From fellow-laborers gone or sent away, and the desire to have Timothy with him, the apostle turns to an open adversary and to those who forsook him in his recent hour of need.
“Alexander, the coppersmith, did (lit. showed) many evil things against me: the Lord will render to him according to his works; of whom be thou ware also, for he exceedingly withstood our words. At my first defense no one took my part but all deserted me: may it not be laid to their account. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, that through me the proclamation might be fully made, and all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of a lion's mouth. The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve for His heavenly kingdom; to Whom [be] the glory unto the ages of the ages. Amen.” (ver. 14-18).
We may profitably notice the different form which evil takes in the adversaries of the apostle. Phygellus and Hermogenes were prominent in personal disaffection. Among those who, in Asia, turned away from Paul, Hymeneal and Philetus have a far darker character, for in their case profane folly wrought, and this, advancing to greater impiety. They were teachers, it would appear, but not of God. “Their words,” said the apostle, “will spread as a gangrene.” The character of their error was the destructive fable that the resurrection has taken place already, which, as it overthrew the faith of some, could not but falsify the walk and testimony of all led astray by it. But even as to these, he does not deal with. the same solemnity as John applies in his second Epistle to those who denied the person of Christ; for this demands the strongest reprobation of the Christian heart, as nothing else ought. Of Demos, we have seen enough already. The smith, Alexander, appears rather in the character of an active personal enemy of the apostle; and the more, because he seems to have been once in fellowship, which would give him no small advantage in mischief as in opportunities. The many evil things may not all have come to effect, but he did them and showed what he was in doing them. Yet one cannot but feel that the critical text, which follows on the highest authority, is a great relief to the spirit: “the Lord will render to him according to his works.” That this should be turned into the optative, as in the common text, with a few uncials, most cursives, and many of the ecclesiastical writers, etc., one can understand; for man readily falls in with Jewish feeling. On the other hand, that the Lord will render him according to his works, is a certain truth which every Christian conscience must feel; and a truth in special accordance with these pastoral Epistles, which bring into distinctness the Lord's appearing.
Against Alexander, Timothy also was to stand on his guard. It is clear, therefore, that he was an adversary still bent on evil to the saints and on opposition to the work. The gentleness of Timothy's character might expose him to a mistaken kindness, where caution was imperatively required: “for he exceedingly withstood,” says the apostle, “our words.” More than the apostle had warned or entreated, and it may be Timothy himself among the rest.
The apostle now turns to his own great and recent trial at Rome, and the experience, bitter in many respects, but not without deep thanksgiving to the only One Who never fails, and gives us to know, that all things work together for good to those who love God—to those that are called according to purpose. “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all deserted me: may it not be laid to their account.” How keenly painful and humiliating thin was to the apostle few can estimate, because so few make the least approach to him either in faith or in love. Not a soul on earth could feet as he felt what such failure was to the Lord Himself; which gave, therefore, immense emphasis to his prayer, “May it not be imputed to them.” Psalm 105 makes evident what the Lord felt of old when His chosen ones went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people. “He suffered no man to do them wrong, yea, he reproved kings for their sake, saying, ‘Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm.'“ Now, He may let any or all men de them wrong, and for the present reprove neither kings, nor subjects, nor serfs, when they scorn His anointed, and do His servants all the harm they can. Another day He will render to each according to his works. But what does He feel now? What, by and by, where His own betray and desert those He honors, who, for His sake, served them best in the hour of deepest need? May it not be laid to their charge.
Christ, however, never fails. So the apostle here says, “But the Lord stood with me and gave me power.” This was more than strengthening him personally— “gave me power, that through me the proclamation might be fully made, and all the Gentiles might hear.” Thus; to Christ's glory, and in suffering for His sake, did the apostle bear witness of the truth, and the gospel, and the Lord, before the highest authorities that govern the world. There was no fawning on great men, no patronage on the world's part. “And I was delivered out of a lion's mouth.” Whether this alludes to the Emperor in particular, or to his representative in a more general way, men say they are not able to determine. The phrase clearly means rescued from most imminent or overwhelming danger.
But the apostle enlarges as he looks onward. “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work” —not necessarily out of a lion's mouth another day, but from all real evil, and “will preserve for His heavenly kingdom.” Earth might yield still more of sorrow and of human persecution, to the uttermost. For the apostle it was no question of flesh being saved, but of preservation for the Lord's heavenly kingdom, to Whom be the glory for the ages of the ages. His and our every psalm may well end in a continual Hallelujah.