For I am even now ready to be sacrificed: and the time of my dissolution is at hand.

“But not to dwell upon ancient examples, let us come to the most recent spiritual heroes. Let us take the noble examples furnished in our own generation. Through envy and jealousy the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the church] have been persecuted and put to death. Let us set before our eyes the illustrious apostles... Owing to envy, Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity, compelled to flee, and stoned. After preaching both in the east and west, he gained the illustrious reputation due to his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world, and come to the extreme limit of the west, and suffered martyrdom under the prefects. Thus was he removed from the world, and went into the holy place, having proved himself a striking example of patience.”

“Ye presbyters, "feed the flock which is among you," till God shall show who is to hold the rule over you. For "I am now ready to be offered," that I "may win Christ." Let the deacons know of what dignity they are, and let them study to be blameless, that they may be the followers of Christ. Let the people be subject to the presbyters and the deacons. Let the virgins know to whom they have consecrated themselves.”

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.". There now remains for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me in that day; and not only to me, but to all also who love His appearing."”

“He did not add next something like "he will deliver me out of the mouth of the lion," for he saw in the spirit that his death was all but at hand. So he adds to his words, "And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." He says: "The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom," indicating his speedy martyrdom, which he foretells even more clearly in the same writing, when he says, "For I am even now ready to be sacrificed, and the time of my dissolution is at hand."”

“Let me say something about this; I am helped, you see, by their words, which have gone out to the ends of the whole wide world. Notice first of all his holy act of pouring himself out. He said he was being immolated, not that he was dying. It is not because one who is immolated doesn't die but that not everyone who dies is immolated. So being immolated he is dying for God. The word is taken from sacrifice. Everything that is sacrificed is slaughtered for God.”

“Above, he warned that if he was going astray, he should press on to teach — this for the sake of his hearers and for Timothy himself; here he introduces a third necessity, namely on the part of the Apostle, namely that he was soon to be taken away from the world. And first he foretells that his death is imminent; second he commands that Timothy visit him, there *make haste*. Concerning the first he does two things: first the imminence of his death is designated; second, the security of the one dying, there *the good fight*. Concerning the first he does two things, for first he announces the sufferings he was undergoing; second he foretells the death that was awaited, there *and the time of my*. As to the first he says: *for I am already being poured out*, as if to say: presently I am being poured out. Now the suffering of the saints is called an immolation. Phil. II, 17: *but even if I am sacrificed upon the sacrifice, and I rejoice in the service of your faith*. Ps. CXV, 17: *to you I will sacrifice the victim of praise*, namely by suffering for you. In antiquity, in the sacrifices that were offered from liquids, certain foretastings were made; and these were called libations. Rom. XI, 16: *but if the firstfruit is holy, so is the lump*, etc. And therefore he calls his imminent sufferings libations. And although he had already for a long time undergone them, yet the time of his dissolution is at hand. Now there is a twofold dissolution, namely of the soul from the body. Eccle. ult.: *and let the dust return to its earth, from which it was: and let the spirit return to God who gave it*. Likewise there is the dissolution of the body into dust. Gen. III, 19: *dust you are, and unto dust you shall return*. Then when he says *good*, he shows the security of his death. But it must be known that there is a difference between the death of the just man and of the sinner, because, as is said in Prov. XI, 7, *when the wicked man has died, there will be no further hope*. For because he has hope in these transitory things, therefore he has no hope in the eternal things. But the just man has hope in the eternal things, and not in the earthly. First, therefore, he sets down the merit of his security; second, the security of the reward, there *for the rest*. The merit of this life consists in three things, namely in resisting evils, in advancing in goods, and in using well the gifts of God. The first is called a certain contest; hence here he says *I have fought the good fight*. Now a contest is called good, first, if it is for good things; for instance if it is for the faith and for justice, as was the apostles'. Jude I, 3: *concerning your common salvation I found it necessary to write to you, exhorting you to contend earnestly for the holy faith once delivered*. Ecclus. IV, 33: *strive for justice for your soul, and even unto death contend for justice*. Second, on account of the manner of the contest, namely if it is contended carefully and lawfully. Above II, v. 5: *he will not be crowned, unless he has contended lawfully*. I Cor. IX, 29: *thus I fight, not as one beating the air, but I chastise my body*, etc. Third, on account of the difficulty of the contest. Wisd. X, 12: *and she gave him a hard contest, that he might conquer*. According to what pertains to advancement in goods it is called a course; hence there follows *I have finished the course*. I Cor. IX, 24: *so run, that you may attain*. And the advancement of the saints is called a course, because they run with haste, so as, by improving, to complete it, driven on by the goads of charity. Heb. IV, 11: *let us hasten, therefore, to enter into that rest*. Ps. CXVIII, 32: *I have run the way of your commandments*. But still the contest and the course of death remained: therefore he had not finished the course, nor had he fought. It must be said that just as a man who begins well and intends to finish has the work perfectly, so too the apostle: for he had already begun, and he intended to finish. The good use of the gifts of God is twofold, namely the preserving of the faith, and therefore he says *I have kept the faith*, which he does who uses the gifts of God for the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbors. Matth. XXIV, v. 45: *who, do you think, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom his lord has set over his household?* I Tim. I, 12: *he judged me faithful, putting me into the ministry*. Or: I have kept in myself the virtue of faith. Rom. XIV, 23: *all that is not of faith is sin*. On account of which, Matth. X, 16: *be prudent as serpents*, that is, guard the faith, as the head and foundation of the virtues. Then when he says *for the rest*, the hope of the reward is set down, which first he sets down; second he shows its giver, there *which will render*; third he sets down the sharers of the reward, there *who love*. He says therefore: since I have fought and finished the course, nothing remains except that I be crowned. It is called the crown of justice, which God will render from his justice. But against this: because eternal life is given from grace. Rom. VI, 23: *the grace of God is eternal life*, and cap. VIII, 18: *the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared to the future glory*; therefore not from justice. I answer. It must be said that it is grace to you as regards the root of meriting; justice as regards the act, which proceeds from the will. Or: it is the crown of justice, which is given from justice, because it is given to the just according to just works. Is. III, 10: *say to the just, that he shall eat well the fruit of his devisings*, etc. This crown is twofold: one principal, one secondary. The first is the essential reward, which is nothing other than the joy in the truth. Is. XXVIII, 5: *in that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a garland of exultation to the residue of his people*. God, therefore, is our crown. The second is the crown that is owed to special works, and this is the aureole, and one is owed to the martyrs. Above II, 5: *he will not be crowned, unless he has contended lawfully*. And it is to this that he refers when he says *I have fought the good fight*. Another is owed to virgins. Wisd. IV, 2: *crowned forever she triumphs, winning the reward of undefiled contests*. And it is to this that *I have finished the course* refers. Apoc. XIV, 4: *these follow the Lamb*, etc. The third is that of the doctors. Prov. IV, 9: *he will give to your head increase of graces, and a noble crown shall protect you*. And it is to this that he refers when he says *I have kept the faith*. And he says *laid up*, that is, reserved according to the eternal predestination. Above I, v. 12: *I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep my deposit unto that day*. The giver of this is God, therefore he says *which the Lord will render to me*, namely through his justice, *in that day*. For this is the crown of glory, and this is twofold, namely of the soul; and this is rendered to the saints *in that day*, namely in death. Hence here he says *the time of my dissolution is at hand*. II Cor. V, 1: *if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved, we have a building from God*. The other is of the body, and this will be rendered *in that day*, namely of judgment. I Cor. XV, 43: *it is sown in dishonor*, etc. The sharers of this are all the saints, hence he says *and not only to me*, namely it is laid up. Apoc. ult., 20: *come, Lord Jesus*. Cant. V, 1: *let my beloved come into his garden, that he may eat the fruit of his apples*. Those who do not love God have nothing by which to love his coming. Amos V, 18: *woe to those who desire the day of the Lord*. Because the crown is owed to charity alone. Jn. XIV, 21: *he who loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and I will manifest myself to him*.”

