The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Timothy — Section 68

teachers." 'l'hey have a constant uneasy feeling which seeks to be gratified with new teachers, both many and indiscriminate. 3. Tl,e abandonment of those who have itching ears lo myths. "And will turn away their ears from the truth, and tum aside unto fables." '!'heir duty is to tum their ea.re to the truth, but, as they have itching ears, they turn aside to listen to fables-not truth, but inventions. When men do not find the truth agreeable to the ear, they may take the wildest fancies, the most childish beliefs. There were anticipations of these myths of the future with which Timothy Wto~ • . Ill. CHARGE RESUMED. 1. Sobriety. "But be thou sober in a.11 things." Those who had to do with myths had not clearness and caution of mind, but were intoxicated with their own wisdom. Timothy wa.s to a.void their fault. There is a. sobriety which is germane to the truth. It does not flatter a mar;, but keeps him to the humility of fa.et. It may deeply move him, but does not take away his clearness and caution. It doea not, like many myths of the false teachers, morbidly excite the imagination, or leave room for morbid gratification, but acts as a. principle of self-restraint. Timothy, in seeking to influence others, was to exercise all self-restraint in manner and matter of preaching and in persona.I dealing. 2. Hardihood. "Suffer hardship." This is not the first time that he has been thus exl11,rted. In eh. ii. 3 thP-re was the added idea of association with Paul The exhortation is reintroduced in this comprehensive charge, again and more impressively to remind him of hardships that he might expect in his future ministry. 3. His evangelistic office. "Do the work of an evangelist." There was need to remind Timothy of this, inasmuch a11 for the time he was settled in Ephesus. Paul had been very much of an evangelist, i.e. an itinerant preacher, himself. However important the establishing of congregations, he was not to overlook the importance of circulating the g:ospel, with a view to new congregations being formed. 4. AU the parts of his ministry to be attended to. "Fulfil thy ministry." He has mentioned one part; in the concluding direction he includes all. His ministry was partly determined ·by his talents and circumstance&. He was rightly to proportion between the various parts of his ministry, giving each the attention to which it was entitled, though one might be attended with greater hardship than another. He was to fill up the Divine measure in all, and to the end of his life. IV. CoNSIDERATION DRAWN FROM THE APOSTLE'S END. 1. His end approaching. First mode of conceiving of his end. " For I am already being offered." The force of the connection is that Timothy was to he faithful, becaUBe Paul was no longer to remain to carry on Christ's work. Upon him the mantle of his ma.ster was to fall. The language in which Paul describes his end is Jewish, and sacrificial, in its colouring. The conclusion of the sacrifice was the libation, or pouring ont of the drink offering of wine around the altar. His service of. Christ bad been all of the nature of sacrifice. He "counted not his life dear unto himself." He was among those who, for Christ's sake, were killed all the day long, who were' accounted as sheep for the slaughter. There was now only the concluding'•lioa.tion, viz. the pouring out of his blood as a martyr around Christ's altar. The concluding ceremony was already commenced, in what he was suffering in his dungeon. ' It had a painful significance, and a. rich signifi- cance too; for it was as the pouring out of strong wine (N uwh. xxviii. 7). &cond mode of conceitring of his end. "And the-time of my departure is come." The word translated "departure" has a common ·nautical application, viz. to the loosening of the cable that binds the vessel to land, that it rua.y speed on to its destination. By his martyrdom the connection between Paul and earth was to be let loose, that he might speed, as with the quickness of _lightning, to the haven where he was for ever to rest. The time of the loosening was, all but come; there on the pier was the man appointed to let slip the fastenings. !!!. Feelings with which he regarded his approach- ing end. (1) Consciousness of faithftJi/,ness in view of the past. First mode of con- ceiving of his faithfulness. "I have fought the good fight." The language is ta.ken from the games. The fight is to be inteq.,reted as the fight of faith. It is the good fight, being on behalf of Christ, on behalf of souls. He had the testimony of his con- science that he had "fought the good fight." By faithful preaching, by holy example, by fervent prayers, by patient sufferings, he had sought to advance Christ's cause, he had sought to save souls. Now the end of the conilict was come, little being left but it.II effects, these elfeots partly shown :n his own wc11rie<l frame. S«ood mode of wn-  7' THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [oB. rv. 1-22.