which the Jewish war broke out (April 19th, a.d. 66).

Lewin gives the

following summary:

`When Paul was set at liberty in the spring of a.d. 63, he would fulfil

his long -cherished intention of visiting Spain (Rom. 15:24,28).  But

as the Eastern churches from his long absence would call loudly for his

return, he would spend not more than six months in Spain, and then on

the return of Timothy, who had been sent to Philippi, would sail with

him to Judaea (Heb. 13:23).  Paul and Timothy, therefore, would start

from Judaea in the autumn of a.d. 63 and would reach Jerusalem just

before winter.  Then he would naturally go down to Antioch and there

pass the winter of a.d. 63 -64.  In the spring of a.d. 64 he visited

Ephesus, and leaving Timothy there, passed over himself with Titus to

Crete (Titus. 1:5).  He did not stay there, but stationing Titus in

Crete, and passing to Ephesus where Timothy was still to remain, sailed

to Macedonia (1 Tim. 1:3) and fulfilled his promise of visiting

Philippi (Phil. 2:24), and thence, no doubt, went down to Corinth and

then to Nicopolis, where Titus was to join him during the winter of

a.d. 64 -65 (Titus. 3:12).  In the spring of a.d. 65 he must have

passed through Troas (2 Tim. 4:13), and having proceeded thence,

probably as a prisoner, to Ephesus, where he was imprisoned (2 Tim.

1:18), and was thence forwarded by way of Miletum (2 Tim. 4:20), and

Corinth (2 Tim. 4:20) to Rome, and was consequently late in the year at

Rome.  The winter was the long vacation of the law; and he was

therefore brought to trial and was acquitted on the first count (2 Tim.

4:17) in the spring of a.d. 66 when the further hearing was adjourned.

The first trial would not in the ordinary course come off immediately

on his arrival at Rome.  The second trial might very well, therefore,

take place in May or June a.d. 66, and if so, the martyrdom itself may,

as stated by tradition, have occurred on the 29th of June, a.d. 66'.

While we agree substantially with this summary, the following points

should be noted by way of emendation:

Paul did not write the epistle until after his first defence and

acquittal on the first count (2 Tim. 4:16,17).

After this deliverance before winter he wrote urging Timothy to

endeavour to arrive (2 Tim. 4:21) and to bring the cloak left at Troas

(2 Tim. 4:13).

With the Romans, winter began on 9th November.  As a letter would

take about six weeks to reach Timothy, and another six weeks would be

occupied by Timothy's journey, the apostle probably arrived in Rome in

August A.D. 65 instead of `late in the year'.

With this small adjustment, the rest is straightforward, and will, we

trust, help the reader to follow more clearly the chronology and geography of

these critical years.  The account should be read in conjunction with a good

map of the apostle's journeys.

Passing the opening salutation of the epistle, we come to the first

great section 2 Timothy 1:8 -18.  The section is divided up by the recurrence

of the word `ashamed':

`Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor

of me His prisoner' (2 Tim. 1:8).