Paul is nearing the end of his life. His execution is near, and he can sense it. During this second imprisonment, he feels all alone. That is why he has called for Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible. Though he still has Luke and Tychicus near, his loneliness grows as his end draws near.

Take a look at this week’s passage in 2 Timothy 4:16-17:

In the face of a coming execution, Paul feels despondent and is tempted to give in to despair. His plea to Timothy to come to him is a cry of loneliness and a cry for help. In what he feels are his final days, he wants those around him who are his closest friends. That includes Timothy.

Paul states that there was no one there to support him at his first defense. This paragraph contains a lot of legal language. The word “defense” is a courtroom term, meaning to give an answer to an accusation. This probably isn’t referring to Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, but to a hearing of some sort during this second prison term.

The word “support” is also a legal term. In this sense, it refers to the person who stands alongside the accused in order to assist legally, or simply be there for them relationally. This would have likely been a preliminary hearing, and not the actual trial itself, though that is still a possibility. Paul’s defense would have been laid out before the Roman prefect, who was appointed by Nero.

Over the last few verses, Paul has mentioned several people who he cares for deeply, colleagues in his ministry. Some of these have deserted him, others have moved to other areas to minister. Luke has remained with him, and Paul desires for Timothy and Mark to join him. In this week’s passage, he warns Timothy of one particular person of opposition.

You can find this warning in 2 Timothy 4:14-15:

Paul brings up a man named Alexander. This individual was a metalsmith by trade. The word used here literally means coppersmith, although by the time of the New Testament, it was widely used to mean all kinds of metalwork.

Paul warns Timothy against him, but just who is Alexander? There are a few possibilities. He could be the same Alexander of 1 Timothy 1:19-20, who was mentioned with Hymenaeus. It’s possible he is the man who was involved in the riot in Ephesus, attempting to end it (Acts 19:33-34). Or, he could be some other Alexander of whom we know nothing. While the first two are possibilities, the third option may be the most likely, since the name was a common one during this time.

This man caused Paul some harm, and Paul feels the need to share that information with Timothy. We don’t know what it was he did, but we can take some educated guesses. These are in no particular order.

In the previous verses, Paul listed three people, two in a positive light, but one that is not so positive. In this week’s passage, Paul lists a few more people, and requests that Timothy bring him a couple of items.

Look at his remarks in 2 Timothy 4:11-13:

In the previous verses, Paul listed Titus and Crescens as helpful colleagues in his work. Each of these had gone on to other places, serving and ministering, leaving Paul feeling quite alone. However, he isn’t completely on his own. He still has at least one person with him, and the expectation of more to come.

Paul senses that his time serving Christ on earth is coming to a close. But this does not stop him from continuing his ministry. This is notable. Even though his death is near, he still sees opportunity to serve his Lord, and does so. Much of this takes the form of passing on vital instructions to those who will continue to carry the torch. But I’m sure, knowing what we know of Paul from his writings, he still preached and shared the message of the gospel to all those around him, including his captors.

After all, “to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). Death would usher him into the presence of God, but until then, there was work to be done.

After finishing his statements about his impending death, Paul begins to wrap up his letter with some concluding remarks. However, everything he has written to Timothy up to this point provides the foundation for these final paragraphs.

He begins by listing three different people in 2 Timothy 4:9-10:

Paul’s letter to Timothy follows the usual structure of most of his letters, and is typical of letters from this time period in general. He moves into some concluding and personal remarks to Timothy.

Paul is probably sending this letter to Timothy through Tychicus, who is headed to Ephesus (verse 12). This man will most likely replace Timothy so that he may join Paul for his final time on earth (see 2 Timothy 1:4). In fact, he desires Timothy to come quickly. He doesn’t know how long he has left, and wants to spend that time with his son in the faith, passing on to Timothy as much as possible.

Even though it will take some time from the sending of Paul’s letter to Timothy’s arrival in Rome, Paul knows that the political system takes time to function as well. There is time, but if Timothy tarries, that time may run out.

In this passage, Paul lists three names, one of whom apparently gave up the faith and abandoned Paul. The other two, Crescens and Titus, seem to have been dispatched upon legitimate missions. With Tychicus traveling to Ephesus, this leaves only Luke (verse 11).

In last week’s passage, Paul indicated that his time on earth was drawing to a close. However, he is not fearful. Instead, his demeanor is one of hopeful anticipation, looking forward to the time when he will be in the presence of the Lord, along with all those who have partnered with him in longing for the second coming of Christ.

Take a look at this encouraging passage in 2 Timothy 4:8:

Paul continues his athletic metaphor in this passage, describing a crown of righteousness. This is not the royal crown, belonging to the king. Rather, it is the victor’s crown, much like the garland that early Olympians received when victorious.

The phrase “crown of righteousness” has a couple of different potential meanings. First, it could be translated as “the crown which is righteousness,” meaning a right standing before God. This is similar to the various uses of the phrase “crown of life” in structure (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10), or the phrase “grown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4), and seems to be the likely meaning.

However, the phrase “crown of righteousness” could also be a simple possessive, being a crown given as a result of a righteous life, or right living. The drawback to this perspective however, is that a strict grammatical rule means that this crown belongs to righteousness itself, and is not necessarily an award for the ones receiving it. This stretches things a bit too far for Paul’s theology, giving the first option much more credence.

So far, Paul hasn’t said much about his imprisonment and his expectations for the future. However, in this week’s passage, he gives an indication that he sees the end in sight.

You can see his thoughts in 2 Timothy 4:6-7:

Earlier in the letter, Paul mentioned that he is in prison, something Timothy was surely aware of (2 Timothy 1:8, 12, 16, and 2:9). However, here he indicates that he feels his time on earth is about over. He must make sure Timothy is ready to take on the responsibility of leadership, because soon, Paul’s death will occur.

Paul uses two different metaphors in this verse alone to describe his impending death.

In last week’s passage, Paul gave a very dark description of the false teachers and those who prefer their teachings. In these two verses, Paul continues his critique and then compares that to how Timothy is to handle himself, giving four positive descriptions for Timothy to follow.

Take a look at this week’s passage in 2 Timothy 4:4-5:

In the previous verse, Paul gave a description of those who turn away from the truth and seek to justify their own actions and lifestyles. It is a very sad depiction, and looks very familiar today.

These people have turned away from seeking healthy teaching and sound doctrine. They have turned away from seeking the truth. They no longer want to hear the message of the cross with it’s power.

Paul says that there will be those who still teach the truth, but there will be few who want to hear it. Instead they have turned aside to myths and false teachings. Paul refers to these myths again in Titus 1:14. This was probably some form of Jewish Gnosticism, possibly including some variety of witchcraft. Whatever the case, it was not good.