 Good morning, everyone, and welcome to class. Can I ask Dave to lead us in prayer, please? Father, we thank you. We thank you for this time. We thank you for this day. We thank you that you are our God. Today we are looking at the last chapter in 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy chapter 4. Last Wednesday, before we end the class, we read the entire chapter. So we will be studying the words, the phrases, or we will be studying the verses in chapter 4 of 2 Timothy. Verses 1 and 2, can one of you please read 2 Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 and 2, please? In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead. And in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this chart. Please, the word be prepared in season and out of season. Correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. Thank you, Dave. So here we see that, you know, Paul's in this chapter or in this letter, it's Paul's final words to his son in the faith that is Timothy, who he left at Ephesus to oversee the churches there at Ephesus and the surrounding areas. The seven churches as well. And we know that Paul is now in Rome. He is imprisoned and he knows that he's going to die soon. And so these are his last words to Timothy, though he would love to see Timothy in person. But he knows it might not be a possibility or he's even thinks that it might be possible because he tells him to bring his cloak and things like that. But we see that does not happen because, you know, soon after writing this letter, he's martyred. So these are Paul's final words and verses one and two are very important because Paul is telling Timothy or he's giving him his charge. He's saying, Timothy, here is my charge to you or here is my final admonition to you, my final charge to you. And this is really important and I'm charging you before the Lord. So it's not just a polite encouragement that he's giving, but it's a charge that he's giving. And this is something important. This is something serious. And even as Paul is writing this charge to Timothy, he's saying that I'm doing it because I believe that God is watching me even as I charge you. So what is he charging him or what is he wanting him to do? We see this in verse two. He says, preach the word, you know, and he's been telling him this. Even as he wrote the first letter that is first Timothy, he says, preach the word, teach the word, you know, stay focused on just preaching and teaching and not in, you know, useless arguments and discussions. So he says, preach the word. And that is what, you know, all of us as people who are brought from darkness into his marvelous light, people who are his royal priesthood or holy nation. That is what God has called us to do. And that is our great commission. We need to preach, teach and baptize people in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So here again, he's telling him and giving him an important charge. He's saying, preach the word. And even as Paul is saying that to Timothy, it's something that we also need to, you know, apply for our own lives that we need to be people who are ready to preach the word of God. And he says, preach the word of God in season and out of season, you know, whether it's convenient for you or inconvenient, whether the time is convenient or the time is inconvenient, whether it's easy or it's not easy. It says, preach the word of God. Okay. And he says, as you preach the word of God, what are some of the things you need to do? The first thing he says is convince. That means convince means convict people or challenge them, you know, persuade them, encourage them, basically persuade and encourage the hearts of the people, you know, to the truth, to live according to the truth and to follow the truth. And then he says, not only convince, but he says also rebuke. Rebuke means lovingly correct them, bring correction in the lives of the people, whether it's their personal lives, family lives or whether it's regarding their work with God, their doctrine, their hope, their faith, their trust in, in God. And then he says, exhort people, that is invite them, encourage them, motivate them, inspire them to live the truth, to live their faith, to walk in accordance to what God has asked them to do. Okay. And he says, you know, preach people and when you preach, you know, convince, rebuke and exhort and do it with all patience. So when you're teaching, be patient, you know, some people, sometimes people will get it, sometimes they will not get it, sometimes, you know, we think that because they've heard it once, they don't need to hear it again. But sometimes we need to repeat the same things again and again, teach the same things in different ways. But when we do it, we need to be patient with people, patiently present the Word of God, patiently present the truth to them, so that, you know, and when we do this, we also need to give people the time to embrace the truth. Be patient with people to embrace the truth, to live the truth and to walk in the truth. Okay. So he goes on to write and say, why should we be, why should we teach patiently or why should we preach patiently or why should we be patient with people? He goes on to write this in verses three and four. Can one of you please read verse three and four please. What happened to the ladies in the class? What happened to Erin and Kiran? They didn't attend the previous class? No, ma'am, they didn't. Okay. Okay, so can somebody read verses three and four please? Okay, I'll read it ma'am. Thank you, Dave. So the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine, instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what they're eating ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to him. Thank you, Dave. So Paul is saying that there will come a time when people will not endure sound doctrine. And of course it was happening there in Ephesus as well. People were not, you know, living according to sound doctrine, they were heeding to all the false teachers, false teaching that was going around. And so we also see that the time and age that we are living in, you know, people want to just hear motivational messages, they want to hear feel good messages, messages that make them feel happy. And they're not interested or they just want to shy away from sound teaching of the word. They just want to hear messages that will always motivate them, make them feel good, make them feel happy. But not sound teaching or sound doctrines from the word of God. It's good to give people motivational messages time and again, but we also need to teach them sound doctrines from the word of God and people will flock to teachers or they'll just run to people who preach or teach what they want to listen. Listen, what appeases their ears, what pleases their lifestyle, what pleases their mindset. And when they do this, you know, they slowly tend to wander away from the truth. And Paul says, you know, when they wander away from the truth, that's when they will follow myths, fables and manmade stories. That means, you know, people nowadays or the people living in Paul's time, they want to replace the truth with manmade fables and manmade stories because that is more exciting, that is more interesting for them to learn. So he's telling Timothy, you know, it's important for you to keep teaching and preaching the word and don't keep just talking about fables and stories that people want to hear, which makes them feel happy. Which makes them feel good, which, you know, kind of appeases their taste buds. Okay, now what is the danger when this happens is, you know, when people are just spoken to through motivational talk, to make feel, you know, talks that make them feel good, make them feel very happy. They miss out on all that God seeks to do and to bring into our lives through his word. You know, we know that God works through his word. His word is powerful. We see that in the very beginning when he created the world, he spoke and everything came into existence. And ever since he has been speaking, he's been communicating to man, his laws, his commandments, the rituals, sacrifices, how they need to live, where they need to go, how they need to dress. Every area, every aspect of the Lord of their life, you know, God has communicated, he's spoken through leaders, prophets, judges, through various people. And so we see that, you know, God works by his words. And there are so many things that the word of God reveals or the scripture reveals to us that God's word does. So what are some of the things we read in John chapter 8 verses 31 and 32 that when we continue in the word, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. Okay. You know, the God's word is truth. Even Jesus prayed this in his high priestly prayer in John chapter 17. He says sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. So God's word cleanses, sanctifies. It also sets us free. In Matthew chapter 7 verses 24 to 27, it says that when we hear, that only when we hear and do the word, then we have a solid foundation. It will be like a house that is built upon a rock. And when the storm comes and the weather is really bad, it will stand the fierceness of the storm or the fierce weather because it is built on a strong foundation. And what is a strong foundation? Strong foundation is the word of God when we hear it and when we do it. Okay. We know that the word of God also sanctifies us. John chapter 17 verse 3. It purifies us. First Peter chapter 1 verses 22 and 23. It builds us up Acts chapter 20 and 32. And there are more aspects of the word of God. The word of God, you know, strengthens, encourages, rebukes, trains us in righteousness and holiness. The word of God is the, you know, the sword that we have to come against every attack of the evil one, the darts of the evil one, every temptation that we face. So there's so much more about what the word of God does. And so he's saying, you know, you preach and teach the word of God. Even as, you know, some of us are involved in ministry. We're preaching and teaching. It's very important that we don't sway, you know, towards to keep our flock or just to have more people come to our church, that we just don't give motivational talks, you know, feel good talks, prosperity, just prosperity gospel all the time. Because people would like to hear that. But we need to also teach them things from the word of God, also motivate them, also encourage them, also speak God's blessing and favor that comes as a result of keeping his word. Okay. And then he goes on in verse five to tell Timothy to stay focused. So in verse five he says, but you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry. So he's telling Timothy, Timothy, don't get discouraged or don't get distracted by things that are around you. Be watchful. Be careful. He says, endure hardships. That means you will face a lot of difficulties, a lot of difficult times, a lot of tough times. And he says, you know, you stand through, don't shy away from your challenges from your problems, and who best to write to Timothy than Paul himself, who was in a very difficult situation but somebody who's not running away from his responsibilities, the challenges that he's facing. But even in this difficult situation, he is writing to people and he is encouraging them. He says, keep proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. We know that we are in tough times and difficult times. So we also need to continue proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. And then he says, complete your ministry. Okay. Complete the assignment that God has given to you. And then he goes on in verses six to eight to talk about his own journey. So can one of you please read verses six to eight please. Can I read? Sure, Kannan. Thank you. Yeah. For I'm already being poured out as a drink offering. And the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on the day and not to me only but also to all who have loud his appearing. Thank you. So Paul is here very aware that he would be martyred soon. He would die soon. And he says his life is being offered up for the sake of the gospel. But in spite of what he is going to face, though it's troubling, though it's difficult, it can be very, it can fill him with anxiety. But there is a deep sense of accomplishment. And why do we say that there's a deep sense of accomplishment because he says I have fought a good fight. And there's a deep sense of completion because he says he has finished the race. There's also a deep sense of fulfillment because he says he has kept the faith. And then there is expectation or hope that he's looking up or he's looking ahead. And he's saying that there is a crown laid up for me. So when he says that he's fought a good fight, he basically says, you know, I've accomplished what I had to. He's finished the race. He's completed what God has purposed for him. There's a sense of completion. There's a sense of fulfillment. He has kept the faith. He has not turned back on God. He has not deserted his faith like some people have gone back to the worldly ways. And then he says, you know, he's expecting a crown that is laid up for him. And then he tells Timothy to come quickly to him in verses 9 to 11. Can one of you please read verses 9 to 11 please? I'll read now. Thank you, Thomas. Be diligent to come to me quickly for Deimos has forsaken me having allowed this present world and as departed for the Thessalonica. And so says for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia, only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you for he is useful to me for ministry. And Titus, I have sent to Ephesus, bring the clock that I left with the carpets that throw us when you came and the books, especially the Parchments. Alexander, the copper Smith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must be aware of him for he has greatly resisted our words. Yeah. Thank you, Thomas. So here Paul is telling Timothy, you know, and asking him to be to come to him quickly and he says be diligent, be sincere, be faithful. And says, come to see me quickly because I have not much time. You know, because I'll be dying soon. Be martyred soon. Come quickly to see me. And we see that Paul long is longing to see Timothy. And, and he also long is longing to see Timothy because the others have left him. And only Luke is there with Paul. Okay. And he says, Demis has forsaken me. So we see, you know, Demis was a fellow worker of Paul. He's mentioned in Colossians chapter four, was 14, and the filament chapter one was 24. You know, so we know that he was ministering with Paul. So he must have traveled with Paul. He must have seen Paul ministering. He would have also seen how God has been using Paul mightily to minister to people. And he just observed also must have observed Paul's life very, very closely. But the sad thing is that, you know, Demis has now forsaken Paul and the work of the kingdom, because he's drawn to the things of the world. Okay. So we can say how sad, you know, for Demis to have done that. But this is something that we need to also take note of. This is also a warning for us that we need to be on our God, each one of us. Okay. We might be strong in the faith. We might be serving God. We might be also studying in the Bible college. I might also be teaching in the Bible college. But you know, you know, we can, we can also come to a place where we can abandon our faith, abandon our life assignment that God has for us, abandon the purposes and the plans for God. We can even deny him, and we can also be, we can be drawn to the things of the world. Okay. That can come in so subtly without us even knowing, we can give up everything and we can go follow the things of this world, please our own common natures, desire the, the lust of the eyes, the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life. We can get so entangled with the things of the world that we can lose focus of our relationship with God, our fellowship with God, what God has called us to do, what he has portioned us and purposed us for to do. And we can come to a place that we can even abandon our life assignment just for the things of this world. Okay. So it was sad what happened to Demis, but we need to also be on our guard. And that is why the word of God says that we need to work out our salvation daily with, sorry, we need to work out our salvation daily with fear and trembling. We do not know what happened to Demis, but we see that he is not only abandoned Paul because he was in chains he was scared that he might be imprisoned, but we also see that he abandoned his faith, and he has was drawn to the things of this world. Okay. It's interesting to also see here that Paul talks about, you know, John Paul. Okay. He says, sorry, not John Paul. John Paul is one of the students. It's John Mark. Okay, so he says, you know, Luke is with him and he says, get Mark and bring him with you for he is useful for me for ministry. Okay. Now, John Mark is Mark here is his other name is John Mark. He's the, he's the nephew of Barnabas. And we know that Paul and Barnabas, they traveled on their first missionary journey. And they went together to different places to preach and to teach the word of God. And we see that when they were on the first missionary journey, Barnabas took along with him, his nephew, John Mark, and Paul Barnabas and John Mark, they left to Antioch. And then they went from Antioch, they ministered in Antioch, then they went to the seaport of, in the town of Caesarea, and they ministered there as well. And from Caesarea, they traveled to Cyprus. And they came to East Coast of Cyprus, and then they went all around to the West Coast. And when they reached the West Coast of Cyprus, you know, maybe John Mark was tired, tired of traveling, maybe tired of being a missionary. Maybe he did, he just wanted to go back home, must be homesick, whatever, but he decides to leave Barnabas and Paul and go back home. And Paul, you know, did not take that too well. He did not forget that he was maybe very upset. Maybe he thought, you know, John Mark does not have a good commitment or passion to serve God, a ministry or whatever. We do not know. But we see that when Paul wanted to go on his second missionary journey, and he wanted to take his good companion along with him that is Barnabas, Barnabas wanted John Mark, his nephew to accompany them on their second missionary journey. And Paul was totally against it. And this led to a strong argument between Paul and Barnabas or a strong disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. It was so strong, the disagreement that Barnabas decided not to go with Paul on his second missionary journey. So they split and Barnabas takes John Mark and they go to their hometown. And we see that Paul takes Silas and he goes to Antioch and then travels to other places to minister. But later on we see that, you know, Paul would have heard about John Mark, his ministry, how well he's doing from, you know, Paul's other co-workers, other believers. And so now things have changed. And we see that Paul wants Timothy to bring John Mark and he tells him that, you know, because he's useful for Paul in his ministry. So at one point of time, Paul thought when he's going to his second missionary journey that John Mark was, is not going to be useful. He's not going to be an asset. He's not going to be of any help. But the things have changed, times have changed. We do not know if John Mark itself changed his perspective to missions, to serving God. He would have learned, he would have grown and he's doing a wonderful work in the ministry or Barnabas would have trained John Mark. We do not know any of those things. We're just speculating. But we see there has been a tremendous change because Paul is telling Timothy to bring John Mark along with him. Okay. So there is something here that we can learn, you know, when people come alongside to work to support us in the ministry, or people who are part of the church, or people who are part of a group, a Bible study group. We can see sometimes they are, you know, we don't see that kind of passion or commitment. We see a kind of spiritual lethargy as well, laziness to the things of God. There's no discipline when it comes to the things of God. And we can write off people and say they are no good, they are of no use. You know, we can write off people, we can write off people groups, but that's not something that we should really do. You know, and we should not hold people's past against them. It is so redeeming when people, you know, don't look at our past. We all have had a past, not so good past. A past is made up of good things, bad things, but just imagine if people are constantly pointing out to our failures to the bad things that we did, the naughty things that we did as children or when teenage time or in our youth days. And they don't overlook that. They don't look at how we've changed, how God has redeemed us, how God is using us now, how God is building us. You know, what God has done from the time that we were in that kind of, you know, spiritual lethargy or dullness or lack of commitment or in our sinful state. But you know how God has redeemed us and where we are now, where God has established us, where God has brought us to. So we see that, you know, Paul himself as a greater apostle is able to acknowledge and identify that there has been a change in John Mark and that, you know, he's useful for the ministry. So even in our ministry, you know, people would have had a past, but we look at, you know, we don't keep going back to their past. Look at how God has transformed them, changed them to who they are in the present, you know, work alongside them, build them up, encourage them up, encourage them and also utilize their skills, the expertise, the areas where God has built them up. In your ministry so that they can be of good use to you. So we need to learn to do this with people, even with people group and who better than Paul to say this because Paul himself had a past as a persecutor as one who was persecuting and, you know, Attesting to people to be killed, Christians to be martyred and there was a huge transformation when he had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and so we see that Paul is somebody who lives with his past, who has had a past, but people have accepted him and we see that he's also been somebody who overlooks people's past and sees them for who God has transformed them to be now in the present and how he can use them for the extension and the building of God's kingdom. Okay, then he, Paul talks about some matters at Ephesus in verses 12 to 15. You know, he Paul requests for his cloak, because it's winter is going to be approaching it's going to be very cold. So he asked for his cloak and books as well. You know, it's most likely that when Paul was arrested at Taurus, which resulted in his second imprisonment at Rome. In those days, the soldiers who were arresting a person would have a claim on their extra garments. So if the person who's been arrested had some extra clothes or garments, you know, the soldiers would take it away from them. And, and I would arrest them just, you know, one pair of clothes that is on them and extra anything extra they the soldiers would take it away. Now, Paul would have been forewarned that he's going to be arrested. And therefore, he left his cloak and as few books, his cloak is his outer garment and a few books that he had with a very honest man named Carpus. And we see that he wants them back now so that, you know, he can keep himself warm as been to this approaching. We also see that Paul, Paul stayed as a scholar to the very end. We know that he was a well-learned man. He studied under the great teacher Gamaliel and others as well. He knew the Old Testament Torah. He knew the Old Testament very well. And so we see that he wanted to remain to study even as he had time in prison. So he wanted his books back, especially he wanted the Parchments, which were portions of the Old Testament so that he can study it. And then Paul also wants Timothy to stay away from Alexander, who's a, who's the coppersmith. Alexander was known to make trouble for Paul. He's also Paul mentions about him in First Timothy chapter one was 20. And there he tells that Alexander is someone whose faith has been shipwrecked or whose faith had suffered shipwrecked. And now Paul is warning Timothy about the same man. He's Paul simply wrote that Alexander did me much harm. But he's writing to Timothy and saying that now he would oppose you, Timothy, so you must beware of him. So basically I think Alexander was somebody who was opposing those who were leaders of the churches. Those were Paul's close companions, those who Paul has assigned work in different places. So he's somebody who is kind of causing much harm, not only to Paul, but also Paul is telling him now that he would oppose Timothy. So it says be aware of him. Okay. The phrase here that in that he informed many things against me is maybe, you know, Alexander must have been a traitor and an informer who betrayed Paul and maybe, you know, spoken about him to the Roman government. And as a result of that, his current imprisonment, you know, maybe because of that he is in prison now. And perhaps the thought that he has greatly resisted our words, which Paul writes means that Alexander was witness against Paul at his first defense. Remember his first Roman imprisonment where Paul was under house arrest where he writes first Timothy. So we see that during his first imprisonment. And when Paul was taken before Nero, we see that Alexander was standing as a witness against Paul in his first defense. So Paul is saying when he did it to me, he can do that to you as well, Timothy. So just be careful that man be aware of him. Okay. Then Paul goes on to write in verses 16 to 18 that no one stood with him. Can one of you read that verses, please, verses 16 to 18. At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Thank you. So here Paul shares about his first trial that took place two years prior to his now second Roman imprisonment. And in his first Roman imprisonment, we know that he was under house arrest, and he was put and he had to wait for his trial. And his trial was before Nero. And we know that when Paul was in his first imprisonment, as well as in the second imprisonment, many of his fellow workers forsook him. They did not want to be identified with him. The whole fact that they also will be put into prison. They will also be imprisoned and they would also maybe, you know, killed or martyred. But we see here that in spite of Paul's companions or his co-workers, you know, kind of forsaking him. But we see that there is no grievances that Paul holds against them. Even during this time of hardship, there is no anger against them. That is something very amazing. That is something that we also need to keep in mind. You know, even when we are serving God or even as we are living our lives, day to day lives, there will be people who will be a hindrance to us. People who will speak negative of us. People will kind of be a problem to us, cause confusion or report about us to higher authorities. And cause a lot of, you know, problems for us. But like Paul, you know, we should not hold it against them. Not hold any resentment, hatred, bitterness at any time against people who do this to us. But Paul says here that, you know, when he was all alone, there was nobody with him. There was God who delivered him from being sentenced to death during his first woman imprisonment. He was, he felt very lonely because everyone's forsook him. He was all alone standing there in front of Nero. He knows that he might face death, but he says the Lord stood with him. The Lord helped him. The Lord delivered him from being sentenced to death. And Paul says that he used this opportunity. Okay, just imagine in this opportunity he used when he was facing trial before Nero. And he was, you know, he knew that he could be sentenced to death, but he uses that opportunity to share the gospel with, you know, with those in the courtroom, to share the Gentiles with the, to share the gospel, sorry, with the Gentiles, with the Romans. Maybe these Gentiles and Romans have never heard the news of Jesus Christ. And what place he uses the courtroom to share the gospel with all of them. And even Nero would have heard the gospel. Okay. And, you know, these, these men, these officials, these Roman official soldiers, these Gentiles were all there to, you know, to hear Paul or to hear the court verdict against him, you know, would not have had a better opportunity elsewhere to receive or hear the good news. And Paul makes use of that place. He makes use of the courtroom to share the gospel even as he's standing in trial before Nero. And Paul is saying that the same God, the same Lord who stood beside him in his first Roman imprisonment, even as he was, even as he was facing trial, he has the confidence that the same Lord would deliver him from every evil work and preserve him for his eternal kingdom. Okay. He knows that this time he might not get free or be set free. But he's, he has this confidence that the God would deliver him from the every evil work and preserve him for his eternal kingdom. Okay. So the emphasis here is not that, you know, Paul will not suffer or he will not be persecuted or he will even not be killed. Paul was already going through it. He was suffering persecution, hardship, difficulties and acknowledged that his life was being poured out as a drink offering as a sacrifice as we saw in verse six. And he declines that anything evil that is designed to rob him of his eternal destination will not succeed, but God will preserve him for his eternal kingdom. Okay. In the same way, you know, even as we pray the Lord's prayer, we say, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one for the dynasty kingdom. This does not mean that we will not face temptation. This does not mean that we will not face persecution. Jesus said that, you know, we will be persecuted. We will face difficulties. But, you know, as we pray, we need to pray for God's strength to help us to overcome temptation, overcome every attack of the evil one, be on our God, be ready with the armor of God. And also that, you know, nothing and we need to be ready for any persecution that comes our way, knowing that, you know, nothing evil will prevail against us and God will give us the strength to overcome or to even go through those sufferings, those persecutions that we face. And then he says to him, be glory forever and ever. It just, you know, reflects how optimistic and joyous Paul is. It's so unreasonable, but he's so optimistic about, you know, the crown of life that he's going to receive the future hope that he has the eternal destination that he has. And this is filled him with a lot of optimism and joy. We know that, you know, the last few days of his life, Paul spent his life, penniless, penniless, you know, penniless, friendless, without any valuable possessions. He was cold. He did not have even enough clothes to cover himself, to keep him self warm, no adequate clothing, and he was destined to die soon. But in spite of all that, he is just breaking out in praise and glory to God because he has this great hope, which is filling him with a lot of optimism and a lot of joy, that there is a heavenly reward waiting for him. Okay. And then he ends his letter, final letter to Paul with greetings. He says in verse 19, greet Prisca and Aquila. Prisca is basically Priscilla and Aquila, the couple that were good co-workers, good companions of Paul. And Paul tells Timothy to also convey his greetings to the household of Onisiphorus. Okay. So we know that Aquila and Priscilla, you know, Priscilla is the wife, but here it's sitting as Prisca. So Priscilla and Aquila were Paul's teammates, co-workers, good friends who served along with him in Corinth. This couple were basically from Rome, but when persecution broke out against Christians in Rome because of Emperor Nero, they came to Corinth and they joined Paul at Corinth. We read about this in Acts chapter 8 verse 2. Also Romans chapter 16 verse 3. And along with Paul, they did the work at Corinth. They established the church at Corinth. Then they moved with Paul to Ephesus. And we see that, you know, they helped Paul in his work at Ephesus. They also helped in building up the church at Ephesus. And they trained, as a couple, they trained Paulists who they sent to Corinth to continue the work there to oversee the church there. And so, you know, Paul is very grateful for all that they have done. He's reminded of their work in the Lord. He's reminded about how they were good co-workers, good companions, good friends with Paul who ministered along with him in the furtherance of the gospel in building the kingdom of God. And he does not want to miss the opportunity to send his greetings and thank them for what they have done, you know, for him and also in ministering and in building the kingdom of God. It's 10.50. It's time for our break now. We will take a break and we will come and complete the rest of this verses in this chapter after the break.