2 Timothy 4:11 (YLT)

Passage

Lukas only is with me; Markus having taken, bring with thyself, for he is profitable to me for ministration;

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 4:9 Be diligent to come unto me quickly,

2 Timothy 4:10 for Demas forsook me, having loved the present age, and went on to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia,

2 Timothy 4:11 Lukas only is with me; Markus having taken, bring with thyself, for he is profitable to me for ministration;

2 Timothy 4:12 and Tychicus I sent to Ephesus;

2 Timothy 4:13 the cloak that I left in Troas with Carpus, coming, bring thou and the books--especially the parchments.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lukas", "only", "markus", "having", "taken", "bring", "thyself", and "profitable". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lukas" and "only", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "for Demas forsook me having loved the..." into verse 12's "and Tychicus I sent to Ephesus...", so "lukas" and "only" belong inside that flow. In 2 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lukas" and "only" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.