Faithless & Faithful Friends

Transcription

1 XVIII. Faithless & Faithful Friends May 20/21, Timothy 4:9-22 Aim: To see the motivations in Paul s life his trust in God, his passion for people, and his commitment to the gospel. The last part of Paul s letter focuses on other people, the many friends and a few foes, who influenced his ministry in one way or another. The great apostle knew they were involved in everything he did, and in these closing verses he recognizes and remembers this network of people. Even he could not effectively minister alone. Thus, this passage gives us a practical insight into the importance of Christian relationships to Christian continuance. Some of the people were old friends and some were new, some were consistent in their service and some were not, some were always ready to volunteer and some were never to be found, some were willing to make any sacrifice for the Lord, and others were not willing. Some were unbelievers, but all were part of Paul s life, and all played a role in his ministry. As he faced the executioner s axe, many of these people were on his mind. In passing on the mantle of ministry to Timothy, he brought the young pastor up to date on the spiritual condition, activities, and whereabouts of certain men and women. Some of them, including Timothy, he hoped would visit him before he died. Others he simply greeted or extended greetings from. Some are named, others are nameless. Some of them he was sending out or already had sent out to strategic places to build up faltering congregations. Others he mentioned because of the special harm they had brought to him and to the cause of Christ. We read here some poignant details about Paul s own situation his wants, his sense of betrayal and need for companionship and helpers, his sense of justice and willingness to forgive. Most importantly, re read of his abiding trust in God s ability to preserve him to the end. This section contains the last words penned by the apostle that have been preserved for us, written when Paul knew that his death was certain. They reveal the motivations of his life a singular trust in God, a passion for people, and a commitment to the proclamation of the gospel. Paul did not write this section as an afterthought; it was not incidental but vital to the Spiritinspired message. The Lord wanted the rest of His church to know about these people in Paul s life and to learn from their faithfulness or their failure. A. Abandoned in Rome (2 Tim. 4:9-13) These verses tell us much about the passions that drive the apostle Paul. He loves people and longs for their companionship. In fact, he willingly admits his need for others. God has made human beings to be in relationship with one another, and this desire does not diminish when one enters relationship with Christ. In fact, one could argue that it only increases as a result of the common bond of the Spirit and common longing for heavenly things. 1. Timothy The Faithful Son (4:9, 21a) At the beginning of his first letter to Timothy, the apostle addressed him as my true child in the faith (1 Tim. 1:2), and in this second letter as my beloved son (1:2). He had no other earthly friend who was so dear to him. Nor did he have a co-worker who was more dependable (cp. 1 Cor. 4:16-17; Phil. 2:19-20; 1 Th. 3:1-6). Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

2 Although the faithful and beloved Luke was with Paul in Rome at the time, the apostle longed to see Timothy with the longing of a father, especially because he knew the possibility of seeing him again in this life would soon be gone. Paul requests tangible benefits from Timothy (v. 13), but in light of the rest of the letter (especially 1:4), it is clear that he primarily desires Timothy s companionship. Paul repeats his command to make every effort to come in verse 21, indicating a sense of urgency on the apostle s part to see Timothy and to be helped by him. The list of names of people and their activities that follows indicates that the relational side of the proposed visit is the primary one for Paul. He wants to see his partner, companion, and friend. Paul s insistence that Timothy come quickly was demanding, to say the least. The journey would take Timothy four to six months over land and sea, by way of Troas (cp. v. 13), Philippi, the great Egnatian road to Dyrrachium, and then across to Brundisium and on to Rome. Paul was counting on the slow, grinding pace of Roman justice to allow Timothy to beat the apostle s appointment with death. The journey would have to be made as quickly as possible despite its inherent dangers. While Timothy was gone on this extended journey, it was likely that Tychicus, who was being sent by Paul to Ephesus (probably with this letter in hand), would stay and serve as Timothy s replacement. 