Julian Period, 4778. Vulgar Æra, 65. SECTION XI, St. Paul is imprisoned at Rome in the general Persecution much out of his way to go by Troas to Rome; as we may col- Finally, in the first imprisonment he writes, that he should St. Paul, says Dr. Lardner, though a prisoner, had lived very comfortably at Rome, and he there had great success in his services for the Gospel. It seems to me, that he now considered that city as the most proper place for him to reside in the remaining part of his life. It was the most conspicuous place in all the world, and the place of the greatest resort from all parts; there he hoped to be more useful than in any other place. 21 The reasons which have induced me to conclude with the great majority of commentators, that St. Paul was twice, and not once only imprisoned at Rome, are given in the preceding note. It seems probable, from 2 Tim. i. 15—17. that the apostle was imprisoned for some time at Rome during his second residence in that city. "15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asiaturned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. Rome. Julian Period, 4778, or 4779. Vulgar Era, 65 or 66. SECTION XII. St. Paul, in the Anticipation of the near approach of Death, 22 16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. 17 But when he was in Rome he sought me out very diligently, and found me. 22 The second Epistle to Timothy is peculiarly valuable to the Christian Church, on account of the singular contrast it affords between the persecuted, yet confident and happy Christian, and ferocious, abandoned, and profligate Roman. Nero was at this time Emperor of Rome. Immediately before the burning of the city, he had offended and disgusted the Christians with those dreadful scenes of indescribable crime, which arc related in the annals of Tacitus. From these he proceeded to set fire to the city-then to persecute the Christians, and possibly before the martyrdom of the apostles, to execute many of the most illustrious senators of Rome, for the conspiracy of Lucan, Seneca, and Piso. Many of the latter, indeed, met death with courage and serenity, though unblessed with any certain hope of futurity. With the Christian only was united purity of manners, amidst public licentiousness; and purity of heart, amidst the universal relaxation of principle. With the Christian only was found love and good-will to all mankind, and a patience and cheerfulness and triumph in the hour of death, as infinitely superior to the stoical calmness of a Pagan, as the Christian martyr himself to the hero and the soldier. After such scenes this Epistle was probably written; and St. Paul expressed among them that sublime language of hope and exultation (which compels every Christian to exclaim, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like his")-"I am now ready to be offered up: the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course: I have kept the faith. Henceforth there remaineth for me a crown of life." It is, however, a matter of dispute, whether this Epistle was written during St. Paul's first or second confinement at Rome. Estius, Hammond, Lightfoot, and Lardner, think it was the confinement mentioned by St. Luke, for the two following reasons:-First, it is evident from 2 Tim. iv. 11. that when St. Paul wrote this letter, St. Luke was with him. Wherefore, as St. Luke has spoken of no imprisonment of St. Paul at Rome, but the one with which his history of the Acts concludes, the learned men above mentioned infer, that this must be the imprisonment, during which the apostle wrote his second Epistle to Timothy. But the answer is, St. Luke did not propose in the Acts to give a history of the life of any of the apostles, but an account of the first preaching and propagation of the Gospel. Wherefore, having related how the Gospel was published, first in Judea by the apostles Peter, James, and John, and by the evangelists Stephen, Philip, and Barnabas; and then, in many heathen countries, by St. Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, and others; and by St. Paul, in his own hired house, during his two years' confinement at Rome: he ended his history at that period, as having finished bis design. It is evident, therefore, although St. Luke has written nothing farther concerning St. Paul, this can be no proof that St. Paul's ministry and life ended then, or that St. Luke was ignorant of his after transactions; any more than his silence concerning St. Peter after the council VOL. II. ૨૧ Rome. Julian Period, 4778, or 4779. 