GREET PRISCA AND AQUILA AND THE HOUSEHOLD OF ONESIPHORUS: Aspasai (2SAAM) Priskan kai Akulan kai ton Onesiphorou oikon: (Prisca - Acts 18:2,18,26; Romans 16:3,4; 1Cor16:19 ) (2Ti 1:16)

Greet (782) (aspazomai from a  + spao = draw out as a sword, pull, breathe) (aorist imperative = command to carry this out effectively. Be sure to greet them!) means to enfold in arms, welcome, embrace. It is spoken of those who meet or separate. This is one final expression of Paul's paternal love. Aspazomai is constantly used in the papyri for conveying the greetings at the end of a letter.

Aspazomai - 59x in 47v - Mt 5:47; 10:12; Mark 9:15; 15:18; Luke 1:40; 10:4; Acts 18:22; 20:1; 21:7, 19; 25:13; Rom 16:3, 5ff, 21ff; 1 Cor 16:19f; 2 Cor 13:12; Phil 4:21f; Col 4:10, 12, 14f; 1 Thess 5:26; 2 Tim 4:19, 21; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:23; Heb 11:13; 13:24; 1 Pet 5:13f; 2 John 1:13; 3 John 1:15. NAS = acclaim(1), give...your greeting(1), greet(41), greeted(3), greeting(1), greets(5), paid their respects to(1), sends...greetings(4), taken...leave(1), welcomed(1).

Prisca -  In the NT "Priscilla" and "Prisca" are the same person. The author of Acts uses the full name Priscilla, while Paul uses the diminutive form Prisca.
 

Acts 18:2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them,

Acts 18:18  Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow.

Acts 18:26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Romans 16:3  Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

1 Corinthians 16:19  The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

2 Timothy 4:19  Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

Aquila - Acts 18:2, 18, 26; Ro 16:3; 1Cor 16:19; 2Ti 4:19. Husband of Prisca/Priscilla. A Jew of Pontus, a tent-maker, convert to Christ, companion and ally of Paul in propagating the Christian religion.
 

Acts 18:2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them,

Acts 18:18  Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow.

Acts 18:26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Romans 16:3  Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

1 Corinthians 16:19  The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

2 Timothy 4:19  Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

Household (3624) (oikos) refers to a dwelling and by implication a family (more or less related), a home, a household.

Onesiphorus - Profit-bringer. Bringing advantage. "One of the punning names so common among slaves. Cp. Chresimus, Chrestus, Onesimus, Symphorus, all of which signify useful or helpful." (Vincent)
 

ERASTUS REMAINED AT CORINTH BUT TROPHIMUS I LEFT SICK AT MILETUS: Erastos emeinen (3SAAI) en KorinthoTrophimon de apelipon (1SAAI) en Mileto asthenounta (PAPMSA): (Erastus - Acts 19:22; Romans 16:23 ) (Trophimus - Acts 20:4; 21:29) (Miletum - Acts 20:15,17, Philippians 2:26,27)

See Erastus
 

Acts 19:22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

Romans 16:23 Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother.

2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.

Remained (3306) (meno) means to remain in the same place over a period of time and so to abide. This is a major verb in the NT (118x in 102v) and is used 3x in 2Timothy (2Ti 2:13, 2Ti 3:14, 2Ti 4:20).

See Trophimus
 

Acts 20:4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

Acts 21:29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.

Sick (770)(astheneo [word study] from asthenes [see study] = without strength, powerless from a = without + sthenos = strength, bodily vigor) means to be feeble (in any sense), to be diseased, impotent, sick,  to lack strength, to be infirm, to be weak.

Astheneo - 33 times in the NAS - Mt 10:8; 25:36, 39; Mark 6:56; Lk 4:40; Jn 4:46; 5:3, 7; 6:2; 11:1, 2, 6; Acts 9:37; 19:12; 20:35; Ro 4:19; 8:3; 14:1,2; 1Cor 8:11, 12; 2Co 11:21, 29; 12:10; 13:3, 4, 9; Php 2:26, 27; 2Ti 4:20; James 5:14. NAS =  am weak, 1; becoming weak, 1; fell sick, 1; sick, 18; weak, 12.

See Miletus
 

Acts 20:15 Sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus.

Acts 20:17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.

2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.

MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO COME BEFORE WINTER: Spoudason (2SAAM) pro cheimonos elthein (AAN):

Make every every (4704) (spoudazo [word study] from spoude = earnestness, diligence) conveys the idea hastening to do something with the implication of associated energy or with intense effort and motivation. It means marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application. The idea is give maximum effort, do your best, spare no effort, hurry on, be eager!  Hasten to do a thing, exert yourself, endeavor to do it. It means not only to be willing to do with eagerness, but to follow through and make diligent effort. In other words spoudazo does not stop with affecting one's state of mind, but also affects one's activity. Spoudazo conveys the idea of exertion. It means to be conscientious, zealous and earnest in discharging a duty or obligation. The verb speaks of intensity of purpose followed by intensity of effort toward the realization of that purpose.

to make haste, do one’s best, take care, desire. The idea of making haste, being eager, giving diligence, and putting forth effort are in the word. The word speaks of intense effort and determination. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos or Wordsearch)

Before winter - Before the winter-season which spans the Feast of Tabernacles to Feast of Passover (roughly, October to April). Why? Clearly weather impeded or even completely prohibited travel, especially by sea (as is apparent from a study of Acts 27:1ff). Another reason of course is that the time of Paul's departure (demise) was drawing near (2Ti 4:6-note). Paul would also need his cloak (2Ti 4:13-note)

Practical Application: Winter is a season. Seasons pass. And when they pass, the opportunities (Click for an in depth word study on kairos, the Greek Word which means "opportunity") that were present during that season will also pass. God gives us all opportunities but He won't force us to respond. We have to choose to respond to opportunities. In this last section of Paul's final known communication he makes the plea (a second time) to "make every effort" but not qualifies it with  “Come before winter”. This plea should be a reminder to all of us that opportunities do not wait forever. Practically speaking, in the ancient world, once the winter season began, Timothy would no longer be able to travel easily to Rome and see his beloved friend for the last time.

Dr. Clarence Macartney in his famous sermon “Come Before Winter” asks...

Why “before winter”? Because when winter set in the season for navigation closed in the Mediterranean and it was dangerous for ships to venture out to sea. How dangerous it was, the story of Paul’s last shipwreck tells us. If Timothy waits until winter, he will have to wait until spring; and Paul has a premonition that he will not last out the winter, for he says, “The time of my departure is at hand.” We like to think that Timothy did not wait a single day after that letter from Paul reached him at Ephesus, but started at once to Troas, where he picked up the books and the old cloak in the house of Carpus, then sailed past Samothrace to Neapolis, and thence traveled by the Egnatian Way across the plains of Philippi and through Macedonia to the Adriatic, where he took ship to Brundisium, and then went up the Appian Way to Rome, where he found Paul in his prison, read to him from the Old Testament, wrote his last letters, walked with him to the place of execution near the Pyramid of Cestius, and saw him receive the crown of glory.

Before winter or never!

There are some things which will never be done unless they are done “before winter.” The winter will come and the winter will pass, and the flowers of the springtime will deck the breast of the earth, and the graves of some of our opportunities, perhaps the grave of our dearest friend. There are golden gates wide open on this autumn day, but next October they will be forever shut. There are tides of opportunity running now at the flood. Next October they will be at the ebb. There are voices speaking today which a year from today will be silent. Before winter or never! (Click for full sermon)

To reiterate...

“Before winter or never!...

There are some things which will never be done unless they are done ‘before winter.’”

Beloved, are there opportunities you are neglecting today that may soon vanish forever? Are there people you should contact and decisions you should make? Today is yours; tomorrow may be too late.

Beloved "Timothy" or "Timothea", "Come before winter!" whatever that plea might mean to you in your present life circumstance...don't delay! Dr. Arnot Walker did not delay...

Dr. Arnot Walker, when a student in the Jefferson Medical College, heard Dr. Clarence E. Macartney preach a sermon on the text, “Do thy diligence to come before winter” (2Ti 4:21). The text continued to linger in his thoughts as he sat in his room. He decided, “I had better write a letter now to my mother. Perhaps the winter of death is near for her.” He wrote to her and expressed gratitude for her exemplary Christian life. Two days later while he sat in class a telegram was given to him. It read, “Come at once. Your mother is critically ill!” Hurriedly he went to the country home. His mother was still living. A smile of recognition and satisfaction was on her face. Under her pillow lay a treasured possession—the loving letter her son had written her after the Sunday service. It had cheered and comforted her as she entered “the valley of the shadow of death!”  (Bolding Added) (Tan, P. L. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations: Garland TX: Bible Communications)

EUBULUS GREETS YOU, ALSO PUDENS AND LINUS AND CLAUDIA AND ALL THE BRETHREN: se Euboulos kai Poudes kai Linos kai Klaudia kai oi adelphoi pantes: (Romans 16:21, 22, 23; 1Corinthians 16:20; 2Corinthians 13:13; Philippians 4:22; 2John 1:13; 3John 1:14)

THE LORD BE WITH YOUR SPIRIT. GRACE BE WITH YOU: O kurios meta tou pneumatos sou e charis meth' humon: (Matthew 28:20; Romans 16:20; 2Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 6:18; Philemon 1:25) (Romans 1:7; 1Corinthians 16:23; Ephesians 6:24; Colossians 4:18; 1Timothy 6:21; 1Peter 5:14; Revelation 22:21)

The Lord be with your spirit - In essence a prayer of blessing to Timothy. It is notable that in Galatians 6:18 and Philemon 1:25, Paul gives a similar blessing that "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit" but in closing words to Timothy ("your" is singular not plural, so Paul is specifically addressing Timothy) the blessing bestowed is not of the grace of the Lord, but of the presence of the Lord (of grace)! Then in the following blessing, Paul shifts to the plural form of you (as he uses in the benediction of 1Ti 6:21 and Titus 3:15 where both uses of "you" are plural), which expands the benediction to the believers in general (which would include you and me).

Grace be with you - As noted above, this blessing is bestowed on all believers.

How fitting that Paul began and ended this last letter with the encouraging benediction of "grace". What Timothy began in the invigorating atmosphere of grace (2Ti 1:2 "Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord"), and was continued in the strengthening power of that same grace, could only be accomplished with that same supply of amazing grace. And the same "formula" for success, applies to any good work any saint would seek to accomplish in the name of the Lord and for His glory.

Grace (5485) (charis from from chairo = to rejoice. English = charity. Beggars need "charity" even as sinners need grace, for we are all spiritual paupers outside of Christ, but "God gives where he finds empty hands"-Augustine [cp Mt 5:3-note])

Grace (charis) is a word which defies a simple definition but at its core conveys the sense of favor while the specific nuances of charis depend on the context in which it is used. Someone has written that the word grace is probably the greatest word in the Scriptures, even greater even than “love,” because grace is love in action, and therefore includes it. It is hardly too much to say that God has in no word uttered Himself and all that was in His heart more distinctly than in this word grace (charis)!