Have you read any good books lately? In 2nd Timothy 413, Paul writes,

When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas,

also the books, and above all the

parchments. We essentially have the voicing of the needs of a tired

and old man. The evenings are growing chillier and he needs his cloak and for once in his very busy life he finds

himself with time on his hands.

What we are truly seeing here is what matters most to Paul. As John Calvin says, commenting on this

verse, the apostle had not given up reading though he was already preparing for

death. So Paul wants his books and he especially wants his

parchments. There is no little ink spilt on trying to identify these books and

parchments. Most assume the parchments to be scripture.

Above all the parchments, Paul said.

As for the books, well that's another story.

Was it Plato?

Was it Aristotle?

Rhetoric, perhaps, or logic? Or was it the Nicomocian ethics.

Maybe it was a history.

Perhaps Paul's well thumbed through Thucydides or was it Agibis?

Paul liked to quote that poet and he quoted him while he was on Mars Hill.

Or was it one of the other poets?

We forget sometimes that Paul was a scholar.

Whatever the identity of the books and the parchments,

...