FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS The Apostle concludes his Epistle with farewell recommendations: 1- Perseverance in Preaching the Word v 1-5. 2- The Apostle’s Anticipation of his Death v 6-8. 3- Final Personal News v 9-21. 4- Farewell Recommendations v 22. 1- PERSEVERANCE IN PREACHING THE WORD When the Apostle finishes his message to his special son, he offers him farewell recommendations that focus specifically on preaching the Word of God. He tells him: “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: Preach the Word!” (1, 2). He advises him to preach the Word in the presence of the Father and the Son Who will judge both the living and the dead. These are his last days and St. Paul is expecting to die as a martyr at any moment. He envisions the Lord Jesus Christ as the Judge Who will compensate the living - that is the righteous - with fellowship in His eternal glory; while He will condemn the dead that is the wicked who insist on not repenting and reject living with Him. Probably St. Paul has always been preoccupied with the Lord’s coming, throughout his life as well as in his last days. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would come to meet the living and those who had rested before His coming. He would meet with all for Judgment. This vision is the real motive for preaching the divine Word. This is the goal of the servant of the Word: to rescue souls from a state of inner death and bring them to the life of joy in the Lord so that they might rejoice at the Lord’s coming and share in His glory. St Paul prays his disciple, in the name of the great Judge, to preach unceasingly. He tells him: “Preach the Word! In season and out of season.” (2) It is therefore appropriate to speak in the name of Jesus Christ without any break for the time may come when there will not be a second chance for that soul that he has met, and therefore that soul would have be lost forever. St. John Chrysostom says, [What does he mean by “in season and out of season”? It means that there is no specific time, but make any time your time and preach: in times of peace and security, when you are in Church, when you are in danger, or in prison, or in chains, and even on your way to your death1.] St Paul goes on to say, “Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” (2) St. John Chrysostom comments on this verse as follows: [Your reprimand should be most appropriate to be effective, and after investigating the truth. The Apostle recommends him to “rebuke,” meaning that he needs to be like a doctor who dresses and heals a wound when he sees it. If any part of this care is neglected, then your work is useless. If you reprimand without convincing a person, you will be like an impulsive person and no one will accept your behavior. Moreover, if you use conviction but reprimand severely and without kind words, your effort will also be in vain2.] It is clear that the Apostle asks a pastor to convince and display patience at the same time that he engages in reproach or rebuke. In this manner, his action will bring 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 9. 2 In 2 Tim. Hom. 9. 2 about the required fruit. Thus a pastor is like a doctor who underlines the reality of the disease to his patient and reveals its dangers if surgery is not done. By convincing him, the patient accepts the surgery at the hands of the doctor who will cut him yet will sooth and heal him. St Ambrose comments as follows: [It is inappropriate for a pastor to be cruel, violent, or too lax. If he is cruel or violent, he would be like a tyrant; and if he is too lax, he would be regarded as a negligent and careless worker not worthy of the job entrusted to him1.] St John Climacus comments as follows: [A person who looks after the flock can neither be a lion nor a goat2.] And St. John Chrysostom comments on the words of the Apostle “with all longsuffering and teaching” as follows: [Because a person who reproaches must be patient and should not quickly believe every word reported to him. Moreover, with reproach there should be some comforting words that would make them acceptable. Why has he added to “teaching” the words “all longsuffering”? Because he should not reproach as if he were angry or hostile, or as one cursing or clutching an enemy. Such attitudes should be far removed from you. You need to show love, sympathy, and share in a person’s suffering and hardship3.] St Paul then says, “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; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (3, 4) He is really underlining the need to preach powerfully at all times, in season and out of season, with firmness coupled with patience and gentleness, why? Because a time will come when hearts will be hardened and necks will be stiff with pride and obstinacy. Therefore. People will not tolerate to listen to the upright teachings. It is as though the Apostle is urging his disciple to hasten in carrying out his spiritual task since any delay implies that more people would become more hardened than ever before. It means that time is not on our side if we neglect the ministry! The heart that is ready for the Word now might reject it tomorrow if it is not served today! Today, people might accept the true teachers, yet if these teachers neglect their ministry, then people might submit to many lusts and consequently seek the teachers that appeal to their desires. They will seek and find plenty of false teachers who have deviated from the truth and who are full of corruption, thereby bringing comfort to their hearts. The Apostle does not seek to discourage his disciple or make him despair. He wants to encourage him to undertake his spiritual task quickly and to offer the word of truth so that souls would not perish. That is why he tells him: “But you are watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (5) He asks him to be awake and alert so that wolves would not enter among the sheep and devour them. It is true that by being vigilant a shepherd will bear many difficulties, yet all that would be nothing in order to ensure the salvation of the good sheep. It is the task of the preacher to carry the Cross with his Crucified Savior in order to bring every soul into the sheepfold of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this way he achieves his service and completes his mission. 