2 Timothy 4:13-15 13When you come, bring the cloak which I left in Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. 14Alexander the coppersmith did many bad things to me; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15Your yourself also watch out for him, for he strongly opposed our words.
The closing of the letter continues with Paul’s personal request for Timothy to bring some items with him when he comes to see Paul in Rome. The cloak was a heavy poncho type covering that would have helped Paul in the colder winter. It is unknown who Carpus was. Troas was a strategic city for Paul’s mission to Europe, and he stopped there several times (Acts 16:8-11; 20:5-13; 2 Corinthians 2:12-13).
Books and parchments were important to Paul as Bible scholar and writer. Books (biblia) could refer to scrolls of Scripture. Parchments (membranas) were animal hides used as writing sheets. Paul does not give any hint as to the contents or use of these, but they were valuable tools for his ministry. It is possible that he left all of these items in Troas on his way to Jerusalem, but was never able to go back because of his arrest and transportation to Rome; however, it is not clear whether the books and parchments were left in Troas or somewhere else.
Verses 14-15 warn Timothy about a man named Alexander who worked as a coppersmith. Paul assumes Timothy knows who this was. In the story of Acts 19:21-41, there is a reference to a Jew named Alexander who was part of the riots of the silversmiths. These references could be to the same person. Whoever he was, he did many bad things to Paul. We can only imagine what these were. The end of verse 15 gives the reason Alexander did these bad things as opposing our words. Paul’s words focused upon the teachings about Jesus. We can conclude that Alexander, like other Jews, opposed the preaching of the gospel.
More significant is Paul’s response of handing this concern over to the Lord. It was not Paul’s duty or responsibility to get even, revenge, or defend himself. The Lord, a reference usually to Jesus, would pay back the harm Alexander did to Paul. Christians do not believe in karma or the old saying, “What comes around goes around.” Instead, we give our concerns like this to God because God will revenge for us and hold accountable those who cause us harm. Our duty is not to fight back but to love unconditionally.
But that does not mean we open ourselves up to harm. We should avoid it whenever possible. And so, Paul directs Timothy to watch out for Alexander. There are times when we need to stay away from those who will make ministry difficult. Like Jesus directed his disciples, we have to shake the dust off our feet and move on to more fertile ground (Matthew 10:14).
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