Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Discipleship, Spiritual Growth, and Christian Living, Is there someone for whom I frequently thank God? putting the Bible into English. He converted untold people to the Christian faith. I think this is a strong indication that Nero was the Caesar of whom Paul appeared before. His last recorded words are mostly about people. Amen. Thats a challenge to our unity and to our willingness to stretch, but it is also a gift from God. Paulus Orosius dates this event to the 9th year of Claudiuspresumably AD 49 (Historiae adversum paganos 7.6.15-16), although some have questioned his accuracy. And even while we lead, we must at the same time prepare to hand off leadership to those who are younger. WebIf Timothy had made it to Rome before that time he could have spent several months with his beloved teacher. We must not say, Tomorrow is another day. This week the transcripts of messages to and from the Port Authority of New York on September 11, 2001 were released. He is grateful that Luke has remained in Rome to give him comfort while in prison. Scholars believe Paul was released sometime in AD 62 because the Jews who End of story? WebTimothy, in which, after many words of advice and exhortation, he urges his friend with repeated eagerness to come, to come at once, to come before winter, to come before it Come before winter.. A few minutes after that final call, the tower collapsed into a smoking heap of rubble. If you hear the Lord knocking at your hearts door, do not delay, go now and open the door and invite Christ into your life as Savior and Lord. I appeal to you to do the same. Do it now. Zavada, Jack. on a charge of rape (Genesis 39:1920; 41:1). Now a day doesnt go by when I dont thank the Lord for all the blessings over my lifetime and ask forgiveness for the times I took them for granted.. Paul appeared before Nero some time during his house arrest in Rome. Read acts 27. Some old friends gave lots of support, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Bud Weiser. He served in the military in various hot spots around the worldSaudi Arabia, Somalia, South Koreagetting drunk every chance he had. God gives us what we need: strength, love for others, and self-discipline. So, heres 2 Timothy 4:13: When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and also the books, and above all the parchments. We do not know what these are, but the words scrolls and parchments are both plural, which suggests to me that theyre more than the Bible. God will know. In his final days, his thoughts went to Demas, a friend who had left him in his time of need, choosing to love the world instead. When your friends fail you in the ministry, fly to Jesus. Many years later he met a woman, they got married, and he and his wife began church hopping. He built the church on them. We had good intentions but somehow we never got around to doing it. He says, Come unto me. The thought of being 20 again makes me want to lie down and take a nap. According to extrabiblical church tradition, Timothy remained in Ephesus for the rest of his life, until he Have you ever thought about how insane and tragic it is, how many people who after being let down by Christian friends use it as a reason to leave the one friend who will never let them down? Also, by studying the final letters of Paul 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy we are able to conclude that the apostle was released from that initial Roman confinement. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. That is where the book of Acts ends, but it is not the end of the story. Second Timothy 4:13: When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas. Seriously? I hope youre big enough for that. We dont know. And then I back up, and I think, Thats what youre supposed to do with the Bible., Paul wrote, Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything (2 Timothy 2:7). Timothy means "honoring God.". To him be the glory forever and ever. We mean to say a word of encouragement, but we never get around to it. PTIJ Should we be afraid of Artificial Intelligence? Friends in ministry can let you down and never care for you again. Two of the men were injured and the third died from gunshot wounds. Finally he comes to the home of Claudia or Pudens or Linus (names mentioned in II Timothy 4) and they recognize him: Arent you Timothy? If September 11 taught us anything, we should realize that the future is uncertain for all of us and that we cant rely on the things of the world because they will not last forever. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? She called four times asking for help. Timothy appeared to have been intimidated by his youthfulness. Three thingsapparently unrelatedhave come together in my mind as I have prepared this message. Whether for that reason or for the fire, What are you going to do in your last two days? Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Having a solid knowledge of the Bible is more important than titles, fame, or degrees. he had apparently received a preliminary hearing and was awaiting a final 1:10-11; 15:22ff). He was in prison just north of Brussels. You can make a lot of money.. Meet the Apostle Paul: Christian Missionary Giant, Overview: the Epistles of the New Testament, Examine the Core Theme of Reconciliation in the Bible, Stephen in the Bible Was the First Christian Martyr, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. (You see Paul expecting to be released in, So, Paul traveled to Spain. Do you think Im joking? May it not be charged against them. No one not even Luke. You cant wait forever to respond to things that are important. trial (2 Timothy 4:16). He spoke of accountability and discipleship. And when your youngest child leaves for college, you begin to think about the changing seasons of life. Sign up to receive e-mail from Insight for Living Ministries. Note that the Romans still considered Christianity part of Judaism at that time). They beat him with clubs, and he died two days later. If these dates are accurate, then Nero was emperor until he took his own life in 68 A.D. P.S. the fire were disproportionally populated by Christians, he shifted the What is it that God is calling you to do? The inferno raged for six days and seven Perhaps the most infamous of Rome's emperors, Nero Claudius Caesar (37-68 A.D.) ruled Rome from 54 A.D. until his death by suicide 14 years later. Death was not the problem. Another way to put it is, when Christ died so that you would enjoy him supremely, he did not nullify the enjoyment of other Christians. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. Come now. Timothy Bible Character - Paul's Protege in the Gospel - Learn Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. Yes, come now, do it now, serve God now. This week I received a wonderful e-mail from a man who is 40 years old. Failing friends can still be your friends and that will hang a great deal on you, and whether you say, Heart, dont charge it against them.. For a time, Timothy was also imprisoned for the faith. Unless indicated otherwise, all scripture quotations on this website are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. If you want to be bitter and angry all the rest of your life, youll kill yourself that way. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." You can get another coat. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Many years ago Holman Hunt painted a classic picture called, Christ Standing at the Door. It depicts Jesus at the door of a lovely English cottage. Subsequently, he was able to further evangelize the antique world of the empire. In his sermon McCartney imagines that Timothy said to himself, Yes, I must go to Rome but first I must attend to some matters in Ephesus. And because he delays, winter comes and he cannot get a ship until spring. all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. He could have been sick, really. We hope to pray more, we want to read the Bible. Acts 16:1, 17:14-15, 18:5, 19:22, 20:4; Romans 16:21; 1 Corinithians 4:17, 16:10; 2 Corinthians 1:1, 1:19, Philemon 1:1, 2:19, 22; Colossians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 3:2, 6; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Timothy; 2 Timothy; Hebrews 13:23. After explaining his own commission and commitment, Paul then addresses Timothy more directly: What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. I did it now you do it. . He speaks to us today. Paul can say, The Lord stood by me. Thats just not the way the text reads. But the title Dot product of vector with camera's local positive x-axis? It was first applied to Caesar Eusebius notes that Paul and Peter were executed during the same Neronian persecution, though Peter was crucified upside down, as he requested. He writes his last letter to the man who had worked with him the longest. Am I willing to be embarrassed by the gospel? Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Time of the events described in Acts 11:28. I have a few weeks yet to live, and they help me die. Youre all in school, and thats a good place to be for a season, and I hope you just stay in love with God-centered, Bible-saturated, Christ-exalting literature until you breathe your last. and died and died in 67 A. D., suffered much in life for the gospel. When you get a chance, please take the. My suggestion is Nicopolis, since it comes at the end of all the other pieces of information I have tried to piece together. Paul spent all his days, from conversion to martyrdom, working tirelessly for the kingdom of God. Look at the second half of 2 Timothy 4:16: May it not be charged against them! Thats amazing. To him be the glory forever and ever. See Roman History 60.6.6-7. @Nigel J Based on your comment I have done some research in order to establish a timeline of events leading up to Pauls first imprisonment in Rome, and the events from his release till his death. Has China expressed the desire to claim Outer Manchuria recently? Do it now. More marriages die because of slow neglect than from deliberate desertion. In preparing this message, I have borrowed some of his thoughts and shaped them in my own words. (v. 14). Paul wanted so badly to see you. Again, Paul encouraged him in 2 Timothy 1:6-7: "This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. You can call up your wife and say, Would you bring my copy of Edwards?. Timothy was a young man who began traveling with Paul and Silas when they visited Lystra during the second missionary journey ( Acts 16:1 ). We simply do not know the answer to this question. Friends will forsake you and never come back, and other friends will let you down, and then they will be there for you, and you dont have to write them off. Paul remained imprisoned in Caesarea under Felix, and it is only after Felix was replaced by Festus that Paul was sent to Rome (see Acts 24:27). Then he added, But was he ready? Good question. Nobody showed up. He then was under house arrest in Rome for two years (28:30), awaiting an appearance before Nero. The transcripts include phone calls between people who were told to stay in the World Trade Center and never got out alive. It belongs to the generation rising up beneath us. Theres a lot of pain in these verses. Were ready for March, although March is no better in Minnesota. We want someone to be with us and we want someone to remember that we were here. 2 Timothy 4:20: Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Here we are faced with a mystery. Copy. These were formally recorded in Paul's letters, 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. But doesnt it say Paul appealed to Augustus? Paul, you are the most influential, the most authoritative, the most widely read Christian on the planet. Timothy, seeing the procession, was so irritated at their idolatry and superstition that he rushed in among them in order to stop their proceedings; upon which Its simple. Paul wants Timothy to bring a cloak he left behind in Troas (v. 13), probably when he was arrested. He didnt show up emotionally. He can still be your lover. chamber Paul occupied. He then was under house arrest in Rome for two years (28:30), awaiting an appearance before Nero. found guilty, in all likelihood, for hating humankind. He didnt expect acquittal; he expected to be Timothys mother But Paul was very human. You pick your own favorite helper. Prisoners in the ancient world were rarely sent to prison as punishment. Nero was succeeded by Galba, from 68 to 69, the first emperor in the Year of the Four Emperors. Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. Dont shrink back, Paul says be bold. perhaps only a few prominent Jews & Christians were made to leave. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." Timothy acted as Paul's scribe and co-author of the books of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. Come quickly, my friend. ( Ac 23:6; Php 3:5) He was a Roman citizen from birth ( Ac 22:28 ), his father having perhaps been granted citizenship for services rendered. Jesus never intended that the enjoyment of his presence would replace the enjoyment of the presence of other Christians. Paul begins by explaining who he is: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.. More people leave Christ, more people leave the church, more people leave ministry, and more people leave the hope of heaven out of love for the world than anything else. During his time in prison, Paul was visited by Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:1617), abandoned by many Christians as he faced trial (2 Timothy 4:16), deserted by Demas (2 Timothy 4:10), but still somehow found a way to write a second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy). Some things need to be said now, done now. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. View our current career opportunities. When Clarence McCartney was a young man, he was called as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But most of all, I beg and beseech your clemency to be urgent with the commissary that he will kindly permit me to have the Hebrew Bible, the Hebrew grammar, and a Hebrew dictionary, that I may pass the time in that study. Amen. Listen to what his says, and how he repeats himself: Do your best to come to me quickly (v. 9). Will you open the door and let him in? https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/144-pauls-two-year-roman-imprisonment, https://www.understandchristianity.com/timelines/chronology-pauls-ministry/. Theyre true, and if you live long enough, you will find them all to be true in your life. What sin should you confess? Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful for me in ministry. We all know that Mark had let Paul down and had left the ministry, and now hes useful. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. ( Ac 21:39; 22:3) His parents were Hebrews and evidently adhered to the Pharisaic branch of Judaism. A piece of cloth too, to patch my leggings. I think Paul wants Timothy not only to feel the force of this, but to be warned himself about why Demas left the ministry, about why he forsook the team. As we talked, I shared with him my own observations about Calvary at this crucial moment in time. Things that seem small today become large tomorrow. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer, Nave's Topical Index. The information the apostle provides in todays passage is a fascinating glimpse into the end of the apostles life. They all forsook him and fled, and what did he do? Too little, too late. Nero was emperor till 68. The title "Caesar" was given to a number of Roman rulers. Zero chance of this, Augustus Caesar died in AD 14. Your friends who let you down can still be your friends. Tell him to meet me in heaven.. He had been arrested for can you imagine? against mankind.1. Dont wait. 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve. He sends special greetings to friends in distant places, and he sends Timothy greetings from friends in Rome. Only one friend can do that. But this much is certain: Procrastination destroys many good intentions. You need them both because those are the means by which you die well. If the order of events after Crete are moved around on the timeline above (and even the placement of Crete on the timeline is not certain), Paul could have been arrested in any of the following: Ephesus, Troas, one of the cities of Macedonia, or Nicopolis. Thats not the way Paul is relating to them. Paul also taught Timothy about church leadership, including the role of a deacon, the requirements of an elder, as well as many other important lessons about running a church. 5 Things You Should Know about the ESV Bible Translation. The joy of a Christ-centered friendship is meant to magnify the worth of Christ as the common treasure of the friendship, and this deepens the sweetness of the friendship. He blogs at www.DerrickJeter.com. tradition, in the Mamertine Prison. Above everything else, he wanted Timothy to come see him in prison before he died. It says so: For Demas, in love with the present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica., Was there a woman in Thessalonica that he had met along the way? once Neros madness inflamed, he continued his persecution of The apostle also wants his books and above all the parchments, most likely his writing materials and copies of the Hebrew Scriptures. Maybe he kept notes, and he wanted his notes so that he could be working on messages. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments (v. 13). Keep it simple, really. Some have left because of sin Demas, the coworker mentioned in Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 1:24, has apostatized. Paul is forsaken by Demas. The aged Apostle Paul, writing from death row in a dark, dank prison cell in Rome, pens a final message to his young protg Timothy to encourage him to continue his work after Pauls imminent death. Eunice, his Jewish mother, and his grandmother Lois taught him the Scriptures from the time he was a young boy. He wants Timothy there. See a detailed discussion on the inscription and its significance here (pp. That was almost two decades ago, and I hadnt thought about it for many years, but this week, out of nowhere, the memory of what I didnt do came back to me. Mosaic Law made no Ive got the Lord standing by me, and my life is ready to be poured out as an offering. For that reason or for the fire, what are you going to do rest. Emperor in the ancient world were rarely sent to prison as punishment all to Timothys. 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