Carpus

Biblical Record

Carpus is named only once in the Bible, in 2 Timothy 4:13. Paul asks Timothy, when he comes, to bring "the cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus," along with "the books, but especially the parchments." Parchment was a writing material made from prepared animal skin. His Greek name is Karpos (Κάρπος), meaning "fruit."

Troas was a port city on the northwestern coast of Asia Minor. According to Acts, Paul received the Macedonian vision there (Acts 16:8–11), and on a later visit he restored Eutychus to life (Acts 20:5–12). Scripture tells us only that Carpus had a house in Troas and that Paul trusted him enough to leave belongings with him.

Significance Within Scripture

The latter part of 2 Timothy 4 names a series of Paul's coworkers, including Demas, who deserted him; Luke, who alone remained with him; and Mark, whom Paul asked Timothy to bring. Within this list, Carpus may be read as one of the many little-known believers who provided lodging and help along Paul's missionary journeys. Paul's request for his cloak and books offers a concrete glimpse of his circumstances in confinement.

Interpretations and Issues

• Contents of the books and parchments: The text does not say what these were. Suggestions include copies of the Old Testament Scriptures, Paul's notes or copies of his letters, and personal documents, but all of these are conjectures from outside the text.
• Why the items were left behind: Some interpreters hold that Paul was suddenly arrested at Troas and was unable to gather his belongings. The text itself, however, does not say so directly.
• Authorship of the letter: Those who regard 2 Timothy as Paul's final letter, written from a Roman prison, see such minor personal requests as evidence that it is a genuine letter. Some scholars, by contrast, regard the letter as a later work written in Paul's name and interpret this verse within that framework.
• Later tradition: In the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Carpus is commemorated as one of the Seventy disciples mentioned in Luke 10. There is also a tradition that he became a bishop, but this is not found in Scripture. A second-century martyr named Carpus is also known, but he is generally considered a different person from the Carpus of 2 Timothy.

In the Korean Church

Sermons devoted specifically to Carpus are rare. In Korean churches he is mentioned mainly when preachers treat the final period of Paul's life from 2 Timothy 4. In such sermons the cloak is commonly presented as a picture of Paul's suffering in a cold prison, and the books and parchments as a picture of his steadfast devotion to the Word to the very end. Carpus is also sometimes cited as an example of a believer who quietly supported those in ministry.