Paul's Friends and Farewell, 2 Tim 4:19-22

2 Tim 4:19-22

Paul's Friends and Farewell

These four verses end the book of 2 Timothy.

There are two kinds of greetings: From Paul to mutual friends and from mutual friends to Timothy. Between the two, there are simple instructions reminding Timothy of something important and after the greetings, there is a benediction.

Let's read the text:

1. Greetings to Others and News

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 

20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. 

2. Simple Instructions

21 Do your utmost to come before winter.

3. Greetings from Friends

21b Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. 

4. Final Words

22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. 

Let's look at the text:

1. Greetings to Others and News

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila,

This is the most significant of the greetings for our purposes. That doesn't mean these two are more important than others. It is that they are significant when we consider who they are and the ministry they had in the time of the NT.

If Timothy is to leave for Rome after receiving this letter, it is believed that Priscilla and Aquila were either in Ephesus or somewhere Timothy would certainly visit on his way to Rome. Paul anticipated that Timothy would visit with them in some capacity, at least to deliver this greeting. As we read the NT, we find this couple in a number of places. This may have been a subtle way of Paul strongly suggesting a visit. Knowing what we do about this couple, they would have been an encouragement to all believers who paid them a visit.

Let's survey their presence and ministry in the New Testament.

Rom 16:3-5a reads: Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

These are significant words. Note that these words are in the Epistle to the Romans. At some point, Priscilla and Aquilla were in Rome. At the end of the paragraph, at the beginning of verse 5, we see that the church in Rome, to whom this letter was written, met in the house or a building that belonged to this couple. Paul also gives them status as fellow workers. They were accepted into the brotherhood of Apostolic workers who were content to work for Christ and his church in many places without drawing attention to themselves. Paul mentions them three times and Luke once. We wouldn't know how important they were to Paul if he did not mention a few things about them in passing.

They risked their necks for Paul's life. That is, they put their own lives in potential trouble in order to promote the life and work of the Apsotle Paul. That is not a small thing. Paul owed his own preservation, humanly speaking, to them and perhaps others. But, it is not only Paul who want thanks conveyed to them. It is all the Gentile churches. Paul may have been aware that their intersession on his behalf preserved his life so that the Gentiles might hear the gospel. Theologically, we understand the calling and election of people to faith and that all who are to believe will be found with faith at the appointed time that God has ordained. But, we also know God uses human means. It is alright to thank the human means God uses for our believing, and deliverance in many ways either ordinary or extraordinary. God is the ultimate cause of all things, but he uses human means. We must always be thankful for both. Paul was. How many times does he direct his thanks to God? I thank God the father of the Lord Jesus Christ…. On many occasions. Paul is a good example to all who believe throughout the ages of this kind of balance. We should imitate him.

At the end of 1 Corinthians we have a similar greeting from Paul which includes greetings from Priscilla and Aquila. At one point they were in Corinth, that also met in their house when they lived there.

1 Cor 16:19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Suffice it to say, here is at least one more place where this godly couple had an influence for the good.

And, a bit more information about them and their ministry is found in the Book of Acts: 18:1-3 1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.

We find out why Priscilla and Aquila were in Corinth, why they had moved from Rome. The Emperor decreed that all the Jews depart the capital city.  We also find out one of the reasons Paul and this couple were drawn together--they had the same occupation. The translations usually say, tentmakers.

Later in the Chapter we find more information about the lives or Paul and this couple and how intertwined they had become.

Acts 18:18 So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. 

Then, they continued:

19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, 

21 but took leave of them, saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing." And he sailed from Ephesus. 

22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. 23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples. 

24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. [who did he leave at Ephesus? Priscilla and Aquilla] 25 This man APOLLOS had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

This couple had been so well taught that they could take a man who was eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures and bold, or fearlessly-to some other place in order to quietly explain to him the Way of God more accurately. Such was their concern for the clarity of the Word of God being preached. Apollos, presumably, accepted this instruction with humility.

What a ministry to Apollos and all who would benefit from his future ministry. And, as we look at the scriptures, that future seems to have been significant.

All of this comes about through this one couple mentioned first in this list of people to who Paul sends greetings.

Paul also sends greetings to….

and the household of Onesiphorus. 

