9 Make haste to come 1 to me soon:

10 For Demas 1 having loved the present world, hath forsaken me, and is gone to Thessalonica, Crescens into Galatia,' 2 and Titus into Dalmatia.

11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee, for he is very useful to me in the ministry.

12 But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.

priest.

9 As I have a great desire to see thee, Make haste to come to me soon.

10 For Demas in particular, having loved the present world more than was fit, hath forsaken me, and is gone to Thessalonica, expecting to be in more safety there than at Rome; Crescens is gone into Galatia, and Titus into Dalmatia.

11 Only Luke is with me. His attachment to me and his zeal for the cause of Christ, are the more remarkable that all my other assistants have left me. In thy way call on Mark, and bring him with thee, for he will be very useful to me in the ministry of the gospel.

12 But when Tychicus comes to thee, do not think he hath behaved like Demas: I have sent him to Ephesus to supply thy place.

But of this there is no evidence, as the apostle does not insinuate that he renounced the gospel.-See Philemon, ver. 24. note 2.

2. Crescens into Galatia. The apostle does not say either of Crescens or of Titus, that their departure, like the departure of Demas, was owing to their love of the present world. We may therefore, in charity, suppose that the one went into Galatia, and the other into Dalmatia, by the apostle's order; or, at least with his permission.

Ver. 11.-1. Only Luke is with me. The apostle meant, that of his fellowlabourers and assistants in Rome, Luke alone remained with him. For, from ver. 21. where the salutations of some of the Roman brethren by name are mentioned, it appears that the apostle had many friends still in Rome, members of the church there, with whom he was allowed to have some intercourse. For the character of Luke, see Coloss. iv. 14. note 1.

2. Take Mark and bring him with thee. Although the apostle was once exceedingly displeased with Mark, for deserting him and Barnabas in Pamphylia, Acts xv. 38, 39. that grudge was long ago removed, by his subsequent faithful labours in the gospel. See Philem. ver. 24.-The Mark, mentioned in this passage, is by some thought to be a different person from the writer of the gospel which bears his name. See 1 Pet. v. 13. note 3.

13 The cloak that I left 13 Τον φαιλόνην ὁν απεat Troas with Carpus, λιπον εν Τρωαδι παρα Καρπῳ, ερχομενός φερέ, και τα

when thou comest bring

with thee, and the books,

but especially the parche

ments.

14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; the Lord reward him according to his works;

βιβλια, μαλιςα τας
βρανας.

κευς

μεμ

14 Αλεξανδρος ὁ χαλ

πολλα

μοι κακα EVESeato. δείξατο. Αποδῴη αυτῷ ὁ Κυριος κατα τα έργα αυτού.

Ver. 13.-1. The bag. The word panovav, signifies either a cloak or a bag. If the apostle meant a cloak, his sending for it at so great a distance, is a proof, as Grotius observes, of his poverty. The Syriac translator understood it of a bag in which books were kept; for his version is, Domum scriptorum.

2. Which I left at Troas with Carpus. Paul, who was several times at Troas, may have lodged some of these times with Carpus; and knowing him to be a person of probity, he had left with him the valuable things here mentioned.

3. And the books, especially the parchments. What the books were, which the apostle left with Carpus, commentators have not attempted to conjecture. But Benson fancies, the parchments, were the letters which he received from the churches, and the autographs of his own letters to the churches. For that he employed persons to transcribe his letters, is probable from Rom. xvi. 22. where the name of the amanuensis of that epistle is inserted In these fair copies, the apostle wrote the salutation with his own hand, 1 Cor. xvi. 22. Gal. vi. 11. Col. iv. 8. Philem. ver. 19. and thereby authenticated them as his letters. So he told the Thessalonians, 2 Epistle iii. 17.If these autographs were a part of the parchments which Timothy was to bring with him to Rome, we may suppose the apostle's intention in this order, was, after acknowledging them to be his autographs of the letters which he wrote to the churches, to give them to Timothy to be kept; or, he may have had it in view to desire Timothy to deliver them to the churches and persons to whom the fair copies of them had been sent, that they might preserve them with care, as the originals of the letters in their possession.— B. Pearson observes, that the bag with the books and parchments, of which the apostle speaks, were not left with Carpus at the time mentioned, Acts xx. 6, 7. For then he had many attendants, who no doubt assisted him in carrying his things: not to speak of the ship which waited on them, Acts xx. 13. to transport them. Pearson therefore concludes that the bag with the books and parchments were left at Troas, in some journey which the

2

13 The bag which I left at Troas with Carpus, bring when thou comest, and the books, 3 especially the parchments.

2

14 Alexander the coppersmith hath done me many evil things. The Lord reward him according to his works. 3

13 The bag which I left at Troas with Carpus, in my way from Ephesus, after parting with thee, bring when thou comest, and the books contained in that bag, but especially the parchments.

14 Alexander the coppersmith hath done me many ill offices here. In particular he hath stirred up both the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles in Rome against me. The Lord reward him according to his works.

apostle made through the Lesser Asia, after he was released from his first confinement at Rome.

Ver. 14.-1. Alexander the coppersmith. This seems to be the person mentioned in the history of the riot at Ephesus, Acts xix. 33. and whom the enraged multitude would not hear, when they knew he was a Jew.-Probably he was one of the Judaizing teachers, who violently opposed the true doctrine of the gospel, and was by that time become the apostle's enemy. The unbelieving Jews at Ephesus knowing this, pushed him forward into the theatre to harangue the people, in expectation that he would vindicate them from having any connexion with the Christian teachers.—Alexander is mentioned likewise 1 Tim. i. 20.

