Monergism

D. A. Carson & Douglas J. Moo
An Introduction to the New Testament

The deep conviction of the writer that he was about to be put to death for holding the Christian faith (2 Tim. 4:6-8) is to be kept in mind in all discussions of this letter. Paul does not envisage writing anything further to Timothy, nor perhaps to anyone else. He hopes that Timothy will be able to reach him before the end (4:9), and his request for his cloak and his scrolls (4:13) shows that he anticipated an interval before his execution. Nevertheless the letter is written in the shadow of the scaffold and is to be seen as what Paul considered to be important in his last communication to a trusted subordinate. Not the least of the letter’s values is that it shows us the way a Christian martyr should face death. Those who live comfortably in secure communities should not belittle this contribution, for in many lands with anti-Christian governments, people still die for their faith. Indeed, a recent press report informs us that in our time an average of 330,000 Christians are martyred for their faith each year, which means that there may well be more martyrs today than at any other period in history. Certainly martyrdom for the faith is much more common than most Western Christians realize, and accordingly it is well that we appreciate Paul’s attitude to dying for Christ. It is important that modern Christians take heed to his calm contemplation of what lay ahead—and the quiet faith that undergirded all he was doing and his going about his necessary business. There is no fanaticism here, nor any attempt at grandstanding. The apostle writes from a lowly posture and sets the example of the way Christians should die for their faith. He writes also of how they should live for it, even if this means suffering along the way (e.g., 1:8). read more...