Truth

The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:13 KJV)

The Bible doesn’t say any more about this cloak. I’m free to speculate, but I cannot by any means except imagination connect it to:

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. (John 19:23-24 KJV)

Was Paul requesting the coat that was without seam, woven from the top throughout? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe the cloak was something he picked up as a witness:

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. (Acts 7:58 KJV)

Maybe it belonged to Stephen. Maybe someone who tossed a stone felt such contrition that they slunk away from the scene and left a fine cloak behind. Maybe. Maybe not.

Writers have woven grand novels on such roots and speculation. But they cannot be considered truth.

Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. (John 18:38 KJV)

Pilate asked the question that continues to be asked today. Yet his actions tell us that he believed Christ was telling him truth, and found no crime had been committed.

The word truth is found more often in the book of John than any other book in the Bible. He continues relating to truth in his three smaller epistles:

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 KJV)

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. (1 John 3:18-19 KJV)

Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. (2 John 1:3 KJV)

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 1:4 KJV)

And that, for me, is truth.