2 Timothy 4:9-17
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
IV. Personal Requests and Final Greetings
Paul’s Loneliness. 9 [a]Try to join me soon, 10 for Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia,[b] and Titus to Dalmatia.(A) 11 Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry.(B) 12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.(C) 13 When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.(D)
14 Alexander[c] the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.(E) 15 You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching.
16 At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them!(F) 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.(G)
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- 4:9–13 Demas either abandoned the work of the ministry for worldly affairs or, perhaps, gave up the faith itself (2 Tm 4:10). Luke (2 Tm 4:11) may have accompanied Paul on parts of his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 16:10–12; 20:5–7). Notice the presence of the first personal pronoun “we” in these Acts passages, suggesting to some that Luke (or at least some traveling companion of Paul’s) was the author of Acts. Mark, once rejected by Paul (Acts 13:13; 15:39), is now to render him a great service (2 Tm 4:11); cf. Col 4:10; Phlm 24. For Tychicus, see Eph 6:21; cf. also Acts 20:4; Col 4:7.
- 4:10 Galatia: some manuscripts read “Gaul” or “Gallia.”
- 4:14–18 Alexander: an opponent of Paul’s preaching (2 Tm 4:14–15), perhaps the one who is mentioned in 1 Tm 1:20. Despite Paul’s abandonment by his friends in the province of Asia (cf. 2 Tm 1:15–16), the divine assistance brought this first trial to a successful issue, even to the point of making the gospel message known to those who participated in or witnessed the trial (2 Tm 4:16–17).
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