2. Demas The Unfaithful Deserter (4:10a) Paul moves from the most faithful to the most unfaithful. His desire for Timothy s companionship is due to ( for ) and made more acute by, the departure of others. The saddest departure of all was that of Demas. It is possible that Demas in some way had been valuable to Paul and to the ministry in Rome and that the apostle wanted Timothy to come soon in order to pick up the work that Demas had abandoned. Demas had splendid potential. He had started well in the Christian life. Demas is first mentioned by Paul in Colossians, which was written shortly before 1 Timothy and some five years before 2 Timothy, during Paul s first imprisonment in Rome. At that time, Demas, along with Luke and Epaphras, was one of the apostle s closest associates (Col. 4:12-14). In the book of Philemon, written about the same time and from the same place, Paul sent greetings in behalf of Demas, one of his fellow workers (Phm. 24). He was part of the inner circle, in close communion with these other greats. Demas was a spiritual man of substance. Demas wasn t a lightweight, and he had been with Paul in man ups and downs. But this time the situation in Rome was apparently too much for him. So he packed his bags and took off for Thessalonica. There is no suggestion here that Demas became a heretic or apostate. Paul clearly regards his action as related to him personally and not to the Church at large. Calvin writes: But we are not to suppose that he completely denied Christ and gave himself over again to ungodliness or the allurements of the world, but only that he cared more for his own convenience and safety than for the life of Paul. The world of suffering for the sake of Christ was obviously too much for him. He preferred the world of ease and pleasure. There is nothing here to suggest that Demas became an apostate, although there was a later tradition to that effect. Demas had no intention of quitting his Christianity. His reason for fleeing to Thessalonica is not given, but he must have considered it to be a safe haven, since there was a healthy body of believers there. Perhaps that was his home (cp. Phm. 4), maybe he had friends there, or perhaps believers there were not yet persecuted. Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

3 In any case, his cowardice was greater than his commitment, and he deserted Paul. Deserted is from enkataleipo, a strong verb that means to utterly abandon and leave someone helpless in a dire situation. Perhaps the sacrifice of many comforts, including the probable loss of his own freedom, became too high a price for Demas. Paul s assessment that it was because he loved this world does not make Demas a villain, but merely a man, so much like us, who came into disgrace by a well-worn path. Demas did not want to lose his Christianity, but it hurt to keep it. Perhaps Demas never truly counted the cost. It may be he did not understand that when we come to Christ, we will face troubles because we will always collide with the world. The contrast between those who love Christ s appearing and Demas who loved this present world (aiōn) is brought out not only by the use of the same verb (agapaō, love ), but also by the fact that aiōn denotes the world under aspects of time, thus emphasizing the difference between the present and future time sequences. Demas departure must have been especially painful for Paul. Your deepest hurts can only come from people you love, your deepest disappointments from the destruction of your deepest hopes. What a bitter pill this was for Paul. Demas also serves as a warning to those who are involved in ministry, even though who have suffered for Christ. Do we love Christ, or do we love the world? 3. Crescens The Faithful Unknown (4:10b) The mention of Demas reminded Paul of two other departures that no doubt had Paul s blessing Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Both of these had likely gone out on ministry assignments. It was right and good that these two men had gone out. But their absence heightened the apostle s need for Timothy. We know nothing about Crescens except what is written here. There is a tradition which connects him with the churches of Vienne and Mayence in Gaul (by changing the reading of Galatia to Galia ). Because he was sent to Galatia by Paul and did not flee, as did Demas, he obviously was a faithful and dependable servant of Christ. Paul had ministered in Galatia on each of his three missionary journeys, and believers there held a dear place in his heart. He would not have sent them a man in whom he had less than full confidence. Crescens was a dedicated leader set to dedicated churches. He is among the myriads of faithful men and women who, for the most part, were known in the early church but have been unknown in church history and are unknown in the church today. 4. Titus The Faithful Known (4:10c) Titus, on the other hand, was both known and faithful. Paul s letter to him was written several years after 1 Timothy and about one year before 2 Timothy. Besides here and the book that carries his name, Titus is mentioned by the apostle nine times in 2 Corinthians (2:13; 7:6, 13, 14; 8:6, 16, 23; 12:18) and twice in Galatians (2:1, 3). In 2 Corinthians, Paul calls Titus my brother (2:13) and my partner and fellow worker (12:18). In his epistle to his colleague, he calls him a true son (Titus 1:4). He was comforted by Titus coming (2 Cor. 7:6) and refreshed by Titus joy (2 Cor. 7:13). He supported Paul in his work and was a valued member of Paul s ministry team. At some point, likely subsequent to his first Roman imprisonment, Paul visited Crete and left Titus there as pastor of the church in Crete. Titus was a builder and equipper, a man the apostle fully trusted to teach and pastor struggling churches. Sometime after release from his two-year Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