1 The Author: Pastoral Love, p. 607 (in Arabic). 2 The Author: Pastoral Love, p. 607 (in Arabic). 3 In 2 Tim. Hom. 9. 3 St Gregory of Nyssa speaks about the hardships that St. Paul went through to complete his mission, and says the following: [In order to understand this, we will leave St. Paul tell us about it himself. I am not speaking of his pains, vigils, hunger, thirst, of the cold and nakedness, or enemies from within and without (2 Cor 11: 23 etc.). I wish to speak about the oppression he has been exposed to: the councils held against him; the prisons, chains, and tyrants; the trials, his death every day and every hour; his escape in a basket over a wall; his stoning and beatings; his travels and the dangers he met on land and in the sea; confronting thieves and rulers as well as treacherous brothers; gaining a livelihood by working with his own hands; and ministering without any finances (1 Cor 4: 12; 9: 8); and how he become a spectacle both to angels and to men (1 Cor 4: 9); his brave struggle to bring people - by the grace of God - into fellowship with God so that they might become His own special people (Titus 2: 14), who can mention all these matters in detail?! The daily hardships and interest in each individual, the concern for every Church, collective friendship and brotherly love?! Does someone fall and Paul does not feel his weakness? Or someone complain and Paul does not burn as he feels for him?... He has fought for everyone, prayed for all, sympathized with all for those with no Law as well as those under the Law... He was ready as he followed in the Lord’s footsteps to bear all things in order to bring about the salvation of the wicked1.] 2- THE APOSTLE’S ANTICIPATION OF HIS OWN DEATH St. Paul cites his own life as an example of someone who has struggled to the last breath. He does so to encourage his disciple, St. Timothy, to struggle, armed by the power of the Spirit, in order to preach the Truth. Note his amazing words: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.” (6) The Apostle is aware that his life on earth is being sacrificed to the last minute through his acceptance to die as a martyr, as he says, “I am already being poured out.” It is as though St. Paul goes back in memory to Jacob, the father of all the tribes. He had “set up a pillar, and poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it.” (Gen 35: 14) Most probably, the drink offering poured on the pillar was to inaugurate the first house built for God in the history of the Redemption. It was an indication to the joyful Gift of the Spirit that fills the House of God or His people. In the midst of his suffering within his prison, and on the path towards the arena of his death, the Apostle seems to perceive that the divine joy fills the life of the Church as a consequence of his afflictions. The Church can have no joy without suffering, and no glory without difficulties. St. Peter saw how believers endured hardship and accepted mocking for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, and how the Spirit of God Himself and His glory descended upon them. In this manner, God accepted the pain they went through as an offering of love from them and granted them inner joy and divine glory. He says, “Rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”(1 Peter 4: 13,14) Thus he considered that by succumbing to affliction, believers were partaking in the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ... and the amazing thing is that St. Peter recommends them to “rejoice” as this is a warranty for receiving eternal joy when the Lord’s glory will be proclaimed. 1 Pastoral Love, p. 674- 676. 4 What the Apostle recommends is not really advice as much as reminder of the gift. He entreats them so that they might attain the gift, understand it, and practice it. The problem with the gift, however, is that “the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” God rejoices on account of the love that believers express in their way of life and through their acceptance of affliction and difficulties endured for His sake. Consequently, He reveals Himself and becomes the mysterious Source of their inexplicable glory and joy. When the Apostle speaks of himself as being poured as a drink offering, he is probably thinking of the Law that stipulates the daily offering of two lambs: one in the morning and one in the evening. During the offering, a drink is poured over it, (Exodus 29: 40, 41). The Sacrifice on the Cross is associated with the joy of the Holy Spirit that is poured on the Church through the slaughtered Divine Lamb. This is what we experience constantly in the liturgy of the Eucharist. The Church offers to the Father, and through the Holy Spirit, the sacrifice of His Only-Begotten Son, His sacrificial Body. The Father pours on It and in It His divine joy as the supreme Holy Spirit descends upon It! This is what inspires the