2 Timothy 4:9-15 reads,...
Today's verses are 2 Timothy 4:9-15, which read,
Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching.
The great apostle Paul is human. He is longing for Timothy's presence. He shares first about the negative that has happened to him. One of his disciples, Demas, has decided to go back to serving himself rather than serving God. He has utterly abandoned the mission of the gospel of Christ. Paul gives the negative before moving on to some positives and then goes back to another negative. There are more positives than negatives but those negatives rise to the top in our speech at times. Paul is no different than us.
The positives are that Paul has stationed a man for the gospel is in Galatia, Dalmatia, Ephesus, and Carpus. Another positive is that Luke is with him and Luke is a doctor. Who better to have by your side at the end of life in a cold, dark dungeon cell. Paul gives Timothy instruction to bring Mark along who had deserted him in the past. Some reconciliation must have happened because Mark is now described as useful to him for service. It is interesting that in this passage you have a mention of a deserter, Demas and then the mention of one who did desert but is now back serving the Lord, a success story of sorts.
Paul wants his books and the parchments. He wants to continue to read the Old Testament books, most likely on papyrus scrolls, and have available parchments to write more letters to the churches and Christians on his mind. He is still seeking to grow in his knowledge of God through the Scriptures and also communicate with others encouragement to be in Christ. He also asks for his cloak which would have been a large, heavy wool garment. Paul left it behind with Carpus in Troas and it reads like Carpus needed it more than he so Paul let him use this very valuable survival tool for the time but now he was in need of its comfort.
If Paul could be warm and read and write and if possible see Timothy and Mark, he would be all set. Would we settle for just this or would we have been speaking about nothing but getting us out of here? Would we have spend our time complaining about the conditions? Would we be hungering to survive to continue to serve others rather than just ourselves. I guess Paul is still super human here.
Paul speaks to Timothy about another negative in his life and his name is Alexander the coppersmith. The negative is that he was very vigorously opposed to the gospel. Some believe that the thorn in Paul's side that he prayed to have removed could have been a person like this that continued to personally attack him. Maybe Alexander the coppersmith was that thorn and Paul is warning Timothy about him. His assessment was that Alexander the coppersmith would harm others also who carried the message of Christ. What was being done and said to harm Paul would be taken care of by the Lord and not Paul himself. The Lord would repay and not Paul or any of Paul's disciples. In the face of great harm Paul holds to his mission and not the methods of the enemy, Satan but he also warns Timothy to watch out, guard against, for this man and his words and ways.
Paul sets such a high standard for us even when he speaks of the negatives of life. He tapers the negative deserter Demas with a positive deserter returner Mark. He tapers the negative attacker in Alexander the coppersmith with the keeping in God's hands the justice he would receive rather than by his own hands of vengeance, an obedience to God was more important than his own revenge. He tapers the possible negative of asking for things personally with those things helping him to continue to encourage others in the field that are mentioned in this passage. He tapers the negative of selfishly asking for Timothy and Mark to come with the reason why he wants them to come because of their comfort and usefulness as individuals who have made an impact on his life. Paul brings up the negative or possible perceived negative and then turns to the positive that is found in Christ. What are you doing with the negatives of life? Let's pray.
"Lord, we all have negatives. Paul shows us that today with his life but he also shows us what to do with them. May we take the negatives and turn them into positives through You and Your Word. We do not look to self help books or pump me up podcasts but we look to You and Your mission as our focus to raise us up as we raise You up. Keep our eyes on you Lord through the negatives of life. Amen."
Pastor Adam
Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching.
The great apostle Paul is human. He is longing for Timothy's presence. He shares first about the negative that has happened to him. One of his disciples, Demas, has decided to go back to serving himself rather than serving God. He has utterly abandoned the mission of the gospel of Christ. Paul gives the negative before moving on to some positives and then goes back to another negative. There are more positives than negatives but those negatives rise to the top in our speech at times. Paul is no different than us.
The positives are that Paul has stationed a man for the gospel is in Galatia, Dalmatia, Ephesus, and Carpus. Another positive is that Luke is with him and Luke is a doctor. Who better to have by your side at the end of life in a cold, dark dungeon cell. Paul gives Timothy instruction to bring Mark along who had deserted him in the past. Some reconciliation must have happened because Mark is now described as useful to him for service. It is interesting that in this passage you have a mention of a deserter, Demas and then the mention of one who did desert but is now back serving the Lord, a success story of sorts.
Paul wants his books and the parchments. He wants to continue to read the Old Testament books, most likely on papyrus scrolls, and have available parchments to write more letters to the churches and Christians on his mind. He is still seeking to grow in his knowledge of God through the Scriptures and also communicate with others encouragement to be in Christ. He also asks for his cloak which would have been a large, heavy wool garment. Paul left it behind with Carpus in Troas and it reads like Carpus needed it more than he so Paul let him use this very valuable survival tool for the time but now he was in need of its comfort.
If Paul could be warm and read and write and if possible see Timothy and Mark, he would be all set. Would we settle for just this or would we have been speaking about nothing but getting us out of here? Would we have spend our time complaining about the conditions? Would we be hungering to survive to continue to serve others rather than just ourselves. I guess Paul is still super human here.
Paul speaks to Timothy about another negative in his life and his name is Alexander the coppersmith. The negative is that he was very vigorously opposed to the gospel. Some believe that the thorn in Paul's side that he prayed to have removed could have been a person like this that continued to personally attack him. Maybe Alexander the coppersmith was that thorn and Paul is warning Timothy about him. His assessment was that Alexander the coppersmith would harm others also who carried the message of Christ. What was being done and said to harm Paul would be taken care of by the Lord and not Paul himself. The Lord would repay and not Paul or any of Paul's disciples. In the face of great harm Paul holds to his mission and not the methods of the enemy, Satan but he also warns Timothy to watch out, guard against, for this man and his words and ways.
Paul sets such a high standard for us even when he speaks of the negatives of life. He tapers the negative deserter Demas with a positive deserter returner Mark. He tapers the negative attacker in Alexander the coppersmith with the keeping in God's hands the justice he would receive rather than by his own hands of vengeance, an obedience to God was more important than his own revenge. He tapers the possible negative of asking for things personally with those things helping him to continue to encourage others in the field that are mentioned in this passage. He tapers the negative of selfishly asking for Timothy and Mark to come with the reason why he wants them to come because of their comfort and usefulness as individuals who have made an impact on his life. Paul brings up the negative or possible perceived negative and then turns to the positive that is found in Christ. What are you doing with the negatives of life? Let's pray.
"Lord, we all have negatives. Paul shows us that today with his life but he also shows us what to do with them. May we take the negatives and turn them into positives through You and Your Word. We do not look to self help books or pump me up podcasts but we look to You and Your mission as our focus to raise us up as we raise You up. Keep our eyes on you Lord through the negatives of life. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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