The personal nature of Paul's messages to Timothy in this pastoral epistle rarely take on a closer, more intimate quality than they do here, as Paul confronts his impending death. After speaking forthrightly about Timothy in verse 5 ("as for you ... "), Paul now examines the faithfulness of his own life in verse 6 ("as for me ...").

In keeping with his own previous writings (Philippians 1:23) and with the prevalent image of his culture, Paul portrays his impending death as a "departure" - that is, his journey to death. There is no hint of fear or foreboding in these words, though Paul does not here voice any great desire for a martyred end. Rather, this is a quiet acceptance of a natural process which will separate his spirit from his body.

But as verse 7 implies, Paul's purposeful (purp…