Church to sing the Liturgy of the Eucharist as a hymn of praise and great joy. It is really the work of the Holy Spirit Who grants true Joy! Briefly, St. Paul wishes to depict a wonderful picture of his pending martyrdom in order to support and encourage his disciple to persevere to the end in his struggle to preach the Truth. Although they are suffering under the injustices of Nero, he proclaims that his whole life is an offering of love to God and through Jesus Christ. It is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself living within him, Who will descend in His glory upon him in his last moments, receive his pain, and grant him the Spirit of glory, power, and joy. Indeed, we may say that on account of his suffering, the whole Church is granted inner joy and comfort. Thus the Apostle himself becomes as a joyous drink poured over the rest of the suffering body of the Church! These are wonderful moments, when the Lord accepts the pains of a pastor as His own, and grants his spiritual children glorious comfort and joy! Such a concept has led to the celebration of the martyrdom of the Fathers... They have become feasts when the Church rejoices and offers praise. We may briefly state that suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ is an unending source of joy to the Church. The soul, and all those around her, receives comfort and blessings in moments of suffering that can never be attained through long years of fasting, prayer, prostration, or worship. St. Paul says, “For I am being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.” (6) He is like a bird in a cage, even if it was made of gold - he wishes to take flight! The source of his joy is his knowledge that God has granted him success in his mission, and has accepted his good and lawful struggle. He expresses that in the following verses: “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. 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.” (7, 8) St John Chrysostom comments on these verses as follows: [Often, when I hold the Apostle’s message between my hands, and meditate on these verses, I feel I am incapable of understanding... What is the Apostle’s aim when he speaks in this way? He is anxious to comfort his disciple and relieve him of despair. He advises him to rejoice for he is going to a place where he will get his crown as he has completed his task and earned a glorious end. He tells him: “It is appropriate that you 5 rejoice rather than grieve. Why? Because “I have fought the good fight.” St. Paul is like a father who wishes to console his son as he grieves due to his pending orphaned condition. He tells him: “Do not weep, for we live a good life, become old, and now I am ready to leave you. Our life here has been spotless, and now we are leaving in glory. It is better to admire our deeds which are a credit to us.” Or he could be telling him: “We have hoisted the ensigns of victory, and have conquered our enemies!” He does not say this to boast but rather to raise his disciple’s depressed spirit. He encourages him to endure the events (of his teacher’s death) with strength, prompting him to keep the good hope by rejecting the thought that death is a sad matter. Separation in itself is a sad matter that is truly painful. St. Paul expresses this in the following words: “having being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart.”(1 Thess 2: 17) If this is how St. Paul felt when he was separated from his disciple, how much harder will it be for St. Timothy himself? Even though he is still alive, St. Paul tells us that St. Timothy weeps due to his separation from the Apostle: “being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy.” (2 Tim 1: 4) So how will things be after his death? Consequently, the Apostle writes this to comfort him... he says, “I have fought the good fight.” Is this a good fight that brings him to prison and the chains of death? Yes, for it is a struggle for the sake of Christ, and through Him we are blessed with glorious crowns! No struggle can be more sublime! Crowns without end! The crowns are not made of olive leaves, nor issued by human judgment. The spectators are not human either, for they are angels who will crowd the theater to witness the spectacle! There are cycles in the wrestling rings, and people struggle for many days, and endure affliction until the hour comes for them to receive their crowns... and then the joy is over. Here, the circumstances are totally different: the crown is an eternal one that retains radiance, glory, and honor. That is why we should rejoice. Here I am about to enter into my rest and leaving the race. You have heard me say before “to depart and be with Christ is far better for me,” and that “I have finished the race.” It is appropriate for us to struggle and run, to strive and endure the pain steadfastly. We do not run towards that which is corrupt but towards good ends. Truly, it is a good fight that brings joy to the spectator and benefits him as well. For the race does not simply end and dissolve at the finishing line. It is not a spectacle undertaken to underline power or competence. It is an aspiration to rise up to the heavens! How do I achieve my goal?... The Apostle has crossed the earth as a bird, indeed even faster. For a bird would have just hovered over it, whereas St. Paul had the wings of the Spirit. As such, he found a path through countless obstacles, dangers, deaths, and catastrophes. He was quicker than a bird, otherwise he would have fallen. However, the Spirit carried him and he soared over all the traps like a bird endowed with fiery wings! He says, “I have kept the