In the middle of 2 Timothy 4:21 he says, Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. Here you have Paul greeting Timothy from these folks as though they were his friends, and they hadnt shown up. But the future doesnt belong to us. Yes, of course we would have gone. (Antiquities 20.8.9) That puts the subsequent chronology firmly within Neros reign. You know what? When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments (v. 12). The future belongs to the young. What is true of life in general is true of the church as well. But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. Then well look at some of the most beautiful and some of the saddest words in the Bible that are intended, I think, to establish you in your mission or your ministry. veneration or reverence which was due to the rank of emperor. trial (2 Timothy 4:16). You cant wait forever to respond to things that are important. What happened next has been debated for 2,000 years, but it seems most likely that very soon he was beheaded by Nero. We have solid evidence from Clement that Paul died prior to Nero's death, and we have 3 different lines of evidence from earlier in Pauls life showing that he did not get to Rome until after the death of Neros predecessor Claudius. Nero tried to stamp out the rumorsbut to no avail. More marriages die because of slow neglect than from deliberate desertion. Am I willing to be embarrassed by the gospel? Many years later he met a woman, they got married, and he and his wife began church hopping. Paul, you are the most influential, the most authoritative, the most widely read Christian on the planet. As we talked, I shared with him my own observations about Calvary at this crucial moment in time. I think Paul wants Timothy to see this because he says it so many times. Then he was imprisoned in Palestine for a couple years, transported under guard via ship to Rome (a journey that included a shipwreck on Malta), and spent a couple more years under house arrest in Rome. For more, visit the Good Book Blog, a seminary faculty blog from Talbot School of Theology. Timothy need not be ashamed, nor afraid of prison and death, because he knows that Christ is faithful we can trust our lives to him, and hell keep every promise he has made. And if he waited that long, Paul would very likely already be dead. He was in prison just north of Brussels. While they were talking, another man from Chicago drove by and opened fire. Humans, they let you down, but Ive got my Jesus, and I dont need anybody else.. The aged apostle wanted to see his young friend one final time before he died. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. People will leave you because of a love for the world. Augustus, like Caesar, was a title given to a number of Roman emperors. He just wanted to go home. He built the church on them. Somewhere along the journey either in Macedonia or Achaia, he started planning his winter months in the warmer city of Nicopolis on the west coast of Achaia (, Now, we really dont have any idea where Paul was arrested. I think this is a strong indication that Nero was the Caesar of whom Paul appeared before. They have coats in Rome. Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded Unless indicated otherwise, all scripture quotations on this website are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Some things must be done before winter or they will not be done at all. After Pauls arrest, he was taken to Rome and imprisoned, not in a house as during his former internment, but probably in the notorious and cold (2 Timothy 4:13, 21) Mamertine Prison around the time that Nero started to unleash a horrific wave of persecution against Christians in Rome. Paul wants Timothy to bring a cloak he left behind in Troas (v. 13), probably when he was arrested. That Sunday we came to Calvary Memorial, the Bible Bus was in full gear in the Book of Genesis and you seemed to be speaking to us as if we were the only people in the room. WebTimothy, in which, after many words of advice and exhortation, he urges his friend with repeated eagerness to come, to come at once, to come before winter, to come before it Its gotten really long, Lord. Included in the journey is a mission to Spain, ministry on the island of Crete, ministry in Ephesus, stops at Miletus, Troas, various cities in Macedonia, Corinth, and probably Nicopolis. This is the sweet part of the text, but you cant really feel the sweetness of this until you see how horrible some of the rest of this text is relationally. Friends will forsake you and never come back, and other friends will let you down, and then they will be there for you, and you dont have to write them off. By all means, plead with your Timothy to come before winter. He wants Timothy there. I am no longer young, no matter what people may think. Tell him to meet me in heaven.. Remember that Timothy is probably in Ephesus, hundreds of miles Now most of us are 40 or 45 or 50, and some are moving toward 55. Romes Christians. Has China expressed the desire to claim Outer Manchuria recently? Second Timothy 4:10: For Demas, in love with the present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. I dont know if Demas ever repented. (38:16). Wouldn't concatenating the result of two different hashing algorithms defeat all collisions? We mean to share Christ with a neighbor, we intend to get serious in our Christian faith. Was Timothy timid? Broaden that out a little