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II Timothy Listen 
An introduction to II Timothy
II Timothy was probably written a year or so after I Timothy from Rome, a second imprisonment. Although outside the bounds of the account of the Book of Acts, history would seem to indicate that Paul was rearrested, this time during Nero’s massive repression of Christians. He was most likely beheaded under Nero in A.D. 64. This letter was sent to Timothy by the hands of Tychicus. Paul seems to be setting things in order in anticipation of his death.
Paul is writing from Rome to Timothy in Ephesus. Ephesus is part of the region of the Roman Empire known as Asia. Rome is approximately 800 miles to the northwest of Asia, and Jerusalem is about 600 miles to the southeast.
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Timothy! Guard the treasure! (II Timothy 1)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 ¶ To Timothy, a beloved son: ¶ Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 ¶ I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,
4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,
5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
8 ¶ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
13 ¶ Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
15 ¶ This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;
17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.
18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.
As is typical in Paul's epistles, he establishes his authority in verse 1 as "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." For more insight regarding the validity of Paul's apostleship, see the notes on Acts 1:12-26. He refers to Timothy in verse 2 as "a beloved son." This is a reference to the fact that Paul had discipled Timothy in the faith, a point he makes in I Timothy 1:2 (see notes) when he refers to Timothy as "a true son in the faith." Paul's background was completely Jewish. Since his conversion, Paul sought to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah for which they were looking. In verse 3 he makes the point of this continuity between Judaism and life in Christ by saying, "I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did." Paul did not abandon Judaism; he is serving God just as he and and his forefathers did.
Paul does some reminiscing in verses 4-6, making reference to his desire to see Timothy along with a comment on the "genuine faith" of Timothy, his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. The Greek word for "genuine" is "anupokritos." Without the prefix "an" you see the Greek word that is transliterated into our word "hypocrisy." With the prefix, it means "without hypocrisy" i.e. faith without hypocrisy - genuine faith.
Paul first met Timothy and his family on his second missionary journey at Lystra in Acts 16:1-3 (see notes). Paul refers to Timothy's ordination service in verse 6 when he says, "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands." That ordination was also discussed in greater detail in I Timothy 1:18 (see notes).
In addition to the introductory comments, Timothy is encouraged to guard the faith and keep it from corruption - specifically that he should combat the false teaching regarding the message of grace. In Paul's first letter to Timothy, it seems certain that this was some form of the false Gnostic doctrine that was prevalent in that region during that period. You can't help but admire Paul's boldness in the face of a death sentence when he says in II Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." In verse 8 Paul encourages Timothy not to let affliction prevent him from spreading the Gospel. In verses 9-11 he combines two callings into these verses - his call to salvation and his call to the ministry - both by God's grace and without regard to Paul's capabilities or works. Not only without regard to Paul's abilities, this call was determined prior to Paul's birth; he confirms this point when he says, "which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." For more information regarding God's predetermination, see the notes on Romans 9.
The ministry message is made very clear in verse 10, "but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." As a "preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles" (verse 11), Paul makes it clear that his mission of delivering the Gospel to the Gentiles has resulted in his imprisonment when he says in verse 12, "For this reason I also suffer these things." However, the suffering he experiences for doing so pales in the face of eternity.
Paul begins his ministry charge to Timothy in verses 13-14:
With regard to the ministry charge, Paul goes into greater detail in chapters 2-3 and summarizes that charge again in chapter 4. Actually, the whole letter is a charge to the ministry for Timothy in the face of Paul's departure.
He expresses dismay over some Believers in Asia (verse 15). He is not referring to the whole continent of Asia here, but a Roman province of Asia, at the west end of Asia Minor. Ephesus was located there along with the seven churches John addresses in Revelation 2-3. We know nothing more of Phygellus and Hermogenes beyond what is written here. Onesiphorus (verses 16-18) is commended and mentioned also in 4:14 (see below) at the end of Paul's letter to Timothy.