65 or 66. his last Bequest to the faithful Discharge of his Duty, in Rome. all times of Apostacy, Persecution, and Dissension. Vulgar Era, of Jerusalem, is a proof that the ministry and life of this apostle ended at that time; or that his silence concerning any particulars mentioned in St. Paul's Epistles, is a proof that these things did not happen, or if they happened, that they were not known to St. Luke. Secondly, it is said, that if this Epistle was written during an after imprisonment of St. Paul in Rome, Timothy must have been so old, that the apostle could not with propriety have exhorted him to flee youthful lusts (2 Tim. ii. 22). But, it should be considered, that in the year 66, when the apostle is supposed to have been a prisoner at Rome the second time, Timothy may have been only thirty-four years of age, which, both by the Greeks and Romans, was considered as youth. These are the arguments on which the writers above mentioned have founded their opinion, that St. Paul wrote his se cond Epistle to Timothy during his confinement at Rome, of which St. Luke has given an account in his history of the Acts. Other learned men hold, that the apostle wrote this Epistle during a second imprisonment at Rome, and support their opinion by the following arguments. 1. At the time the apostle wrote this Epistle, he was closely imprisoned, as one guilty of a capital crime (2 Tim. ii. 9.), “ I suffer evil (Expi deoμwv) unto bonds, as a malefactor." The heathen magistrates and priests, considering St. Paul as an atheist, because he denied the gods of the empire, very probably also supposing him to be one of the Christians who, they said, had set the city on fire; confined him in close prison, with his hands and feet in fetters, as a malefactor. His situation was very different during his first imprisonment. For then (Acts xxviii. 30.) "he dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came to him (ver. 31.), preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." This mild treatment was probably owing to the favourable account which Festus gave of him to the Emperor (Acts xxv. 25. xxvi. 31.) and to what Julius the centurion, who brought him to Rome, said of him, when he delivered him to the officer appointed to receive the prisoners from the provincesthe centurion's esteem of St. Paul is mentioned Acts xxvii. 42, 43. 2. The Roman governors of Judea, by whom St. Paul was tried for his life, declared at his trials, that no crime was alleged against him, but only holding his opinions, which his accusers said were contrary to their religion (Acts xxv. 18, 19.) They likewise declared, that he had been guilty of no crime against the state (Acts xxvi. 31.) Heresy, therefore, being the only crime laid to the apostle's charge, and that circumstance being made known by the governor of Judea to his judges at Rome, they must have had a very favourable opinion of his cause. In the former Epistle the author confidently looked forward to his liberation from confinement, and his speedy departure from Rome. He tells the Philippians (chap. ii. 24.) " I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly." Philemon he bids to prepare for him a lodging; "for I trust," says he, "that through your prayers I shall be given unto you" (ver. 22.) In the Epistle before us he holds a language extremely different: "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my Julian Period, 4778, or 4779. Vulgar Era, 65 or 66. 1. 2 TIM. i. 1, 2.: St. Paul, in his Introduction, asserts his apostolical Autho course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me During the apostle's confinement in Rome, of which St. Dr. Paley remarks, these particulars are all resolvable into one supposition, viz. that this Epistle was not written during St. Paul's first residence at Rome, but in some future imprisonment in that city. The Epistle touches upon names and circumstances connected with the date, and with the history of the first imprisonment, and mentioned in letters during his imprisonment, and so touches upon them, as to leave what is said of one, consistent with what is said of others; and consistent also with what is said of them in different epistles. It is supposed by the generality of commentators that Timothy was at Ephesus when this Epistle was addressed to him; but Michaelis (a) is of opinion that Timothy was most probably in some part of Asia Minor, because the apostle, towards the end of chap. i. mentions several persons resident in that country, and because Troas, where Timothy was to call (chap. iv. 18.) does not lie in the way from Ephesus to Rome, to which place Timothy was to make haste to come with the cloak, books, and parchments before winter (chap. iv. 21.) These objections are removed by considering that the apostle referred to the Asiatic Christians, who were then at Rome, and had professed a friendship for him, yet had in his affliction forsaken him. Onesiphorus, who so diligently sought out the apostle in his close conline Rome. Julian Period, 4778, or 4779. Vulgar Era, 65 or 66. rity, and declares he hopes for eternal Life through Jesus Rome. Christ, not by the Law of Moses. ment at Rome, had before ministered to him at Ephesus (chap. i. From these observations we may conclude, with the general |