Making disciples is no easy task. In verse 1 of our text, the apostle Paul warns young Timothy “that in the last days there will come times of difficulty”. Young Timothy is one of the pastors in the church at Ephesus; the church that the apostle Paul had planted many years earlier.

Paul’s opening words of this text – “Now in a great house…” – reminds me of the image he used to describe the church in 1 Timothy 3:15 where he says that he wants the members of the church to “know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth”. Paul’s point with the image he is painting is that the church is the great household of God and God intends to fill his home with people who live to serve him above all else.

When I read the words “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved” in verse 15, I begin to think about how powerful the desire for approval is. The desire for approval can be a very hard thing to satisfy.

In our study of this letter, we have observed the Apostle Paul instructing young Timothy to cultivate a godly legacy (1:1 – 7), to not be ashamed of the gospel but to guard the gospel (1:8 – 14), to be a faithful friend until the very end (1:15 – 18), and to continue making disciples who make other disciples (2:1 – 7). Can I just make a quick observation and say that I think everything the Apostle Paul is laying out here, is super hard?

How do you entrust the gospel to other people; how do you make disciples who make disciples? This letter we are studying is the Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy, but it is also the thirteenth and final letter from the Apostle Paul in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has written a total of thirteen letters among which we find the letter to the Ephesians and then two letters to young Timothy who is the pastor at Ephesus.

It is easy to grasp the essence of the verses in front of us. Some friends are faithful until the end, and some are not; some friends will jump ship and abandon you while others will remain faithfully by your side through thick and thin. Look at the passage with me…

There is one clear big idea throughout this passage: Don’t be ashamed and guard the gospel! It is clear from the text that the apostle Paul is nearing the end of his life here on earth (4:6 – 7); he is about to be beheaded for his faith, he has been faithful to the gospel, he is ready to end his ministry well, and he has a few final words to say to Timothy, his young protégé in the ministry before he dies.

The book of Second Timothy was written by the apostle Paul. It is commonly believed that this book was Paul’s final letter before he was beheaded for his faith.