An overview of Paul's charge to Timothy (II Timothy 2)
Paul provides a rather direct outline for the ministry as he elaborates on the charge given to Timothy in chapter 2. Notice these ministry commands:
Triple metaphors - a soldier, a runner and a farmer (II Timothy 2:1-10)
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
8 ¶ Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Verse 1 seems to summarize Paul's comments in chapter 1. Based upon everything that's been said about you, Timothy, "Be strong!" In verse 2, Timothy is encouraged to take the Gospel message he had heard under Paul and "commit these to faithful men." Why? That they may "be able to teach others also." It's a multiplying effect that Paul sees here - disciples discipling disciples. By the way, THAT WORKED! The Gospel message circled the globe as a result of this concept.
In verses 3-6, Paul uses three metaphors to make his point regarding the ministry. First, Paul compares Believers to soldiers in verses 3-4. The good soldier perseveres in the Christian life and views it as a battle against Satan. A soldier stays focused on the objective; he avoids distractions from his objective; so should Believers. Then Paul metaphorically shifts to the Olympic runner in verse 5. You wanna prize - the first-place prize? Then follow the prescribed rules for running the race. And finally, the farmer metaphor in verse 6 - the laboring farmer sees fruits of his labors. The perseverance of the soldier and the discipline of the Olympic runner yield the good harvest for the farmer. Paul pulls these metaphors together in verses 7-10 as he applies them to his ministry. Because Jesus is the Messiah ("seed of David") and resurrected from the grave, Paul is willing to suffer for that message of the Gospel. The salvation of others ("the elect") is reward enough for the suffering; the suffering is worth the prize. Hmmm...what does Paul mean when he uses the word "elect?" It's translated from the Greek word "eklektos" and is used 23 times in the New Testament. It is always translated "elect" or "chosen."For a closer look regarding Paul's usage of the word "elect," see the notes on Romans 9.
A confusing passage...revealed (II Timothy 2:11-13)
11 ¶ This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.
Some explanation is in order for verses 11-13. Some have used these verses to indicate that one's salvation might be lost under certain circumstances. NOT TRUE! Let's break it down phrase by phrase. Verse 11 says, "This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him." The Greek verb translated "died" is an aorist indicative active verb indicating a previous act of death. In other words, "if we at some point in the past died with him" expresses Paul's thought here. We recognize that phrase from Romans 6:1-14 (see notes) where Paul pictures the salvation experience as putting to death the old man. So, Paul says in verse 11 that those who have trusted Christ as their personal Savior will live with Christ in eternity.
Before we look at the first half of verse 12, let's do a brief study on the word "endure" there. The Greek word "hupomeno" is used 17 times altogether and is usually translated "endure" (as is the case in verse 10); three times it is used in the context of being "patient" in trials." The Greek word itself is a compound word which means "remain under." The connotation in this verse is to remain under control during affliction. So, here's what Paul is saying: Your reward for "remaining under" control during the trials of being a Christian will be realized when you "reign" with Christ. This concept is explained nicely by Romans 8:18 (see notes), "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Now for the troublesome phrase, "If we deny Him, He also will deny us." Part of the modern-day misunderstanding of this verse is due to a very bad translation of the phrase by the New International Version rendering the phrase "if we disown him." There is NO precedent to translate the Greek word "arneomai" used in this verse as "disown." The English word "disown" implies current ownership. In reality, this phrase speaks directly to the proposition of salvation itself. After hearing the presentation of Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah, will you accept or "deny" that proposition. So, those who "deny" Christ (decline to accept him as Savior) will be denied by Christ.
