2 Timothy 4:12

And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.—Instead of “and,” the Greek particle here should be rendered “but Tychicus.” “This ‘but’ appears to refer to a suppressed thought, suggested by the concluding portion of the last (11th) verse: bring Mark. I need one who is profitable (or serviceable) for the ministry. I had one in Tychicus, but he is gone” (Ellicott). Neither the period of Tychicus’ journey nor its object is alluded to here. It probably took place some time, however, before the sending of this Epistle to Timothy. Tychicus was evidently one of the trusted companions of St. Paul. He had been with him, we know, on his third missionary journey, and had, during St. Paul’s first Roman imprisonment, some six or seven years before, been charged with a mission by his master to Ephesus. In Ephesians 6:21 he is called a beloved brother and a faithful minister in the Lord. (See, too, Colossians 4:7, where he is spoken of in similar terms.) On the city of Ephesus, see Note on 1Timothy 1:3. It has been, with considerable probability, suggested that Tychicus had been the bearer of the first Epistle to Timothy. Between the writing of these two letters, we know, no great interval could have elapsed.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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; and let us seek that by reading them our profiting may appear to all.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And Tychicus - See Acts 20:4. In Ephesians 6:21, Paul calls him "a beloved brother, and faithful minister in the Lord." But it may be asked why he did not retain him with him, or why should he have sent him away, and then call Timothy to him? The probability is, that he had sent him before he had seen reason to apprehend that he would be put to death; and now, feeling the need of a friend to be with him, he sent to Timothy, rather than to him, because Tychicus had been employed to perform some service which he could not well leave, and because Paul wished to give some some special instructions to Timothy before he died.

Have I sent to Ephesus - Why, is not certainly known; compare Intro. Section 2.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. And—Greek, "But." Thou art to come to me, but Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus to supply thy place (if thou so willest it) in presiding over the Church there in thy absence (compare Tit 3:12). It is possible Tychicus was the bearer of this Epistle, though the omission of "to thee" is rather against this view.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

I have given order to Tychius to come to Ephesus in thy absence.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. To supply the place of Timothy, while he came to Rome, and continued there: so careful was the apostle of the church there, that they might not be without the ministry of the word during his absence; see Ephesians 6:20.

Geneva Study Bible

And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

2 Timothy 4:12. Τύχικον δὲ ἀπέστειλα εἰς Ἔφεσον] Tychicus was in Greece with Paul on the third missionary journey, and preceded him to Troas, Acts 20:4-5. According to Colossians 4:7 and Ephesians 6:21, Paul sent him from Rome to Asia Minor. Otto thinks that this was the occasion mentioned here, and tries to prove it particularly by an interpretation of the passages quoted from the Epistles to the Colossians and the Ephesians. There are, however, well-founded objections to his theory. The facts are such, the two occasions on which he was sent can obviously not be identical.

εἰς Ἔφεσον] Paul here mentions Ephesus as the place to which he had sent Tychicus; but we cannot infer from this, as Theodoret and de Wette infer, that Timothy had not at that time lived in Ephesus.

The reason why he was sent is not given. Possibly it was to convey this epistle (Wieseler); but not probably, for in such a case Paul would have certainly written πρὸς σέ (Titus 3:12; Wiesinger).

Expositor's Greek Testament

2 Timothy 4:12. Τυχικὸν δέ, κ.τ.λ.: The δέ does not involve a comparison of Tychicus with Mark, as both εὔχρηστοι (so Ell.); but rather distinguishes the cause of Tychicus’ absence from that of the others. Demas had forsaken the apostle; and Crescens and Titus had gone, perhaps on their own initiative; Tychicus had been sent away by St. Paul himself. For Tychicus, see Acts 20:4, Ephesians 6:21-22, Colossians 4:7-8, Titus 3:12; and the art. in Hastings’ D. B.