4 hose arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30), Paul probably went to Macedonia. From there he went to Dalmatia (also known as Illyricum; see Rom. 15:19), which was located just north of Macedonia on the east side of the Adriatic Sea in the modern-day nation of Croatia. He then traveled south to Nicopolis, a town in the province of Achaia near the Macedonian border. It was here that he asked Titus to meet him (Titus 3:12). It may have been from Nicopolis that Titus went to Dalmatia, probably at the request of Paul, in order to strengthen the church there and build up its leaders. Thus, it seems that Titus work at Crete has come to an end, and now the Lord had other tasks for him to perform. 5. Luke The Faithful Companion (4:11a) Some might read only Luke is with me as a disparaging aside. But that was not so because Luke was the antithesis of Demas. He too had been with Demas during Paul s first imprisonment as one of Paul s fellow workers (Phm. 24). He too was included in the greeting to the Colossians and was given the beautiful description, the beloved physician (Col. 4:14). But Luke was a tough friend for tough times. He was with Paul in prison from the first time to the last. Luke is mentioned by name only three times in the New Testament, of which he is the only Gentile author. Yet he wrote the longest of the four gospels as well as the lengthy book of Acts. Because of his literary skills, it seems probable that he acted sometimes as Paul s amanuensis. Although Luke was a physician by profession, we are told nothing of any medical work he may have done after his conversion, though he doubtless treated Paul and his other companions as their beloved physician. He would have tended Paul s ailing bones and doctored the thorn in [his] flesh (2 Cor. 12:7). From his gospel we know him as an evangelist, and from the book of Acts as a capable historian. He was used uniquely by the Holy Spirit to chronicle both the life of Christ and the early life of the body of Christ. Yet, as a humble servant of the Lord and of his fellow saints, he carefully kept himself in the background. Luke had been a longtime companion of Paul, accompanying the apostle for many years and over thousands of miles. It is easy to trace his direct association with the apostle through his use of plural first-person pronouns in Acts. He was with Paul at Troas and Philippi during the second missionary journey, joined him again at the end of the third, and went with him to Jerusalem to face arrest and imprisonment. He accompanied Paul on the trip to Rome, was shipwrecked with him off the shores of Malta, ministered in Rome with him during the first imprisonment, and comforted him during the second and last. Luke is a model of faithfulness and commitment to Christ. Perhaps as Paul wrote his final epistle, he was concerned for Luke who had to shoulder not only care for Paul but many other details while in Rome. Likely, Luke was Paul s secretary for the writing of 2 Timothy and penned the personal, self-effacing only Luke with a wry smile. 6. Mark The Unfaithful Restored (4:11b) We do not know where Mark was at this time, but it seems evident that he lived somewhere on the route Timothy would take from Ephesus to Rome. He probably would have traveled by land to Troas (see v. 13), and from there taken a ship to Macedonia. After crossing Macedonia, he may have taken another ship to Brundisium on Italy s east coast and continued on to Rome. Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

5 Mark, who sometimes was called John, was a native of Jerusalem. He was a remarkably advantaged young man. His mother s home had been one of the centers of the Jerusalem church, the home to which Peter came when the angel delivered him from prison (Acts 12:12). John Mark had known all the apostles since boyhood. Because of his promise as a Christian leader, he was chosen to go with Paul and Barnabas as they set out with other companions on the first missionary journey. However, for some unknown reason Mark abandoned them along the way in Pamphylia and went home (Acts 13:13). Whatever Mark s specific reason for leaving, Paul did not think it was adequate or excusable. Some years later, Barnabas wanted to give Mark a second chance, but Paul refused, and so they separated, Barnabas taking Mark to Cyprus and Paul taking Silas with to Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:36-41). We do not know if Mark changed before or during his ministry with Barnabas, his older cousin (Col. 4:10). Whenever and however the change in Mark occurred, Barnabas must have been involved evidently the time with Barnabas was a time of healing. By the time of Paul s first imprisonment in Rome perhaps ten years after the two had parted company this young man had proved himself not only to Barnabas but also to Paul. During that incarceration, the apostle asked the church at Colossae to welcome the now-faithful Mark if he visited them (Col. 4:10) and counted him among his devoted fellow workers (Phm. 24). Mark