TEXT: II Timothy 4:9-22

SUBJECT: Exposition of II Timothy #11: Personal Remarks

If you want to know something about a preacher's character, listen to his private conversation. An hour's chit-chat will often be more revealing than a year's preaching. Paul has taught his last doctrine; rebutted his last heresy; enjoined his last duty. All that's left is a few personal remarks. The chit-chat of a man bound for glory.

It begins with a request, v.9: "Be diligent to come to me quickly". Paul is the greatest man in the world. In gifts, grace, accomplishments, and experience, he's not "a whit behind the chiefest Apostles". Yet he is not self-sufficient. He needs Timothy's company. And he's not afraid to admit it. No spiritual machismo from this man. Like the rest of us, Paul is "poor and needy". But--unlike some of us--he doesn't mind asking for help. Neither should you and I. "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make an help meet for him" was spoken before the fall. We haven't become more self-sufficient since then, have we?

In vv.10-12, Paul explains why he needs the young man's company. "For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica--Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me...And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus." Paul was assisted and cared for by an entourage of believers. But most of them were no longer with him. One, Demas, had quit Paul--"choosing the pleasures of sin for a season". The others were on assignment. Crescens (an otherwise unknown preacher) was sent to Asia Minor; Titus had gone to Dalmatia, on the Balkan Peninsula. And Tychichus had been dispatched to Ephesus--to take Timothy's place, it would seem. Now, only one man is with Paul, Luke the faithful physician. He can't do it alone. He needs help. Timothy is sent for. The dying Paul is still thinking of others. Luke must be relieved; others must be helped. To the end, Paul is "esteeming others better than himself".

Timothy mustn't come alone. On his way to Rome, he must pick up "Mark, for he is useful to me for ministry". Who is he? And what does the comment tell us about Paul? John Mark is the nephew of Paul's one-time traveling partner, Barnabas. Thirty years before, Paul and Barnabas left Antioch on their First Missionary Journey. To help them along the way, they took the young man. Who soon proved himself a coward. He quit the team and went home to mama. Some time later, as Paul and Barnabas were about to go on their Second Missionary Journey, the big-hearted uncle wanted to give Mark a second chance. But Paul wouldn't hear of it! The argument became so hot, the two friends split over it, Barnabas taking Mark to Cyprus, Paul choosing Silas and setting off for Syria, Cilicia, and elsewhere. That was a long time ago. Now Paul wants Mark. He now "esteems him very highly in love for his work's sake".

What does this tell us of Paul? This: He is willing to change his mind! Mark had once been a coward--and Paul exposed him as such. But now, he has proven himself "useful for ministry". Paul is ready to acknowledge that, too. He remains flexible. And why not? "Love...believes all things".

In v.13, Paul asks Timothy to pick up some items for him: "Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come--and the books, especially the parchments". The "cloak" is probably a heavy winter coat, which he will need if God spares his life for a few more months. "The books and parchments" are what? It is impossible to say with certainty. Some have identified "the books" with the Old Testament and the "the parchments" with Paul's collected letters. But who knows? Had the Holy Spirit wanted us to know which "books and parchments" Paul meant, He would have told us. But, from what He has told us, we can gather this much: Paul is still mentally active! He doesn't have long to live--but what time he does have, he will spend poring over the books--"growing in the knowledge of Christ" and preparing himself to better "preach the word".

Notice the balance Paul strikes between study and service. No man is more active than he. Yet he wants "the books and the parchments". No man is more studious than he. Yet he is "in labors more abundant". He was always thinking and doing. Not one or the other. But both. Some Christians are bookish. Like the Athenians of old, all they like doing is "telling or hearing of some new thing". Others go to the opposite extreme: they want to be up and doing--without knowing "what" they should be up and doing. The choice is: zeal or knowledge. But why choose? Why not zeal and knowledge? You won't have the knowledge without "the books and the parchments".

In vv.14-15, Paul warns Timothy of a dangerous man. "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. The Lord repay him according to his works. You must also beware of him, for he greatly resisted our words". This man--it seems--testified against Paul at his first trial, falsely accusing him of every kind of evil. He would slander Timothy, too. Hence, he'd better keep an eye on him. It is not wrong to expose heretics and warn of truly evil men. But we mustn't take pleasure in it, as so many do. Nor may we take revenge. Paul remands Alexander to "the Lord". Let Him judge the man as He sees fit.

In v.16, Paul turns from an evil man, Alexander, to weaker brethren. "At my first defense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them". Paul--unlike some Christians I know--can distinguish between enemies and imperfect friends. "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm" because he was wicked! "All men forsook me" because they were scared! We ought to be careful about lumping less than perfect Christians in with the children of Satan. Paul wouldn't do so. And neither should we. He retained a loving and open spirit toward the weaker brethren.

The unfaithfulness of his friends seques into the faithfulness of Paul's Savior, v.17. "No man stood with me...but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion". Bitterness had no place in Paul, for he saw "evil working for good". By deserting him at his hour of need, Paul's brethren were only making way for Christ to "stand with him". For His faithfulness, Paul was

"Lost in wonder, love, and praise".

Until we can get this into our heads, we'll never be forgiving. We'll carry around the wounds of childhood, the wrongs of marriage, the hurts of church life, and others.

From this great deliverance, Paul infers that Christ will "deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom". This leads to an ouburst of praise: "To Him be glory forever and ever".

Paul is concerned about many things: friends, enemies, coats, and books. But he's only wrapped up in one thing: Christ! The Lord Jesus is still his

"All in all".

In the words of the Heidelberg Catechism, Christ is Paul's

"Only comfort in life and death".

In vv.19-21, Paul sends along some greetings from himself and others in Rome. He remembers "Prisca and Aquilla and the household of Onesipherus". He tells of the wereabouts of "Erastus"; asks prayer for "Trophimus", and sends good wishes from "Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren". What do these random thougts tell us of Paul? This: He is in fellowship with the Lord's people, wherever they are. He won't see Prisca and Aquilla again this side of glory--but he still loves them. Trophimus isn't a member of the church at Ephesus, but they're still interested in his health. The brethren in Rome don't know the Ephesians well--if at all--but they still send their love. The early Christians didn't think of the church primarily as an organization. To them, it was a community--the people of God joined to Jesus Christ and to each other in bonds of love and mutual obligation. This is why they enjoyed fellowship with all of the saints. And, perhaps, why we don't.

The benediction closes the Epistle. The highest good that Paul can think of is the presence of Christ. And so, he wishes it for Timothy. "The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit". And from that communion would come every spiritual blessing. "Grace be with you". And not just potentially, but acutally. Thus he ends with "Amen"--so be it.

And so, what kind of man was Paul? From these random thoughts we find that he was a man of humility, flexibility, study, justice, forgiveness, and faith.

"Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, do. And the God of peace will be with you". Amen.