2 Timothy 4:9-15

9: Make every effort to come to me soon;
10: for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
11: Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
12: But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
13: When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.
14: Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
15: Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching.

*** 

Paul began closing the letter with personal instructions and comments to Timothy. He asked that he do his best to come see him soon and to bring the cloak, books, and parchments Paul left at Troas with Carpus. This stop in Troas would have been on Paul's way to Ephesus after he wrote 1 Timothy, and obviously before his arrest in Nicopolis.

Paul called Timothy’s attention to certain people. Demas, once a faithful worker (Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24), had deserted him. Crescens, whom we don’t see mentioned anywhere else, had left. Titus went to Dalmatia where he and Paul may have been planning to travel to after the winter in Nicopolis. Of course, that didn’t happen due to Paul’s arrest. He said only Luke was with him. Luke, the physician who wrote his own gospel as well as the book of Acts, stayed with Paul until the end.

Paul asked Timothy to bring Mark. This was John Mark, who had left Paul and Barnabas in the middle of a missionary journey which made him untrustworthy in the eyes of Paul for a time (Acts 13:5, 13, 15:37-38, Colossians 4:14). But Paul had forgiven that, and now called him useful to him for service. Paul had sent Tychicus (Acts 20:4, Colossians 4:7, Ephesians 6:21, Titus 3:12) to Ephesus possibly to fill in for Timothy.

He mentioned Alexander the coppersmith who did him “much harm.” Yet he said the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Paul would not take personal revenge on him. This may have been the same Alexander mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 who was “delivered unto Satan” with Hymanaeus for blasphemy. It’s also possible he was the same Alexander who opposed Paul in the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:33). In any case, Paul warned Timothy to be on guard against him for he vigorously opposed their teaching.



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