Deepening Your Christian Life XII

II Timothy 4

We now come to the end of our week long reading and reflection of the letters of Timothy. I come to these letters often, even though few would consider me young in the ministry. The issues Paul brings to light continue to confront the church in new ways and his counsel still speaks wisely.

The first five verses are Paul’s final charge to Timothy regarding preaching. The charge is full of passion as he speaks as the proxy of the risen Christ – which, when I think about it, is what we are all called to do. One of the fun things I did with my preachers when I was a District Superintendent was read II Timothy 4:2 and led them in an exercise in “instant preaching.” It was an all-day meeting, so I broke up the day with 3-minute extemporaneous sermons on texts I had in a box. A volunteer preacher would pull the text out of the box and read it. We sang a verse of a hymn while the preacher collected his/her thoughts and then heard a sermonette. The results were surprising. The energy and levity in the room made a great atmosphere for freedom and instant creativity. I will tell you that some of the preaching was better than when I heard the same preachers in their local church (after hours of preparation). Whether we are clergy or laity, we must be ready at all times to speak a word for the Lord.

Three goals of preaching are lifted up by Paul (certainly not an exhaustive list): correction, rebuking and encouragement. The frontier name for preachers was “exhorters,” people who spurred people on in their Christian walk with preaching that was both celebrative and confronting. As United Methodist preachers, we are told that we have a free pulpit, meaning that since we are appointed by a bishop, we are free to preach whatever the Lord leads us to preach, whether it is popular with the majority or not. The truth is that Paul’s caution to preach “with great patience and careful instruction” and “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) are important boundaries to our free preaching as well as our sharing of faith outside the pulpit or classroom. But the problem of people having “itching ears for what they want to hear” is ever present, because human beings are naturally change-resistant. Is good preaching that with which I agree or disagree? When we say our “amens” are we bearing witness to God’s Spirit speaking to us or are we just saying “I agree with that?” The Bible has the real tendency to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. As preachers, teachers and sharers of the word, faithful ministry requires that we offer both.

Verses 6-8 are often quoted at funerals. In I Timothy 1:18-19, Paul writes: “…so that you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.” In I Timothy 6:11-12, we read, “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.” I really think from reading Paul that he was quite a boxing fan or at least he used the popularity of the sport in his day as a means of sharing the gospel. He writes in I Corinthians 9:26b-27, “I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” Some of you may know that before his military service and his call to preach, Rev. Bruce Parks of our congregation was a Golden Gloves boxer. Now in his mid-80s, he said to me recently after his struggle with great health difficulties, “Will, I’m in my fight-back stance.” He is talking about his fight of faith and I have watched him demonstrate a faithfulness and spiritual diligence in the face of physical limitation, frustration, and even despair that is just plain remarkable. Paul writes in II Timothy 4:7,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Paul’s tenacity continued through the end of his life. I have another pastor friend, Eddie Rivera at St. Paul’s, Abilene, who says “I just want to finish well.” That’s quite a motto, consider he was in his mid-30s when he told me that.

The last part of this passage I want to lift up is the fact that “the good fight” is one that, no matter what losses are incurred along the way, we ultimately win. Paul uses the ancient laurel Olympic crown that champions wore as a picture of what Christians receive for a life of faithful witness – a crown of righteousness. He then points that victory out as not only his, but for all of us. But it’s not because we earned it. It’s a gift. Our birth was a gift, our being sustained through the ups and downs of our life is a gift and eternal life is also a gift. What if we saw each day as a divine gift that eventually leads to the greatest gift of all, eternity itself? Have a great day as you “fight the good fight of faith.”