“For I am now ready to be offered,.... Or poured out, as a libation, or a drink offering; or as the blood was poured out at the bottom of the altar; which is expressive of martyrdom, and shows that the apostle knew what death he should die; for which he was habitually ready; and this sacrifice of himself was not to atone for sin, his own, or others; Christ's death was the only sacrifice for sin, and that is a complete one, and needs no other to be added to it; but this was in the cause of Christ, and for the confirmation of the Gospel, and the faith of the saints in it: so covenants have been confirmed by libations or drink offerings of wine; and this was an offering acceptable unto God, in whose sight the death of his saints is precious; as the wine in the drink offering is said to cheer God, that is, to be acceptable to him: and the time of my departure is at hand; death is not an annihilation of man, neither of his body, nor of his soul; the one at death returns to dust, and the other to God that gave it; death is a dissolution of soul and body, or a dissolving of the union that is between them, and a resolution of the body into its first principles; hence the Syriac version renders it, "the time in which I shall be dissolved"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "the time of my resolution". Death analyzes men, and reduces them to their first original earth; it is a removing of persons from one place and state to another; from an house of clay, from this earthly house of our tabernacle, to an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, to everlasting habitations, and mansions in Christ's Father's house. This phrase, "a departure", is an easy representation of death, and supposes an existence after it; See Gill on Phi 1:23. Now there is a "time" for this; saints are not to continue here always; this is a state of pilgrimage, and a time of sojourning, and which is fixed and settled; the time for going out of this world, as well as for coming into it, is determined by God, beyond which there is no passing; the number of men's days, months, and years, is with him; and the apostle knew partly from his age, and partly from his situation, being in bonds at Rome, and it may be by divine revelation, that his time of removing out of this world was very near; and which he mentions, to stir up Timothy to diligence, since he would not have him long with him, to give him counsel and advice, to admonish him, or set him an example.”

“For I am now ready to be offered - Ηδη σπενδομαι· I am already poured out as a libation. See the note on Phi 2:17. He considers himself as on the eve of being sacrificed, and looks upon his blood as the libation which was poured on the sacrificial offering. He could not have spoken thus positively had not the sentence of death been already passed upon him.”

“I am even now ready to be sacrificed. [5] Literally, to be immolated. See Philippians ii. 17. — The time of my dissolution (literally, resolution) is at hand. This makes many judge that this letter was written during his last imprisonment; but the sense perhaps may be, that being old and worn out with labours, he could not live long. (Witham)”

“Greek, "For I am already being offered"; literally, as a libation; appropriate to the shedding of his blood. Every sacrifice began with an initiatory libation on the victim's head (compare Note, see on Phi 2:17). A motive to stimulate Timothy to faithfulness--the departure and final blessedness of Paul; it is the end that crowns the work [BENGEL]. As the time of his departure was indicated to Peter, so to Paul (Pe2 1:14). my departure--literally, "loosing anchor" (see on Phi 1:23). Dissolution.”