faith,” because he had faced many matters that could have stripped him of his faith: threats, deaths, and other countless dangers. Yet, he withstood all these steadfastly. How? By being vigilant... that is enough to comfort his disciple, yet St. Paul goes on to enumerate the rewards. What are they? “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” Once more, the Apostle uses “virtue” in the general sense to mean “righteousness.” Do not grieve because of my death, for I will be honored by the crown that the Lord Jesus Christ will place on my head. If I had to stay here, then you would be 6 mourning rightly. You would fear and grieve if I were to stumble and perish. St. Paul says, “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.” (8) Through such words, St. Paul elevates his thoughts as he tells him that if God grants crowns to all, then He will give first preference to St. Timothy 1.] The expectation of St. Paul to die and see the coming of the Lord - in other words, meeting with Him is not mere inner desires, or just words. That is the desire of a life lived in faith and filled with struggle and pain endured joyfully. St. John Chrysostom explains as follows: [May there is none who do not deserve His coming; for at that time, He will make His abode within us2.] This means that His coming is realized by preparing our inner selves through the action of the Holy Spirit. Then, we will truly become the bride fit for her eternal Groom, or the children who are in the image of their Father. They see Him and get attracted to Him; He lives with and in them forever. The words of St. Paul, in his last days, were intended to provide comfort to St. Timothy as well as to the whole Church. All needed to be comforted as they struggled spiritually through hard times - of martyrdom - as well as in times of peace. St. Cyprian says, [May they receive crowns: either white ones on account of their struggle, or crimson ones on account of their pain. For in the heavenly camp there are specific flowers associated with peace and others with struggle and which are used as crowns of glory for the soldiers of the Lord 3.] St Ambrose wrote about the duties of clergymen, and noted that St. Paul speaks about the time when crowns will be awarded on “that Day” and not when he is here on earth. [Here, he has fought in pain and through dangers and shipwreck. As a wrestler, he struggled while knowing that we will have to go through many afflictions in order to enter the Heavenly Kingdom4.] The Pelagians have used the words of St. Paul to confirm their teachings that the reward is the fruit of one’s own struggle. They ignored the rich and divine gift of grace. St. Augustine refutes their ideas and says, [Let us contemplate the very merits of St. Paul who declares that the righteous Judge will reward him with the crown of righteousness. Let us find out if his merits truly spring from his own being - I mean to find out if he has obtained them through his own effort - or are they the result of divine blessings! St. Paul says, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4: 7) First: These good actions count for nothing if they are not preceded by good thoughts. Note what does he say about these thoughts? “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Cor 3: 5). Second: Let us study every merit separately: A- I have fought – struggled - the good fight: I would like to know with what power did he fight? Was it his own strength, or was it granted to him from above? It is impossible for us to think that a great teacher like St. Paul did not know the Law of God that declares in the Book of Deuteronomy: “then you say in your heart, ‘My power and 1 Ibid. 2Ibid. 3Ep. 8. 4Duties of the Clergy 1:15. 7 the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” (Deut 8: 17). And what is the benefit of a good fight if it is not followed by victory? And who is the one who grants victory other than the One about whom the Apostle himself says these words: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”(1 Cor 15: 57)?! In another passage that the Apostle borrows from the Psalms, St. Paul says, “Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.” (Ps 44: 22) Then he finishes by saying, “But in all these our victory is great through Him who loves us.” In other words, we do not achieve victory by ourselves but through Him Who has loved us. B- I have finished the race: How does he say so, when he proclaims in another passage “it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy” (Rom 9: 16)? We cannot replace this saying and state that it is not of God who shows mercy but of man who demonstrates the will and the strife. Anyone who would dare to interpret the passage in this way would clearly be contradicting the Apostle. C- I have kept the faith: The person who says this is the same one who proclaims in another passage the following: “I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.” (1 Cor 7: 25) He does not say, “as someone to whom God showed mercy because I was faithful,” but rather: “the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.” Thus he stresses that even faith itself is unattainable without God’s mercy for it is a gift from Him! That is what he wishes to affirm when he says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (Eph 2: 8) You might say, “We have accepted the blessing because we had faith;” but you are assuming faith to yourself inheritor and the blessing to God. That is why the Apostle, after saying “For by faith you have been saved through faith,” he adds “and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Moreover, to prevent anyone from saying that they have deserved these great blessings because of their own work, he promptly adds: “not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship.” (Eph 2: 9) This does not mean that he belittles good deeds or devalues them, for he explains that God rewards each according to his deeds (Rom 2: 6). Yet, because deeds are the fruits of faith, and not the other way around, therefore God inspires the acts of righteousness that we do and through Him we achieve faith itself. This is what has been referred to in the saying, “Through faith, the righteous lives”1.] 