I treasure verses 9 through 12 because they reveal that the relationship among Paul and his co-workers was divinely arranged; it was not based on human organization. Paul’s co-workers had the freedom to act on their own. Paul did not say, “Titus, don’t go to Dalmatia. I need you to stay here with me. If you leave, I shall fire you from the work.” But although there was no human organization, there was a divine arrangement in which the leading apostle was the authority. Therefore, Paul could charge Timothy to come to him quickly.

During the years I was with Brother Nee, many co-workers came to him for advice, wanting him to tell them what to do regarding certain matters. Very rarely, if ever, would Brother Nee say anything. However, along with others who knew the situation, I can testify that whenever I asked Brother Nee about something, he always gave me a direct answer. Sometimes when I was in a distant city, he would send me a cable telling me either to come to him or to go to a certain place.

If we compare the books of 2 Timothy and Titus, we shall see that there was greater intimacy between Paul and Timothy than between Paul and Titus. Yes, Paul wrote an epistle to Titus. But he could not say as much to Titus as he could to Timothy. To such an intimate co-worker as Timothy, Paul could issue a command for him to come quickly.

Paul and his co-workers were not related to one another in the way of organization. This means that Paul did not regard himself as a boss who could hire or fire co-workers at his discretion. Likewise, because there is no organization in the Lord’s recovery today, there is no hiring or firing.

We have seen that, due to the attraction of the present age, Demas forsook the apostle. In verses 8 and 10 we have a contrast between loving the Lord’s appearing and loving the present age. If we love the Lord’s appearing, we shall take sides with Him and fight with Him for His interests. But if we love the present age, we shall take sides with the world. Even though Demas loved the present age and forsook Paul, Paul does not say that he dismissed him from the work. Furthermore, Crescens and Titus may have left Paul without having been sent by him. Perhaps, deep within, Paul wanted Titus to stay with him to help and support him. Whatever the situation may have been, these verses make it clear that Paul did not use his authority according to the way of human organization.

Many of those who have been co-workers for more than thirty years can testify that in the Lord’s recovery we do not have a human organization with a boss who exercises authority to hire or fire co-workers. Instead of organization, we have God’s coordination with His deputy authority. Because there was also such coordination and authority among Paul and his co-workers, he could tell Timothy to come to him quickly, and he could send Tychicus to Ephesus.

According to Philippians 2, Timothy was one with Paul in a very intimate way. He was one soul with him and was even willing to risk his soul for the work of Christ. Because of this oneness, this intimacy, Paul could command Timothy to come to him. He could also send Tychicus to Ephesus. This, however, is not organization. On the contrary, it is according to the spiritual situation among those in God’s coordination. How much the leading ones in God’s coordination can say to you depends on the extent to which you are one with the ministry. This is not a matter of organization, but of the degree of oneness.

In verse 13 Paul goes on to say, “The cloak which I left in Troas with Carpus, bring when you come, and the scrolls, especially the parchments.” This word also reveals the intimacy between Paul and Timothy. Troas was a seaport in northwest Asia Minor, where Paul received the Macedonian call (Acts 16:8-11). The scrolls and the parchments were materials used for writing in ancient times. The cloak was probably a traveling cloak or traveling case.
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