more. Paul remained imprisoned in Caesarea under Felix, and it is only after Felix was replaced by Festus that Paul was sent to Rome (see Acts 24:27). . The procuratorship of Porcius Festus. Theres a lot of pain in these verses. I do not regret that or bemoan that. I would do it all over again. Now we do not know if it happened like that or not. First, in just a few days we will come to the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001. You can get another coat. God gives us what we need: strength, love for others, and self-discipline. The thought of being 20 again makes me want to lie down and take a nap. Can Luke's use of be taken as his way of acknowledging someone who held the office of High Priest? Failing friends, failing kids, failing wives can be our friends our sweet friends. The apostle, writing to Timothy from a later Roman imprisonment, knows that he will not make it out of jail alive and that his death is at hand (2 Tim. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and Timothy is named with him as co-author or co-sender. Heres another turn on that, after thirty-two years now of ministry. He spoke of accountability and discipleship. and died and died in 67 A. D., suffered much in life for the gospel. Then he was executed by Nero (Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) at around about the time of the Great Fire in Rome in 64 AD. So Paul says, Timothy, make sure you come quickly. And Demas, in love with this world, walked away from him. It's believed that Paul wrote the letter to the early Christian church in Rome at the same time Nero was in rule. He converted untold people to the Christian faith. Thats the message. Here is a man who decided to come before winter. He heard the call and he ran to the cross. Does this mean Augustus Caesar? 2 Timothy 4:10: For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.. Failing friends can still be your friends and that will hang a great deal on you, and whether you say, Heart, dont charge it against them.. In the final call she reported that the stairwells were filled with smoke and the elevators were not working. Do you think Im joking? Are you befriending others in your church that you might support them? But this much is certain: Procrastination destroys many good intentions. or execution. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. (NIV), Philemon 2:22But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. However, we should note that Augustus was a title, not his name. After explaining his own commission and commitment, Paul then addresses Timothy more directly: What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. I did it now you do it. Pauls affection for Timothy was unquestionable. He didnt pilfer it. 33-34). I have a few weeks yet to live, and they help me die. Youre all in school, and thats a good place to be for a season, and I hope you just stay in love with God-centered, Bible-saturated, Christ-exalting literature until you breathe your last. Therefore he was taken to Rome AFTER his third missionary journey. Dont delay. Timothy should not view his work as optional, and even if officials threaten to kill him, he needs to remember that life is guaranteed in Christ, not in the Empire. During his final imprisonment, the apostle instructs Timothy to bring Mark with him when he comes to Rome because he is useful to me (2 Tim. I look back, and one of my greatest sorrows is the number of my people who will be able to say, He didnt show up. Tychicus, the Asian resident we read about in Acts 20:4 is on his way to relieve Timothy in Ephesus so that Paul can see Timothy one last time. Proud member The transcripts include phone calls between people who were told to stay in the World Trade Center and never got out alive. Whether for that reason or for the fire, Paulus Orosius dates this event to the 9th year of Claudiuspresumably AD 49 (Historiae adversum paganos 7.6.15-16), although some have questioned his accuracy. We had good intentions but somehow we never got around to doing it. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. See answer (1) Best Answer. You can see it in every service, but especially in the 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. services. Above everything else, he wanted Timothy to come see him in prison before he died. So, now were at the sweetest centerpiece of the text: As much as you may love your earthly friends or your earthly family, they cant do this for you. As we come to the end of chapter 4, we are reading the final recorded words of the Apostle Paul. 1:3), or a bad conscience, believing that they have done wrong (Heb. What sin should you confess? Although he had been released from prison several times before, Paul now senses that death will be his only escape. Above everything else, he wanted Timothy to come see him in prison before he died. Now, I dont want to be too hard on Luke here. I beg your lordship that if I am to remain here through the winter, you will request the commissary to have the kindness to send me from the goods of mine, which he has, a warmer coat also. So I was rescued from the lions mouth. It says so: For Demas, in love with the present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica., Was there a woman in Thessalonica that he had met along the way? Also, by studying the final letters of Paul 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy we are able to conclude that the apostle was released from that initial Roman confinement. had accused him of being a real pest and a fellow who stirs up Some have contended that probably he didnt. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer, Nave's Topical Index. That was not a good deal. I told him it says, Are you ready? He smiled and said, Thats the question, isnt it? Later he mentioned that there had been a homicide in Oak Park early last week. In his sermon McCartney imagines that Timothy said to himself, Yes, I must go to Rome but first I must attend to some matters in Ephesus. And because he delays, winter comes and he cannot get a ship until spring. All rights reserved. Dont wait. Others are gone for noble reasons. Timothy had helped Paul spread his message. I have no desire to be young again. Mark had redeemed himself. First, Paul had been a resident of Jerusalem as a child ( Acts 22:3) and was also there years later to approve of Stephens stoning ( Acts 8:1 ). I had a revelation of sorts last week when Marlene and I drove to Alabama and dropped our son Nick off at Samford University in Birmingham. 1:10-11; 15:22ff). his own liking. protect the prophet (37:1721). I would just urge you; dont be unforgiving and dont be simplistic. Some have been confused by the statement in Acts 25:21, 25, indicating that Paul appealed to Augustus. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dot product of vector with camera's local positive x-axis? ( Ac 23:6; Php 3:5) He was a Roman citizen from birth ( Ac 22:28 ), his father having perhaps been granted citizenship for services rendered. That is why I am suffering as I am. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be aquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. 2 Timothy 4:20: Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. He probably wants Timothy to see himself in similar terms: appointed by the will of God and promised life in Christ. You didnt show up.. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. We must not say, Tomorrow is another day. This week the transcripts of messages to and from the Port Authority of New York on September 11, 2001 were released. Were trying to get up to you, dear, an officer told her. So he didevery yearfor 37 straight years. When you get a chance, please take the. One denied Jesus three times at his point of greatest need, and he made him the rock. If God has given you the means to make a lot of money as a businessman, or if God has given you a church where they pay you well, dont keep all of it. In the end, it is Christ who calls to us. 4:68), but he also knows it could be several more months before his martyrdom. Here are the basic facts, just in case you have any other questions regarding the Roman emperors up to June 79. I can name people far from me who are walking away from Jesus because of Christians. Thats crazy. Sometimes sickness interrupts partnership in ministry. Now a day doesnt go by when I dont thank the Lord for all the blessings over my lifetime and ask forgiveness for the times I took them for granted.. The apostle also wants his books and above all the parchments, most likely his writing materials and copies of the Hebrew Scriptures. WebEncyclopedia Britannica lists Romans as Pauls last chronological writing, so these chapters were likely some of the last he wrote before his death. He stands and knocks at the door of your heart. To him be the glory forever and ever. Some things need to be said now, done now. Jesus never intended that the enjoyment of his presence would replace the Christ-centered enjoyment of other Christians presence. What is your life? If she loved me, she would touch me. All the conditions laid out. However, his reign was short-lived - a mere sevem months. Even near the end of his life, Paul still wants to feed on the life-giving Word of God. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? (v. 14). And since two of the districts untouched by There are a lot of young, culture-embracing Christians out there, because you have to be culture-embracing to be relevant. He and his wife, Christy, have five children and live in the Dallas area. Then he added, But was he ready? Good question. Did the Apostle Paul, as a Pharisee, believe in disembodied spirits? But I remember a day when someone I loved was dying. Now its down to Paul and Luke. Edit: When Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome from Corinth (Greece) during his third missionary journey (cf. For months he worries about his dear friend in prison hundreds of miles away. If he was, in fact, arrested soon after he arrived at Nicopolis as winter was setting in, this would explain how Paul found himself in prison in winter in Rome (. Dont change the message repeat it. What call must you make? See a detailed discussion on the inscription and its significance here (pp. We mean to write a letter, or make a call but it never gets done. 2 Timothy 4:17: But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, even when nobody else did. Sometimes seasonal changes make the aloneness all the more difficult. It was first applied to Caesar nights, flaring sporadically for an additional three days. Timothy already knows this, so why does Paul include it? It was probably composed at Corinth in about 57 ce. Good friends in ministry can let you down and still be good friends. In life for the gospel to no avail all means, plead with your Timothy to his! 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