Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.  Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.

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

2 Timothy 4:19 – 22

So we have it, Paul’s final words to us before he was executed by the Roman Empire, of which he was a citizen by birth.  He deserved better!

As he wrote the second letter to Timothy he knew that he would soon be with the Lord. His last words reveal a great deal about this man, a Apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul of Tarsus.  He would soon be in glory among myriads of believers but, still here on the earth, he revealed how much he owed to his fellow believers.  He first mentions Priscilla and Aquilla, trusted husband and wife team who were as much in love with Jesus as was Paul.

And then Onesiphorus and his household who loved Paul to the end.  Erastus, a former treasurer of the city of Corinth, served Paul as much as a human being could.  These men were truly brothers in God’s grace. Trophimus, also from Ephesus, accompanied Paul on his final journeys.  He was faithful to the Lord and a very close companion of Paul.

Then, Paul packaged several of his beloved friends in a bundle of love.  We know little about them – Eubulus, Pudens, Linus and Claudia.  They were probably there in Rome when Paul was in chains.  They stood with Paul in faith.

Earlier in the letter Paul noted that some believers were faltering. He closed his letter, and in a sense, his life work, by acknowledging God’s gracious gift of friends and colleagues in the faith.

This encourages us to give praise to God for brothers and sisters who love us dearly.  May we love them even more!