2Tim 4:17

“Story has it that the apostle, after defending himself, was again sent upon the ministry of preaching and coming a second time to the same city met death by martyrdom under Nero. While he was being held in prison, he composed the second epistle to Timothy, at the same time indicating that his first defense had taken place and that martyrdom was at hand.”

“"Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me." Though deserted by man, God doth not permit him to suffer any harm. He strengthened me, he says, that is, He gave me boldness in speaking. He suffered me not to sink. "That by me the preaching might be fully known." That is, might be fulfilled. Observe his great humility. He does not say He strengthened me as deserving of His gift, but that "the preaching," with which I was intrusted, "might be fully known." As if any one should wear a purple robe and a diadem, and to that circumstance should owe his safety. "And that all the Gentiles might hear." What is this? That the luster of the Gospel, and the care of His Providence for me, might be known to all. "And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work." See how near he had been to death. He had fallen into the very jaws of the lion. For he calls Nero a lion from his ferocity, and the violent and daring character of his government. "The Lord delivered me," he says, "and will deliver." But if he says, "He will deliver me," why does he say, "I am ready to be offered"? Attend to the expression, "He delivered me," he says, "from the lion's mouth"; and again, "He will deliver me," not from the lion's mouth, but "from every evil work." For then He delivered me from the danger; but now that enough has been done for the Gospel, He will yet again deliver me from every sin, that is, He will not suffer me to depart with condemnation. For that he should be able to "resist unto blood striving against sin" (Heb. xii. 4), and not yield, is a deliverance from another lion, even the devil, so that this preservation is greater than the former when he seems to be given up. "And will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." This then is salvation, when we shine forth there. But what means, "He will preserve me unto His kingdom"? He will deliver me from all blame, and preserve me there. For this is to be preserved unto His kingdom, to die here on account of it. For "He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." (John xii. 25.)”

“So that everything may be revealed through preaching. Not by force, but as he said, through preaching, as if he was bearing a purple garment and a crown (see John 19:2), and because of them he was dilivered up. By "lion" he means Nero.”

“This is again a consolation for the disciple; for it shows that God does not allow a man who has been abandoned by people to suffer anything calamitous. That is, He granted boldness, He did not allow him to fall. Look how great his humility is. Not because, he says, God strengthened me so that I would be worthy of such a gift, but "that through me the preaching might be fully known," or that it might pass from end to end and be fulfilled. This is like someone wearing purple robes and a diadem, and being saved because of them. That is, so that both the glory of the preaching and the care of Providence for me might become known to all. That is, from Nero. He calls him a lion, on account of the might of his kingdom and his inflexibility. You see how close he was to death, having fallen into the very jaws of the lion.”

“Then when he says, "but the Lord stood by me," he shows what was done against him on God's part: first, he mentions his help; second, its effect, at "that all the gentiles may hear." He says, therefore: they have all forsaken me. But where men depart, God offers himself: "for my father and my mother have left me" (Ps 26:10); hence he says, "but the Lord stood by me," namely, to help me: "but the Lord is with me as a strong warrior" (Jer 20:11); "he is at my right hand, that it be not moved" (Ps 15:8). And how? "He strengthened me" by giving me strength of soul not to be dazzled by Caesar: "the hand of the Lord was with me strengthening me" (Es 3:14). And this, "that by me the preaching may be accomplished," which is accomplished when it is spread abroad to many, and when that which is spoken is fulfilled in work: "this man is to me a vessel of election, to carry my name before the gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Then when he says, "that all the gentiles may hear," he describes the effect of God's help: first, in regard to the past; second, in regard to the future; third, he expresses thanks. But there are two benefits in regard to the past, namely, freedom from guilt and from punishment. He says, therefore: the Lord stood by me; hence, in that instance he was freed, because he was not condemned by Caesar, but was permitted to go where he wished. Consequently, he says: "that all the gentiles may hear" that the others with him had the courage to come: "declare his glory among the gentiles" (Ps 95:3) and that the uprising of the Jews had been quelled. And he continues, "I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion," i.e., from Nero's cruelty: "as the roaring of a lion, so is the anger of a king" (Prov 19:12); "as a roaring lion and a hungry bear, so is a wicked prince over the poor people" (Prov 28:15).”