2 Timothy 4:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then consolation is again offered to the disciple: “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me.” When someone is abandoned by men, God does not permit him to suffer anything disastrous. “And strengthened me,” that is, He gave me boldness and did not permit me to fall. “That through me the Gospel might be confirmed,” that is, established. See how great his humility is. He says, God strengthened me not because I was worthy of such a gift, but “that the Gospel might be confirmed,” the Gospel entrusted to me. This is like someone wearing the purple and the diadem and being saved because of them. “And all the Gentiles heard.” What does this mean? It means, he says, that both the glory of the preaching and the care of Providence for me might become known to all.

“But the Lord stood by me.” This is again consolation for the disciple, for it shows that God does not permit a man abandoned by others to suffer anything disastrous. “And strengthened me.” That is, He gave me boldness and did not permit me to fall. “That through me the Gospel might be confirmed.” See how great his humility is. He says, God strengthened me not because I was worthy of such a gift, but so that through me the Gospel might be confirmed, or pass from end to end and be fulfilled. This is like someone wearing the purple and the diadem and being saved because of them. “And all the Gentiles heard.” That is, so that both the glory of the preaching and the care of Providence for me might become known to all. “And I was delivered from the lion’s jaws.” That is, from Nero. He calls him a lion because of the power of his kingdom and his inflexibility. Do you see how close he was to death, having fallen into the very jaws of the lion?

But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me for the courageous endurance of the sufferings and sorrows surrounding me. This was so that through me the preaching might be established, that is, so that all preachers of the New Testament might be strengthened through me. It was also so that all the Gentiles who had received the Gospel teaching might hear that I was delivered from the jaws of the lion, that is, from the hand of Caesar. For his first court wished to condemn me to death.

It should be said that at first, when Nero’s power was not yet firmly established and his vice had not yet appeared to the degree described in history, Nero released Paul. Thus the Gospel of Christ could be preached in the West. As he himself writes in the Second Epistle to Timothy: “At my first defense no one was with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that through me the Gospel might be confirmed, and all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered from the lion’s jaws.” By the lion he clearly means the cruel Nero. And immediately after this: “The Lord delivered me from the lion’s jaws.” Again, briefly: “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly Kingdom.”

"But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully known, and all the Gentiles might hear." When Paul, after demanding the higher court, was sent by Festus to Rome, he was acquitted and released as innocent. He then went to Spain and, passing to other nations, brought them the lamp of doctrine. Therefore he called his "first defense" the one given during that stay in Rome. "And I was delivered from the mouth of lions." The Apostle called Nero a lion, both because he was king and because he was most savage.

“But the Lord stood by me,” invisibly, or even visibly, though only for him. “And strengthened me,” placing courage and boldness of spirit within me. “That through me the preaching might be made known.” That its truth might be confirmed in the thoughts not only of those who saw me at trial, but also of those who merely heard of my conduct. They would know that I would not have given myself over to torments and death if my preaching were not true, for the sake of which I was ready to endure everything. Nor, before the face of the beastlike and implacable tyrant, would I have felt such courage within myself if I had not been encouraged by Christ Who sent me. “And all the Gentiles may hear.” That is, of my firmness and of my bold and fearless defense.

And again, thanking God for his deliverance, Paul says, “I was delivered out of the lion’s jaws.” He means those who roar in order to devour souls; cf. 1 Pet 5:8. For the devil is very crafty, and at times he makes falsehood appear as truth.

"And I was delivered from the mouth of the lion." By the figure of the lion, Chrysostom and Theodoret understand Nero. Some understand actual lions, to which the Apostle was supposedly first condemned to be thrown. The first opinion is more probable.

The Apostle Paul informs Timothy that his own end is near and asks him to come to him quickly. He says that all except Luke have abandoned him. He gives Timothy certain instructions for the journey. He recounts the help of God shown to him after his first defense in court. He charges him to greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus, and he sends greetings from certain Roman brethren.

The trial of the Apostle was conducted according to the form of Roman law. It consisted of several separate proceedings, and the pleading often took place before all who wished to be present, publicly. In such a trial, seeing familiar and sympathetic faces is pleasant for the accused and, if he is innocent, consoling. Yet although the Apostle Paul was innocent, those close to him still abandoned him, just as the Apostles abandoned Christ Himself when He was taken by the soldiers. The first fear of responsibility is very common. It acts even on those close to a king when they see danger to themselves, as happened, for example, with David. He complained, “My neighbors stood far off from me” (Ps 37:18; 87:9). But the Lord does not abandon His faithful servants. Thus He did not abandon Paul.

In the following reports about himself and his work, the Apostle appears to us as one who has in no way lost courage, even in view of his approaching death. For example, he remembers the cloak left in Troas and some books that he needed. Speaking of his first appearance at trial or interrogation, he notes that no acquaintances or friends were seen around him. According to Roman custom, such people supported the accused with their voices. But the Lord helped him instead. He had promised to give His apostles the power of the Holy Spirit, so that they might stand firm at trial (Mt 10:19-20). Thus the preaching of the Gospel was fulfilled. Proclaimed in the world city, before representatives of world authority, it reached, so to speak, its culminating point.

Throughout his whole life, the Lord did not leave the Apostle without His personal guidance and consolation. He did the same at the end of his life. The Lord did not abandon the one abandoned by men.

He stood by him and strengthened him. He breathed courage into him before the face of death. He "granted boldness and did not allow him to lose heart" (Saint Chrysostom).

"That through me the preaching might be fully known." "Fully known," πληροφορηθη, means assured, convincingly confirmed for all in its truth.

This does not mean future preaching, but the preaching already given, or the preaching of the Gospel in general, spread everywhere by all the Apostles.

How was it confirmed in its truth at this time by Saint Paul? By his self-defense before the court.

By these words Paul clearly establishes that, the first time, he was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Apostle seems to call Nero this because of his cruelty. This happened so that his preaching might be fully completed. For afterward he does not add anything like, “He delivered me from the lion’s mouth.” He saw in the Spirit that his end was near. Therefore, after the words, “I was delivered from the lion’s jaws,” he adds, “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly Kingdom,” indicating his approaching martyrdom. He foretells it still more clearly in the same epistle, saying, “I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come.”