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2 Timothy 4:11

in 2 Timothy 4

Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering.

KJV

Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

This verse in 2 Timothy 4

Commentary

11 notes on this verse
Only Luke is with me,.... The beloved physician, who wrote the Gospel that bears his name, and "the Acts of the Apostles", and was a constant companion of Paul's in his travels and sufferings: take Mark, and bring him with thee; who might be at Ephesus, or somewhere in Timothy's way as he came to Rome.

This site's exposition

Do thy diligence to come shortly

on 2 Timothy 4:9-12

The requests turn personal: come shortly, for the circle has thinned. Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, the man who greeted the Colossians now departed to Thessalonica, and the two loves of the chapter face each other, his appearing against this present world. Only Luke is with me; and Mark, once the cause of the split with Barnabas at Acts 15:38-39, is now to be brought, for he is profitable to me for the ministry, one of Scripture's quiet restorations.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on 2 Timothy 10 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"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. "Take Mark, and bring him with thee, 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.

A commentator

Oecumenius

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY · Written before 550.

proposed

For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present age, and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. having loved this present …

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 2 Timothy · Written before 1107.

proposed

He was constantly at his side, wrote the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. The apostle speaks of him in another epistle: "the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches" (2 Cor. 8:18). He demands him not for his own …

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on 2 Timothy · Written before 1274.

proposed

"Only Luke is with me." He retained him for preaching the Gospel, in which he was most gracious: "whose praise is in the Gospel through all the churches" (2 Cor 8:18). Then when he says, "take Mark and bring him with you," he assigns him …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Paul did not think it so; he loved the company of his friends. He speaks respectfully concerning Mark: He is profitable to me for the ministry. It is supposed that this Mark was he about whom Paul and Barnabas had contended, Acts xv.
4 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

proposed

Only Luke - Of my fellowlabourers, is with me - But God is with me; and it is enough. Take Mark - Who, though he once "departed from the work," is now again profitable to me.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

Only Luke is with me - Luke, the author of the gospel which bears his name, and of the Acts of the Apostles. For a considerable part of the ministry of Paul, he was his traveling companion (compare the notes on Act 16:10), and we know that he went with him to Rome; Act 27:1. Take Mark - John Mark, see the notes at Act 15:37. He was the son of a sister of Barnabas, and had been the traveling companion of Barnabas and Paul.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Take--Greek, "take up" on thy journey (Ac 20:13, 14). John Mark was probably in, or near, Colosse, as in the Epistle to the Colossians (Col 4:10), written two years before this, he is mentioned as about to visit them.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Only Luke is with me - This was Luke the evangelist, and writer of the Acts of the Apostles, who was always much attached to St. Paul, and it is supposed continued with him even to his martyrdom. Take Mark, and bring him with thee - This was John Mark, the sister’s son of Barnabas, who, after having wavered a little at first, became a steady, zealous, and useful man; his name and conduct have been often before the reader. See the parallel passages. For he is profitable to me for the ministry - Εις διακονιαν· For service; that is, he would be very useful to the apostle, to minister to him in his present close confinement. Some think that the apostle means his preaching the Gospel; but at this time, I should suppose, there was very little, if any, public preaching at Rome.

The words behind it

16 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Philemon 1:24

    as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

    it leads to

    • 2 Timothy 4:10–11

      because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

      Reached by 3 separate paths from here.

    • Colossians 4:14

      Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas send you greetings.

  • Through

    Acts 12:25

    When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark.

    it leads to

    • Acts 12:12

      And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Acts 12:12

    And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.

    it leads to

    • 1 John 5:14–15

      And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

    • Acts 12:5

      So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.

  • Through

    Colossians 4:14

    Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas send you greetings.

    it leads to

    • Philemon 1:24

      as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

  • Through

    2 Timothy 1:15

    You know that everyone in the Province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

    it leads to

    • Philippians 2:21

      For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

    • 2 Timothy 4:16

      At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Timothy

This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 2 Timothy 10; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Timothy.