2 Timothy 4:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Indeed, if even then the senseless Jews said, "Where is Moses, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt?" (Ex 32:1), what would they not have done if he had brought them into the promised land?

If God had not allowed him to feel fear before Pharaoh, would they not have recognized him as a god? The inhabitants of Lystra, as is known, did the same with Paul and Barnabas, whom they took for gods.

But they "tore their garments and rushed into the crowd, crying out and saying, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like nature with you'" (Acts 14:14-15).

Likewise Peter, when he healed the man lame from birth and all were amazed at what had happened, answered: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you look at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?" (Acts 3:12).

Listen also to what blessed Paul says: "A thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted" (2 Cor 12:7).

But you will remark that he said this from humility. No, it is not so. The angel of Satan was not given to him so that he might be humble, and he did not say this only from humility, but for other reasons as well.

See, God does not answer him: "My grace is sufficient for you," so that you may not be exalted. What then? "For My power," He says, "is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9).

Thus two aims were achieved. Events were disclosed, and everything was attributed to God. Therefore the Apostle also says elsewhere: "We have this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Cor 4:7).

That is, we have it in bodies that are weak and subject to sufferings. For what purpose? "That the surpassing power may be attributed to God and not to us."

If their bodies had not been subject to sufferings, everything would have been attributed to them. In another place we see how he grieves over illness, when he says of Epaphroditus: "For he was sick near to death, but God had mercy on him" (Phil 2:27).

He was also ignorant of many other things, with benefit both for himself and for the disciples.

"Trophimus," he says, "I left sick in Miletus." Miletus is near Ephesus. Consequently this was either when he sailed to Judea, or at another time.

After he had been in Rome, he went to Spain. Whether he returned from there again to these regions, we do not know. Thus, as we see, he was abandoned by all.

It served as proof of his honor and love, and it brought them great grace. For even the greeting of such a holy and blessed man could fill with great grace the one counted worthy of that greeting. Onesiphorus was with the Apostle in Rome (1:16). By this greeting he makes his household more zealous for works like those of Onesiphorus.” According to Saint Demetrius of Rostov, Onesiphorus later became bishop in Colophon and Cyrene. His martyr’s commemoration is honored on September 7. In the house of Onesiphorus, the holy virgin Thecla heard the preaching of the Apostle Paul. She became the first female martyr for faith in Christ. Her commemoration is honored on September 24. “She had a bridegroom, but she found Paul, who turned her away from the bridegroom. Thus the holy virgin renounced all earthly goods, so as to be counted worthy of the heavenly,” says Saint Epiphanius. Concerning Erastus, the Right Reverend Theophan observes that he was sent with Saint Timothy to Macedonia at the end of Saint Paul’s three-year stay in Ephesus (Acts 19:22). He was to go with Paul also to Rome, but remained in Corinth, perhaps out of necessity as treasurer (Rom 16:23), with the Apostle’s consent. Or perhaps he remained against the Apostle’s wish. Erastus is an Apostle of the Seventy. His commemoration is November 10. Trophimus also was among the companions of the Apostle Paul (Acts 20:4; 21:29). He was beheaded in Rome under Nero, together with Aristarchus and Pudens. Their commemoration is April 15. Eubulus and the others from whom greetings are sent have Roman names. These persons could have become acquainted with Saint Timothy during his first visit to Rome. One may think that, in conveying their greetings, the Apostle also points them out as those who could guide Timothy in Rome when his arrival there was soon expected. Linus was the first bishop of Rome, according to the testimony of Saint Irenaeus. Pudens was a senator, and Claudia was his wife. Their daughters Praxedes and Pudentiana were martyrs. “Truly, it is the work of God’s grace,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “that persons of this sex, if they wish, can die a thousand times. Many of them became martyrs. They can possess modesty, holiness, purity, contempt for wealth, and all the rest.”

Thus the preaching of the Gospel was fulfilled. Proclaimed in the world city, before representatives of world authority, it reached, so to speak, its culminating point, from which it would illumine all pagan lands.

At the same time, the Apostle expresses hope that the Lord, who delivered him from grave danger at the first interrogation, will not permit him to commit any evil deed at later interrogations, such as betrayal of the faith. He hopes that the Lord will safely bring him, through a worthy acceptance of death, into His heavenly Kingdom.

Erastus is mentioned as the envoy with Saint Timothy to Macedonia at the end of Saint Paul's three-year stay in Ephesus (see Acts 19:22). Erastus is mentioned as one of the city administrators in Corinth (see Rom 16:23).

He is also mentioned here. Is this one person, or are they different persons? Perhaps it is one person.

What seems to hinder this is that one of them is a city official, who could not leave the city and therefore could not remain long with the Apostle, as the other two cases compel us to suppose.

But this official is called οικονομος, a steward, an administrator of the city's economic affairs. He could have been appointed to this by election for one year and, after serving his turn, have been free.

But someone will say: in the Epistle to the Romans he is called an official currently holding office. Before this, it is mentioned that a certain Erastus was sent with Saint Timothy from Ephesus to Macedonia.

Plainly, that one is not this one, and this one is not that one. Yet an embassy from Corinth to Saint Paul in Ephesus is supposed, to inform him of the disorders there.

Among the persons of that embassy there could have been the official, who left the city for a time and handed the matter over to his colleague and assistant.

After the business of the embassy was completed, instead of departing with the other members of the embassy, he went with Timothy. Timothy was to descend from Macedonia into Achaia and Corinth.

It remains to suppose that, when he returned to Corinth by this route, his term of office ended. Being free, he either joined Saint Paul's companions permanently, or was often with him.

He was with him also in the final period at Ephesus and went with him into Macedonia by the indicated route. He descended with him to Corinth and ought also to have gone with him to Rome.

But he did not go. He remained in Corinth. Perhaps he remained because of some necessity, with Saint Paul's consent. Perhaps he did so without this consent and against the Apostle's wish, as the word "remained" may suggest.

In any case, in Saint Timothy's thought he ought to have been in Rome with Saint Paul.

Since he was not there, Saint Timothy might have thought: How does the Apostle say that no one is with him except Luke? Where is Erastus? Where is Trophimus?

Having forgotten to mention them in the first enumeration of those who had left him, he mentions them now, so as to spare Saint Timothy unnecessary thoughts.

Erastus is one of the Seventy. His commemoration is November 10. See also concerning him in the Epistle to the Romans.

Trophimus, an Ephesian, accompanied Saint Paul from Ephesus through Troas into Macedonia and Achaia and back again (see Acts 20:4). He went with him as far as Jerusalem.

There he served as the occasion for the uprising of the Jews against Saint Paul (see Acts 21:29). He was Saint Paul's constant companion.

Before this also, when Saint Paul went from Ephesus to Macedonia, Trophimus accompanied him. But he fell ill in Miletus and was left there.

On this occasion Saint Chrysostom draws a very instructive inference about the ways of God's good providence in granting miraculous help.

"Trophimus I left sick. Why did you not heal him, but leave him so? The Apostles could not do everything, or they did not arrange everything by grace, lest anyone think more of them than what he saw.

The same thing, as we see, happened also to the blessed and righteous men before them, for example, to Moses. He was slow of speech. Why did God not heal his slowness of speech?

He often fell into sorrow and despondency, and he did not enter the promised land. God permitted many things in order to show the weakness of human nature.

If even then the senseless Jews said, 'Where is Moses, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt?' (cf. Ex 32:1), what would they not have said if he had brought them into the promised land?

If God had not allowed him to feel fear before Pharaoh, would they not have recognized him as a god? This, as is known, the inhabitants of Lystra did with Paul and Barnabas, taking them for gods.

But they tore their garments, rushed into the crowd, cried out, and said: 'Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you' (cf. Acts 14:14-15).

Likewise Peter, when he healed the man lame from birth and all were amazed at what had happened, answered: 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you look at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?' (cf. Acts 3:12).

Listen also to what blessed Paul says: 'A thorn in the flesh was given to me, lest I be exalted' (cf. 2 Cor 12:7).

But you will say that he said this from humility. No, it is not so. The thorn was not given to him only that he might be humble, and he did not say this only from humility, but also for other reasons.

For see, God does not answer him: 'My grace is sufficient for you,' so that you may not be exalted. What then? 'For My power,' He says, 'is made perfect in weakness' (2 Cor 12:9).

Thus two aims were achieved. What happened became manifest as it was, and everything was attributed to God.

Therefore in another place the Apostle says: 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels,' that is, in bodies that are weak and subject to sufferings.

For what purpose? 'That the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from us' (2 Cor 4:7). If their bodies had not been subject to sufferings, everything would have been attributed to them.

In another place we see how he grieves over illness, when he says of Epaphroditus: 'For he was sick near to death, but God had mercy on him' (cf. Phil 2:27).

He was ignorant of many things, too, with benefit both for himself and for the disciples."

According to tradition, Trophimus was beheaded in Rome under Nero, together with Aristarchus and Pudens. He is one of the Seventy. His commemoration is April 15.