2 Timothy 4.17b-The Lord Rescued Paul Temporarily From Capital Punishment
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday October 29, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 4:17b-The Lord Temporarily Rescued Paul From Capital Punishment
Lesson # 107
2 Timothy 4:16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. (NASB95)
Second Timothy 4:16 During my first defense, to protect themselves no one stood for me but on the contrary the majority deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 However, the Lord provided assistance for me. Specifically, He empowered me so that through me the proclamation was proclaimed to everyone, namely each and every one of the Gentiles heard the proclamation. I was also rescued from the lion’s mouth. (My translation)
After informing Timothy that the Lord Jesus Christ empowered him to proclaim the gospel to every non-Christian present during his first defense before the Roman authorities, Paul presents an additional way the Lord empowered him.
Namely, he empowered Paul by delivering him from the lion’s mouth.
The difficulty with this statement lies in the problem of who or what Paul is speaking of when he uses the expression στόματος λέοντος, “lion’s mouth.”
Some have interpreted this expression to be a metaphorical reference to Nero or a literal reference to the lions in the Roman Coliseum which were used to kill Christians.
Other commentators believe that Paul is drawing on a biblical image that appears in Psalm 22:21 and Daniel 6:22.
The latter speaks of the Lord delivering Daniel from literal lion’s whereas the former is a proverbial saying referring to great danger which is caused by one’s enemies.
Some expositors believe the lion is a reference to Satan and they use 1 Peter 5:8 as support for this interpretation.
The interpretation that Paul is referring to literal lions cannot be correct because historically we know that the Roman Empire did not employ this form of capital punishment with Roman citizens who were beheaded.
Thus, the interpretation that Paul is drawing on the biblical imagery in Daniel could not be correct as well.
The interpretation that the lion is a reference to Satan is incorrect since if this were the case the noun leōn would be articular rather than anarthrous since the former is used to indicate a person who is well-known to the reader.
We have the same problem with interpreting the lion as a metaphorical reference to Nero since if the noun leōn is a metaphorical reference to Nero, Paul would have used an articular construction.
The best interpretation is that Paul is quoting Psalm 21:22 in the Septuagint translation which in our English Bibles is Psalm 22:21.
This Psalm uses deliverance from the lion’s mouth as a metaphorical reference to being saved or delivered from capital punishment.
The LXX translation of Psalm 22:21: σῶσόν με ἐκ στόματος λέοντος.
Paul’s Greek text in Second Timothy 4:17: ἐρρύσθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος.
If you notice both contain the prepositional phrase ἐκ στόματος λέοντος.
The only differences are that Paul uses the verb ῥύομαι while the LXX uses another word which expresses the idea of deliverance from danger, namely, σῴζω.
Also, the LXX employs με which refers to the Psalmist while Paul does not use the word.
Furthermore, the verb σῴζω is used in the future tense whereas Paul uses the aorist tense of ῥύομαι.
However, Paul does use the future tense of σῴζω as well as the future tense of the verb ῥύομαι in Second Timothy 4:18 when speaking of his future deliverance from physical death when he will be absent from the body but face to face with the Lord (cf. 2 Cor. 5:8).
The LXX alternates ῥύομαι and σῴζω in Psalm 21:5-6 (English Bibles: Psalm 22:4-5) and in Psalm 21:9 (English Bibles: Psalm 22:8) and Psalm 21:21-22 (English Bibles: Psalm 22:20-21).
This alternating pattern between these two words is found in Second Timothy 4:17-18.
This very strongly suggests that in Second Timothy 4:17-18, Paul is alluding to Psalm 21 in the Septuagint which is Psalm 22 in our English Bibles.
In this Psalm the Psalmist states that friends have deserted him as well.
This corresponds to Paul’s situation in which he informs Timothy in Second Timothy 4:16 that no one in the Christian community stood up for him during his first defense before the Roman authorities.
Therefore, since Paul is alluding to Psalm 21 in the Septuagint and deliverance from the lion’s mouth in Psalm 21:21 is a reference to deliverance from a violent physical death, deliverance from the lion’s mouth in Second Timothy 4:17 must refer to the same thing.
Now, in Second Timothy 4:6, the apostle Paul stated that his death was soon to take place.
Therefore, when Paul speaks of deliverance from the lion’s mouth in Second Timothy 4:17, he is speaking in metaphorical terms of being temporarily delivered from capital punishment while at the same knowing that he will eventually be executed.
Then, in Second Timothy 4:18 he states that the Lord will rescue him ultimately from this physical death by bringing him safely to His heavenly kingdom.
Paul learned through personal experiences in ministry that the Lord Jesus Christ is a God of deliverance.
He learned through experience that Jesus Christ not only delivers the sinner from sin, Satan, spiritual death and eternal condemnation but also physical danger and physical death.
As in the case of Paul, God frequently rescues people from danger, suffering and sin, often through human agency (Psalm 3:8; cf. Exodus 3:7-8; Psalm 18:2; Daniel 3:16-17).
There is no deliverance with the pagan gods (2 Kings 18:33; cf. Isaiah 36:18).
There is no escape from God (Isaiah 43:13).
In Scripture, deliverance may be refused (Matthew 26:53-54; John 18:36; Hebrews 11:35).
In Scripture, there are different kinds of deliverance: (1) From danger (1 Samuel 17:37; cf. Luke 8:23-24; 2 Corinthians 1:9-10; 2 Timothy 4:17) (2) From illness (Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 38:16) (3) From trouble (Psalm 34:17, 19; 54:7) (4) From slavery (Exodus 20:2) (5) From enemies (Jeremiah 38:10-13; Daniel 6:19-22; Luke 1:74; 2 Thessalonians 3:2) (6) From Satan (Luke 13:16; 22:31-32) (7) From the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15) (8) From all fears (Psalm 34:4; Revelation 1:17) (9) From sin (Galatians 1:4; cf. Psalm 32:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 1:5) (10) From the coming wrath (Luke 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9)
God promises His people deliverance (Jeremiah 15:11; cf. Daniel 12:1).
His people are to pray for deliverance (Matthew 6:13; cf. 2 Kings 19:19; cf. Isaiah 37:20; Psalm 59:1-2).
God delivers through means: (1) Direct intervention by God (Exodus 14:13; 2 Kings 7:6) (2) Deliverance by angels (Acts 12:7) (3) Deliverance by human agency (Genesis 37:17-22; Judges 2:16; Acts 23:16-24).
The Word of God presents God’s people as deliverers such as Abraham (Genesis 14:14-16), Moses (Acts 7:35-36; cf. Psalm 77:20), Joshua (Exodus 17:8-13), the judges (Judges 2:16; cf. 3:9, 15, 31; 4:1-10, 23; 6:12, 16; 10:1; 11:32; 13:2-5, 24-25), Samuel (1 Samuel 7:3-13), Saul (1 Samuel 11:9-13), Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:45), David (2 Samuel 8:1, 14), and the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 4:18-19; cf. Isaiah 61:1-2; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:14-15),
Those who are delivered by God through various means are to respond appropriately with praise (Luke 5:25; Acts 3:8), delight (1 Samuel 2:1), thanksgiving (Psalm 30:11-12; 106:47; 107:6-8,14-15, 20-21, 30-31; Romans 7:24-25), trust (Psalm 40:1-3), obedience (Psalm 56:12-13; Luke 8:38-39; John 5:14; 8:10-11).