2. Hath done me (literally, hath shewed me, see Psal. iv. 6.) many evil things. Benson is of opinion, that these evil things were done to the apostle by Alexander in Ephesus. But, on that supposition, there was no occasion to inform Timothy of them, who was a witness to all the ill offices which Alexander had done to the apostle in Ephesus. I therefore think these ill offices were done to him recently, and in Rome. See the preface to this Epistle, Sect. 3. paragr. 3.

3. The Lord reward him according to his works. The Alexandrian, and six other MSS. the Syriac, and the Vulgate versions, and some of the fathers, read here (a@idwos,) The Lord will reward. Perhaps, the ancient transcribers and translators thought it more agreeable to the apostle's character, to foretell, than to wish evil to this wicked teacher. See Mill, and Whitby. But why might not St. Paul, who had the gift of discerning spirits, and by that gift knew the malice which was in Alexander's heart, wish that such a malicious false teacher might be punished, if he did not repent? This limitation is implied in the words, according to his works. Nay it is implied in the very nature of the wish; at least in the mouth of a virtuous person. A wish of the same kind, Nehemiah expressed with respect to Sanballat and Tobiah. Nehem. iv. 5. Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out, for they have provoked thee to anger.

15 Of whom be thou

15 Όν και συ φυλάσσου

ware also; for he hath λιαν γαρ ανθεςηκε τοις ἡμε greatly withstood words.

our

16 At my first answer To man stood with me,

but all men forsook me: Ι

fray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

17 Notwithstanding, the

Lord stood with me, and strengthened me ; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

τεροις λόγοις.

16 Εν τη πρώτη μου απολογια ουδεις μοι συμπαρεγενετο, αλλα παντες με εγ κατελιπον (μη αυτοις λογισθείη)

17 Ὁ δε Κύριος μοι παρεςη, και ενεδυνάμωσε με, ἵνα δι' εμου το κηρυγμα πληροΦορηθη, και ακουσῃ παντα τα εθνη και ερρύσθην εκ 5οματος λεοντος.

Ver. 15.-1. Of whom be thou also aware. This being written after the apostle had made his first answer, at which Alexander had greatly opposed or contradicted his words, he judged it necessary to inform Timothy of that wicked teacher's malice. And as he suspected that Alexander would soon return to Ephesus, he cautioned Timothy to be on his guard against him.

Ver. 16.-1. At my first answer. The apostle's first answer was that which he made some time after he was imprisoned. He called it his first answer, not because he had made, but because he expected to make, a a second answer.

2. But all forsook me. When the apostle made his first answer, Demas and the rest had not left the city; otherwise he could not have complained of them, as he does in this verse, for not attending on him at his trial. The cruelty which Nero, or his Prefect Helius Casarianus (see ver. 17. note 3.) was now exercising against the Christians, so terrified the apostle's fellowlabourers, that though they were in Rome, when he made this answer, none of them appeared with him in the court.

3. May it not be laid to their charge. This prayer shews the excellence of the apostle's disposition. He was sensible of the danger to which his assistants would have exposed themselves, by appearing with him at his trial; he knew likewise the infirmity of human nature. And therefore he made great allowances for their yielding in such circumstances, and prayed that they might be forgiven, as Christ prayed his Father to forgive those who crucified him.

Ver. 17.1. The preaching might be fully declared. The word πληροφορήθη, literally signifies, might be carried with a full sail; (1 Thess. i. 5. note 3.)

15 Of whom be thou also aware; for he hath greatly opposed our words. (See Pref. sect. 3.).

16 (E) At my first answer 1 no one appeared with me, but all forsook me,2 May it not be laid to their charge! 3

17 (Af, 100.) However the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that through me the preaching might be fully declared,1 and all the Gentiles might hear; 2 and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.3

15 Of that wicked person be thou also aware, wherever thou happenest to meet with him, for he hath greatly contradicted the things which I advanced in my first answer.

16 At my first answer, my fellow. labourers were so terrified, that no one of them appeared with me in the court, but all forsook me. I pray God not to lay it to their charge!

17 However though men forsook me when brought to my trial, the Lord Jesus according to his promise, Luke xxi. 15. stood by me and strengthened me, that on such an occasion, and before such personages, through me the preaching concerning Christ might be fully declared, and that all the Gentiles might hear that it was so declared; and I escaped with such difficulty, that I cannot describe it better than by saying I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

that is fully and boldly declared. Accordingly Chrysostom and Theophylact have paraphrased this word by mango; for the meaning of which see Rom. xv. 19. note 4. In this passage the apostle told Timothy, that, contrary to the expectation of his enemies, he had declared in the hearing of Nero, or his Prefect, the supreme dominion of Christ, his right to all the Gentiles as his subjects, his power in their salvation, together with the nature and method of that salvation; and that he had done so, that all the Gentiles in the provinces might hear of his courage in maintaining their privileges.

2. And all the Gentiles might hear. The apostle justly supposed, that what was said and done at the emperor's tribunal in Rome, where there was such a confluence of strangers from all quarters, would quickly fly abroad on the wings of fame, and be heard by all the Gentile converts every where.

3. I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion. By the Lion, some think Nero is meant, or rather his Prefect Helius Cæsarianus, to whom Nero committed the government of the city in his absence, with power to put whomsoever he pleased to death. See Pearson. Annal. Paulin. An. Chr. 57. Others understand the expression proverbially, as denoting an escape from the greatest danger; in which sense it is used, Psal. xxii. 21. This inter. pretation they adopt, because they think the apostle would not give so disrespectful an appellation, either to Nero, or to his Prefect.