Left Behind in T Town

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments” (2Tim 4:13).

Forget Something?

Ever leave something behind? If you know me, I have a long history of leaving a trail of personal possessions wherever I go. Wallet. Keys. iPhone. Bible. If I carry it, there’s a good chance that I’ve left it. Once they’re located, I either make a return trip or a phone call to get them back.

But there are times when you leave in a hurry. I mean a BIG hurry. We’re not talking about a spontaneous weekend trip. This is a “somebody just pulled the fire alarm and find the nearest exit” kind of emergency. When that happens, you’re going to leave stuff behind. Hopefully you can find somebody who will bring it to you later.

Doing Paul a Favor

That’s what happened to Paul when we read the end of his second letter to Timothy. As the apostle closes out this note to the young pastor, he asks him to do a few favors for him. First, get his tail to Rome (2Tim 4:9). Second, swing by and pick up Mark on the way (2Tim 4:11). 

He asks Tim to add one more thing on his run to Rome. “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus in Troas, also the books and above all the parchments” (v13). Hey man, I need your help. Stop by Carpus’ place and get my winter coat. Grab my personal papers. Whatever you do, do NOT forget the parchments!

This must be some VERY important stuff to Paul! Why? Remember just how desperate his situation is. He’s on Death Row and his execution date is rapidly approaching (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7). When you’re life is on the line, the little things just don’t matter. Whatever he’s asking Timothy to bring, it must be mission critical in his final days.

Get My Coat

The first thing on Paul’s list is “the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas” (v13). He uses a word in the original language (Gr. φαιλονης/phailones) which describes a heavier outer garment for protection during colder or stormy weather that’s usually made out of wool. It could be used as a blanket on a chilly night. 

It’s the same piece of clothing Jesus mentions in His famous mountainside message. Christ tells His audience that if somebody sues you for your shirt, “let him have your cloak (Gr. φαιλονης/phailones) as well” (Mt 5:40). Don’t retaliate. Don’t file a countersuit. Simply let them have your coat.

Caesar’s SuperMax

The cloak makes sense. The dude wants his winter coat. That certainly makes sense when you see a little later in his letter that he really wants Tim to do everything possible and get to Rome “before winter” (2Tim 4:21). He’s cold. He’s going to get colder. 

Inmate Paul is walking the Green Mile in Caesar’s SuperMax, better known as the Mamertine Prison. This is less like an ultra modern penitentiary and more like a dark, dank dungeon. It’s where condemned prisoners went before they died. Chances are, the apostle has been lowered through the stone floor into a small cold chamber. A warm wool cloak would come in very handy.

Getting Your Name in the Bible

In order to get Paul’s heavy jacket and other gear, Tim will need to make a stop along the way to Rome. The apostle tells him that he left his stuff “with Carpus at Troas” (v13). This is the one and only time we see Carpus mentioned in the entire Bible. We really know very little about the guy. But thanks to the urging of God’s Spirit as Paul writes to his spiritual son, it’s preserved for eternity. Now THAT’S pretty cool!

What do we know about him? His name “Carpus” (Gr. καρπος/karpos) means fruit, harvest, produce, results, or profits. In the First Century, your handle often said something about you. Maybe this was your parents’ hope for you. It’s possible they wanted their son to be fruitful and profitable.

Naming Rights

Maybe Carpus is a nickname. Remember how the radical Rabbi/Carpenter dropped a new label on a hotheaded commercial fisherman named Simon? “Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas' (which means Peter)” (Jn 1:42).

Despite a personality that is, shall we say, inconsistent, Christ prophetically nicknames Simon “Rocky.” He sees what Pete will become. Steady. Faithful. Is this a picture of what Jesus writes to the church in Pergamum? He will give folks who overcome “a new name” carved in stone (Rev 2:17). Bottom line, since God made all of us in His image, He holds the naming rights!

It’s possible Paul’s responsible for slapping Carpus with a name by which he’ll be known for eternity. There’s a good chance he came to faith in Christ thanks to the apostle. One thing is for sure, Carp must have been a trusted friend of the apostle formerly known as Saul. Paul knew his gear was safe with him.

T is for Troas

So it makes sense that Carpus gave the apostle a place to stay when he was in Troas. T Town was a regular stop for Paul and his team when they was in that part of the world. The full name of the city is actually Alexandria Troas. It was a thriving seaport on the northwest coast of what we know today as Turkey. The city was perfectly located on the Aegean Sea for easy maritime access to ancient ports in modern day Greece and the island of Crete.

In one of his letters to the church in Corinth written in the Fall of 56 AD, the apostle tells them how he really wanted to take the Gospel to the people of Troas but had to leave in order to find his buddy Titus (2Cor 2:12-13). He’ll be back before you know it.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy sailed from Troas in order to take the message of Jesus to Europe for the very first time (Acts 16:8), but that wasn’t their original destination. They really wanted to tell the folks in Bithynia on the northern coast of Asia Minor all about the Good News. “But the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them” (Acts 16:7). 

A Vision in Troas

How did that go down? While they were in Troas, “a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there urging him saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’” (Acts 16:9). So the boys hop on a ship sailing from Troas that will eventually take them to Philippi (Acts 16:11).

