Only
Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
2 Timothy 4:11
2 Timothy 4 [6.] For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing. Be diligent to come to me soon, for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
2 Timothy 4 [11.] Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come, and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander, the coppersmith, did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds, of whom you also must beware; for he greatly opposed our words.
2 Timothy 4 [16.] At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Meaning:
Second Timothy is Paul’s last letter. He is in prison, expecting to die soon: “the time of my departure has come” (2 Timothy 4:6). Near the end he asks Timothy to come quickly, and he names those who have left him and those who remain. In this short verse two old companions appear, and one of them tells a story of restoration.
- “Only Luke is with me”
Several of Paul’s co-workers had gone. Some were on assignments, but “Demas left me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10). Luke stayed. He was “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14) and, by long tradition, the author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts. The “we” passages of Acts show him travelling with Paul from Troas onward (Acts 16:10). His faithfulness to the end is a quiet example of loyal friendship.
- “Take Mark, and bring him with you”
This request is remarkable. Years earlier John Mark had left Paul and Barnabas at Pamphylia (Acts 13:13), and Paul had refused to take him on the next journey. The disagreement with Barnabas over Mark was so sharp that the two men parted (Acts 15:37-38; Acts 15:39). Now Paul asks for Mark by name.
- “For he is useful to me for service”
Mark had grown into a reliable servant of Christ. Paul had already named him among his fellow workers and asked the Colossians to receive him (Colossians 4:10). Peter spoke of him warmly as “Mark, my son” (1 Peter 5:13), and early Christian writers connect him with the Gospel of Mark. Barnabas’s patience with his cousin had borne fruit, and Paul was glad to acknowledge it. The word “useful” is an honest change of verdict from the man who once judged Mark unfit for the work.
The Significance of 2 Timothy 4:11
- People can change
A past failure does not have to define someone’s future. Mark’s story encourages anyone who has stumbled, and it reminds leaders to leave room for growth.
- Reconciliation
Paul and Mark were reconciled. Disagreements between believers, even sharp ones, need not be permanent.
Cross-References:
Acts 13:13: "John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem." Mark’s early failure.
Acts 15:39: The disagreement over Mark separated Paul and Barnabas.
Colossians 4:10: "Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, “if he comes to you, receive him”)." Mark restored to Paul’s circle.
Conclusion: In his final letter Paul, deserted by many, noted that only Luke was with him and asked Timothy to bring Mark, because he was useful for service. The young man who once left the work had become a valued helper, and the old disagreement had given way to reconciliation.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible