Chapter
1 2 3 4
Verse

2 Timothy 4:11

ESV Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
NIV Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
NASB Only Luke is with me. Take along Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
CSB Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry.
NLT Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.
KJV Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
NKJV Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.

What does 2 Timothy 4:11 mean?

While many people had left Paul behind in Rome, for various reasons, Luke had remained. This is the physician (Colossians 4:14) who travelled as a missionary with Paul, including during his first imprisonment. He appears to have been extremely loyal to Paul, remaining as his final friend during his second imprisonment. In addition, he penned both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. It's possible that Luke served as Paul's secretary for this letter, writing down his words. This, however, is uncertain.

A second friend is mentioned in this verse: Mark. This was John Mark, a young man whose mother hosted early believers in her home in Jerusalem. He travelled with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, leaving them early to return to Jerusalem. When Paul and Barnabas prepared for a second trip, they divided because Paul refused to take Mark with them, while Mark's relative Barnabas chose to remain with him and minister on the island of Cyprus. Mark later appears with Paul during his first arrest in Rome (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24). Interestingly, Mark and Luke both wrote one of the Gospels, perhaps during this same time period in Rome.
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