This summer people in the Midwest and Southeast have experienced devastating storms and overwhelming floods. A few days ago I met a man whose family’s trailer was flooded by the Mississippi. Virtually everything they owned was in that trailer and is now gone. Many of us have seen horrific pictures and video on television, computers, and smartphones of the tornadoes that swept through places like Missouri and Alabama. People have perished. Some who survived have nothing. The car they saved up for and one day drove off the lot so proud of was tossed like a toy blocks away. The clothes they shopped for hours to find one weekend were scattered like leaves. The homes they looked for months to purchase are now just bare cement slabs.
These circumstances raise the question: What can’t you live without? If you knew the Mississippi was going to swallow your house and your belongings in just a few hours, what would you take with you? What couldn’t you live without? If you knew an EF-5 tornado was about to sweep through your neighborhood, what would you absolutely have to take? What couldn’t you live without?
In 2 Timothy we learn how one man answered this question. 2nd Timothy is in the New Testament. It is paired with 1st Timothy; Both letters are found just after 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. Both were written by the apostle Paul to a young man named Timothy. 2 Timothy is the last letter in our possession that Paul ever wrote. He was most likely writing from jail in the city of Rome and was facing execution. He sent the letter to Timothy who was leading the church at Ephesus.
And in the final chapter of his final letter Paul reflects on his past: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7 ESV). Paul looks at his past. He’s fought the good fight. He’s finished the race. He’s been faithful. Then, Paul looks to the future: Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that Day… (2 Tim. 4:8 ESV). Paul looks to the future and imagines how Jesus will reward him. But Paul spends most of this last chapter reflecting on the present. He writes, For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come (2 Tim. 4:6). Paul knows that the end is very near. He will soon be executed. Thus he spends the final part of this final chapter focusing on the present. In 2 Tim. 4:9-22, Paul reflects on what he can’t live without. He knows he’s had a good past. He knows he will have a good future. But for these few verses, he focuses on what he can’t live without. In these verses Paul reveals to Timothy what he wants to enjoy in the final moments of his life.
Specifically, Paul lists several people by name. In fourteen verses Paul mentions eighteen people. Here they are: Timothy, Demas, Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, Tychicus, Carpus, Alexander, Prisca, Aquila, Onesiphorus, Erastus, Trophimus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia. Paul spends the last part of his last letter describing his relationships with these eighteen people. In other words, one of the major things Paul writes about in his final moments is community. He suggests that the one thing he cannot live without is community.
Some of these names are mentioned in a negative light. There are risks inherent in community. For example, here is what Paul writes about Demas: For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica (2 Tim. 4:10 ESV). Paul has mentioned Demas before. In his letter to Philemon Paul writes Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers (Philem. 24 ESV). In his letter to the Colossians Paul writes, Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. (Col. 4:14 ESV). At one time Paul could count on Demas. They labored together. But now, at the end of Paul’s life, Demas has deserted Paul. The language doesn’t suggest Demas is now an unbeliever or hostile to Paul. He’s just become disinterested in ministry. Staying with Paul was just too hard. So Demas returned to Thessalonica. Perhaps Thessalonica was his home. He just wants to go home and get off the road and get out of the mess that is Paul’s life.[1]
Demas leaves because of disinterest. But Alexander, another person named negatively, has left because of disagreement. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message (2 Tim. 4:14-15 ESV). There are three times when an Alexander and Paul are paired. First, Acts mentions Alexander the Ephesian who spoke for the Jews during a riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:33). Second, Paul mentions an Alexander who shipwrecked his faith (1 Tim 1:20). Third, Paul mentions a man named Alexander here who has done harm to Paul and strongly opposed the message of Paul.[2] We cannot be sure if this Alexander is the same as either of the other two. But regardless, this Alexander opposed Paul. Demas left due to disinterest. Alexander left due to disagreement.
At the end of his life Paul can point to people who have made his life miserable. And that points to a tragic fact: Because of its risks, community can be something we’d rather live without. In fact Paul goes on to point out how the entire church in Rome let him down: At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! (2 Tim. 4:16 ESV). Author John Stott states that in Roman legal settings the accused would have an initial hearing before the formal trial and that this is what Paul is referring to.[3] Roman law would have permitted Paul to call witnesses. But not a single Christian in Rome was willing to stand by Paul’s side. Paul knows the risks of living in community. Even for him, community could be something he’d rather live without. Stott goes on to suggest that this is Paul’s Gethsemane.[4] Just like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Paul was accused by political powers and no one is willing to stand by him.
Community can become a Gethsemane experience, a source of great pain in our lives. Last week a woman called me on the phone. She said, “I missed services at my church for six weeks because of illness. And not a single person called. Not a single elder or staff member inquired. None of my friends came by. Is that what church is supposed to be?” Sometimes community hurts.
And Paul could have responded in the way that many do. He could have given up on community. He could have said, “I don’t need a church or even a group of friends to do this Christian thing. I can live without community.” But that’s not how he responded.
At the end of his life, of all that he might focus on, his focus is on community. Listen to his words in vs. 13: 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments (2 Tim. 4:13 ESV). Here Paul indicates that he cannot live without three things. First, he mentions his cloak. Paul cannot live without his cloak. Elsewhere in this text Paul indicates that winter is about to hit. That means it’s going to get cold. A cloak was a heavy square piece of material with a round hole in it for your head. It was similar to a poncho. Paul knew his time was short. And he didn’t want to spend it freezing. So he asks Timothy to travel from Ephesus to Rome and bring the one piece of clothing that will make his short time more comfortable. Second, Paul mentions his collection. He wants his collection of books and parchments. “Books” refers to scrolls made of papyrus, while “parchments” would be sheets made of animal skins. “Books” may have been Paul’s copy of the Old Testament.[5] Paul needed his collection of documents, his reading materials. Certainly they would bring inspiration in these last days. Paul didn’t want to live these final moments without the warmth of his cloak and the inspiration of his collection of Scripture.
But Paul couldn’t just live without his cloak and his collection. He also couldn’t live without his community. The final thing he mentions to Timothy is community. Despite the risks Paul experienced with community Paul also knew the rewards of community. Paul mentions twelve specific individuals whose relationships with him are a great reward, especially in these last days.
Among these twelve, Paul mentions at least three kinds of friends and thus points to at least three rewards of community. The rewards of community include people who keep us company, who multiply our ministry, and who nurse our needs. First, there are some who are keeping Paul company. Paul ends the letter by pointing to those who have come to keep him company in his imprisonment: Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers (2 Tim. 4:21 ESV). We don’t know much about these four. Eubulus was evidently a Roman Christian and a Gentile—his name indicates a non-Jewish background.[6] There is an early Christian tradition which suggests that Pudens was a Roman senator and the host of one of the churches in Rome.[7] Some traditions suggest that Claudia was the mother of Linus or the wife of Pudens.[8] There is no way to be certain. What we do know is that these Roman Christians were now in Paul’s cell, keeping him company, being present with him in the final days.
Last December, after several hours of the worst intestinal pain I’ve ever experienced, Kendra had to drive me to the emergency room. It was early in the morning and we did not tell anyone about it. Yet somehow, a few from Highland found out. While I was lying on a bed in the ER, in a gown that revealed far more than I wished, we got several phone calls and a handful of individuals from Highland came by. I don’t remember what any of them said—I was on a lot of drugs by that time. But I do remember they were there. I remember their presence. And that’s one of the greatest rewards of community. Sometimes all we need is someone who can keep us company, just to help us know we are not alone.
Paul points to a second reward of community. Not only were there people keeping him company. There were people multiplying Paul’s ministry: Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus…19Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. (2 Tim. 4:10-12,19-21 ESV) Paul refers to nine people who are multiplying his ministry in these final days.
- First is Timothy. Both letters to Timothy make it clear that Timothy was the greatest extension of Paul’s ministry.
- Second is Crescens. Paul has sent Crescens to Galatia to preach and teach there. Paul cannot go, so he sends Crescens.
- Third is Titus. Paul has sent Titus on a mission to a region called Dalmatia. Earlier, Titus accompanied Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem (Gal. 2:1). Paul later sent Titus to Corinth (2 Cor. 8:6) and Titus brought with him the letter known as 2 Corinthians (2 Cor. 8:16ff). Titus accompanied Paul to Crete and Paul left him there to serve the church. He was a longtime coworker with Paul. And even now he was multiplying Paul’s ministry.
- Fourth is Mark. Earlier in his ministry, Paul disapproved of Mark and would not serve with him (Acts 15:36-40). But in Colossians, we read that Mark was keeping company with Paul while he is in another cell. Here, Paul describes Mark as “useful for ministry.” Whatever took place earlier that lead to Paul’s disapproval of Mark, Mark now plays a critical role in the extension of Paul’s ministry.
- Fifth is Tychicus. Paul has sent Tychicus to Ephesus, where Timothy is. He is probably the one who carried Paul’s letter to Timothy and will be replacing Timothy as leader of the church at Ephesus. Tychicus carried Paul’s letter to the Colossians (Col. 4:7-9) and Ephesians (Eph. 6:21-22). It is possible the Tychicus was from Ephesus.[9]
- Sixth and seventh are a married couple, Prisca (or Priscilla) and Aquila. This couple is often mentioned with Paul in Acts (e.g., Acts 18:2, 18, 26). We find them in the New Testament in Rome, Ephesus, and Corinth. They served frequently with Paul.
- Eighth is Erastus. Like Timothy, Erastus was an assistant to Paul. In Acts 19 Paul sends Erastus off to minister in Macedonia while he remained in Asia.
- Ninth is Trophimus. Trophimus accompanied Paul to Jerusalem (Acts 20:1-5; 1 Cor. 16:1-4) and was from Ephesus. Apparently Trophimus had been on a mission for Paul when he fell ill and he was recuperating in Miletus.
Paul’s ministry in these last days was multiplied through all of these men and women. Because of their partnership Paul was able to do far more than he could have done alone.
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell tells the strange story of Christopher Langan, a genius with an IQ of 195 (Einstein’s IQ was 150).[10] During high school, Langan could ace any foreign language test by just skimming the textbook 2-3 minutes before the exam. He got a perfect score on his SAT. But Langan failed to use his exceptional gifts and ended up working on a horse farm in rural Missouri. According to Gladwell, Langan never had a community to help him capitalize on his gifts. Gladwell summarizes the story of Langan in one sentence: “[Langan] had to make his way alone, and no one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses—ever makes it alone.” Paul couldn’t live without community because he experienced the way it multiplied his ministry.
Finally, Paul points to the people in his life who, in these last days, were nursing his needs: 11Luke alone is with me…13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas… 19Greet…the household of Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 4:11, 13, 19 ESV). Paul calls Luke “the beloved physician” in his letter to the Colossians. Luke may be giving Paul medical care now while Paul is in prison in Rome.[11] Carpus was the one with whom Paul left his cloak at Troas, perhaps also the books. Some have suggested that Carpus was one of Paul’s converts.[12] Regardless, he served as a safekeeper for some of the most important possessions of Paul’s. Finally, Onesiphorus is mentioned earlier in the letter: 16May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. (2 Tim. 1:16-18 ESV). Onesiphorus refreshed Paul often. This final group of people are those who are not just keeping Paul company but nursing his needs and attending to his requirements in these last days.
