A Triumphant Journey and a Winner's Crown

II Timothy 4:6-8

Etymology can be fascinating. For example, Sunday is the day of the sun even as Monday is the day of the moon. September through December come from the Latin numbers, septem, octo, novem, and decem. These were the original seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth months of the Roman calendar. Later the months of July (for Julius Caesar) and August (for Augustus) were added.

The month of January is especially interesting to me. It is named after the Roman god Janus. Janus was a god which had two faces (in some instances four), looking in opposite directions. He was a god who looked backward and who looked forward, a god who symbolized beginnings and endings.

In our society we have made it a custom to look forward and backward at the beginning of each January. For us, it has become a time to reflect, to make resolutions, and to anticipate the future. Our reflections are usually a combination of joy and sorrow and good news and bad news. Our New Year’s resolutions are most often short-lived promises to eat less, spend less, and exercise more. Our anticipations of the future are both hopeful and fearful.

In II Timothy 4:6-8, the Apostle Paul shares with his son in the faith, Timothy, his reflections of his past and his anticipation of the near future. In verse 6 he says that, “the time has come for my departure.” He knew that his death was rapidly approaching. Because of his faith he was about to face a martyr’s end. He did not seek death. He accepted it. He had surrendered all that he was to Christ and now he would sacrifice his all.

It is interesting that Paul calls his death a departure. The word in the original Greek presents several pictures. It is a word used to describe an animal freed from a yoke or used to denote a prisoner being freed from his bonds. The word was also used to describe loosing the ropes from a tent and carried the implication that it was time to strike camp. The final way this word was used was to depict loosing a ship from its moorings. It shows that it was time for the ship to leave the harbor and cross the great sea. For Paul it was time to cross the sea of death and enter the haven of eternity.

Like us, Paul could look back on his life with both pride and shame. He was a Jew among Jews and a well-known Pharisee. Before his conversion to Christianity Jewish parents would have wanted their sons to grow up like Paul. He was a great student of God’s Word. (At that time this would have been what we call the Old Testament.) He says of himself, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. (See Philippians 3)

Before his conversion Paul was also a persecutor of the church and a murderer of those of the faith. What he did was done in good conscience but, nevertheless, it was a grievous sin. Now as he looks over his past, he counts all of his worldly achievements as nothing. Now his reflection is completely upon his relationship to his Lord.

As we reflect upon this past year, we can realize that God has blessed us in many ways. No doubt there have been difficult times, but He helped us through those times. We undoubtedly accomplished some notable achievements. As I personally look back, I can think of the day that my first book was published. I clearly remember opening up our Web site for the first time. I remember meeting wonderful people at the book signings and having some great speaking opportunities. I remember watching my grandchildren grow and spending such wonderful times with my wife, children, and those wonderful grandkids.

However, with all of that, the greatest joy I can look back upon is having come closer in my relationship to my God and the hope that I have helped others have a closer walk with Him as well. This is what really matters for now and for eternity.

In our next Studies we will look at what Paul did in his life to prepare for his ultimate journey.