2 TIMOTHY 4 (NOTES OF A READING)
[p. 79] 2 TIMOTHY 4 (NOTES OF A READING)
CAC Paul was a man with the glory shining in his heart.
Ques “The Lord stood with me”. What does that mean? Deliverance out of the lion’s mouth was something Daniel proved.
CAC In this case there was much more than the deliverance of the servant at stake. “That through me the proclamation might be fully made”, etc. We should like to have a report of that address, would we not? We have to gather it from the writings of Paul and what he said on other occasions.
Rem The vessel is nothing without the power for what is entrusted to him.
CAC This was just the one occasion he had, and perhaps he did not speak for more than half an hour, probably less, and yet to put the whole proclamation into it without leaving out any essential part of it was a wonderful preaching.
Ques Could it have failed to have result?
CAC You can hardly suppose it went for nothing, but it is an official kind of thing. The importance of what was proclaimed was far greater than any results that might follow, so we are not told how many conversions there were — Paul speaks of “my first defence”. It was what he stood for. He was “set for the defence of the glad tidings”, it says elsewhere (Philippians 1: 16).
Ques “The lion’s mouth” — what do you think of that?
CAC He was delivered from the mouth of the lion. He was set at liberty, it is said, for a season and went to Spain. On the return he was taken prisoner again, then his second epistle was written, and his execution took place. Verse 18 shows that his confidence in the Lord was unshaken, and today we have the same source of power and the same assurance to be helped. “The Lord shall deliver me from every wicked work, and shall preserve me for his heavenly kingdom”. This would not be interfered with by Paul being executed. At the close he brings in the thought of what is heavenly.
This proclamation was the completion of his service and a great official occasion when great gentile dignitaries were present — the whole gentile world in principle — an important event in the history of the world as he stood there as a personal representative and ambassador for God. What can you do to intimidate a man like that spoken of in 2 Corinthians 1: 9?
‘The power of the gospel is in the facts of the gospel’ (J.N.D.).