had also apparently spend a significant amount of time with Peter, becoming a veritable son to that apostle (1 Pe. 5:13). It was likely from Peter that Mark received insight into the revelation he records in his gospel. In many ways and to many people, he had become a faithful and valued leader in the early church. And now Paul, in his time of greatest need, called for John Mark, commending him for his usefulness (euchrēstos, serviceable, not profitable) for ministry (diakonia). Mark had rocketed from uselessness to usefulness! Paul s request for Mark is a testimony to God s grace in causing Mark to mature and in working reconciliation between these servants of Christ. There are many of us who have experienced this same grace of God. He calls failures back into His service, when they truly repent and are determined to suffer hardship for the sake of the gospel. There is also this beautiful fact: John Mark, the missionary dropout, became St. Mark, the writer of the great action Gospel that emphasizes the servanthood of our Lord. And Mark was just the right man to write it. What profound encouragement we find in the life of John Mark. Past failure, even rejection, does not prevent present usability. You can come back from disgrace. Not only that, you can become immensely useful to Christ. Even a shirker can become a major worker in the gospel enterprise the kind of man or woman that the apostle would call for. 7. Tychicus The Faithful Messenger (4:12) It seems that Paul was sending Tychicus to Ephesus to deliver this second letter to Timothy just as he had used him to deliver his letters to the churches at Ephesus (Eph. 6:21) and Colossae (Col. 4:7-9) and perhaps to deliver the letter to Titus (cp. Titus 3:12). It is also likely that Tychicus relieved Titus of his ministry in Crete so Titus could visit Paul in Nicopolis. Tychicus came from the Roman province of Asia, where Ephesus is situated, and accompanied Paul from Greece to Asia on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:4). Paul calls him a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant (Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7). We do not know what abilities Tychicus had, but it seems likely that the Holy Spirit had given him the gift of service (cp. Rom. 12:7). He was a valuable assistant to Paul and a trusted friend. Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

6 Paul s language, saying that he sent Tychicus, indicates a more specific assignment to a specific ministry, rather than simply delivering a letter. While Timothy was gone on his extended journey to visit Paul in Rome, it was likely that Tychicus would stay and serve as Timothy s replacement as pastor in Ephesus. 8. Carpus The Faithful Host (4:13) From the context it seems probable that Paul stayed with Carpus in Troas and had entrusted him with the care of several valuable possessions. It also may be that the church in Troas met in Carpus house. A cloak (phialonēs, which represents the Latin paenula) was a large, heavy wool garment that served both as a coat and a blanket in cold weather, which Paul would soon face (v. 21). It was probably a heavy piece of cloth with no arms, just a circular hole for his head to go through. It would have been designed to hang down and keep out a great deal of the cold. In the economy of that day, especially for Christians under Roman persecution, such clothing was extremely expensive. Books and parchments were also expensive. Books probably refers to papyrus scrolls, possibly of Old Testament books which had been translated into the Greek language (the Septuagint) and/or his own personal notes. Parchments (membranai) were vellum sheets, made of specially treated animal hides. They were extremely expensive and therefore used for only the most important of documents. Some scholars speculate that the parchments may have contained copies of the Lord s words or early narratives of His life. Could these have been the materials Luke and Mark used later to put together their Gospel accounts? We do not know but it is consistent with the central theme of the Pastorals to guard the deposit of the gospel. Paul s request also shows that even in the face of certain death, the apostle still desires to continue to study and keep his mind occupied. Even though his life was nearly at an end, he still wanted his mind to be kept alert. One wonders why Paul would not have taken such costly possessions with him wherever he went. It is hard to believe he would have parted with them voluntarily, because the risk of never seeing them again was high. The trouble of taking them along when they were not needed would have paled in light of the trouble, physical and otherwise, of being without them when they were needed. For that reason, some scholars suggest that he was summarily arrested in Troas and had no opportunity or was not allowed, to take these things with him. Three important commodities were coming to Rome in the next months, all set to arrive on the same day Timothy, Mark, and the Scriptures! Assuming they arrived in Rome before Paul s execution, these new arrivals, along with Luke, would have given themselves to encouraging Paul. What a group of encouragers they would have been: the beloved