Verse 13 puts verse 12 into perspective, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." The Greek word for "are faithless" here is "apisteo." The noun form of the root here (pist) means "faith." The negative "a" at the beginning of the Greek word causes the word to mean "no faith" or "unfaithful." So, what happens when your faith becomes weak - even to the point of questioning your own salvation? Here's the great news! It's not our faith that keeps us saved, but God's faithfulness. It wasn't a mustering of faith on our part that saved us in the first place, but rather the "faith of Christ" as seen in Galatians 2:15-21 (see notes). Galatians 2:16 and 20 particularly note that we are saved by the "faith OF Christ." Again let me say, verse 13 teaches that even in our times of lack of faith or even seemingly no faith, Christ remains faithful still, because he cannot deny the spiritual seed that has been planted in every Believer at salvation which constitutes the "born again" experience. Salvation is not based upon how we feel on any given day, but rather God's faithfulness to his spiritual children.
Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed (AWANA) (II Timothy 2:14-26)
14 ¶ Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
20 ¶ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Yup, verse 15 is where we get the name for our kids' club, AWANA. Paul contrasts approved workmen to disapproved workmen - those who go after "profane and idle babblings" (verse 16). The two Greek words used here mean "worldly foolish talk." This is used in the context of discussing issues of doctrine. Likewise, avoid contention with others about "words to no profit" (verse 14). Such contentious conversation can be harmful to those who are listeners to such conversations. There are a lot of false doctrines out there; AVOID THEM! How does one avoid false doctrine? STUDY, STUDY, STUDY! Look at verse 15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Study of God's word makes one an approved workman, and approved workmen know how to rightly divide the word of truth.
Paul comments on a couple of men who departed from the faith and taught false doctrine - that the resurrection was already past. We know nothing of Philetus beyond what is written here, but Hymenaeus gets dishonorable mention in I Timothy 1:19-20 (see notes). This false doctrine taught by them struck at the very core of the faith, causing the "overthrow" of the faith of some (verse 18). The Greek verb for "overthrow" is "anatrepo" which means "to cause serious difficulty or trouble with regard to someone’s belief." However, Paul is careful to clarify in verses 19-21 that salvation is based upon faith. Let's face it; there are going to be ill-informed, false teachers. This passage seems to demonstrate that they aren't necessarily lost people, but they do damage to other Believers. Notice verse 19, "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.'" Paul treats the teaching of this ill-informed teacher as an "iniquity" that needs to be cleansed. His wording would indicate a reference to a precedent, likely that of Korah back in Numbers 16 (see notes); the wording here resembles that which was spoken by Moses in Numbers 16:5, 26. It's a I John 1:9 (see notes) issue, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." In Paul's "great house" illustration, these false teachers are vessels of dishonor. They have an opportunity in verse 21, "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." These teachers of false doctrine must "cleanse" themselves of their false doctrine.
Timothy was young, making Paul's comment of verse 22 particularly meaningful to him when he says, "Flee also youthful lusts." The Greek noun for "lusts" there is "epithumia" which means "strong desires." In other words, Timothy is encouraged to pass on the common indiscretions of youth and rather follow after a pattern of "righteousness, faith, love, peace." This is the Holy Spirit-led inclination for those who "call on the Lord out of a pure heart." In verse 23, Paul notes that some questions don't merit answers - foolish questions which have no profitable use were they to be answered. One should not be absorbed by those. They cause unnecessary strife, for which a Christian minister should not be known (verse 24). The purpose of gentle and patient correction is: (1) to bring repentance; (2) to acknowledge the truth; and (3) to release from "the snare of the devil."
They'll turn their backs on God (II Timothy 3:1-13)
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
10 ¶ But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,
11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Paul issues a prophecy here regarding the last days: Godlessness will prevail. Here's the rundown on the state of mankind during this time:
Whoa...what a list! These are the natural characteristics of carnality. Paul says it will become increasingly more difficult to take a stand for Christ in the face of this kind of cultural norm. In verse 12 he says, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
The weak women of verses 6-7 are apparently a reference to those who go after new ideas - swayed by impulses rather than sound reasoning. Regarding Jannes and Jambres and verse 8, most conclude that these were the two Egyptian magicians of Exodus 7:11, 22 (see notes). Since they are not mentioned by name anywhere, this is just an intelligent guess.
