In typical Pauline fashion, Paul finishes his letter to Timothy with some personal greetings. He lists a few more names, and gives one final appeal for Timothy to come to Rome quickly, which we will look at next week.

You can see this week’s passage in 2 Timothy 4:19-20:

Paul’s letters almost always contain a closing section full of personal greetings. Some are quite short, such as this one. Others are longer, like the list found in Romans 16. But Paul usually does his best to greet and encourage those who are serving in churches where he directs a letter. This second letter to Timothy is no different.

Priscilla and Aquila

Paul first mentions two old friends. He asks Timothy to give a special greeting to his coworkers Priscilla and Aquila. It is interesting to note that these two are somewhere near where Timothy is, perhaps Ephesus. Paul first met these two as tent-makers in Corinth after they had been expelled from Rome by Claudius (Acts 18:1-3). From there, they travel with Paul to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-26), where the church meets in their home (1 Corinthians 16:19). But when Paul writes Romans, they are in Rome, serving another church in their own home (Romans 16:3-4).

What brought them back to Ephesus is unknown. Perhaps it was for similar reasons to the first time they left Rome. Or, since prominent Jewish businessmen traveled a lot in the ancient world, this may have led to several locations. We simply do not know, and can only speculate. Whatever the case, they started or served churches wherever they went, spreading the gospel across the world.

In last week’s passage, Paul reflected upon God’s presence and protection during his legal defense. As he considers what God did in that case, he expands his thought to point out a reality of God’s character.

You can see what he’s talking about in 2 Timothy 4:18:

At Paul’s first defense, no one was there to stand by him. Even though Luke was still with him, he may have had other responsibilities at that particular time. Paul longs for Timothy and John Mark to join him soon.

But even though there was no coworker with him, Paul stated that he knew God was there and strengthened him.

From there, he expands into the thought that God’s protection is a continual promise, and not just a one time event that Paul experienced.

Paul fully expects that this imprisonment will lead to his execution. It seems unlikely that this statement means that he believes God will rescue him from prison. That means that he has a larger view in mind, and something greater as an expectation.

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.