1Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed. 2Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
3If anyone teaches a different doctrine and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, 4he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions, 5constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such.
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. 8But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. 13I command you before God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, 14that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which at the right time he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16He alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.
17Charge those who are rich in this present age that they not be arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; 18that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share; 19laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.
20Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge, 21which some profess, and thus have wandered from the faith.
Grace be with you. Amen.
Three groups of people are in view in 2 Timothy 4:3-5. His special interest is for believers and his exhortation for believers is based on the importance of truth. Paul uses this word in 1 Timothy 2:4, 7; 3:15; 4:3, and 6:5. In the short letter of 2 Timothy he does similarly in 2:15, 18, 25; 3:7, 8, and 4:4. This teaching does not only apply to his generation of believers but those of subsequent generations, even to our day ("the time will come"). His command comes from the fact that all Scripture comes from the mouth of God, and that this being true it gives the preacher the authority to teach doctrine, reproof, rebuke, and correct believers.
The second group that the apostle addresses is believers who will not be faithful to the truth taught in the Word of God. He says those who claim to be believers "will not listen to sound doctrine." In light of this lure to stop preaching what is true, Timothy is to "preach the Word." When those who profess Christ are led aside to falsehood by turning "away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables" (vv. 3, 4), Timothy is to be watchful. He is to be willing to suffer hardship, even as his mentor had done and was still doing while in a Roman prison. Timothy was to tell the good news of Jesus and complete the service that God had for him, even as Paul enunciates he has done in verses 6-8.
The third group are teachers who are willing to forsake the truth at the urge of people that no longer want to hear the truth. These teachers may be even like Demas, mentioned in verse 10, but church history and our modern day has many examples of preachers who know little of the Bible and, thus, the truth, but instead use the ministry largely for their own profit and pride. This is diametrically different from their Lord Jesus, the apostles, and many preachers who have been faithful over the centuries.