2 Timothy 4 · Verse 11

2 Timothy 4:11

Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

2 Timothy 4:11, King James Version

2 Timothy 4:11 in other translations

BSB	Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry.
WEB	Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
ASV	Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering.
YLT	Lukas only is with me; Markus having taken, bring with thyself, for he is profitable to me for ministration;
DARBY	Luke alone is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thyself, for he is serviceable to me for ministry.
BBE	Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and take him with you; for he is of use to me in the work.
Webster	Luke only is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

What does 2 Timothy 4:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

11. Take--Greek, "take up" on thy journey (Ac 20:13, 14). John Mark was probably in, or near, Colosse, as in the Epistle to the Colossians (Col 4:10), written two years before this, he is mentioned as about to visit them. Timothy was now absent from Ephesus and somewhere in the interior of Asia Minor; hence he would be sure to fall in with Mark on his journey. he is profitable to me for the ministry--Mark had been under a cloud for having forsaken Paul at a critical moment in his missionary tour with Barnabas (Ac 15:37-40; 13:5, 13). Timothy had subsequently occupied the same post in relation to Paul as Mark once held. Hence Paul, appropriately here, wipes out the past censure by high praise of Mark and guards against Timothy's making self-complacent comparisons between himself and Mark, as though he were superior to the latter (compare Phm 24). Demas apostatizes. Mark returns to the right way, and is no longer unprofitable, but is profitable for the Gospel ministry (Phm 11).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 11. Only Luke is with me. Luke, the author of the gospel which bears his name, and of the Acts of the Apostles. For a considerable part of the ministry of Paul, he was his travelling companion, comp. Acts 16:10; and we know that he went with him to Rome, Acts 27:1.

Take Mark. John Mark, Acts 15:37. He was the son of a sister of Barnabas, and had been the travelling companion of Barnabas and Paul. There had been a temporary alienation between Paul and him, Acts 15:38, but this passage proves that that had been removed, and that Paul was reconciled to him.

For he is profitable to me for the ministry. In what way he would be profitable he does not say; nor is it known why Mark was at that time with Timothy. It may be observed however, that this is such language as Paul might be expected to use of Mark, after what had occurred, as recorded in Acts 15:38. He felt that he was now about to die. If he suspected that there was on the part of Mark any lingering apprehension that the great apostle was not entirely reconciled to him, or retained a recollection of what had formerly occurred, nothing would be more natural than that at this trying time of his life, Paul should summon him to his side, and express towards him the kindest emotions. It would soothe any lingering irritation in the mind of Mark to receive such a message.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 11 Only Luke is with me - This was Luke the evangelist, and writer of the Acts of the Apostles, who was always much attached to St. Paul, and it is supposed continued with him even to his martyrdom. Take Mark, and bring him with thee - This was John Mark, the sister's son of Barnabas, who, after having wavered a little at first, became a steady, zealous, and useful man; his name and conduct have been often before the reader. See the parallel passages. For he is profitable to me for the ministry - Εις διακονιαν· For service; that is, he would be very useful to the apostle, to minister to him in his present close confinement. Some think that the apostle means his preaching the Gospel; but at this time, I should suppose, there was very little, if any, public preaching at Rome.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Timothy 4:9-13

The love of this world, is often the cause of turning back from the truths and ways of Jesus Christ. Paul was guided by Divine inspiration, yet he would have his books. As long as we live, we must still learn. The apostles did not neglect human means, in seeking the necessaries of life, or their own instruction. Let us thank the Divine goodness in having given us so many writings of wise and pious men in all ages…

Read the full comment on 2 Timothy 4:9-13 →

2 Timothy 4:11 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΛουκᾶςLoukasLukeG3065

ἐστινestinisG1510

μόνοςmonosaloneG3441

μετ᾽met᾽withG3326

ἐμοῦ.emoume.G1473

ΜᾶρκονMarkonMarkG3138

ἀναλαβὼνanalabōnhaving takenG353

ἄγεagedo bring [him]G71

μετὰmetawithG3326

σεαυτοῦ·seautouyourself;G4771

ἔστινestinhe isG1510

γάρgarforG1063

μοιmoito meG3165

εὔχρηστοςeuchrēstosusefulG2173

εἰςeisforG1519

διακονίαν.diakonian[the] ministry.G1248

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Timothy 4:11

Acts 12:12
And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
Acts 12:25
And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
Philemon 1:24
Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
Acts 15:39
And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
2 Timothy 1:15
This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
Colossians 4:14
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
Colossians 4:10
Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
1 Peter 5:13
The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
Hosea 14:4
I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
Matthew 20:16
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Matthew 19:30
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Acts 16:10
And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Only.
1:15
Luke.
Ac 16:10; Col 4:14; Phm 1:24
Mark.
Ac 12:12,25; 15:39; Col 4:10; 1Pe 5:13; Ho 14:4
for.
Mt 19:30; 20:16; Lu 13:30

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Timothy 4:10
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
2 Timothy 4:12
And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

Read all of 2 Timothy 4

2 Timothy 4:11 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Lucas solo está conmigo. Toma á Marcos, y tráele contigo; porque me es útil para el ministerio.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Luc seul est avec moi. Prends Marc et amène-le avec toi, car il m’est utile pour le service.
German Elberfelder 1871	Lukas ist allein bei mir. Nimm Markus und bringe ihn mit dir, denn er ist mir nützlich zum Dienst.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Lucas est mecum solus. Marcum assume, et adduc tecum: est enim mihi utilis in ministerium.