What’s Most Important?
Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.
2 Timothy 4:13
If you were exiled to a deserted island, what one thing would you take with you? While something similar happened to the apostle John (Revelation 1:9) and likely to others throughout history, the chance of it happening to us is nil. But it does raise the question: “What do we value most?”
The apostle Paul was exiled to a “deserted” place near the end of his life—the Mamertine Prison in Rome. A notoriously dark and punishing place, Paul seems to have been confined with little or nothing in terms of possessions. When writing to Timothy, he asked his young protégé to bring his cloak, no doubt to ward off the cold in his damp confines. But he also asked for something else: “the books, especially the parchments.” These were no doubt copies of the Old Testament Scriptures, in whole or in part. With the end of his earthly life in sight (2 Timothy 4:6-8), he desired his most cherished possessions: his copies of God’s Word to comfort and sustain his spirit. May we never take for granted our access to God’s Word. May it be our daily source of strength and inspiration. The health of our souls requires that we take the whole Bible as it stands and let it do its work in us. A. W. Tozer
Turning Point Ministries
Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.
2 Timothy 4:13
If you were exiled to a deserted island, what one thing would you take with you? While something similar happened to the apostle John (Revelation 1:9) and likely to others throughout history, the chance of it happening to us is nil. But it does raise the question: “What do we value most?”
The apostle Paul was exiled to a “deserted” place near the end of his life—the Mamertine Prison in Rome. A notoriously dark and punishing place, Paul seems to have been confined with little or nothing in terms of possessions. When writing to Timothy, he asked his young protégé to bring his cloak, no doubt to ward off the cold in his damp confines. But he also asked for something else: “the books, especially the parchments.” These were no doubt copies of the Old Testament Scriptures, in whole or in part. With the end of his earthly life in sight (2 Timothy 4:6-8), he desired his most cherished possessions: his copies of God’s Word to comfort and sustain his spirit. May we never take for granted our access to God’s Word. May it be our daily source of strength and inspiration. The health of our souls requires that we take the whole Bible as it stands and let it do its work in us. A. W. Tozer
Turning Point Ministries
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