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A.D.65 he must have passed through Troas (II Tim. 4: 13), and have proceeded thence,
probably as a prisoner, to Ephesus, where he was imprisoned (II Tim. 1: 18), and was
thence forwarded by way to Miletum (II Tim. 4: 20), and Corinth (II 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
(II 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:
(1)
Paul did not write the epistle until after his first defence and acquittal on the first
count (II Tim. 4: 16, 17).
(2)
After this deliverance, before winter he wrote urging Timothy to endeavour to
arrive (II Tim. 4: 21) and to bring the cloak left at Troas (II Tim. 4: 13).
(3)
With the Romans, winter began on November 9th. As a letter would take about
6 weeks to reach Timothy, and another 6 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.
#4.
Salutation and Remembrance (1: 1 - 7).
pp. 197 - 204
Of the fourteen epistles written by Paul, nine open with a salutation that includes a
reference to his apostleship, while five do not. These latter epistles are I and II Thess.,
Philippians, Philemon and Hebrews. In two of the epistles the title of apostle is joined
with that of servant, thus: "Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,
separated unto the gospel of God" (Rom. 1: 1). This opening of the epistle to the Romans
also prepares the mind for its contents and the treatment of the theme of the epistle itself.
The other epistle is Titus: "Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ"
(Titus 1: 1).
In Philippians, alone of all his epistles, the Apostle uses the word "servant" without
association with apostleship. Moreover, this epistle is addressed not only to the church
but to the bishops and deacons, so that we are prepared to find that service, rather than
position in the body, is its main theme.