Bring My Cloak and di Scrolls

One old man sit down for one cold prison room. Im cloak dey far away. Most of im friends don go. And e dey write, slowly, di last letter wey e go ever send.

Paul dey prison for Rome again. Dis time, e no dey expect say dem go free am. E don already stand once before Roman court, and e know how dis one go end. So e write to Timothy, di young man wey e love like son, wey dey far away for Ephesus. Na letter full of encouragement, and for di last lines, e become very personal. We dey hear Paul voice as human being wey don tire, but wey still get courage. Man wey don run far, and e don almost reach home.

Now I don ready make dem pour me out as offering, Paul write, and di time for me to depart don reach. E talk about im death di way traveller dey talk about when im ship go sail. Then di words come wey don become some of di most famous wey e ever write. I don fight di good fight, I don finish my race, I don keep di faith. Boxer wey no ever give up. Runner wey cross di line. Guard wey keep wetin dem give am to keep. And now, Paul talk, one crown of righteousness dey wait for me, wey di Lord, di righteous judge, go give me for dat day. And no be only me, e add, but all di people wey don love im appearing.

Then di letter turn. Try your best to come meet me quick, Paul talk. And we learn why. Demas don leave me, because e love dis present world, and e don go Thessalonica. Others don go for mission, Crescens go Galatia, Titus go Dalmatia. Only Luke dey with me. Find Mark and bring am come with you, because e dey useful to me for di ministry. Na di same Mark wey once leave Paul for di middle of one journey. Now Paul ask for am by name. When you dey come, Paul add, bring di cloak wey I leave for Troas with Carpus, and di books, but especially di parchments. Winter dey come, and di prison room cold. And even for di end, Paul want something to read.

Paul talk true about di hard parts. For my first defence, nobody come stand with me. Everybody leave me. And then, quietly, e talk, make God no count am against dem. But di Lord stand with me, and e give me strength, so dat through me di message go dey preached fully, and all di nations go hear am. And God deliver me from di mouth of di lion. Then Paul send greetings, to Prisca and Aquila, to di household of Onesiphorus, wey search Rome to find am. And e write again, with urgency wey you fit almost feel. Try your best to come before winter.

Why before winter? For di old Mediterranean, to sail for winter dey dangerous, and most ships dey stay for harbour. Di Roman writer Vegetius write say people dey treat di sea as closed from di middle of November till di beginning of March. Di book of Acts tell how Paul own ship wey dey go Rome scatter, after e sail too late for di season. If Timothy no start di journey on time, e fit no reach Rome until spring.

Bring my cloak and di scrolls. You go find Paul last words for Second Timothy chapter four, verse six to twenty-two. Alone, cold, and full of hope, e fit still talk, I don keep di faith. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. How e go be for you to finish your own race well, and who you fit stand beside when e dey feel alone?