¹¹Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. ¹²But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. ¹³When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.

Luke was Paul’s primary chronicler, having accompanied Paul at times on his mission tours around the eastern Mediterranean area, and was the author of the book of Acts, which follows the apostle’s travels (Acts 13–28). In fact, the astute reader of Acts notices when Luke alternates the third-person pronouns “they” or “them” (Acts 16:8) with the first-person pronouns “we” or “us” (Acts 16:10, etc.), clues where Luke as the writer indicates when he was traveling with Paul or not.

At the time of this writing, Luke is Paul’s only companion, faithful coworker that he was. Paul requested that Timothy bring along Mark, whom we presume to be John Mark of Acts 13 infamy, having abandoned Paul during his first mission tour. Mark’s departure had been the principal cause of conflict between the apostle and Barnabas, his early mentor, and led to their separation to go their own ways. Luke described him as the one “who had deserted them” (Acts 15:38). Paul was insistent about not giving Mark a second chance at that time. Whether Paul’s attitude was justified then or now, at this juncture, Mark seems to be redeemed in Paul’s eyes and, in fact, useful to him. We see the influence of Barnabas on Paul’s life.

Paul mentions that he sent Tychicus (who joined Paul’s company from Berea and was a companion when he first went to Ephesus) back to Ephesus, which is where Timothy is living at the time of this letter. Was this to fill in for Timothy while the latter was gone to be with Paul? Unfortunately, we don’t have space here to follow all the travels of Paul’s many and varied companions, fascinating study as that would be.

Finally, Paul asks Timothy to pick up some needed things at Troas on his way to Paul, including a particular “cloak.” This speaks to Paul’s frugality, his lack of worldly goods, or the little support he had from area Christians where he was incarcerated. But most importantly, he needed important documents described as “the books, especially the parchments.” We don’t know what these were, whether copies of his writings and letters, legal papers for his trial, portions of Scripture, or blank “paper” to use for writing, this being a time long before the printing press when parchment was quite expensive. Paul was active in writing and reading, as the present letter demonstrates.

Lord, I treasure Your written Word as the most valuable possession I have.