1 I give you orders, before God and Christ Jesus, who will be the judge of the living and the dead, and by his revelation and his kingdom; 2 Be preaching the word at all times, in every place; make protests, say sharp words, give comfort, with long waiting and teaching; 3 For the time will come when they will not take the true teaching; but, moved by their desires, they will get for themselves a great number of teachers for the pleasure of hearing them; 4 And shutting their ears to what is true, will be turned away to belief in foolish stories. 5 But be self-controlled in all things, do without comfort, go on preaching the good news, completing the work which has been given you to do. 6 For I am even now being offered, and my end is near. 7 I have made a good fight, I have come to the end of my journey, I have kept the faith: 8 From now on, the crown of righteousness is made ready for me, which the Lord, the upright judge, Will give to me at that day: and not only to me, but to all those who have had love for his revelation. 9 Do your best to come to me before long: 10 For Demas has gone away from me, for love of this present life, and has gone to Thessalonica: Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and take him with you; for he is of use to me in the work. 12 Tychicus I sent to Ephesus. 13 The coat which I did not take from Troas and which is with Carpus, get when you come, and the books, specially the papers. 14 Alexander the copper-worker did me much wrong: the Lord will give him the reward of his works: 15 But be on the watch for him, for he was violent in his attacks on our teaching. 16 At my first meeting with my judges, no one took my part, but all went away from me. May it not be put to their account. 17 But the Lord was by my side and gave me strength; so that through me the news might be given out in full measure, and all the Gentiles might give ear: and I was taken out of the mouth of the lion. 18 The Lord will keep me safe from every evil work and will give me salvation in his kingdom in heaven: to whom be glory for ever and ever. So be it. 19 Give my love to Prisca and Aquila and those of the house of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus was stopping at Corinth; but Trophimus, when I last saw him was at Miletus, ill. 21 Do your best to come before the winter. Eubulus sends you his love, and Pudens and Linus and Claudia, and all the brothers. 22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
2 Timothy · Bible in Basic English
2 Timothy 4 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Alexander
A coppersmith who did Paul great harm; a man of the same name was also handed over to Satan with Hymenaeus, possibly the same person.
Cited in the guide: 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 4:14
Carpus
The man at Troas with whom Paul left his cloak.
Cited in the guide: 2 Timothy 4:13
Claudia
A woman who sends greetings to Timothy from Paul in Rome.
Cited in the guide: 2 Timothy 4:21
Crescens
A coworker who had gone to Galatia during Paul's last imprisonment.
Cited in the guide: 2 Timothy 4:10
Demas
A coworker of Paul who sends greetings from Rome, but later deserted him because he loved the present world.
Cited in the guide: Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:10; Philemon 24
Erastus
Named as the city treasurer who sends greetings in Romans, as a helper Paul sent into Macedonia with Timothy, and as one who stayed at Corinth; these are probably the same man.
Cited in the guide: Acts 19:22; Romans 16:23; 2 Timothy 4:20
Eubulus
One who sends greetings to Timothy from Paul in Rome.
Cited in the guide: 2 Timothy 4:21
Linus
One who sends greetings to Timothy from Paul in Rome.
Cited in the guide: 2 Timothy 4:21
Luke
Paul's beloved physician and coworker who stayed with him when others had left him in his final imprisonment.
Cited in the guide: Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24
Onesiphorus
A man who often refreshed Paul and was not ashamed of his chains, searching for him eagerly in Rome; Paul greets his household.
Cited in the guide: 2 Timothy 1:16; 2 Timothy 4:19
Pudens
One who sends greetings to Timothy from Paul in Rome.
Cited in the guide: 2 Timothy 4:21
Trophimus
An Ephesian who accompanied Paul; Jews at Jerusalem falsely claimed Paul had brought him into the temple, and Paul later left him sick at Miletus.
Cited in the guide: Acts 20:4; Acts 21:29; 2 Timothy 4:20
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Timothy 5:21; Matthew 16:27; 2 Timothy 2:14
- 2 1 Timothy 4:15–16; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Revelation 3:19; 1 Timothy 4:13; Titus 2:15
- 3 2 Peter 2:1–3; 2 Timothy 3:1–6; 1 Timothy 4:1–3; 1 Timothy 1:10; Galatians 4:16
- 4 Zechariah 7:11; Acts 7:57; 2 Peter 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:4; 1 Timothy 4:7
- 5 2 Timothy 1:8; 2 Timothy 2:3; 1 Peter 1:13; Colossians 4:17; 2 Timothy 3:10–12
- 6 Philippians 1:23; Philippians 2:17; 2 Peter 1:14–15; Joshua 23:14; Genesis 48:21
- 7 1 Timothy 6:12; 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Hebrews 12:1–2; Acts 20:24; Philippians 3:13–14
- 8 James 1:12; Revelation 2:10; 1 Peter 5:4; 1 Peter 1:4; Matthew 6:19–20
- 9 2 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:21
- 10 1 John 2:15–16; 2 Timothy 1:15; Colossians 4:14–15; 1 John 5:4–5; Acts 16:6
- 11 Acts 12:12; Acts 12:25; Philemon 24; Acts 15:39; 2 Timothy 1:15
- 12 Ephesians 6:21; Acts 20:4; Titus 3:12; Colossians 4:7; 1 Timothy 1:3
- 13 Acts 16:11; 2 Corinthians 11:27; 1 Corinthians 4:11; Acts 16:8; Acts 20:5–12
- 14 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:6; Psalm 28:4; 1 Samuel 24:12; Acts 19:33–34
- 15 2 Timothy 3:8; Philippians 3:2; Matthew 10:16–17
- 16 Acts 7:60; John 16:32; Mark 14:50; Psalm 31:11–13; Philippians 1:17
- 17 1 Peter 5:8; Philippians 1:12–14; Psalm 22:21; 1 Samuel 17:37; Daniel 6:22
- 18 Psalm 121:7; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Jude 24–25; Matthew 6:13; John 10:28–30
- 19 Acts 18:2; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Romans 16:3–4; 2 Timothy 1:16–18; Acts 18:26
- 20 Acts 20:4; Acts 19:22; Philippians 2:26–27; Acts 21:29; Acts 20:15
- 21 2 Timothy 4:9; Philippians 4:22; Romans 16:21–23; 2 Timothy 1:4; 3 John 14
- 22 Philemon 25; Galatians 6:18; Colossians 4:18; Romans 1:7; Revelation 22:21
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
It is worth while to enquire why he calls Timothy to him, inasmuch as he was intrusted with a Church, and a whole nation. It was not from arrogance.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me." From this he shows that he was always attached to and inseparable from him.
… doth he grieve for certain trees, which did not afford him the fruit due unto him, when he saith, "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge." For these fruits are due to those who minister spiritual doctrine, through their understanding of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
How then doth He say elsewhere, "Reprove, rebuke, exhort," and, "Them that sin rebuke before all?" And Christ too to Peter, "Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone," and if he neglect to hear, add to thyself another also; and if not even so doth he yield, declare it to the church likewise?" And how hath …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For, being slain by them, He has risen again, and has requited them meanwhile by temporary discipline, save that for those who are not corrected He keeps it in store for the time when He shall judge the quick and the dead. For the Lord Jesus Himself, in pointing out that very man to the apostles as His betrayer, quoted …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)