Today’s Encouragement is 2 Timothy 4:13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.
The books-
Paul was elderly when he wrote to Timothy (v6) that he needed his heavy winter coat and wanted his books and parchments. He didn’t ask Timothy to bring food, or gold, but to bring Mark (v11) and these few things.
Which books and parchments do you suppose? His favorite novels? Homer’s Iliad maybe? I don’t think so. Books were extremely rare in this time. No one had a compilation of the books of the Bible to be carried around as they traveled. Is it possible that the books he longed for were part of what we now call the Old Testament? Isaiah, Psalms, Ezekiel, Genesis? Remember he was writing a letter to Timothy which would become, centuries later, added to 26 other writings to become our New Testament… but all Paul or anyone had at the time of Jesus’ life… was (what we now call) the Old Testament!
Friends, the rich history of God’s interaction with His people, and the hints, clues and fingerprints of Jesus are scattered liberally throughout the 39 books we call the Old Testament. But it wasn’t old or outdated or unnecessary to Paul. He longed to read them again. And we have the privilege today of reading, studying, absorbing this rich heritage of truth, the Old in the light of the New! In the light of Jesus!
How much deeper is the revelation, beauty, wisdom and praise of these ‘books and parchments’… through the enlightened eyes of faith in Christ Jesus. What a treasure we have in this complete book we call our Bible! God’s Truth revealed!
Matthew 4:4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
The word of God is our food, nourishment, and sustenance!
Word of God
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Today’s Encouragement 