3- FINAL PERSONAL NEWS St Paul gives his dear disciple his latest news: A- He asks Timothy to come to him: St. Paul realizes that his final hour is drawing near and therefore writes and asks him to come. He says, “Be diligent to come to me quickly.” (9) Sadly, the disciple was unable to arrive before St. Paul’s martyrdom. However, the Apostle was wise and gentle in his request, as he did not say, “so that I might see you before my departure.” He did not wish his disciple to grieve or be depressed if he could not make it. He just wished to express his need for him when many others had forsaken him. B- Abandonment by Some: “for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica...” (10) Because Demas had 1 Grace and Free Will, 1969, p. 16,17, (translated by Fr. Tadros Y. Malaty). 8 abandoned him, he asks Timothy to serve him and so replace Demas. But why did Demas forsake him? St. John Chrysostom answers on St. Paul’s behalf and says; [He loved the easy and safe path, far removed from dangers. It is true that he chose to live leisurely at home rather than suffer tribulation with me. St. Paul blames him not for the sake of throwing blame but in order to make us steadfast. He wishes us to avoid leisurely paths that lead us away from affliction and dangers, for this would demonstrate love for the present world. Moreover, he wished to draw his disciple to himself1.] St Paul reports to Timothy that “Crescens (departed) for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.” (10, 11) These two left him due to the needs of the ministry, and not on account of love for the world. C- St. Paul’s need for St. Mark, the Apostle: “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” (11) In his second missionary journey, St. Paul had refused to take St. Mark with him because he had previously separated from him at Pamphelia on his first journey. This could have been due to a fever, which he caught there. On account of St. Paul’s rejection to take St. Mark, Barnabas separated from him too, and joined St. Mark to serve on another path. They went to the Island of Crete and St. Barnabas died there. St. Mark went on to preach in Africa, and Alexandria was the center of his ministry. That explains why St. Paul says that he is useful to him for ministry. St. John Chrysostom comments on these words and says, [He did not ask for him for his own personal comfort but for the sake of the ministry. Even though St. Paul is in prison, yet he does not stop preaching the Word. For that same reason, he asks for Timothy: not for his own needs but to preach the Bible. He did not want his death to disturb believers; therefore the presence of some of his disciples would end their affliction2.] D- The request for the robe: “Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come - and the books, especially the parchments.” (13) St. John Chrysostom comments as follows; [The word translated here as “cloak” might mean robe, or as some interpret it to mean a bag containing books3.] He requested a cloak so that he would not need to borrow one probably. He did not wish to importune anyone. As for the books he requested, they could have been intended for distribution to believers in Rome. Since they were going to witness his martyrdom, the books could bring comfort to them, even in his last moments, St. Paul is truly concerned about the well being of others rather than of his own. E- The evil of Alexander, the coppersmith: “Alexander, the coppersmith, did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.” (14, 15) St. Paul writes about Alexander the coppersmith not in order to judge and blame him, but to prepare his disciple to keep struggling to the end, and to face affliction steadfastly. Alexander had harmed the Apostle in many ways, and therefore St. Paul worries about his disciple due to his wickedness. When St. Paul says, “May the Lord repay him according to his works,” he is not conveying a desire for personal revenge in spite of his knowledge that he will soon leave this world. He is actually preparing his disciple psychologically as he will be exposed to 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 10. 2 In 2 Tim. Hom. 10. 3 In 2 Tim. Hom. 10. 9 many afflictions from Alexander and his likes. He does not wish him to be disturbed, but to trust God who does not leave the wicked go without punishment or correction. St Paul’s kindness is apparent even towards his evil persecutor. He does not ask his disciple, St. Timothy, to take revenge or punish or dismiss him. His only aim is to warn him in order to ensure that Alexander, who is an opponent of the holy Word, does not harm his ministry. F- Everyone abandons him during his first trial: “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. 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. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (16-18) When St. Paul stood before Nero in his first trial, no one stood by him, not even his friends, and that is so painful psychologically. However, the Apostle prays the Lord to forgive them for such negligence during a most trying time. The amazing thing is that all human attempts failed, and while there was no support or help in sight, the Lord revealed Himself in these moments. He says “the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.” When all human support vanishes and a believer is in distress, the strong arm of the Lord remains outstretched and able to rescue him from the lion’s mouth. Thus he is able to accomplish his mission of witnessing for the Lord. St John Chrysostom comments on the Apostle’s words as follows: [If people have abandoned him, yet God has not allowed him to suffer on that account. Indeed, He strengthened him and granted him the courage to speak, never allowing him to drown. Notice the extent of his humility! He does not say that God strengthened him because he deserves that gift, but on account of the ministry that was entrusted to him and that had to be accomplished. Notice how close he came to death! He fell into the very mouth of the lion, for Nero was known as a lion due to his fierce and violent rule. St Paul says, “I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work.” He does not say that the Lord will deliver him out of the lion’s mouth only, but out of every evil. Since God has delivered him from the danger of Nero, He will deliver him from sin, and will not allow him to die as one to be condemned1.] It is clear that God saved St. Paul from Nero to allow him to complete his mission of preaching the Word and of witnessing for Him. After his mission is accomplished, St. Paul does not pray to be delivered out of Nero’s hands; but rather to be saved from the power of sin through taking flight out of this world and being delivered from condemnation. He has been delivered from Nero’s temporary condemnation, but the great ideal is that God would deliver him from the terrible condemnation when He leads him into the fellowship of His eternal glory, and as St. Paul says, “And the Lord will deliver... and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.”G- Sending greetings to his loved ones: “Greet Prisca (Priscilla) and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.” (19) We have previously spoken about Onesiphorus who comforted the Apostle often during his imprisonment. As for Prisca and her husband Aquila, strong ties of love bonded them 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 10. 10 with the Apostle as he had delivered the faith to them. Besides, they were tent-makers and so spent some time together with him making tents. They also participated in the ministry with him, as St. Paul says, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.” (Rom 16: 3, 4) It is worthy to note that the Apostle mentions the name of the wife before the husband in both Epistles - here and in the one to the Romans. It was a time when women- according to Roman law- had no rights. However, St. Paul mentions her first to underline that in the domain of faith there is no bias for one sex above the other. Such distinctions would made based on the extent that a person demonstrated a living and active faith. The Apostle finds that Priscilla is more zealous and profound in the faith than her husband. H- “Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.” (20) Through these words, the Apostle clarifies his need for his disciple. Erastus had stayed in Corinth, while St. Paul had to leave Trophimus in Miletus as he had fallen ill. St. John Chrysostom wonders: [Why did St. Paul not heal Trophimus? Although the Apostle had received the gift of healing, yet God wanted the Apostle to recognize his own weakness when he cannot heal a loved one whom He has allowed to get sick. Should the Apostle be visited by thoughts of vanity on account of his healing power and the miracles he performed, he would be faced by his incapacity to offer any help to his own loved ones suffering from certain ailments. Besides, it is vital that the goal of believers promoting the Word is not diverted to material matters. The fact that certain faithful ministers remain sick indicates that the first goal of the ministry is to preach the eternal salvation of man and the enjoyment of the heavenly kingdom. Others matters are either granted or denied to man according to what God decides is beneficial for him. What we have said above applies to Epaphroditus who had worked with the Apostle and had enlisted with him in the ministry (Phil 2: 25). He was very sick and had come close to death... We also say the same thing about the Apostle himself who cried to the Lord to heal him but the Lord announced to him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12: 9) I- The Apostle repeats the call: “Do your utmost to come before the winter.” (21) He is gentle and avoids saying “Come before I die.” Rather, he says: “before the winter,” to avoid arousing sad feelings should he arrive and find that his teacher has already departed. J- He sends the greetings of his loved ones in Rome: “Eubulus greets you, as well as Puddens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.” (21) Among the above are Linus who was ordained Bishop over Rome, and Claudia who was zealously witnessing to God. 4-THE APOSTOLIC FAREWELL “The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” This is truly a final blessing that is in agreement with the contents of the Epistle. Having spoken about the Spirit of Power, he confirms that it arises from being with God. Although the Apostle wishes to support and comfort his disciple, yet there is no comforter other than the grace that Jesus Christ grants and that accompanies and supports man!
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