physician, Luke, who had always been there from the beginning and was absolutely devoted to Paul, knew the apostle better than anyone in the world. And he loved him as he loved himself. Timothy, whose early tears for Paul had so refreshed him, was Paul s spiritual son, so full of filial love, so sensitive and kind. Then there was Mark, the successful failure with such a Spirit-developed humility and a desire to serve. Oh, how Paul was strengthened for death. They also would have engaged in theological discussions. Can you imagine the theologizing that went on as these four heavyweights pored over the parchments? Together they sought out Christ in the Scriptures. Paul also likely used those final days with his closest lieutenants as a time to strategize. Luke, after my death, you go to such and such a place. And Timothy, here s what to do in Ephesus. Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

7 Mark, stay close to Peter. Perhaps they even strategized about writing. After all, Paul, Luke, and Mark wrote more than half the New Testament! Did they discuss the Gospels that Luke and Mark would later write? If so, what advice did Paul provide? B. Tried in Rome (2 Tim. 4:14-18) Verses reflect the two sides of God s character His justice and wrath towards the unrepentant, His patience and kindness towards believers in their sin. 1. Alexander The Faithless Enemy (4:14-15) Alexander is a common Greek name; there are five different Alexanders mentioned in Scripture (Mk. 15:21; Acts 4:6; 19:33; 1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 4:14). Paul s identification of this Alexander as the coppersmith probably indicates he was neither the Alexander who defended Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:33) or the Alexander who was excommunicated by Paul in Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:20). Like Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis (Acts 19:24), this Alexander may have been an idolmaker who fiercely resented the apostle and did him much harm. The harm that Alexander did likely came from his informing on Paul, because that is what the Greek suggests. Alexander, in fact, may have been the direct cause of his arrest in Troas, forcing him to leave behind his cloak and books. Alexander may have been the informant who was responsible, and so Paul warns Timothy about him as Timothy sets out for Troas to retrieve Paul s belongings. Both Timothy and Mark must be on their guard against him. This interpretation, though attractive, is entirely speculative. An alternate explanation for Paul s warning against Alexander is that this enemy may have lived in Rome and caused Paul trouble during one or both of his imprisonments. In that case, he was warning Timothy to be on the lookout for him when he arrived there to see Paul. Whether we take Alexander s opposition to Paul s words (logoi) as the Christian doctrine which Paul preached or Paul s defense at his trial, at which Alexander may have been a witness for the prosecution, it is clear that the evil was in the realm of mental and not physical violence. Even worse than the harm Alexander caused Paul personally was the harm he had done to the cause of Christ by being vigorously opposed to Paul s teaching. More than an enemy of Paul, he was the enemy of God. Paul s statement that The Lord will repay him according to his deeds, should not be taken as vindictive. The Bible consistently teaches that God gives to everyone according to what he has done (e.g., Rom. 2:6; Ps. 62:12; Mt. 16:27), and that God will judge those who oppose his people. This serves as a great encouragement to the saints. Paul s final statement that he strongly opposed our message indicates that the gospel is Paul s primary concern, not his own personal difficulties, comfort, or safety. 2. The Unfaithful Anonymous (4:16) Defense translates apologia, from which we derive the English apology and apologetics. It referred to a verbal defense and frequently was used as a legal term. In the Roman court system, an accused person had two hearings, the prima actio, to clearly establish the charge, and the secunda actio, to determine guilt or innocence. Paul s first defense would therefore have been a prima actio. Evidently the reference here is to the preliminary investigation preceding the formal trial, which was sometimes delayed for a considerable period. Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

8 It was the Roman practice for a defendant to be allowed to bring someone into court to speak on his behalf. However, no one was prepared to do that for the apostle; he stood alone. Everyone was either too scared, or they did not know enough about Paul to answer the charges against him. Whatever kind of trial it was, not one of Paul s friends and fellow believers had supported him. No one stood by (paraginomai) Paul or testified on his behalf; instead they all deserted him. The believers in Rome probably did not want to be identified with this criminal of the state. It seems that Onesiphorus (1:16) and the faithful Luke (4:11) had not yet arrived in Rome. Had they been there at that time, they would have stood by Paul and gladly shared his fate. We cannot help wondering who spoke for the prosecution. Could it