AFTER PAUL HAD WRITTEN HIS FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY, HE CONTINUED HIS APOSTOLIC LABOR. IN MACEDONIA AND THE ORIENT, ALTHOUGH IT IS PROBABLE, FROM CERTAIN HISTORICAL TRADITIONS THAT HE ALSO VISITED SPAIN. BUT FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON HIS MINISTRY WAS SUDDENLY INTERRUPTED BY HIS ARREST AND SUBSEQUENT TRANSPORTATION TO ROME. THE SITUATION OF THE APOSTLE DURING THE LAST IMPRISONMENT WAS WHOLLY CHANGED FROM THAT OF THE PREVIOUS STAY IN ROME. HE WAS IN BONDS, CHAP 1, 8,16; HE HAD NO LONGER EXPECTATION, AS BEFORE, OF BEING RELEASED. IT IS TRUE THAT HE HAD, FOR THE MOMENT ESCAPED FROM GREAT DANGER, CHAP 4, 17; YET HE IS STRONGLY CONVINCED THAT THE TIME OF HIS DEPARTURE IS AT HAND. HIS LAST LETTER, THEREFORE, BEARS A UNIQUE CHARACTER, SO THAT IT HAS BEEN CALLED, " THE TESTAMENT OF THE DYING APOSTLE" TO HIS SPIRITUAL SON AND TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THE EPISTLE WAS WRITTEN NOT LONG AFTER HIS IMPRISONMENT AND IN VIEW OF HIS CERTAINLY APPROACHING DEATH EITHER IN 66 OR 67, THE LATTER YEAR BEING MENTION BY TRADITION. THE FAMILIAR TONE WHICH IS EVIDENT IN THE FIRST LETTER IS BROUGHT OUT HERE WITH EVEN GREATER FORCE.
THE EPISTLE IS A CONFIDENTIAL TALK OF THE APOSTLE WITH THE MAN TO WHOM HE HAD GIVEN THE LOVE OF A FATHER FROM THE TIME OF HIS CONVERSION. AFTER THE ADDRESS AND GREETING THERE IS AN ADMONITION TO CONTINUE IN THE BOLD CONFESSION OF THE GOSPEL THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD. THEN THE APOSTLE SPEAKS AT LENGTH OF THE PROPER ADMINISTRATION OF THE MINISTERIAL OFFICE WITH REFERENCE TO VARIOUS DIFFICULT CONDITIONS.
PAUL, AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST TO TIMOTHY MY BELOVED SON, PURPOSELY PLACING THE STRESS ON THE OFFICE OF CHRIST, THROUGH WHICH THE APOSTOLIC
OFFICE IS EFFECTIVE. PAUL BELONGED TO THOSE FIRST TEACHERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH IN ALL THE WORLD, AND IT WASN'T HIS CHOICE AND DESIRE, BUT BY THE WILL OF GOD WHO HAD CHOSEN HIM AND GIVEN HIS ENTIRE LIFE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THROUGH HIS CONVERSION AND SUBSEQUENT CALL. HE HELD THIS OFFICE AND PERFORMED ITS WORK NOT FOR ANY REASON OF SELF- AGGRANDIZEMENT, BUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF OF PROCLAIMING, ANNOUNCING
THE TRUE LIFE IN CHRIST, AND IS DEPENDENT UPON THE PREACHING OF THE WORD OF GRACE. THE LIFE WHICH GOD INTENDED FOR MEN FROM ETERNITY, THE LIFE WHICH WAS BROUGHT DOWN UPON THE EARTH BY THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JOHN 1, 4; 1 JOHN 1,2, THE LIFE WHICH WE SHALL ENJOY IN RICHEST, MEASURE IN ETERNITY, COL,3,34; GAL. 6,8; ROM 5,17, THAT IS THE LIFE THAT IS PROCLAIMED IN THE WORD, THAT IS THE CONTENT OF ALL APOSTOLIC PREACHING. IT IS THE LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS, FOR WITHOUT HIM THERE CAN BE NO TRUE LIFE. PAUL ADDRESSES TIMOTHY AS HIS BELOVED SON, WITH WHOM HE IS UNITED IN THE BONDS OF MOST CORDIAL AND FATHERLY LOVE. PAUL'S HEART WAS FILLED WITH LONGING TO SEE HIS YOUNG FRIEND, ESPECIALLY SINCE HE COULD NOT GET RID OF THE MEMORY OF THE TEARS THAT TIMOTHY SHED AT THEIR LAST MEETING ACTS 20,37. THE FIELD ON WHICH TIMOTHY WAS WORKING WAS TO MUCH FOR HIM BECAUSE OF HIS INEXPERIENCE, IN CONSEQUENCE OF WHICH HE HAD BEEN BOTHERED WITH FAINT-HEARTEDNESS, HE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE TIMOTHY. PAUL NOW MENTIONS THE REASON FOR HIS PRAYERS OF THANKFULNESS: FOR I CALL TO REMEMBRANCE THE UNFEIGNED FAITH WHICH DWELT IN MY GRANDMOTHER LOIS AND THY MOTHER EUNICE; PAUL HAD PROBABLY BEEN REMINDED WITH GREAT FORCE OF ALL THESE FACTS BY A LETTER OR BY A MESSENGER FROM TIMOTHY.
FINAL ADVICE. DO YOUR BEST TO COME AND SEE ME AS SOON AS YOU CAN. AS IT IS, DEMAS HAS DESERTED ME FOR THE LOVE OF THIS LIFE AND GONE TO THESSALONIKA, CRESCENS HAS GONE TO GALATIA AND TITUS TO DALMATIA.
ONLY LUKE IS WITH ME. THE FIRST TIME I HAD TO PRESENT MY DEFENCE, THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE WITNESS TO SUPPORT ME. EVERYONE OF THEM DESERTED ME.
MAY THEY NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT. BUT THE LORD STOOD BY ME. AND GAVE ME POWER, SO THROUGH ME THE WHOLE MESSAGE MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED FOR ALL PAGANS TO HEAR; AND SO I WAS RESCUED FROM THE LION'S MOUTH. GREETINGS TO PRISCA AND AQUILA, AND THE FAMILY OF ONESIPHORUS. DO YOUR BEST TO COME BEFORE WINTER.
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