2 Timothy 4:1
in 2 Timothy 4I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
KJV
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
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This verse in 2 Timothy 4
Commentary
15 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I charge thee therefore before God - See the notes on 1Ti 5:21. Who shall judge the quick and the dead - That is, the Lord Jesus; for he is to be the judge of men; Mat. 25:31-46; 2Co 5:10. The word “quick” means “living” (See the Act 10:42 note; Eph 2:1 note); and the idea is, that he would be alike the judge of all who were alive when he should come, and of all who had died; see the notes on 1Th 4:16-
This site's exposition
judge the living and the dead
on 2 Timothy 4:1-2
Five commands share one object, the word: preach it, be prepared in season and out of season, and reprove, rebuke, and encourage. The last clause, with every form of patient instruction, yokes patience and teaching so that urgency never becomes scolding.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
I therefore seriously charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, at his appearing and his kingdom. The continuous exhortation and command produces three effects: it makes the command more formidable and undeniable, …
Concerning the coming judgment of human beings, living and dead, the blessed Paul says this, "I bear witness in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power." At his …
"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick and the dead." He either means the wicked and the just, or the departed and those that are still living; for many will be left alive. In the former Epistle he raised his fears, saying, "I give thee charge in the sight of God, Who quickeneth all things" (1 Tim. vi. 13): but here he sets before him what is more dreadful, "Who shall judge the quick and the dead," that is, Who shall call them to account "at His appearing and His kingdom." When shall He judge? at His appearing with glory, and in His kingdom. Either he says this to show that He will not come in the way that He now has come, or, "I call to witness His coming, and His kingdom." He calls Him to witness, showing that he had reminded Him of that appearing.
...I desire to guard you beforehand, that ye fall not upon the hooks of vain doctrine, but that you may rather attain to a full assurance in Christ, who was begotten by the Father before all ages, but was afterwards born of the Virgin Mary without any intercourse with man.
The Medieval Church1 voice
The Apostle instills fear in Timothy in another place as well, having said: "before God, Who gives life to all things, I charge you" (1 Tim. 6:13); but here he makes his speech more fearful by reminding him of that judgment. Him, he says, Who …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
After giving comfort and encouragement for everyone, he brings up great things at the close of his writing. Now reasonably he brings up such great things, because he was destressed about what he was going to say to the disciple about his own death. So the Scriptures say, from which he said, that "From childhood you have known the Scriptures. (2 Tim 3:15)"
Having mentioned the dangers that will appear in the last days, and Timothy's ability to resist them, the Apostle here shows him how to resist: first, he gives the advice; second, its need, at "for there shall be a time." In regard to the first …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
(2.) He will appear; he will come the second time, and it will be a glorious appearance, as the word epiphaneia signifies. (3.) Then his kingdom shall appear in its glory: At his appearing and kingdom; for he will then appear in his kingdom, sitting on a throne, to judge the world. What is the matter of the charge,
The reason of his concern in this case, Why must Timothy now be instant in season, &c., in a particular manner? Because the church was likely to be deprived of the apostle's labours, for his departure was at hand,
I charge thee therefore - This is deduced from the whole preceding chapter. At his appearing and his kingdom - That is, at his appearing in the kingdom of glory.
I charge thee therefore before God,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
His kingdom is real now, but not visible. It shall then be both real and visible (Lu 22:18, 30; Now he reigns in the midst of His enemies expecting till they shall be overthrown (Ps 110:2;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I charge thee therefore before God - Whose herald thou art; and before the Lord Jesus Christ, whose salvation thou art to proclaim, and who is coming to judge the world - all that shall be found then alive, and all that have died from the foundation of the world.
The words behind it
21 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Διαμαρτύρομαι | diamarturomai | I earnestly declare | G1263 → | |
| ἐνώπιον | enopion | before | G1799 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Χριστοῦ | christou | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| Ἰησοῦ | iesou | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| τοῦ | tou | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μέλλοντος | mellontos | is being about | G3195 → | |
| κρίνειν | krinein | to judge | G2919 → | |
| ζῶντας | zontas | [the] living | G2198 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| νεκρούς, | nekrous | [the] dead, | G3498 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὴν | ten | by the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐπιφάνειαν | epiphaneian | appearing | G2015 → | 6 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλείαν | basileian | kingdom | G932 → | |
| αὐτοῦ, | autou | of Him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
ΔιαμαρτύρομαιI earnestly declare
diamarturomaiG1263 →
ἐνώπιονbefore
enopionG1799 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦGod
theouG2316 →1312 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ΧριστοῦChrist
christouG5547 →523 times
ἸησοῦJesus
iesouG2424 →908 times
τοῦwho
touG3588 →19766 times
μέλλοντοςis being about
mellontosG3195 →
κρίνεινto judge
krineinG2919 →
ζῶντας[the] living
zontasG2198 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
νεκρούς,[the] dead,
nekrousG3498 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὴνby the
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐπιφάνειανappearing
epiphaneianG2015 →6 times
αὐτοῦof Him
autouG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
βασιλείανkingdom
basileianG932 →
αὐτοῦ,of Him,
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 16:27For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 62:12
and loving devotion to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds.
- Romans 2:6
God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”
- Romans 14:12
So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
- Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
Through
2 Timothy 4:8From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who…
it leads to
- James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- Revelation 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful…
- 1 Peter 5:4
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
- James 1:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies16
About 2 Timothy
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Fulgentius of Ruspe, TO PETER ON THE FAITH 35; Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 2 Timothy 9; John Damascene, Commentary (church-history corpus); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Timothy.