Safely Home

2 Timothy 4:9–22

9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. 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. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

We are looking at the book of 2 Timothy. The New Testament comes to us in the form of epistles, or letters. God used real people in real situations to communicate His revealed intent to all people of all times. It was done in public, telling us God's character, intent, and way of working in the world so as to guide us in all things.

Most of the books of the New Testament were written by the apostle Paul and are about his journeys sharing the gospel, planting churches, and nurturing those churches and people. The book of 2 Timothy is the last book Paul would write.

Paul is standing trial in Rome for preaching the gospel, and he will soon be executed for it. Timothy is Paul’s young protégé who is leading the church in Ephesus, whom Paul is mentoring and teaching how to lead the church.

Paul isn't writing from a comfortable home surrounded by family; he is sitting in a cold Roman prison. He is chained as a criminal and awaiting execution due to false charges. Trusted coworkers deserted him. He lacks basic needs, and winter is coming. If anyone had reason to become discouraged, bitter, or cynical, it was Paul. Yet as we are brought into his final days, there is no self-pity, no bitterness, and no despair. Instead, there is remarkable confidence.

Here we discover the secret of a life that finishes well. It is a lesson every Christian will need, because if you follow Jesus long enough, you will eventually be disappointed by people, opposed by the world, and tested by suffering. Paul teaches us this truth: When everyone else lets you down, Jesus never will.

This passage shows us three realities that enable believers to finish their race faithfully:

1. Earthly companions may leave you.

2. Christ will strengthen you.

3. Heaven will vindicate you.

1. People May Desert You

If you want to know what something is really made of, you put it under pressure—you test it. If you have a block of metal, you heat it to see what you can burn away. If you build an engine, to see how good it is, you put it under stress—a heavy load or high speed. Trials test and demonstrate the genuineness of our faith. Paul is one who has been tested.

Twice in this passage, Paul mentions being deserted. It is hard when people abandon you, turn their backs on you, go a different way, and stop talking to you. If you have ever been in that lonely place of being left behind, you can relate to this, and Paul has a word for you.

The word “deserted” is a strong verb, meaning to “utterly abandon and leave someone helpless in a dire situation” (MacArthur, 2 Timothy, 206). This word was used by Jesus on the cross: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Paul is experiencing what his Savior experienced.

Demas (a familiar form of Demetrius) is mentioned in Philemon 1:24 along with Aristarchus the Thessalonian, and in Colossians 4:14 alongside the beloved physician Luke. Yet he deserts Paul (the fronted “me” in the original Greek text indicates that Demas deserted Paul specifically, though not necessarily the faith). The reason, as Paul says, is that “he was in love with this present world.”

Most believe Demas left the challenges of ministry for the comforts of the world. His love for this world probably involved a preference for ease and comfort alongside a reluctance to share in Paul’s sufferings.

Perhaps you can relate to that: "Man, I could go to church or a small group, but there are people there who are different from me. Some have issues, and I'd have to talk to them, or someone might ask me to help. Or, I could just stay home and comfortably scroll on my phone."

Paul mentions being deserted again in verse 16:

“At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!”

Paul observes that at his first defense, no one stood by him (cf. 1 Cor 16:3); everyone deserted him. "First defense" likely refers to Paul’s courtroom defense at the initial hearing of his trial in Rome. This was not the first—and probably not the last—time Paul had to defend himself against unjust charges (Acts 22:1; 25:16; 1 Cor 9:3). He viewed the "defense of the gospel" as the very essence of his ministry (Phil 1:7, 16; cf. 1 Pet 3:15).

There is also mention of an opponent, Alexander. We are uncertain of his exact identity and actions, but his deliberate malice is clear. The name Alexander was linked with Hymenaeus in 1 Timothy 1:20 as a co-laborer who abandoned Paul. Alexander was also the name of an Ephesian Jew in Acts 19:33–34 who tried to speak at the theater in Ephesus when the craftsmen of Artemis felt their trade threatened by Paul's preaching.

Scholar Ceslas Spicq presents evidence that the verb for "did harm" (endeiknymi) could suggest supplying information to the authorities as an informer. A bully shows up, and some of Paul’s friends make calculated decisions to abandon him. Yet Paul stood strong.

You get the picture and can relate. Thomas à Kempis wrote:

"Jesus has many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few willing to bear his cross. Many who seek comfort, but few his tribulation. He finds many companions of his table, but few of his fasting. All desire to rejoice with him, few are willing to suffer anything for his sake."

It was just like when they came to arrest Jesus and his disciples suddenly fled. We have felt that in recent years. There has been an increase in animosity toward Christians in our culture; it is not popular. Churches have shrunk, pastors have quit, and many have stopped supporting the church.

