What does “fulfill your ministry” mean (2 Timothy 4:5)?

In 2 Timothy 4:5, the apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Be sober-minded in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (ESV). Here, Paul urges Timothy to persevere in faithfulness to his God-given calling. Timothy should “fulfill” his ministry.

The ministry to which Timothy had been called involved pastoring the church in Ephesus. The pastor of a church has various duties to be carried out: preaching the gospel, winning the lost, administering the ordinances, caring for the flock, etc. For Timothy to fulfill his ministry, he had to be faithful in the discharge of those duties. The GWT translates the command as “Devote yourself completely to your work.”

Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy while imprisoned in Rome (see 2 Timothy 4:6–8). In it, Paul warns Timothy about coming challenges: “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3, ESV). Despite these challenges, Timothy must fulfill his ministry. He must remain vigilant and committed to the ministry entrusted to him.

Timothy is told to fulfill your ministry. That is, Timothy should fulfill his ministry rather than someone else’s. This is true for all believers. We have received gifts from the Holy Spirit to build the body of Christ. Our gifts may not be the same as another’s:

We should steward our gifts faithfully in the service of others, to the glory of God.

To fulfill your ministry means to conduct God’s calling to the fullest extent possible. Ministry is not easy or glamorous. Like Timothy, every believer will face obstacles. However, we must persevere. Paul’s testimony of faith is an excellent example of perseverance: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7, ESV).

We are called to diligently complete the work God has assigned us. When facing trials and tribulations, we fulfill our ministry by pressing on with confidence: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1–2, ESV). Jesus will ensure we cross the finish line.

An essential aspect of fulfilling our ministry is remaining faithful to the gospel. Paul instructs Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5, ESV). An evangelist proclaims the truth of Christ in a world susceptible to false teachings. Like Timothy, believers must keep the gospel at the center of their lives.

Helping us to fulfill our ministry is maintaining an eternal perspective. Paul, reflecting on his impending death, writes, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Timothy 4:8, ESV). A crown of righteousness awaits everyone who fulfills his ministry.

Our labor is not in vain. Paul writes, “My beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 12:58, ESV).

Paul’s exhortation to “fulfill your ministry” in 2 Timothy 4:5 is still relevant today. Believers must endure hardship, remain faithful to the gospel, fulfill their ministry, and keep an eternal perspective. May we all reach the end of our lives and hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21).