Here's the scary aspect of these verses: The people described here may seem religious! Look at verse 5, "having a form of godliness but denying its power." In the midst of a politically-correct era, it is just not fashionable to categorize church-going religious people as anything other than "trying their best to be right with God." However, these people with their "form of godliness" are evil, evil, evil. Will it get better? NO! Verse 13 says, "But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." Nevertheless, Paul encourages Timothy to expose error and manifest the truth in verses 9-11.
Here's a word about the Word (II Timothy 3:14-17)
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 ¶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We see the importance of exposing children to the Word of God at an early age. Romans 10:17 (see notes) says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Then we have some important statements about the Word of God beginning in verse 16. The phrase "given by inspiration of God" comes from just one Greek word, "theopneustos." This compound Greek word literally means "God breathed." That is the definition of inspiration as it applies to scripture. I point this out to differentiate the way that many use the word "inspiration" today. Artists use it to talk about how they felt when they painted a picture or wrote a song or poem. As you can see, the Word of God is sourced as a work from God himself by Paul here in this passage. It was not given as a result of an enhanced feeling of great emotion to those who wrote the words down. The Word of God was breathed out from God with the exact words that were to be written. It is this concept that protects the doctrinal integrity of the Word of God. While The Holy Spirit allowed the personality and circumstances of those credited with the writing to show through, the doctrine conveyed is the supernatural Word of God as inspired "breathed" by God himself through the leadership of the Holy Spirit. That's what "inspired" means as it relates to scripture.
Now, notice the benefits of God's Word in verses 16-17:
And what is the end result of the application of God's Word in the Believer's life? Here it is in verse 17: "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." The Greek word translated "complete" (artios) there means "fully qualified." The Greek word for "thoroughly equipped" (exartizo) means "fully equipped." So, put it together and you have the Word of God being the tool that makes Believers fully qualified and fully equipped for the ministry.
So, Timothy, here's what you do with your sword (II Timothy 4:1-5)
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
We saw in 3:14-17 (see above) what the word of God is. That being the case, 4:1-2 explains how the Gospel preacher is to use the Word of God in his ministry. I like to think of them as the distinguishing characteristics of what the preacher is charged (verse 1) to do when he preaches as found in verse 2: "...Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."
The preacher of the Word is to use God's Word to do the following:
I call them the five-fold characteristics of a pulpit message. Notice how unique those five components make the preacher's message in contrast to any other kind of public speaking. Tough assignment - don't you agree? However, while the preacher is convincing, rebuking and exhorting, the doctrinal basis for this preaching must be included along with a longsuffering (Greek: "makrothumia" means "to suffer long") from the preacher, understanding that people need time to spiritually grow. In other words, Paul's formula for preaching here doesn't make sweeping changes overnight. However, with the inclusion of "doctrine" and giving the people time (exercising "longsuffering"), the recipients of preaching from the Word improve in the quality of their Christian walk over time. Unfortunately, many preachers are looking for a quick-fix message; they are too impatient to wait for God to change hearts over an extended period of time.
I've always been struck by the simple fact that we are told what the Word of God is in verses 3:16-17, and then immediately we are told how the preacher is to use that tool. It's like saying, "Here's a saw, now go saw!"
Paul continues this charge to Timothy by pointing out in verses 3-5 that "sound doctrine" will become less and less fashionable as time goes on. Paul already realized, perhaps from the errant doctrines he had already witnessed, that it would be difficult for preachers to hold the line on sound doctrine. They will go after flashy doctrines that deviate from the truth - "fables" (Greek: "muthos" means "myths") rather than unadulterated scripture.
