¹⁷But 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. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

What God uniquely used Paul to reach the Gentile world cannot be denied. But Paul continually calls on us, his readers, to follow his example. If God stood by him and strengthened him in the face of opposition, He will do the same for us. The purpose is the same: so that we would proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and in our words. As he comes to the end of his life and ministry, Paul can write, “I have finished the course” (1 Tim. 4:7); we should strive to live out our calling so that we can say the same thing.

Only those who have stood their ground against the persecutions thrown their way can say triumphantly, “I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.” One can imagine at his trial, though the accusations were vehement, and the verdict went against him, Paul preached the gospel loudly and clearly. He would have had a captive audience. They may have captured the body, but the message they could not contain.

Various suggestions have been made about the identity of the lion, with some thinking the Roman Emperor Nero, others Satan (see 1 Peter 5:8). However, Paul may have merely been using vivid language to capture the severity of the challenge to his message. He simply states that he was rescued—and that he will be saved from all future opposition. And after what little time he has left, Paul will arrive safely in heaven.

The apostle’s outlook is marvelously positive because he knows the Lord and that the Lord is the one who strengthens and rescues. Not always from physical discomfort, but from anything that would stand in the way of his finishing the course God has laid out for him. What faith! What trust! And in the end, what a glory this is for God.

Allowing only a few greetings to finish his communication to Timothy, we see that Paul envisions his time is coming to an end. The anticipation that his life will be rewarded for enhancing the reputation and the glory of Christ is extremely satisfying. Not that he takes credit, but he rests in being a showcase for God’s glory, both now and into eternity. For, in the end, it is all about what God has done in His life. As believers who seek to follow his example, that should be our motivation as well: to live and serve so that God’s reputation would be enhanced, that He would receive all the glory.

Lord, may You receive all the glory in my life both now and forever. Amen!