The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Timothy — Section 71

l"hri~tiRnity, when on the occasion, we m11y supposr, of the first defence, he ma,le 'n1unous statements l\'.:!Rinst t.he great champion of Christianity. If he still professed to ~ _a friend of Christianity at a distance from Rome, he was to be regarded with SiLSplClOn. III. PAUL. l. Fi,·~t defenoe. "At my first defence." This first defence w1111 in connection with a second imprisonment, of which there can be no doubt. The accou 11 t of Eusebins is that "nfter defenoing himself successtully, it is currently reported thal die al'o•tle a.gain went forth to proclaim the gospel, and af1e, war.ls camtJ to Rome 8 seco1Jd time, and was martyred under Nero." :-iome would place an interval of th·e years betw..en the first and second imprisonments. We have not the means of knowina the precise charge against which he had to defend himself on this second occasio 1~ 'l'here is Rfl)'&ren t l~· this fact to go upon, that, after the conflagration of Rome which was attributed by Nero to the Christians, Paul as their lea,ler was liable at any moment t-0 be arrested. The supposition is adopted hy some that on this ground he was arrested a.t Nicopolis, where Titus was to join hiru (Titus iii. 12), and taken across the Adriatic to Rome. His trial, which does not seem this time to have been lo,,g <lelayed, was yet recent; fur Timothy ha,l not been info,med of it. The trial woutd probably take place, not before Nero, a.s on the pr,•vious occasinn, but before the city prefect, who, a.s more the emperor's creation, was supplanting the regular judges. 'lbe scene of the trial wo11ld probably be in one of the basilicas in the Roman forum, where a large audience could be accommodated. "A dens" ring," says l'liny, "man_,. circJ.s deep, surrounded the scene of trial. They crowded close to the jndgment-seat itself, and even in the upper part of the basilica both meu and women pres~ed close in the eager desire to see (which was easy) and to hear (which was difficult)." We may conclude, from the language here (first defence), and also from his b<'ing still in bonds as a malefactor (eh. iL 9), that the trial resulted neither in his condem,,ation nor in hisfull acquittal. Some imagine that he was acquitted on a first charge; but that there was a second charge on which he was yet to be tried. The more probable snpposi:ion is that there was a postponement in consequence of the case nnt bein:! clear, and that the apostle was luuking forward to a second trial when, on the whole case, he would have to make a scco11d defence. 2. .Assistance at his trial. "No oue took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account. But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might be fully pro- ciaimed, a.11d that all the Gentiles might hear." He had not the assistance which was usually enjoyed by the accused on his trial. No stress need be laid on the absence of a professional advocate; for Paul was well able to defend himself. But there was no one beside him to give him countenance. There was no one-which would have rendered great assistance-to come forward and testify that his relation to the Roman law, in his conduct and teaching, had been all that Romans could have desired. It was his fortune to be put in the position in which his Master had been put before him. "All," he says," forsook me." The resemblance extended not merely to his position, but to bis gentleness of spirit. The Matster had said on the cross," Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." The servant echoes this sentiment wl,en he says, "May it not be laid to their acoount." The ahsence of earthly friends was, however, more than made up by the presence of a hea,•enly Friend. '!'his was the Lord Jesus Cl.irist, who stood by him, not merely as his Friend, but as his Advocate, and strengthened him as such. Tbat is to say, he supplied him, in matter and s,,irit, with all that was necessary for his defence. 'Jbis was according to the Master's own promise, "And wl,en they bri!lg you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall say: for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say." We learn that the defence of himself was adroitly turned into a defence of the gospel. If there was a charge of arson, it would be open to him to show t.bnt the gospel did not encourage crime or resistatnce to the powers that be. 1t would also fall naturally to him to give a statement of the points on which he le.id greatest stress in his tR,aC'hing. The as~istance he received was of the highest avail j lor it brought his life-work to its culmination. He had been proclaiming the gospel in 1uauy places, and in many places the Gentiles had heard. Now, when his opportunity Lad come before Roman officials and before a l<oman multitude, as apparently it had 11ot oome Defore, he could say that, as far as his instrume11tality was concerned, his OH, IV, 1-22,] TUE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 77