Second Timothy 4:1-6
‘Christ…shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing…. You must watch in all things! Endure affliction!… I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand…. I have finished my course…. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness!’ Second Timothy 4:1-8.
Calvin comments: “‘(Christ) shall judge the quick and the dead (at His appearing)!’ That is, those whom He finds still alive at His coming, and also those who have already died…. None shall escape His judgment!… He now rules in Heaven and on Earth. Till now, His Kingdom has not been made clearly manifest…. His Kingdom will be truly established, when He has vanquished His enemies and brought to nought every opposing power….
“Zeal should be tempered with longsuffering gentleness…. When a storm is seen to be coming, we must not take our time at our work — but hurry with all diligence…. ‘I am already being offered’…. As long as I was alive, I could stretch out my hand to help you…. Now, the time is coming when you will have to teach and encourage yourself — and begin to swim, without support. Take care that nothing in you, may be seen to be changed by my death!…
“Note the expressions he uses to describe his death! By the word ‘departure” — he indicates that when we die, we do not altogether perish. It is only a departing of the soul from the body…. Death is only a passing of the soul from the body…. This definition contains a testimony to the immortality of the soul!
“‘Offering’ or sacrifice, was a term specially suited to Paul’s death. Since he was dying, for maintaining the truth of Christ…. Godly men are sacrifices acceptable to God both in the obedience of their lives and in their death…. Paul celebrates his death by commending it as the ratification of his teaching — so that it might encourage believers to persevere, rather than grow weary….
“‘The time of my departure’…. By it, he most fittingly removes our excessive dread of death…. The only reason that men should be so greatly disturbed at the merest mention of death, is that they think that in death they completely perish. By calling it a ‘departure’ he declares than man does not perish, but his soul is only parted from his body…. He fearlessly declares that ‘the time is come’…. He could not do that, unless he despised death…. Faith must overcome that fear, and refuse to let it keep us from leaving the world obediently — whenever God calls us….
“Death is the goal of Christ’s athletes…. Having ‘kept the faith’…means…he was a faithful soldier to his Captain, right to the end…. His reward is sure. He gains this certainly from turning his eyes to the day of resurrection, and we should do likewise!…. Whenever faith is strong, it does not let our hearts fall asleep in this world — but raises them up to hope in the final resurrection!”
In his Treatises III:317, Calvin argues: “Paul declares that the course of believers is terminated by death (Second Timothy 4:7).” So endure afflictions, right up to the time of departure to Heaven!
