harm he caused. There’s something painfully raw in these verses because Paul’s not just talking about a little disagreement or an uncomfortable exchange.

Watch out for the Coppersmith (14-15)

Alexander’s actions caused Paul “great harm.” The word here, “harm,” carries the weight of real injury, whether it was physical, emotional, or both. But instead of bitterness, what’s striking is Paul’s response: “The Lord will repay him for what he has done.” This is where we see Paul’s maturity in the faith, trusting that justice will come, but not by his hand. Paul is more than willing to leave judgment in the hands of the Lord.

The warning to Timothy is clear—be on guard, keep your wits about you, and don’t be naïve. Ministry is no walk in the park. There will be those who oppose, undermine, and, frankly, try to tear it all down. We don’t know exactly what Alexander did, but the specifics don’t really matter. What matters is the posture we’re called to take in the face of opposition: trusting God’s justice while maintaining our own integrity. Timothy is to remain vigilant but not vengeful. There’s no room for bitterness, but there’s a definite need for wisdom in dealing with people like Alexander.

The Lord is Present When All Abandon (16-17)

Paul paints a lonely picture here—abandoned by those who were meant to stand with him, left to face the heat alone. At his first defence, there was no one. It’s a gut punch, isn’t it? It’s the feeling we dread: being left standing alone when we thought there’d be someone, anyone, beside us. But here’s where Paul shows us something remarkable: he wasn’t alone. People might have failed him, but the Lord didn’t. “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.” There’s a deep comfort in knowing that even when everyone else falters, God remains. He’s the one constant. Paul’s testimony is a reminder that human support may crumble, but divine presence is unshakeable.

And more than just standing by him, the Lord rescued him from the lion’s mouth—this could be metaphorical, but the point’s the same. There’s real danger in gospel work, whether from authorities, false teachers, or those like Alexander. Yet, the Lord is the ultimate protector. Paul’s rescue wasn’t from suffering or hardship—those were part of his journey—but from utter destruction. And because of that, he’s confident the Lord will bring him safely into His heavenly kingdom. This isn’t wishful thinking; it’s a rock-solid assurance. The same God who strengthened him in the courtroom will be the one to welcome him into glory.

This passage is a rallying cry for every Christian who feels abandoned or under attack. It says: yes, people will let you down, yes, opposition will come, but God will always stand firm with you.

The Glory of What is to Come (18)

Paul ends this section with his eyes firmly fixed on eternity. He knows that his life, his trials, even the threats he’s faced, are all temporary. What’s eternal is the Lord’s deliverance—a deliverance that goes beyond being saved from earthly dangers to being brought safely into His heavenly kingdom. There’s something profoundly comforting in this: the knowledge that no matter how intense the struggle gets, the end is secure. The suffering won’t last forever, but the glory that’s coming will. Paul is convinced of this, and his words carry the hope of someone who knows that God’s faithfulness transcends this life.

Paul’s focus on “the heavenly kingdom” reminds us all that this world, with its sufferings, oppositions, and challenges, is not the final word. The Lord’s faithfulness is leading us towards something far greater than we can even imagine. And as Paul concludes, he gives all the glory to God, saying “To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” It’s a declaration of trust, not in the seen but in the unseen—the certainty of God’s kingdom, the final destination for those who trust in Him.

7. Final Greetings and Benediction (4:19-22)

Paul has now said what he needed to say to his young friend in the faith, his co-workers in the Gospel, and now his apostolic heir. Timothy did not have the Joy of meeting Jesus in person, but he had met him in fullness through the life and witness of people like Paul, his mother and grandmother and the many others who had been called to this task with them. Soon, the original ministry of the first generations of Christians would end with the passing of Paul, but it would continue with Timothy and those whom the Lord had called to his own. Gospel friends who had served with Paul and Timothy and now who will serve along with Timothy and this new generation of the church.

Gospel Friends (19-20)

Friends that Paul asks Timothy to greet. Prisca is a variant of Priscilla and someone we know that Paul was deeply thankful for in terms of his life and ministry. Priscilla and Aquila had been great friends and supporters of his over the years (Acts 18:2, 26), and Paul loved them. Onesiphorus, we already know, has been an encouragement to Paul when no one else was, and it is a practical support. Paul asks Timothy to greet his household as an extension of the love that he has shown Paul at the most difficult of times. Remember back to verse one, when Paul was utterly alone, there was one who came to tend to him and modelled the boldness that following Jesus requires in all situations, in the simplest and most practical ways. Erastus has been one of the faithful followers, mentioned only briefly in Romans 16:23. As having travelled with Timothy before (Acts 19:22), he has stayed in Corinth to continue the ministry in the same way as Timothy has in Ephesus. Trophimus had been with Paul on his third missionary (Acts 20:4), and as Paul mentions that he has left him at Miletus, it would suggest again that he had travelled with Paul after his liberation from Prison – Paul updates Timothy on a dear friend as he asks for him to come.

Pratical Concerns (21)

Paul longed to see Timothy, as he had already asked him to make haste to get to him (4:9). Now, he gives him some practical information concerning the reality of that trip. Travelling around the Mediterranean was not easy at any time of the year, considering those rugged coastlines and difficult, choppy seas. Yet, it was nearly impossible in the winter months. Thus, Paul advises Timothy to get moving so he can make it in Time. Gospel ministry requires practical considerations at times. Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia are new friends of the apostle who send greetings to Timothy. They do not appear anywhere else in the New Testament, yet Timothy seems to know or at least of them as Paul sends their hellos. They are too long to see their brother in Christ, and perhaps they know how Timothy’s presence will uplift Paul in these difficult days. It is beautiful in its simplicity that the last of Paul’s writing is a pastoral epistle, and the last of his words are a list of greetings. It shows us his continued relationship, ministry, and deep friendships even at the end of his life and reminds us that Paul was not just a doctrine man but was a pastor at heart and passionate about people. Paul was like Jesus every day.

Grace that Sustains (22)

” The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.”

Paul closes with a benediction of grace, which is similar to the words and imagery he has used elsewhere in the Scriptures: Galatians 6:8, Philippians 4:24 and Philemon verse 25. Then, in other places like Romans 16:20, we have seen him offer that Grace “be with you.” How beautiful it is that Paul’s final recorded words and final benediction are the Grace of God. The Grace of God that met him on the Damascus road, The Grace of God that sustained him through his missionary journeys, the grace of God that transformed his understanding of who God was and what it meant for him to be one who lived boldly for the cause of God. This is the Grace that Paul is talking about, the Grace that moved the son of God to walk among us, die for us, rise again and restore our life and living. The Grace that brought together the most rag-tagged group of people the world had ever seen, as Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, meet the risen saviour and then stumbled in learning about how they were meant to be a family of faith; this grace is what Paul is talking about.

“If you want God’s grace, all you need is need; all you need is nothing. But that kind of spiritual humility is hard to muster. We come to God saying, “Look at all I’ve done,” or maybe “Look at all I’ve suffered.” God, however, wants us to look to him – to just wash.”

The Grace that Paul experienced so profoundly allowed him to declare so clearly, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:8). It is this Grace that has saved him and sustained him, and now will sustain Timothy to the work God has called him to. The Grace of God is not a one-time event nor a passive reality in our lives. It is the very work of the Holy Spirit in us to keep us in Christ and keep us for Christ as we seek to serve in this world. So may the Lord be without Spirit, and Grace be with each of us.