¹I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom …

In our verse today, Paul lays on Timothy the most solemn obligation with the full weight of God Himself behind it. Timothy would have no wiggle room in his response to what Paul was about to say, even if he wanted it! It is as though Paul and Timothy are standing in the throne room of the King of the universe and His Son. With divine authorization Paul orders Timothy to do what he presents in the next verse.

Before looking at the specific charge, we take time to consider the nature of what is going on here. Paul does not want to be misunderstood here; what he has to say is non-negotiable. He could not speak in any way that would be stronger than the way he words it here. Why such a strong command? Is this “more important” than other commands and teachings in Scripture? Do not all of Paul’s teachings carry the authority of God?

While all of the Bible is profitable, not all of its instructions carry the same ramifications. Some affect relationships, our wellbeing, and in some cases, our health. However, here, the consequences have to do with people’s preparation to stand before God in judgment. Greek scholar Dr. Daniel Wallace identifies two “accusatives of oath” in the phrase “by His appearing and [by] His kingdom.” In other words, the solemn charge comes from the fact that Christ is coming in His kingdom. And there will be judging of “the living and the dead.” What Paul is about to say has eternal consequences.

This charge is stronger than the other times when he solemnly charged Timothy (1 Tim. 5:21, 6:13, 2 Tim. 2:14), none of which include a reference to judgment. This one carries the greatest weight. Jesus spoke similarly:

“He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” (John 12:48)

So while all of Scripture is profitable, some passages carry more weight. For the “man of God” (2 Tim. 3:17) who desires to be used by God in serving Him and His church, his absolute priority should be to keep this charge. That is as clear as Paul could make it.

One last thing we must clear up: Paul is not warning Timothy that he will be judged by God if he fails to fulfill Paul’s charge. Instead, the motivation for taking the charge seriously comes from the weighty understanding that other people’s eternal destiny depends upon whether the Word is being preached!

Lord, I will do what You command because of its effect on other people.