Ready to check out of this world (II Timothy 4:6-8)
6 ¶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
As Paul is writing this letter to Timothy, he is anticipating his death (execution by Nero) and reflecting on his life's accomplishments for God. When read in that context, these three verses are very moving. Here's a man facing death, yet acknowledging that he has finished his course. What makes this declaration more interesting is the fact that Paul had declared to the Ephesian elders back in Acts 20:24 (see notes) that he must go back to Jerusalem to "finish my race with joy." That's where Paul's big problems began, but he knew in advance that he was compelled to go to Jerusalem and stand up for Christ, whatever the consequences, as a matter of finishing his course. I can't help but personalize these verses. Paul wasn't facing death with the attitude, "I should have done more!" Paul was at peace with God and the service for God that he had performed - GREAT TESTIMONY! As Believers, we should be living a guilt-free life, knowing that we are where God wants us and doing what God wants us to do.
Some final thoughts (II Timothy 4:9-22)
9 ¶ Be diligent to come to me quickly;
10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
12 And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
13 Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.
14 ¶ Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.
15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.
16 ¶ At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.
17 ¶ But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
19 ¶ Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.
21 ¶ Do your utmost to come before winter. ¶ Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.
22 ¶ The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
With these parting comments, Paul points out the loneliness of standing for God. He encourages Timothy to come for a visit in verse 9. In verse 10, Demas had been a companion and fellow laborer of Paul during his first imprisonment at Rome, mentioned favorably in Philemon 1:24 (see notes) and Colossians 4:14 (see notes). You will notice the mention of Luke in verse 11. It is commonly believed likely that Luke wrote his Gospel account and the Book of Acts during his time with the Apostle Paul.
Paul's call for Mark to join him is quite interesting...maybe not particularly significant, but interesting. We first read about Mark in Acts 12:12 (see notes). "John" was his Jewish name, and "Mark" was his Roman name. Most scholars consider him to be the one who wrote the Gospel of Mark. When the angel delivered Peter from prison, he went immediately to John Mark's house where the prayer meeting was being held. Paul and Barnabas took John Mark to Antioch (Acts 12:25, see notes) and then he accompanied them on Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 13:5, see notes). But Mark, for some reason, returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13, see notes). Consequently, Paul refused to take John Mark with them on the second missionary journey (Acts 15:36-40, see notes), causing Paul and Barnabas to part ways over the issue. Barnabas took John Mark with him to Cyprus while Paul chose another running mate, Silas. Later on, we find Mark with Paul in his first Roman imprisonment (Colossians 4:10, see notes). Now Mark is requested by Paul to join him in his second imprisonment.
Tychicus was from Asia and accompanied Paul on his last trip to Jerusalem in Acts 20:4 (see notes). He delivered Paul's letters to the Colossians (Colossians 4:7-8, see notes) and to the Ephesians (Ephesians 6:21, see notes).
Paul makes a request concerning the "books" (Greek: biblia) and "especially the parchments" in verse 13. The Expositors Bible Commentary has the following note concerning these parchments. "This kind of writing material was more expensive than papyrus; membrana (a Latin word, only here in the New Testament) were scrolls or codices written on animal skins (vellum). These may have been leather scrolls of Old Testament books."
There's a special mention of a guy named Alexander in verse 14. He was a coppersmith who, with Hymenaeus and others, fostered certain heresies regarding the resurrection (I Timothy 1:19-20, see notes). Paul excommunicated him according to I Timothy 1:20, when compared to the language for excommunication used by Paul in I Corinthians 5:5 (see notes). We do see in these verses, however, the commendation Paul extends to those who have stuck with him.
Paul first met Aquila and his wife, Priscilla in Acts 18 (see notes). Like himself, they were tentmakers. We know nothing additionally about Onesiphorus beyond what is written here and up in 1:16, "The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain." Erastus was a municipal worker, referred to in Romans 16:23 (see notes).
Trophimus is mentioned as being sick. He was from the province of Asia and accompanied Paul in carrying the offering from the Gentile churches to the poor saints at Jerusalem in Acts 20:4 (see notes). As a matter of fact, Paul was arrested in Jerusalem because of Trophimus (Acts 21:29, see notes). We know nothing else regarding Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia beyond their mention here in verse 21.