The Gospel Comes to T Town

On Paul’s third tour, T Town was the location of a meetup with the crew taking the famine relief offering back to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4-6). It was this visit in the Spring of 57 AD that God gave him the opportunity to unpack the message of Jesus for the people there. While the apostle was there, it becomes the location of one of his longest sermons and most impressive miracles (Acts 20:7-12). 

While Paul was preaching a VERY long message (we’re talking until midnight!), some young fella named Eutychus was sitting in a third story window. Note to self, open windows may give you a nice breeze but they’re NOT the safest place to take a seat.

Eutychus fell asleep and fell out the window. The three-story drop killed the guy! Paul ran downstairs and took him in his arms. Dr. Luke tells us that before morning, the young gun was fully alive once again. No word on how well Eutychus and Carpus know each other.

One Final Visit

Apparently the apostle made at least one other trip to Troas in 67 AD. It’s on this last visit that he left behind these very important personal items at Carpus’ house. How did that happen? Why would he not take his cloak, his books, and other important documents? 

I think the evidence points to the Romans arresting him there. The authorities took him into custody there and hauled him back to prison in the capital where he’s waiting for execution. Which brings us to Autumn of 67 AD. Paul on Death Row, writing one last letter to Timothy.

Rolls and Scrolls

In asking for a final face-to-face visit, the apostle wants Tim to travel through Troas. It’s on the way. Grab his cloak as well as “the books, and above all the parchments” (v13). There’s critical written material he needs before time runs out.

Just what exactly are these important documents? In asking for his “books,” Paul uses a Greek word (Gr. βιβλια/biblia) which decribes a small scroll, a roll of paper, a letter, or a written document. It’s where we get our word “Bible.” This is probably sheets of an early form of paper sewn together. It was made from stalks of the papyrus plant. 

Luke tells us about the time Jesus “unrolled the scroll (Gr. βιβλια/biblia)” of Isaiah and read a prophecy about Himself (Lk 4:17). John made sure to let us know that Jesus did a whole lot more than what he wrote “in this book (Gr. βιβλια/biblia)” (Jn 20:30). Ephesian magicians and wizards “brought their books (Gr. βιβλια/biblia)” of spells and incantations and tossed them in a bonfire once the message of Jesus turned the city upside down (Acts 19:19).

Paul’s Personal Papers

While we don’t know exactly, these “books” are probably Paul’s personal journals. He would have used a different word (Gr. χαρτης/chartes) if he was talking about blank paper. Here’s the deal. The apostle knows he’s about to die. Blank paper won’t do him much good. He wants to get these documents in Tim’s hands before his death.

Gimme Some Skin

The apostle really wants his winter coat and books but there’s something even more important he can’t wait to get his hands on. “Above all the parchments” (v13). This time Paul uses a term (Gr. μεμβρανα/membrana) which specifically refers to animal skins used as writing material. This the source of our word “membrane” and it’s the one and only time it appears in Scripture.

What are these critical “parchments”? Since they’re made from animal skins, these are much more expensive than the other documents he wants. That being the case, Paul is probably asking for his Old Testament scrolls. Remember, they had yet to assemble the full New Testament at the time. 

God’s Comfort in God’s Word

It appears the apostle wants his Hebrew Scriptures. The scrolls containing God’s revelation of Himself. He could once again read the Pentateuch, the first five books of the OT. He could dig into the Law and the Prophets. 

Imagine the comfort he could find in David’s songbook that we call Psalms. Then there’s the wisdom literature. You can easily picture Paul reading the Book of Job during his darkest days. In other words, he wants his Bible. 

THE Hero of THE Story

Two thousand years later, we have the 66 assembled documents of Scripture. Together, they paint a portrait of a loving and faithful God who won’t stop until He has restored the horribly broken relationship with the people He’s made in His image. 

We are not the point of the Bible. God’s Word may be FOR us, but it is not ABOUT us. Jesus is THE Hero of THE Story. Everything points to Him. He said so Himself (Lk 24:27; Jn 5:39, 46). The story is not about Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, or Isaiah. Each one is horribly flawed just like us. Like Paul, let’s read Scripture through the lens of Christ.

Choosing the Foolish

Outside of our Hero, the pages are filled with an endless parade of knuckleheads, goofballs, and losers. Just like you and me. And just like you and me, God is able to use them in amazing ways for His own purposes. As Paul likes to say, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise” (2Cor 1:27). Just to be clear, the apostle is talking about you and me when he’s writing about the “foolish.”

Starting in the very first book, God’s Word tells the story of a One who will come to the rescue of the rebels. He keeps giving us hints, clues, and sneak previews of a promised Messiah who will make things right. A Savior who will leave the the comforts of the heavenly palace and dive into the dumpster of our sin.

Sitting in a Roman cell, Paul knows that Jesus of Nazareth is the One God has promised. He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He lived the perfect life of obedience to God’s law we failed to live. He died the death we should have died for our sin on the cross. He rose to a new life we don’t deserve.

The Clock Ticks Down

As the clock ticks down on the apostle’s final days, he wants what is most important. He wants to get the old gang back together one last time (2Tim 4:9, 11, 21). He would love to get his heavy winter coat. He wants his personal papers. But most of all, Paul wants his Bible. He left them behind in T Town. 

©2017 
Jay Jennings