Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—2 Timothy 4:9-15
by: Susan Bond.
Paul needed two things: his cloak and his parchments. Just as the cloak would benefit his body during the cold of winter, the parchments would no doubt benefit his spirit.
We see that Paul's spirit, throughout his difficulties, remained cloaked with grace, for rather than cursing his adversary, he gave him over to God.
Jewish scholar Dick Reuben suggests that when we pray for God to reward our enemies we'll be able to discern from the results whether our enemy was sent by God to smooth our rough edges and conform us to the image of Christ, or by Satan in an effort to destroy us; the former will rise, and the latter will fall.