We met this man back in chapter one. He was a man who gave of himself and his time for the good of others. His time was given as he traveled to Rome on his own to care for the Apostle Paul, who was very likely, the human agent of his salvation.

Here we find a greeting. In 2Tim 1:16-17 we find something of a prayer and the reason for it:

2 Tim1:16-17 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.

Paul remembered with affection, those who treated him well. To travel from Ephesus in Asia Minor to Rome took quite a while, in the face of great danger of life and limb. Paul asks for God to continually give mercy to this man and his family because of what he did. Paul knew Onisepherus didn't owe him anything, but traveled to care for the Apostle who had should personal concern for his own soul's deliverance from sin personally and societally. He was set free and wanted to serve God by serving his minister, the Apostle Paul.

These little snippets give us some wonderful insights to lives we otherwise might skip over. And, some we do, because we have no or very little information about them.

20 Erastus stayed in Corinth,

In Romans 16:23 we meet with a man by this name who was the treasurer of the City. The gospel was starting to reach into the Roman government of the vast empire. This Erastus joined with the Apostles at some point. He is found ministering with Timothy in Macedonia. Thus the connection between Timothy and this man. A wonderful little blink of the eye to see one converted from high places who served an even greater king, the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.

Even those with the Apostles who had the ability to heal men and women, there were some who were not healed of there sickness. Healings were to show forth the power of God and to prove the power of the Word of God. But, it was not for all people in every case. Even the Apostle Paul suffered from ailments. Paul suffered that he would learn that Christ's grace was sufficient to give him power for living. We find Trophimus in Acts 20:4 and 21:27-29. He was a Gentile from Ephesus. His presence near the temple in Jerusalem stirred up the Jews. He is another man who is not mentioned much, but had a place of ministry in the band accompanying the Apostle Paul.

Paul knew all of these men and that they were likely in Ephesus so to receive greetings from Timothy after the letter from Paul was read and before he left for Rome. Lest Timothy get sidetracked with delivering greetings, Paul remembers to give Timothy a reminder….   

2. Simple Instructions

21 Do your utmost to come before winter.

In 4:9 we saw Paul's instruction to come quickly. Just a couple paragraphs later, we have this reminder. It shows the urgency of Paul's request for his dear son in the faith.

These instructions also help us date this epistle to the middle or late summer of 64. It is commonly thought that the Apostle died later that summer.  Remember, Paul believed the time of his departure for heaven was at hand. It was with reach--so to speak. Paul knew it. Yet, he trusted in God, and gave gentle commands to others. Timothy, do everything you can to come to me with all the speed you can muster.

3. Greetings from Friends

21b Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. 

Eubulus is only mentioned in this verse. There is no other extrabiblical records to give further insight. His name means good counselor.

Pudens means bashful. Here is the only placed where he is mentioned. Yet, he is presumed to be a friend of Paul and Timothy. Legend has it that he hosted Peter and Paul upon a visit to Rome and that he lost his life in Nero's persecution around 84A.D.

Linus is mentioned only once in the Bible. Legend and tradition has him as the first bishop of Rome after the apostles.

Claudia is only mentioned here. It is believed that she was a Briton the daughter of king Cogidunus. She may have been named for the Roman Emperor, Cladius in order to find favor with Rome. She knew of Timothy, sent him greetings, and the Spirit saw to it that they were recorded herein. There had to be some purpose for it. That purpose may be past as the gospel came to Britain at about 100. There were a few important connections between believers and the European lands to the west, like modern day England.

People who seem insignificant to us, but not to God and not to Paul and Timothy. If the purpose was simply to provide comfort to Timothy as he read the epistle, that would have been enough. But, in addition, it also let Timothy know who he would meet when he finally arrived at Paul's side.

Knowing the rigors of travel and ministry along the way, Paul gives a mixed benediction. Paul says some words that he typically uses when signing off his letters and some that are fresh. But, all believers, always need all these words.

4. Final Words

22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. 

Jesus is always with his people. It is always good to ask for a special measure above and beyond the regular expectations. And, all we do, we do by the strength that God gives in immeasurable and undeserved ways.

May God and his grace be with you 'til we meet again! AMEN!