Text -- 2 Timothy 4:1-7 (NET)

Charge to Timothy Repeated

4:1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 4:2 Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction. 4:3 For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things. 4:4 And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths. 4:5 You, however, be self-controlled in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry. 4:6 For I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time for me to depart is at hand. 4:7 I have competed competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith!

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 2Ti 4:2

¹ tn Or “the word.”

² tn Or “be persistent.”

³ tn Grk “in season, out of season.”

⁴ tn Or “encourage.”

NET Notes: 2Ti 4:3

¹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people in that future time) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Grk “in accord with.”

³ tn Grk “having an itching in regard to hearing,” “having itching ears.”

NET Notes: 2Ti 4:4

¹ sn These myths were legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; and Titus 1:14.

NET Notes: 2Ti 4:5

¹ tn Or “sober,” “temperate.”

NET Notes: 2Ti 4:6

¹ tn Grk “of my departure.”

NET Notes: 2Ti 4:7

¹ sn The expression I have competed well (Grk “I have competed the good competition”) uses words that may refer to a race or to a boxing or wrestling match: “run the good race” or “fight the good fight.” The similar phrase in 1 Tim 1:18 uses a military picture and is more literally “war the good warfare.”