εἰς Ἔφσον: If the emphasis in the clause lies on ἀπέστειλα, as has been just suggested, the difficulty of harmonising εἰς Ἔφεσον with the common belief that Timothy was himself in chief authority in the Church at Ephesus is somewhat mitigated. St. Paul had mentioned the places to which Demas, etc., had gone; and even on the supposition that St. Paul knew that Tychicus was with Timothy, he could not say, “I sent away Tychicus” without completing the sentence by adding the destination. This explanation must be adopted, if we suppose with Ell. that Tychicus was the bearer of First Timothy. If he were the bearer of Second Timothy, ἀπέστειλα can be plausibly explained as the epistolary aorist. On the other hand, there is no reason why we should assume that Timothy was at Ephesus at this time. Other local references, e.g., 2 Timothy 1:15; 2 Timothy 1:18, and 2 Timothy 4:13 are quite consistent with a belief that he was not actually in that city. Perhaps “Do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5) is an indication that he was itinerating.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. Tychicus] The accent of the word shews it to be formed from the noun for ‘chance’; as with us a common surname is Chance.

Tychicus, a native of proconsular Asia (Acts 20:4), went with St Paul on the third missionary journey to Jerusalem, perhaps as a delegate from his own Church; was with him towards the close of the first imprisonment at Rome (Colossians 4:7); after the release was again with him on the way to Nicopolis (Titus 3:12); and now just before his death is sent to Ephesus. From St Paul’s reference to him in Colossians 4:7 as his ‘beloved brother and faithful minister’ we see the naturalness of his going on with the Apostle and St Luke to Rome.

have I sent] Rightly, if we take the tense (as is most probable) to be the epistolary aorist. Instances of this in St Paul are 2 Corinthians 8:18; 2 Corinthians 8:22; 2 Corinthians 9:3, Galatians 6:11, Ephesians 6:22, Colossians 4:8, Php 2:25; Php 2:28, Philemon 1:11. St Paul then is sending Tychicus with this letter to take Timothy’s place at Ephesus; he had therefore finally decided to send Artemas, not Tychicus, to Crete when he wanted to have Titus with him, Titus 3:12. See Introduction, pp. 43, 44.

Bengel's Gnomen

2 Timothy 4:12. Τυχικὸν, Tychicus) whom Timothy might set over the Church [in his own absence when going to Paul]; but Paul leaves this to himself [without even suggesting that he should do so]: comp. Titus 3:12.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - But for and, A.V.; sent for have sent, A.V. Tychicus was with St. Paul when he wrote the Epistle to the Colossians (Colossians 4:7), as was also Timothy (Colossians 1:1). The presence of Luke, Timothy, Tychicus, Mark, with Paul now, as then, is remarkable (see ver. 10, note). I sent to Ephesus. Theodoret (quoted by Alford, 'Proleg. to 2 Timothy,' ch. 9. sect. 1) says, "It is plain from this that St. Timothy was not at this time living at Ephesus, but somewhere else." And that certainly is the natural inference at first sight. But Bishop Ellicott suggests the possibility of Tychicus being the bearer of the First Epistle to Timothy, written not very long before, and this being merely an allusion to that well known fact. Another and more probable idea is that he was the bearer of this Epistle, that the object of his mission, like that of Artemas (Titus 3:12), was to take Timothy's place at Ephesus during Timothy's absence at Rome, and that he is thus mentioned in the Epistle in order to commend him to the reverent regard of the Ephesian Church (Wordsworth). It is argued against this that πρός σε would have been the more natural expression after the analogy of Colossians 4:7 and Titus 3:12. But this objection would be removed if we suppose that the Epistle was sent by another hand, and that it was very possible that Timothy might have started for Rome before Tychicus could arrive at Ephesus. He might have orders to visit Corinth or Macedonia on his way. (For the arguments for and against Timothy being at Ephesus at this time, see Alford's 'Proleg.,' as above.) 2 Timothy 4:12

Vincent's Word Studies

Tychicus

A comparatively uncommon name in N.T., but found in inscriptions of Asia Minor and on Asiatic coins. He is mentioned Acts 20:4, Acts 20:5; Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7. In Acts 20:4 he is described as a native of proconsular Asia.