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Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy…
When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments (2 Timothy 4:13, ESV, emphasis added).
The Apostle Paul, suddenly arrested in Troas while staying at the house of Carpus, didn’t have time to bring his cloak that would be needed for the cold winter in his dungeon at Rome.
Besides the needed cloak (first-century clothing style), Paul also wanted his books.
He asked Timothy to visit him, not only bringing the coat but also the books and “above all the parchments.” What were the books and the parchments contained in Apostle Paul’s library? The “books” were probably fragile, paper-like copies of the Old Testament, as well as a few secular books. The “parchments” were treated animal skins, far more expensive than papyrus, that included his own writings, as he wrote to Timothy, calling them “above all” or the most important writings that he possessed.
What Was and Wasn’t in Paul’s Library
In his 13 letters, Paul quotes from Genesis 100 times, the Prophets about 50 times, and the Psalms about 30 times. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Paul’s library contained an entire copy (many scrolls) of the Old Testament in Hebrew or the Greek version called the Septuagint.
Paul’s library would not contain mystical, new age, occult, or spiritualist writings, as the Apostle witnessed the Ephesian church publicly burn about a million dollars (in today’s prices) worth of books and parchments involving these topics (Acts 19:18-20). His library probably included the writings of a few Greek philosophers, as today’s scholars say Paul quoted three early Greek writers, mentioning two of them by name in Acts 17:16-28.
It’s difficult to determine how many volumes Paul possessed in his library. Probably not more than a few dozen books and parchments. Since Paul seemed to indicate that Timothy could bring all of them, I, Pastor Grant, the OG of such biblical minutiae, would guess at between 50 and 80 books and parchments. His library would be carefully placed in leather cylinders (since they were scrolls) and then packed in a wooden crate for shipment on a Roman boat.
Comparing the Libraries of the Apostle Paul and Pastor Grant
Whereas Paul had between 50 and 80 books, I have 1189 books in my Kindle library. Often, I expand my books on my screen and peruse titles as some would do on their literal bookshelves.
Here’s what I see on my large double-stacked monitors …
Comparing the quantity and the difficulty of transport with the Apostle Paul’s library to my 1189 titles that can all be downloaded on my computer for easy transport anywhere in the world that I travel, it’s really no comparison, and I think that the Apostle Paul, looking down from heaven, is jealous!
I often tell people, “I’m book blessed!”
What’s In Your Library?
We don’t discuss books today as much as “content” found in e-forms of communication like TikTok®, Instagram®, Facebook®, and Snapchat®. We might use the terms “reels,” “shorts,” and “videos.” However, as in the time of the Apostle Paul, our books or content shape our spiritual maturity, and one conclusion can be drawn…
The library of the Apostle Paul, containing the Old Testament and his writings, is the most important library ever written.
Those books should be in all our libraries.