Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.
This verse comes near the very end of 2 Timothy, widely believed to be the last letter the apostle Paul ever wrote, sent from a Roman prison where he was awaiting execution. Paul urgently asks his young friend and ministry partner Timothy to travel and visit him before winter — because once cold weather ended the sailing season, sea travel would become impossible, and Paul might not survive until spring. He then passes along personal greetings from several people by name: Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and others. These are real, largely unknown people — a small community still gathered around a man facing death.
Lord, teach me to number my days — and the days I have with the people I love. Don't let urgency come only from crisis. Help me show up now, while the season is still open, for the people who need to know I'm coming. Amen.
"Come before winter." Four words buried in a list of greetings at the end of a letter most people skim past. But read them knowing what Paul knew: he was almost certainly going to die soon, the window was closing, and winter would shut the door entirely. This isn't grand theology. It's a man who misses his friend and knows time is running out. The apostle who wrote some of the most magnificent words in Scripture ends his last letter with something that reads like a text message — "Get here before it's too late. The people here say hello." There is someone in your life right now who won't always be there. A parent aging quietly. A friend you've meant to call for three months. A mentor whose window is narrowing. Paul's urgency wasn't dramatic — it was just honest. He needed his friend, and he said so out loud. And then he named the people around him, because community still mattered in a prison cell on death row. Don't wait for the perfect moment to show up for the people who matter. Winter comes faster than you expect.
What does Paul's personal, urgent request to Timothy reveal about what he valued most in his final days — and what might that say about what actually matters at the end of a life?
Who is your "Timothy" right now — someone you've been meaning to reach out to but haven't — and what has honestly been getting in the way?
Paul was facing execution and still prioritized connection and community. What does that suggest about the role relationships play in sustaining faith under extreme pressure?
The verse names five ordinary, largely unknown people who were present with Paul in his darkest moment. How does that challenge you to think about your own role as someone who shows up for others in their hardest seasons?
What is one concrete thing you will do this week to reach someone before your version of "winter" closes that window in a relationship?
Try your best to come [to me] before winter. Eubulus wishes to be remembered to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.
AMP
Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.
ESV
Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, also Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.
NASB
Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers.
NIV
Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.
NKJV
Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.
NLT
Try hard to get here before winter. Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all your friends here send greetings.
MSG