have been Alexander the metalworker? Was it at this time that he had strongly opposed Paul? The price for such a stand could have been high. Because Paul was such a well-known leader among the Christians, and because Nero was so vehemently anti-christian, some scholars believe the emperor himself may have presided over this hearing. Only a few years earlier (in 64 AD), Nero had set Rome ablaze, blaming the unbelievably callous and evil deed on the Christians. While still alive, some Christians were sewn into the skins of freshly killed animals and released into the arena among wild dogs, who tore them to pieces. Others were coated with pitch and set afire to light Nero s garden parties. And although their actions were indefensible, perhaps some of them only rejected Paul, not Christ. Some may have been weak-hearted but not false-hearted. In any case, Paul s attitude toward them is softer than those of the previous verses. Alexander defiantly opposed him. These believers acted in weakness and fear. Thus, Paul s pastoral side is evident as he lovingly prays that this sin will not be charged against them. Paul did not condemn his friends for turning their backs upon him in his hour of great need. Like Stephen (Acts 7:60) and the Lord Himself (Luke 23:24), the apostle had a supremely forgiving spirit. 3. Christ The Faithful Lord (4:17-18) Verses from the apex of this passage, testifying to the faithfulness of Christ. None of his human friends came to support him, but the Lord was with him. Paul s affirmation that the Lord stood by (paristēmi) me and strengthened (endunamai) me, is a great statement of faith and affirms not Paul s own endurance and abilities, but God s faithfulness. God will not forsake His saints. God is faithful when others prove faithless. He will not allow His purposes to fail. In this case, God s purposes entail the proclamation of the gospel through Paul. His trial gave him the opportunity to proclaim Christ in a major metropolitan area, indeed the Gentile capital, to a wide audience. Paul fully (plērophoreō) proclaimed his message in the sense of fully performed, hence completed. Paul regarded his mission as incomplete until he had preached the gospel at Rome so that all the Gentiles (panta ta ethnē) heard it. This phrase is used generally in a sense equivalent to cosmopolitan. If this is the meaning here, the apostle is contemplating the cosmopolitan character of the audience he addressed on the occasion of his first defense. Not only was the Lord with Paul, the Lord strengthened Paul, enabling him to witness a good confession before his accusers. It would appear that Paul preached the gospel right there in court while he was charged with a crime worthy of the death penalty. We do not know who the judge was, but it could have been the Emperor Nero himself who sat in judgment against this leader of the Christian people in Rome. Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

9 Paul often had been delivered out of the lion s mouth, a common figure of mortal danger (cp. Ps. 22:21; 35:17). The deliverance (sōzō, to save or to keep safe ) in this verse is reminiscent of the Lord s Prayer, which is clearly intended in a spiritual manner. The past physical deliverance reminds him of constant spiritual deliverances and raises his confidence for the future. In this context, the sense of this metaphor is that Paul has temporarily avoided death, so that his gospel ministry might continue. Paul clearly knows that death awaits him (cp. vv. 6, 18). When he spoke of the lion, was he referring to Nero or, as Peter did in 1 Peter 5:8, to the devil? Whatever he meant, the outcome was that he knew he had been delivered from all of his enemies by the Lord (cp. Ps. 22:20-21). No Roman citizen could be thrown to the lions in the arena, so Paul obviously meant more than that. There was a sense in which he had been granted freedom, though not freedom from his bonds. He had been given freedom to speak the message of salvation before his accusers. When Paul says that the Lord will rescue [him] from every evil deed, he is not talking about physical deliverance from imprisonment and death. Rather, he is referring to the spiritual evils of apostasy, denying the faith and turning from the proclamation of the truth real temptations when one is faced with the choice of physical life or death. Paul fully expects that God will preserve him spiritually and that he will be with the Lord forever. This thought causes Paul to break out in doxology. We have seen similar doxologies in 1 Timothy, where the thoughts of God s saving work brings forth praise to God (1 Tim. 1:12-17; 6:14-16). If salvation is the work of man, then man is exalted. But if salvation is wholly the work of god, then man is humbled and God alone is glorified for all eternity. Paul s letters consistently teach the latter of these two options (cp. Eph. 2:8-9). C. Final Greetings from Rome (2 Tim. 4:19-23) 1. The Faithful Old Friends (4:19-20) Paul sends by way of this epistle to Timothy greetings to a number of old friends. The husband and wife time of Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned six times in the Scriptures. Paul had met the couple at Corinth on his second missionary journey. They had