Grace Be With You – 2 Timothy 4:19-22

There has never been a servant of Christ who contributed more to the spread and the understanding of the gospel than the apostle Paul.  This is evidenced by the amount of Scripture authored by him and by the number of churches planted by him from Asia Minor to Europe.  His loss was immense, but when God was ready for him to come home, Paul’s purpose was fulfilled.  God has a purpose for you and me, and when it is over, He will bring us home.

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

The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.  (2 Timothy 4:19-22 ESV)

Paul finishes what might have been the last correspondence he ever wrote, certainly the last we have in our possession.  He asks Timothy to greet Prisca and Aquila, a married couple he had worked with as a tent maker and with whom he had served in proclaiming the gospel.  They would undoubtedly be weeping at this greeting.  He asks Timothy to greet the household of Onesiphorus which had been so refreshing to him (chapter 1).

He mentions other co-workers at this point.  Erastus is in Corinth working with that church as Timothy is working with the church in Ephesus.  Paul had to leave Trophimus in Miletus because he was sick.  This is further evidence that God is not  bound to heal every sickness, for surely Paul, who has great faith and has seen many healed, would have healed Trophimus by God’s power.

Paul urges Timothy to make haste to come to him, because he doesn’t know how much longer he has to live.  He sends greetings from Rome and closes with a simple, heartfelt blessing: “The Lord be with our spirit. Grace be with you.”  Paul had experienced, lived, and taught the sovereignty and grace of the Lord Jesus his whole ministry and closes out his work with a blessing in that name above all names.