Sean and Liegh Anne Tuohy, the real-life couple portrayed in the movie “Blindside” share the following story in their book In a Heartbeat: There is a little-known congressional program that awards internships to young people who have aged out of the foster care system. These are kids who were never adopted, and are no longer eligible for state support. [A senator we’ve met] employed one such man as an intern. One morning the senator breezed in for a meeting and discovered that his intern was already in the office, reorganizing the entire mailroom. The senator said to the intern, “This is amazing—the mailroom has never looked so clean. You did a great job.” A few minutes later the senator saw that the intern had tears streaming down his face. [He] said, “Son, are you okay?” “Yes,” the intern answered quietly. “Did I say something to offend you?” “No, sir.” “Well, what’s wrong?” The young man said, “That’s the first time in my life anyone’s told me that I did something good.” This senator met this young man’s need for affirmation. Paul knew how important it was to have people like this in his life, people who could nurse his needs.
Because of its rewards, community was something Paul could not live without. This was where Paul’s mind went in these last days. His final thoughts were of the rewards of community.
And why does this matter? Once again, we turn to the National Study of Youth and Religion, which was the most ambitious study of American teenagers and religion ever conducted.[13] One of the things it found is that a small group of teens say religious faith is important, and that it makes a difference in their lives.[14] One in twelve (8%) can be described as “highly devoted.”[15] Researchers called their faith “consequential”—the kind of faith that has radical consequences in a person’s life.
Researchers found that there were four things that set these teens apart. In her book Almost Christian Kenda Creasy Dean writes about these four things. These four can be summarized in four words: creed, calling, community, and confidence. We’ve looked at creed and calling. This morning, we look at community.
Listen to what the researchers said: “…consequential faith…is far more likely to take root in the rich relational soil of families, congregations, and mentor relationships where young people can see what faithful lives look like, and encounter the people who love them enacting a larger story of divine care and hope.”[16] Again: “Compared to their peers, young church-attenders are far more likely to have adults in their lives with whom they enjoy talking, and who give them lots of encouragement.”[17] And here: “While most teenagers in the NSYR (81%) told us they had never talked to a pastor or youth pastor about a personal issue or problem, most highly devoted teenagers did so frequently.”
In other words, what made a difference in the lives of these highly devoted teens was the ability to live out faith within a community. When teens experienced what Paul experienced—the rewards of Christian community—they wound up with a highly devoted commitment to Christ and a faith that made a difference in their lives. They understood that no one ever makes it alone. So they invested in Christian relationships with their peers and with adults who could encourage and mentor them.
There is a small group of young men in our youth group who have experienced this in a powerful way. Let’s watch their story:
If you’ve got similar community in your life, thank God for it. Do everything you can to nurture it. But if you don’t, use this message as a wakeup call. No one can really do this Christian life alone. No one. Make a decision today to get into some close relationships with other Christians. Do something now so that at the end of your life, you’ll be able to do what Paul did. You’ll be able to testify to the amazing rewards of Christian community. You’ll be able to say, “I couldn’t have lived without it.”
Link Notes (6/19/11)
- Because of its _______, community can be something we’d rather live ________.
- The _______ of community include people who _______ us _______, who _______ our _______, and who _______ our _______.
- Because of its _______, community is something we _______ live without.
- Questions/comments about this lesson? Contact Chris through email (chris@chrisaltrock.com), his blog (www.chrisaltrock.com), Facebook, or Twitter.
- www.highlandcc.org provides sermon audio and manuscripts.
- Next Sunday’s text: Almost Christian: Living with the Wrong Confidence (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
[1] Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (269). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
[2] Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (28). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] John R. W. Stott, The Message of 2 Timothy The Bible Speaks Today (IVP, 1973), 122.
[4] Ibid., 123.
[5] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2343). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[6] Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (451). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
[7] Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (991). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
[8] Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (209). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
[9] Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (1214). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
[10] Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers (Little, Brown and Company, 2008), 115.
[11] Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (703). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
[12] Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (258). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
[13] Kenda Creasy Dean Almost Christian (Oxford, 2010), Kindle edition: 317.
[14] Dean, 371.
[15] Dean, 374.
[16] Dean, 226.
[17] Dean, 1252.
