2 Timothy 4:19-22--Final Greetings

2 Timothy 4:19-22
English Standard Version

Final Greetings
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.

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These are the last words of Paul in this letter and they are chronologically his last words that he penned to anyone (yes, there are other Pauline epistles that follow this one in the New Testament, but that's because his epistles are generally sorted by length from longest to shortest in the New Testament).  Though he knows he is about to die, he sends his usual greeting to him ministry partners, Prisca and Aquila (Priscilla and Aquila)--see Acts 18 and Romans 16:3.

​He also greets the household of Onesiphorus (recall this is the man who stood by Paul when everyone else close to him deserted him and was not embarrassed by Paul's chains, and came and comforted Paul).  We don't know anything of this man outside of the two times that he's mentioned here in 2 Timothy, but it seems like he was very important to Paul in this season of his life as Paul did not have many people that would come and visit him in prison, but Onesiphorus ​was one of those who would.

Paul then gives Timothy a couple people to check on.  Erastus stayed in Corinth to minister to the Corinthians.  There was a lot going on with that local church and Paul probably wants to make sure Erastus is doing okay.  Paul also seems to want someone to check on Trophimus a companion who became ill and had to stay behind in Miletus.

Paul reminds Timothy that he'd really like him to visit (probably to bring his cloak) before winter.  Eubulus sent his greetings as did Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.  That last statement is important because there were Christians all over the known world that were praying for Timothy and the church he was pastoring.

Then Paul's final words, "The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you."  I think Paul cares deeply about how his loss is going to affect Timothy and he knows that he's going to have to count on the Lord being with Timothy.  Paul will no longer be there to walk beside Timothy, but Jesus will always be there for him.  As always, Paul wishes grace upon all his readers, but especially his son in the faith, Timothy.