Paul The Apostle: Part 17
We are going to enter the period of Paul’s later epistles.
To that imprisonment to which Luke has introduced us, the imprisonment which lasted for such a tedious time, though tempered by much patience, belong the group of letters to Philemon; Colossians; Ephesians and Philippians. The three former of these were written at one time, and sent by the same messengers.
Whether Philippians was written before or after these, we cannot be sure; but the tone of it appears to imply that a crisis was approaching, and therefore it is commonly regarded as the latest of the four.
In this epistle, Paul twice expresses a confident hope that before long he may be able to visit the Philippians in person, Philippians 1:25, 2:24. Whether this hope was fulfilled or not, belongs to a question which now presents itself to us, and which has been of much controversy.
According to the general opinion, the apostle was liberated from his imprisonment, and left Rome, soon after the writing of the letter to the Philippians; spent some time in Greece, Asia Minor, and Spain; than returned again as a prisoner to Rome, and put to death there. In opposition to this view, it is maintained by some that Paul was never liberated, but was put to death at Rome at an earlier period than is commonly thought.
The arguments adduced in favor of the common view are,
1. The hopes expressed by Paul of visiting Philippi, Colossi and Colossae (Philem 22).
2. A number of allusions in the Pastoral Epistles, and their general character; and,
3. The testimony of ecclesiastical tradition: The decision must turn mainly upon the view taken of the Pastoral Epistles. The difficulties which have caused these critics to reject these Epistles are minor. But they are overpowered by the greater difficulties attending any hypothesis which assumes these Epistles to be false.
We are obliged to recognize the modification of Paul’s style, the developments in the history of the Church, and the movements of various persons, which have appeared suspicious in the epistles to Timothy and Titus, as nevertheless historically true. And then, without encroaching on the domain of conjecture, we draw the following conclusions;
1. Paul must have left Rome, and visited Asia Minor and Greece; for he says to Timothy,
1 Timothy 1:3, “I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I was setting out for Macedonia.” After being once at Ephesus, he was purposing to go there again, 1 Timothy 4:13 and he spent a considerable time at Ephesus, 2 Timothy 1:18.
2. He paid a visit to Crete, and left Titus to organize churches there Titus 3:12.
3. He travelled by Miletus 2 Timothy 4:20; to Troas, 2 Timothy 4:13 where he left a cloak or case and some books, and Corinth, 2 Timothy 4:20.
4. He is a prisoner at Rome, “suffering unto bonds as an evil-doer” 2 Timothy 2:9 and expecting to be soon condemned to death, 2 Timothy 4:6.
At this time he felt deserted and solitary, having only Luke one of Paul’s old associates to keep him company; also he was very anxious that Timothy should come to him without delay from Ephesus, and bring Mark with him 2 Timothy 1:15, 4:9-12.
We may conclude, then, that after a wearing imprisonment of two years or more at Rome, Paul was set free, and spent some years in various trips going both East and West. Towards the close of this time, he pours out the warnings of his less vigorous but still brave and faithful spirit in the Letters to Timothy and Titus.
The first to Timothy and that to Titus were evidently written at nearly the same time. After these were written he was apprehended again and sent to Rome. The apostle appears now to have been treated, not as an honorable state prisoner, but as a felon 2 Timothy 2:9.
But he was at least allowed to write this Second Letter to his “dearly beloved son” Timothy; and though he expresses a confident expectation of his speedy death, he yet thought it sufficiently probable that it might be delayed for some time, to warrant him in urging Timothy to come to him from Ephesus.
Meanwhile, though he felt his isolation, he was not in the least daunted by his danger. He was more than ready to die 2 Timothy 4:6, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand” and had a sustaining experience of not being deserted by his Lord.
Once already, in this second imprisonment, he had appeared before the authorities; and “The Lord then stood by him and strengthened him,” and gave him an opportunity for the one thing always nearest to his heart, the public declaration of his gospel.
This Epistle was of great value and at such an age and in such an hour, even Paul brings us close to the end of his life. For what remains, we have the concurrent testimony of ecclesiastical antiquity, that he was beheaded at Rome about the same time that Peter was crucified there. Dionysius, bishop of Corinth 170 A.D. says that Peter and Paul went to Italy, and taught there together, and suffered martyrdom about the same time. Eusebius himself entirely adopts the tradition that Paul was beheaded under Nero at Rome.
One more part will finish the life of the apostle Paul.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom