1I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: 2preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching. 3For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. 5But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.
6For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come. 7I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. 8From now on, the crown of righteousness is stored up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.
9Be diligent to come to me soon, 10for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; and Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. 12But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come—and the books, especially the parchments. 14Alexander the coppersmith did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15Beware of him, for he greatly opposed our words.
16At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them. 17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear. So I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
19Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick. 21Be diligent to come before winter. Eubulus salutes you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.
22The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
Many view the Bible as a continuous book of miracles from Genesis to Revelation. However, biblical miracles authenticate a new direction in God’s program. Thus, they cluster around five different biblical eras: Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and entrance into Canaan during the days of Moses and Joshua, the confrontation of Israel’s apostasy during the prophetic ministries of Elijah and Elisha, the offer of the kingdom to first-century Israel during the time of Christ, the inauguration of the church age during the days of the apostles, and the re-offer of the kingdom to future Israel during the tribulation period (Rev 11:5-6). In this sense, miracles are largely confirmatory (Heb 2:3-4). They represent signs authenticating that God is doing something new (Acts 2:14, 22; 1 Cor 14:22).
In the book of Acts, miracles that are done through humans authenticate that the infant church was a fresh work of God. After the death of the apostles, who were the foundation of the church (Eph 2:20), these types of miracles ceased, even as evidenced by Paul leaving Trophimus sick at Miletus (2 Tim 4:20). The gradual decrease of miracles in the book of Acts does not mean that God is not able to do miracles on His own to accomplish His purposes in the earth.