There are other departures mentioned as well, though these are different. Crescens has gone to Galatia (central Asia Minor, modern Turkey), and Titus to Dalmatia (ranging from present-day Croatia to Albania). Titus’s departure may be due to Paul’s request to meet him in Nicopolis (Titus 3:12) and may indicate that his ministry in Crete (Titus 1:5) was complete.

What this shows is that Paul, in his final days, is still directing ministry. He has not given up, nor has he slowed down. Paul is willing to send out his friends for the sake of the gospel.

Sending people out is something you deal with in the church. It's hard leaving a church to go on a mission, and sometimes it’s hard staying when your friends have gone elsewhere. You make sacrifices for the mission. We have a goal to multiply groups this year, and a great obstacle to that is thinking, "Man, but all my friends are here. We enjoy things as they are." You work hard to build a group, and then you leave it to send people out. If those groups are not pushing you further into the mission, you are missing the point.

2. The Lord Will Strengthen You

There are different seasons in our walk with the Lord—both good and bad. Paul knew the miraculous work of God: he was spared through a shipwreck, saved from a viper bite, and saw people healed. But Paul also spent several years in prison before this. He suffered. Sometimes God didn't deliver him miraculously; instead, God strengthened him to endure. It happened to Paul, it has happened throughout history, and it will happen to you.

I have been reading church history regarding the Muslim conquest of Christians in North Africa. We do not serve Jesus because he promises a comfortable life; we serve him because he is Lord, knowing he will sustain us through whatever we face.

17 “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.”

The Lord was present. The Lord strengthened him. It is good to have a community around you—God calls us to that. But there are times people will let you down, and when that happens, it doesn’t mean you are sunk. You lean into the Lord like never before, and He will strengthen you.

The Lord strengthening you doesn't happen by accident. God gives the strength, but you also have to seek it out. Paul strengthened himself in the Lord. He didn't go drink a 12-pack of beer and binge-watch movies. He prayed, memorized Scripture, and made the most of the time he had with friends in fellowship.

The word "strengthened" means to put power into, to empower. That is what your Bible reading and church involvement should do: empower you to walk with the Lord and remain faithful. Seek after Him. If He does not provide a miraculous escape, He will provide the strength for you to endure. The enemy will tell you that reading the Bible and going to church don't matter and are a waste of time. But when you give yourself to them, you find strength.

The Lord rescued him. The Lord stood by him. The Lord provided. There are so many great stories that Paul was not even able to share with us. People disappointed him, but the Lord stood by his side.

Regarding his deliverance from "the lion’s mouth," interpreters have identified the lion as literal lions in the amphitheater, the emperor Nero, or Satan. The phrase also appears in Psalm 22:21 in reference to an experience of great danger. This was likely Paul’s meaning here, and it is best not to over-speculate. God intervened by giving Paul the strength to proclaim the gospel, confounding the judge in reaching a conclusion, and saving Paul from an immediate, cruel death. The lion had been robbed for the moment.

There are times things don't go well, miracles don't happen, and you simply have to remain faithful and trust the Lord. Hard times push you beyond what you think you can handle. Yet God shows up, takes you deeper than you ever imagined, shows you what is most important, and supplies the necessities.

Keep being faithful. Paul is affirming his confidence that no assault of his enemies will undermine his faith, destroy his courage, or cause him to lapse into disastrous sin.

Look at how Paul deals with those who have harmed him:

14 “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.”

Paul is not seeking revenge. He acknowledges the harm, but he trusts God to deal with it and has entrusted the situation to the Lord. People often let bitterness and anger stew, their pride refusing to stop rehearsing how they have been wronged. Paul does not busy himself with revenge; he has moved on and let it go.

And what about his friends who disappointed and abandoned him?

16 “At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!”

He prays for them, loves them, and asks for their forgiveness. He is more concerned about their standing before the Lord than about getting even. He is a man who knows human weakness and the holiness of God.

We live in a time of rage; people are angry about the slightest thing. There are certainly times we need to see wrongs righted and justice served, but our attitude must be different. There are many grievances people try to drag us into where we simply need to extend forgiveness and move forward. Bitterness is sideways energy that keeps us looking backward rather than forward to what God has for us. Paul’s wish that God would not hold this action against his friends mirrors the response of Jesus in Luke 23:34.

The message was fully proclaimed to all the nations: mission accomplished. Paul set out to share the gospel. I don't think it was his preference to share it from prison, but that is exactly what happened.

When I started out in ministry, I experienced a lot of success and got to preach regularly at a very large, influential church. I didn't think I would be at a small church for so long, nor did I anticipate that a bacterial infection would limit me for seven years. Yet God uses these circumstances to tell people about Jesus and what He means to us.

