2 Timothy 4:19-22 (KJV)
Salute Prisca and
Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
Erastus abode at
Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
Do thy diligence to come
before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and
all the brethren.
The Lord Jesus Christ be
with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
There is, I think, the
chance that the Apostle Paul and Timothy saw one another one last time after
this letter was sent – at least that was Paul’s desire.
But we can’t know that
they did see each other again, and Paul would not have known for sure either.
He has wound down.
The instructions are
finished.
His final request is
made, “Do thy diligence to come before winter.”
Paul has to know he may
never see or hear from Timothy again.
It made me think of that
question you always hear them ask in those old westerns just before they hang a
guy, “You got any last words?”
Here are the last of
Paul’s last words to Timothy.
His final words are all
about people.
*I. SOME PEOPLE TO GREET
2 Timothy 4:19 (KJV)
Salute Prisca and
Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
I am immediately brought
back to the crucifixion where Jesus, suffering as He was, took the time to care
for the welfare of his mother.
Apostle Paul has to be
filled with emotion as he closes out this letter to Timothy but rather than
drowning himself in self-pity, he has others in his heart.
He had met Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth.[1]
Paul had arrived in
Corinth is sort of a low time in his ministry. He was alone and depressed,
having left Athens with little success in preaching the gospel.
It appears he might also
have been at a low time financially as well, so the Bible says that, while he
was in Corinth he worked with Aquila and Priscilla in the craft of tent making.
When he left Corinth,
Aquila and Priscilla went with him to Ephesus, where they stayed behind and
supported the ministry there.
Here it is, years later,
and Aquila and Priscilla are still there, serving the Lord in the church.
Paul, you have noticed, shortened Priscilla’s
name to Prisca.
My mother knows my name
is Marvin. But sometimes, for whatever reason, she calls me Marv.
Nothing else is known of the house of Onesiphorus
He is mentioned nowhere
else in the Bible except 2 Timothy.
· He had often refreshed Paul
· He was not ashamed of Paul’s chains
· He was from Ephesus but had reason to travel to Rome where
he visited with Paul
“Timothy, be sure to tell them I said, ‘Hello.’”
*II. SOME NEWS TO SPEAK
2 Timothy 4:20 (KJV)
Erastus abode at
Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
Still expressing care
for others, here Paul delivers some news about a couple of people Timothy might
have an interest in:
· Erastus – he stayed in Corinth, didn’t make it to Rome
· Trophimus – he was going to come to but got sick
*III. SOME WORDS TO REPEAT
2 Timothy 4:21 (KJV)
Do thy diligence to come
before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and
all the brethren.
I spent quite a bit of
time on Paul’s desire for Timothy to come visit him earlier so I will skip that
here.
Paul had asked Timothy
to say hello to some people for him.
There were also some
people who wished for Paul to say hello to Timothy for them in this letter.
*IV. SOME
PRAYERS COMPLETE
2 Timothy 4:22 (KJV)
The Lord Jesus Christ be
with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
Some prayers don’t have
to be long and drawn out to be meaningful and heartfelt.
My last prayer for you
That Jesus Christ be with your spirit –
· To counsel you in difficulties
· To comfort you in distress
· To strengthen you in duty
That grace be with you
The favor of God,
undeserved but so essential in our lives.
*Conclusion
All of this hints of a
tool to stay composed in difficult times of life – think about others.
Paul wasn’t in denial.
He was fully aware of
what the future held for him.
But he had great faith
in his eternal reward and so – until the time for his to depart, he would keep
his heart set on others.
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