Homilies on Second Timothy — Homily 10

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting

[[2 Timothy 4.9]]-13

Do your diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when you come, bring with you, and the books, but especially the parchments.

It is worth while to enquire why he calls Timothy to him, inasmuch as he was entrusted with a Church, and a whole nation. It was not from arrogance. For Paul was ready to come to him; for we find him saying, But if I tarry long, that you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God. [[1 Timothy 3.15]] But he was withholden by a strong necessity. He was no longer master of his own movements. He was in prison, and had been confined by Nero, and was all but on the point of death. That this might not happen before he saw his disciple, he therefore sends for him, desiring to see him before he dies, and perhaps to deliver much in charge to him. Wherefore he says, Hasten to come to me before the winter.

For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world. He does not say, That I may see you before I depart this life, which would have grieved him, but because I am alone, he says, and have no one to help or support me.

For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed to Thessalonica; that is, having loved his own ease and security from danger, he has chosen rather to live luxuriously at home, than to suffer hardships with me, and share my present danger. He has blamed him alone, not for the sake of blaming him, but to confirm us, that we may not be effeminate in declining toils and dangers, for this is, having loved this present world. At the same time he wishes to draw his disciple to him.

Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

These he does not censure. For Titus was one of the most admirable men, so that to him he entrusted the affairs of the island, no small island, I mean, but that great one of Crete.

Only Luke is with me. For he adhered to him inseparably. It was he who wrote the Gospel, and the General Acts; he was devoted to labors, and to learning, and a man of fortitude; of him Paul writes, whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Churches. [[2 Corinthians 8.18]]

Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

It is not for his own relief, but for the ministry of the Gospel that he wanted him. For though imprisoned, he did not cease to preach. So it was on the same account he sent for Timothy, not for his own, but for the Gospel's sake, that his death might occasion no disturbance to the faithful, when many of his own disciples were present to prevent tumults, and to console those who would scarce have endurance to bear up at his death. For it is probable that the believers at Rome were men of