1. Paul saw death as a departure.

1. Paul saw death as a departure. He did not say, “The time for my death is close.” He said, “The time for my departure is close” (2 Tim. 4:6). His entire life was a series of departures. He followed the leading of the Spirit through Judea, Syria, Cilicia, Galatia, Pamphylia, Asia, Macedonia, Achaia, and Italy. He never knew what awaited him as he entered a city, but one result was inevitable—as surely as he arrived, he would depart. God never let him hang his hat for long. “Our citizenship is in heaven,” he had said (Phil. 3:20). To him, settling in would be pointless until then. Paul had faithfully done his time in Rome and, predictably, another departure awaited him. This time, he was going home.