A Hillside Church

Paul's Shipwreck, Gustave Doré¹ 

Paul in his final epistle is trembling, and perhaps not from the prison cold. Paul afraid? The intrepid evangelist for whom life was a sojourn in “the valley of the shadow of death” with “stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft,” thrice scourged, once stoned, thrice shipwrecked, and "a night and day in the deep." Paul afraid?

Paul in an earlier epistle confessed “brethren, when I came to you… I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling” (cf. 1Co 2:3). How much more so in his last epistle when the church for which he labored was nigh to “ruin”?

Paul’s emotional and cognitive volatility in his second and final epistle to Timothy caused higher critics to conclude the stylistics inconsistent with his earlier epistles; sufficiently so to challenge his authorship. Unfortunately, these academics were not cognizant of the vicissitude of the church, that was tossing Paul “to and fro.”

The "consummate" mission, begin with an expeditionary force of “one” conscripted on the road to Damascus (cf. Act 9:15), baptized and indwelt of the Spirit, and empowered with the "provisional" gifts of the Spirit.

Paul with the gift of all knowledge, spoke “with the tongues of men and of angels" (cf. 1Co 13:1), and with the gift of prophecy (cf. 1Co_13:2) he literally spoke forth the Word of God as he circumnavigated an empire revealing the mystery kept “secret since the world began” (cf. Rom_16:25 ) to the Roman Commonwealth, and to its Caesar (cf. Act 27:24). Paul’s relentless plea was ever “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to ‘my gospel’” (cf. 2Ti 2:).

Despite hardship, opposition, and persecution, the fellowship of the labor begot the "oil of joy instead of mourning and the garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness." However, in his final epistle, the love of Paul’s fellow laborers had grown cold, even forsaking the laborer who succored them. “All they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes” (cf. 2Ti 1:15). “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed” (cf. 2Ti 4:10). And “at my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me… Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me… and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion” (2Ti 4:16-17).

But the love of his “dearly beloved son” of whom without ceasing Paul was in remembrance in prayer "night and day", had not grown cold (cf. 2Ti 1:2-3). Timotheus, Paul’s fellow laborer, the exclusive recipient of two personal epistles that reveal an affinity and spiritual similitude unparalleled in Scripture. Timothy was in a sense an “apostle,” i.e., an apostle of an apostle, a sent one of a sent one. Moreover, as Paul reminded Timothy, “I put thee in remembrance of the gift of God which is in thee… by the putting on of my hands” (cf. 2Ti 1:6). An apparent reference to the gift of prophecy (cf. 1Ti 4:14), an effectual and revelational gift for the "coauthor" of six of the Pauline epistles.

“[Timothy] this know also, [Paul warns] that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded...” (2Ti 3:4).

Is Paul beside himself? Has this not been the way of the world from the beginning? But then comes the disconcerting realization that this pernicious demeanor was not of those without but rather those  "within" the church: "Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof... ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth... men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (2Ti 3:4-8).

Paul’s apt “last days” description of the church of his day, is a semblance of the “last days” church of today, i.e., "the last days” have ever been “at hand” in every day.

Paul’s unrelenting and final charge to Timothy was to strengthen what remained of the church that had lost her witness: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2Ti 4:2). “That the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified” (cf. 2Th_3:1).

After conferring the mantle of “his gospel,” his apostleship, and his “care of all the churches” to Timotheus, Paul’s passing of the God ordained baton is complete and his “departure is at hand.”

“For I am now ready to be offered... I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2Ti 4:6-8).

Amid waves and gale, in the final scene, the solitary but unrelenting shipmaster trims what remains of the sails, strains at the rudder as he sets course "into" the wind, and shouts his final orders:

"Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me; Demas…. is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; Titus unto Dalmatia. ... Only Luke is with me. Take  Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. ... Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. ... The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. ... Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil… be thou ware also. ... Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. ... Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum. ... Do thy diligence to come before winter.” (2Ti 4:9-21).

How soon the church had left her first estate, and for almost two millennia Satan has continued to sift her as wheat. Darby in similitude laments:

“Paul sees for himself the ruin of that which he had built and watched over so faithfully. He had spent himself for the assembly, accomplishing that which was behind of the sufferings of Christ; and he had to see that which he had so much loved (which he had cared for even as a mother cherishes her nursling which he had planted as God's plant on the earth) grow feeble as to its condition and testimony in the world, depart from the source of strength, and become corrupt. What a painful experience! But it is that of the servant of God in all ages and in all dispensations.”

John Nelson Darby (1800 – 1882)



¹By Gustave Doré - in the public domain due to expiration of copyright.

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