Question: What does 2 Timothy 4:1 mean? Does the “quick” mean those who are born again, and the “dead” those who are dead in trespasses and sins?
Answer: There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). They shall not come into judgment, but are passed from death into life. They have eternal life (John 5:24). There is judgment for sinners out of Christ; they are condemned already (John 3:18), and will be judged for their sins (Eph. 5:6).
This verse in 2 Timothy 4:1, speaks about the time when the Lord begins to judge. It is when He appears, and His heavenly saints come with Him. He came for them first (1 Thess. 4:15-17); afterward they come back with Him to judge the people who are living on the earth at that time. He will deliver His people, Israel, from their oppressors and settle them in their own land, and reign over them (Ezek. 37). He will judge the living nations (Matt. 25:31-46). He will judge professing Christendom (Jude 14, 15), and all the rebellious as well (2 Thess. 1:7-10). And all through the thousand years’ reign He will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31; Isa. 32:1-2; 26:1-11; Psa. 72).
It is after the Millennium is finished that we get the judgment of the dead, that is, all who have died without faith—died in their sins. These are judged according to their works (Rev. 20:11-15), for there is no escape. They are cast into the lake of fire, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Matt. 9:43-48). Terrible it is to think of them there. Only in Christ there is salvation.
Question: Was Jesus speaking only to the Jews in Matthew 23:9?
Answer: The scribes and Pharisees did love titles of honor from men, and to sit in Moses’ seat; that is, they taught the law, but they did not do what they taught. This part of the Scriptures speaks of their hypocrisy, and self exaltation (vss. 1-12).
Christ’s disciples were not to take the place of father, or teacher, nor were they to call others father or teacher, for the Father in heaven was the only one they were to own, and their only teacher was Christ. This refers to their ecclesiastical place; for we must honor our earthly parents.
There are gifts in the assembly now, and they serve the Lord, ministering the Word, but we must watch not to put them in the Lord’s place. The unction or anointing of the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and so the Lord by the Spirit is our teacher (1 Cor. 2:12-13; 1 John 2:20,27).
An evangelist or teacher (as Eph. 4), may teach us the Word, and be used of God for our blessing, and we thank God for his ministry, but we cannot follow man, nor receive what he says, unless it is according to the Word of God. We esteem such very highly in love for their work’s sake (1 Thess. 5:12-13), but they must not take, and we must not give them, a place of authority over us.