Let’s talk about other ways the mission moved forward. Mark is instructed to come with Timothy because "he is useful to me in the ministry." This is the same Mark who had abandoned Paul and Barnabas at the beginning of their first missionary journey to go back home. He had assignments on that trip and was expected to carry responsibility, but he just left. Later, Barnabas wanted to take Mark on another journey, but Paul refused, leading to a sharp disagreement that caused them to part ways. But now, at the end of Paul’s life, Mark is useful again. He has been fully restored. Mark would go on to be a great aid to Peter and write the Gospel of Mark. Amazing!

There were other great people moving the ministry forward. Timothy is told to bring Paul's cloak, and Erastus is mentioned. Erastus was the city treasurer—a high-ranking public officer who functioned as the commissioner of public works. He would have been an extremely wealthy person, perhaps the wealthiest in Corinth, one of the largest cities of the ancient world. Skeptics used to say there was no way a person of such influence would have become a Christian, using it as a criticism against the historical accuracy of the Bible.

Then, in 1929, the Erastus Inscription was discovered in Corinth. A Latin inscription was found reading:

“ERASTVS PRO AED[ILITATE] S[VA] P[ECUNIA] STRAVIT” (“Erastus, in return for his aedileship, laid [this pavement] at his own expense.”)

3. The Lord Will Bring You Home

The dominant theme of this passage is Paul’s trust in God, and his primary intent is for Timothy to share this same confidence. Paul has tremendous confidence that God will deliver him from every evil deed, even his impending execution.

18 “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Here is Paul's testimony: You meet a man awaiting execution for preaching the gospel, facing false accusations, betrayed and abandoned. Yet he is neither angry nor vindictive. He is resting in the arms of his Heavenly Father, who works all things for his good and glory. Nothing people do—or fail to do—can separate him from the glorious kingdom that awaits those who believe.

God delivered him in the past and will deliver him from every evil deed, including unjust execution. That is our hope in Jesus. He will be brought safely into his heavenly kingdom and rewarded for his faithfulness. But the only reason he can stand there is because of what Jesus has done for him. Paul made many mistakes, and God was gracious to forgive them all through the Gospel.

The Lord rescued Paul from the lion's mouth, and even if the next trial takes his physical life, he will still praise Him.

Notice who the primary actor is: it is the Lord.

• The Lord is the one who strengthened him.

• The Lord is the one who will rescue him from every evil deed.

• The Lord will bring him into His heavenly kingdom.

Paul is resting in Him.

Be faithful with what is in your control, and trust God for what is in His control.

I was praying with a man recently who was awaiting a difficult medical diagnosis. I believe in the power of healing, miracles, and what God can do. But I also know that one day, earthly deliverances will end, and God will call us home. It is ultimately through death that He delivers us fully. We trust Jesus not just to deliver us from trials in this life, but to deliver us from this life and into something permanent. He has promised, and He will do it through the blood of Jesus. He brings us safely home.

God promises to do that for us if we trust in Jesus, turn from the world, and follow Him.

In August of 2018, a rookie on the Chicago Cubs named David Bote hit a walk-off grand slam in the ultimate scenario: bottom of the ninth, down by three, bases loaded, two outs. It was a moment so sublime a Cubs fan could hardly dream it up: a warm summer night, Bill Murray drinking beer in the front row, and the “W” flag flying above center field.

That night, the Cubs shared an image of Bote rounding third base toward his waiting teammates and euphoric fans. Look at the characters in that storybook scene:

• Bote rounding third with his arms spread wide in exuberance;

• The third base coach exclaiming in disbelief as Bote runs past;

• The entire team rushing to home plate, leaping for joy and calling for Bote to come home;

• Fans with their hands up, high-fiving and cheering.

Even if you aren't a Cubs fan, it is an image that evokes emotion. As sports editor Josh Noem wrote about the moment, Christians learn to view the world suspecting that God is revealing something deeper—looking for ways the visible reflects the invisible. That photo captured unity, joy, and completeness—qualities associated with paradise.

Noem retweeted the image with a simple caption:

“I collect images of walk-off home run hitters rounding third because they are an image of heaven.”

After everything Paul had been through—wondering if he would make it, if the hardships would prove too much, if others would be there, or if God would vindicate him—he knew he was being welcomed home. Friends and angels cheering, rejoicing that the race was finished and he was safe. The Lord had rescued him.

This promise belongs to you as well if you trust in Christ, turn from the world, and love Him.

Discussion Questions

1. When have you experienced disappointment or abandonment because of your faith? How did it affect your walk with Christ?

2. What does it look like to rely on Christ's strength instead of your own during seasons of hardship?

3. How does the promise that Jesus will bring us safely home change the way you face suffering, uncertainty, or death?

4. Who in your life needs the hope of Christ, and how can you intentionally encourage them or share the gospel with them this week?