fled Italy in 49 AD when the Emperor Claudius ordered all Jews expelled from Rome (Acts 18:2). Because they were fellow tentmakers, Paul stayed at their house during his ministry in Corinth. When he and his party left Corinth, he took along this devoted couple and left them to minister in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19). While there, Priscilla and Aquila met a fellow Jew named Apollos whom they instructed in Christian doctrine to fill in the gaps in his theology (Acts 18:24-26). This couple was still in Ephesus when Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church, sending their greetings to their friends there (1 Cor. 16:19). In his letter to the Roman church the apostle greeted Prisca and Aquila, fellow workers in Christ Jesus (Rom. 16:3), indicating that these two special friends were again living and ministering in Corinth, the city from which this epistle was written. Because the household of Onesiphorus is mentioned both here and in 1:16, it is obvious that everyone in it was a Christian, perhaps led to Christ by Onesiphorus himself. Such a household would have included not only family members but also servants and friends who lived with Onesiphorus. Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

10 The Erastus who remained at Corinth probably was the city treasurer of Corinth, who sent greetings through Paul to the church at Rome (Rom. 16:23). He also may have been the man whom the apostle sent with Timothy to minister in Macedonia (Acts 19:22). Trophimus was a native of the province of Asia, specifically the city of Ephesus, and had accompanied Paul from Greece to Troas (Acts 20:1-6). He was a great helper in the work of the gospel. He probably helped carry the offering to the church in Jerusalem, where he was the unintentional cause of Paul s arrest for presumably bringing a Gentile into the temple (Acts 21:29). After his first release from Roman imprisonment, Paul must have reconnected with Trophimus, but he sadly had to leave him sick at Miletus. It is not impossible that on Paul s last journey from Asia to Rome Trophimus was to accompany him, but had to be left at Miletus due to illness, a fact of which Timothy could easily have been unaware. It is important to note that Paul made no effort himself to heal Trophimus, who, incidentally, was present at the late-night service in Troas when the apostle miraculously restored life to Eutychus, a young man who went to sleep during the sermon and fell out a window to his death (Acts 20:9-10). The sign gifts were coming to an end. There is no evidence that any of the apostles, including Paul, performed miracles of any sort during their later years. As more and more of the New Testament was revealed and made available to the church, God s Word no longer needed the verification of miracles. 2. Come Quickly (4:21a) Paul s request of Timothy to do your best to get here before winter is a reflection of the realities of travel in that day and age. During the winter storms no ships plied the Mediterranean (see Acts 27). For a period of some weeks the Adriatic would be closed to shipping. This is why Paul wanted Timothy to leave before the final autumn ship departed from Ephesus. He was cold and lonely. It was nearing winter in his soul, and he desired the cheering presence of his dearest friend on earth. 3. The Faithful New Friends (4:21b) Final greetings are extended on behalf of Eubulus, Purdens, and Linus. All three names were Latin, perhaps indicating that the men were from Italy and had been members of the church in Rome. Tradition identifies Linus with the Roman bishop of that name. Claudia was a faithful believer and close friend of Paul about whom we know nothing else. Conjecture and legend have suggested she was the wife or mother of Linus, but no firm evidence supports these views. 4. The Benediction (4:22) The Lord be with your spirit is a special message of encouragement addressed to Timothy alone ( your is singular). However, the final blessing, Grace be with you, is for the entire church. The you here is plural, as in each of these Pastoral Epistles. This farewell greeting is the apostle s signature mark to show that it is authentic (cp. 2 Th. 3:17). He wishes each of us the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ His saving and keeping grace. Although the message is addressed specifically to Timothy, in his time, it is also for all of God s people in every age. It is especially addressed to this servant of God, Timothy, but its teaching applies to all servants of God. Timothy Notes.doc p May-09

11 Grace and god s covenantal relationship with His people these are the realities that bind Paul s life together. It is fitting that this final letter of the apostle closes with these themes impressed upon our hearts and minds. All of the people Paul mentions in this passage were part of the network in which he was involved. The network included both men and women, close friends and avowed enemies, the faithful and the deserter, the true believer and the unbeliever. In one way or another, they all affected the ministry and outreach of the early church, especially the ministry and outreach of this great apostle. For next time: Summer Break. Timothy Notes.doc p May-09