Paul wraps up his letter to Timothy with some final greetings and a final word of encouragement. Before he sends the letter, he gives Timothy one final plea to come quickly.

This final passage is found in 2 Timothy 4:21-22:

In the previous verses, Paul sent a couple of quick greetings, and updates on some coworkers. In this passage, he lists a few final people who send their greetings to Timothy and the church in Ephesus.

First, however, he encourages Timothy to come quickly to him in Rome. Winter is approaching, and Paul’s life is coming to an end, and he would like to see his son in the faith once more.

From late fall to mid spring, November to March, Mediterranean travel came to a halt. That implies that Paul is writing this probably in late spring or early summer, giving time for the letter to travel to Ephesus and Timothy to return before the weather prevented him from doing so. Missing that window of opportunity meant that Timothy wouldn’t make it until the next spring. Paul didn’t expect to make it that long. According to tradition, Paul was executed in AD 68. That places this letter in the year or two before.

In typical Pauline fashion, Paul finishes his letter to Timothy with some personal greetings. He lists a few more names, and gives one final appeal for Timothy to come to Rome quickly, which we will look at next week.

You can see this week’s passage in 2 Timothy 4:19-20:

Paul’s letters almost always contain a closing section full of personal greetings. Some are quite short, such as this one. Others are longer, like the list found in Romans 16. But Paul usually does his best to greet and encourage those who are serving in churches where he directs a letter. This second letter to Timothy is no different.

Priscilla and Aquila

Paul first mentions two old friends. He asks Timothy to give a special greeting to his coworkers Priscilla and Aquila. It is interesting to note that these two are somewhere near where Timothy is, perhaps Ephesus. Paul first met these two as tent-makers in Corinth after they had been expelled from Rome by Claudius (Acts 18:1-3). From there, they travel with Paul to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-26), where the church meets in their home (1 Corinthians 16:19). But when Paul writes Romans, they are in Rome, serving another church in their own home (Romans 16:3-4).

What brought them back to Ephesus is unknown. Perhaps it was for similar reasons to the first time they left Rome. Or, since prominent Jewish businessmen traveled a lot in the ancient world, this may have led to several locations. We simply do not know, and can only speculate. Whatever the case, they started or served churches wherever they went, spreading the gospel across the world.

In last week’s passage, Paul reflected upon God’s presence and protection during his legal defense. As he considers what God did in that case, he expands his thought to point out a reality of God’s character.

You can see what he’s talking about in 2 Timothy 4:18:

At Paul’s first defense, no one was there to stand by him. Even though Luke was still with him, he may have had other responsibilities at that particular time. Paul longs for Timothy and John Mark to join him soon.

But even though there was no coworker with him, Paul stated that he knew God was there and strengthened him.

From there, he expands into the thought that God’s protection is a continual promise, and not just a one time event that Paul experienced.

Paul fully expects that this imprisonment will lead to his execution. It seems unlikely that this statement means that he believes God will rescue him from prison. That means that he has a larger view in mind, and something greater as an expectation.

Paul is nearing the end of his life. His execution is near, and he can sense it. During this second imprisonment, he feels all alone. That is why he has called for Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible. Though he still has Luke and Tychicus near, his loneliness grows as his end draws near.

Take a look at this week’s passage in 2 Timothy 4:16-17:

In the face of a coming execution, Paul feels despondent and is tempted to give in to despair. His plea to Timothy to come to him is a cry of loneliness and a cry for help. In what he feels are his final days, he wants those around him who are his closest friends. That includes Timothy.

Paul states that there was no one there to support him at his first defense. This paragraph contains a lot of legal language. The word “defense” is a courtroom term, meaning to give an answer to an accusation. This probably isn’t referring to Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, but to a hearing of some sort during this second prison term.

The word “support” is also a legal term. In this sense, it refers to the person who stands alongside the accused in order to assist legally, or simply be there for them relationally. This would have likely been a preliminary hearing, and not the actual trial itself, though that is still a possibility. Paul’s defense would have been laid out before the Roman prefect, who was appointed by Nero.

Over the last few verses, Paul has mentioned several people who he cares for deeply, colleagues in his ministry. Some of these have deserted him, others have moved to other areas to minister. Luke has remained with him, and Paul desires for Timothy and Mark to join him. In this week’s passage, he warns Timothy of one particular person of opposition.

You can find this warning in 2 Timothy 4:14-15:

Paul brings up a man named Alexander. This individual was a metalsmith by trade. The word used here literally means coppersmith, although by the time of the New Testament, it was widely used to mean all kinds of metalwork.

Paul warns Timothy against him, but just who is Alexander? There are a few possibilities. He could be the same Alexander of 1 Timothy 1:19-20, who was mentioned with Hymenaeus. It’s possible he is the man who was involved in the riot in Ephesus, attempting to end it (Acts 19:33-34). Or, he could be some other Alexander of whom we know nothing. While the first two are possibilities, the third option may be the most likely, since the name was a common one during this time.

This man caused Paul some harm, and Paul feels the need to share that information with Timothy. We don’t know what it was he did, but we can take some educated guesses. These are in no particular order.

In the previous verses, Paul listed three people, two in a positive light, but one that is not so positive. In this week’s passage, Paul lists a few more people, and requests that Timothy bring him a couple of items.

Look at his remarks in 2 Timothy 4:11-13:

In the previous verses, Paul listed Titus and Crescens as helpful colleagues in his work. Each of these had gone on to other places, serving and ministering, leaving Paul feeling quite alone. However, he isn’t completely on his own. He still has at least one person with him, and the expectation of more to come.

Paul senses that his time serving Christ on earth is coming to a close. But this does not stop him from continuing his ministry. This is notable. Even though his death is near, he still sees opportunity to serve his Lord, and does so. Much of this takes the form of passing on vital instructions to those who will continue to carry the torch. But I’m sure, knowing what we know of Paul from his writings, he still preached and shared the message of the gospel to all those around him, including his captors.

After all, “to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). Death would usher him into the presence of God, but until then, there was work to be done.

After finishing his statements about his impending death, Paul begins to wrap up his letter with some concluding remarks. However, everything he has written to Timothy up to this point provides the foundation for these final paragraphs.

He begins by listing three different people in 2 Timothy 4:9-10:

Paul’s letter to Timothy follows the usual structure of most of his letters, and is typical of letters from this time period in general. He moves into some concluding and personal remarks to Timothy.

Paul is probably sending this letter to Timothy through Tychicus, who is headed to Ephesus (verse 12). This man will most likely replace Timothy so that he may join Paul for his final time on earth (see 2 Timothy 1:4). In fact, he desires Timothy to come quickly. He doesn’t know how long he has left, and wants to spend that time with his son in the faith, passing on to Timothy as much as possible.

Even though it will take some time from the sending of Paul’s letter to Timothy’s arrival in Rome, Paul knows that the political system takes time to function as well. There is time, but if Timothy tarries, that time may run out.

In this passage, Paul lists three names, one of whom apparently gave up the faith and abandoned Paul. The other two, Crescens and Titus, seem to have been dispatched upon legitimate missions. With Tychicus traveling to Ephesus, this leaves only Luke (verse 11).