A. Fellow workers and an opponent 4:9-15

4:9-10 Paul urged Timothy to join him in Rome soon. He did not expect to live much longer (cf. v. 6).

"The constitutional method of inflicting capital punishment on a Roman citizen was by the lictor's axe. The criminal was tied to a stake; cruelly scourged with the rods, and then beheaded."⁹³

Demas, a short form of Demetrius, Paul's fellow worker, had succumbed to the allurements of the world (instead of loving Christ's appearing; cf. Gal. 1:4; Eph. 1:21; 1 Tim. 4:8; Titus 2:12). He had departed from Paul and had gone to live in Thessalonica (cf. Col. 4:14; Phile. 24). He, like Hymenaeus and Philetus (2:17), Alexander (1 Tim. 1:20), and others had not continued to follow Christ faithfully.

"He was not willing to pay the price of hardship and suffering that Paul was paying."⁹⁴

Crescens had gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia (i.e., Illyricum, modern Bosnia-Herzegovina) presumably in the Lord's service.

4:11-13 Luke was Paul's only companion. Timothy was to pick up Mark (Acts 15:36-40) and bring him with him because Paul believed Mark could be useful to him (cf. Phile. 11). Tychicus had gone to Ephesus, or was about to go, if the aorist apesteila("I sent") is epistolary, perhaps to relieve Timothy (Acts 20:4; Eph. 6:21-22; Col. 4:7-9). Timothy should also bring Paul a certain cloak perhaps for his comfort as colder weather set in (v. 21). Paul also asked him to bring certain unidentified books and especially "the parchments."The parchments may have been copies of Old Testament books and or inspired New Testament writings.

"Even as an old man facing certain death, the apostle has not lost his interest for study and mental pursuits. It presents a standing challenge to the minister to be an indefatigable student, especially of the Word of God."⁹⁵

"There is an interesting historical parallel to Paul's request. William Tyndale, who translated the first NT printed in English, was imprisoned in Vilvorde Castle near Brussels before his execution in 1536. In the year preceding his death he wrote to the governor, begging for warmer clothing, a woolen shirt, and above all his Hebrew Bible, grammar, and dictionary."⁹⁶

4:14-15 The Alexander Paul warned Timothy about may have been the same man he mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 (cf. Acts 19:33-34), though Alexander was a common name. Paul did not want Timothy to retaliate against him. The Lord would take care of that (Ps. 62:12). Timothy should simply beware of him.