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When a man of Paul's sensibility had suffered imprisonment for two years at Cęsarea,
and then another two at Rome, the most natural thing would be for him to ask his friends
to pray earnestly for his release. Yet, when, in Col. 4: he does ask prayer for "an open
door", it is not that he may walk out of prison a free man, but that the Word may be freely
preached, whether he be bound or free (Col. 4: 3, 4). So here in his extreme peril, the
apostle does not say: "Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me so
that I escaped the dreadful punishment that awaited any one convicted of setting fire to
Rome". No, his uppermost thought is the opportunity granted by this deliverance for the
completion of work among the Gentiles that had been entrusted to him.
"That by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear,
and (then in its right place he adds) I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion"
(II Tim. 4: 17).
Preaching first. Mission to Gentiles first, deliverance from the lion second. Such was
Paul. His supreme desire was "to finish" his course with joy, and it was abundantly
granted.
"Fully known" is plerophoreo a word generally bearing the meaning "fully persuade"
or "full assurance". The word however is made up of pleres "full" and phero "to carry",
and its primitive meaning comes to the fore in the two references which we find in
II Timothy. "Make full proof of thy ministry" (II Tim. 4: 5). So, Alford's rendering of
verse 17, "might be delivered in full measure", is warranted.
"That all the Gentiles might hear." What are we to understand by this statement.
Even though Rome was the metropolis of the world, only a small percentage of "all the
Gentiles" then living would ever enter its walls, and a smaller percentage still would hear
of the trial of this lonely prisoner. Paul cannot be speaking numerically. He was
however "the apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom. 11: 13); and his apostleship, whether the
"gospel" of chapter one or the "mystery" of chapter sixteen, was directed to "all
nations" (Rom. 1: 5; 16: 26). Under the Abrahamic covenant, which Paul ministered
until Israel were set aside in Acts 28:, the blessing of "all nations" was equivalent to
the message of justification by faith (Gal. 3: 8-14), and after the dispensational boundary
of Acts 28:, when Paul became the prisoner of Jesus Christ, it was "for you Gentiles"
(Eph. 3: 1), and in that chapter of Ephesians, the apostle makes it clear that it was
through him that "all" must be enlightened as to the Mystery, if ever they were to see it.
In both epistles to Timothy the apostle emphasized his ministry to the Gentiles
(I Tim. 2: 7; II Tim. 1: 11) and now, with his course ended, he can review the past, and
can see that he has been sustained up to that point, when everything necessary to ensure
that all the Gentiles would hear, had been accomplished. This would include a
geographical survey, from Jerusalem to Rome, a satisfaction that even though his
projected visit to Spain may never be accomplished, yet that some faithful minister was
already equipped for that work. Men of God had been sent to the various outposts--
Tychicus to stand in the breach at Ephesus, Titus to carry the work forward in Dalmatia.
His epistles which bore the stamp of Divine inspiration were now completed, and these,
under the Lord's care, would accomplish more than any personal witness of Paul could