The Lord will rescue me
2 Timothy 4:18 — Paul’s belief brought him complete assurance of salvation and eternal life, and he wanted to pass along that confidence to Timothy.
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“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
2 Timothy 4:18 NIV
I feel blessed by this detour God has me on right now, going through New Testament verses! Today we’re back to one of Paul’s epistles, this one written to his friend and fellow missionary Timothy. This is the last chapter of the second letter to Timothy, and is somewhat bittersweet because it is thought by historians to be the last epistle written by Paul before his death.
By this point, Paul knows full well that he is going to die at the hands of the Romans, and he has hope in his heavenly reward. In the original Koine Greek, the word ῥύομαι (ryomai) is used for the “will rescue” part of this verse. It is literally translated as “draw to one’s self, to rescue, to deliver”, so Paul is stating that the Lord will draw him close, saving him from the evil attack (beheading) that is awaiting him.
That’s where Paul’s faith comes in. He knows that he is going to be beheaded (Paul was a Roman citizen, so he was exempt from crucifixion), and he is looking beyond that instant of agonizing pain and toward an eternity with Jesus.
Paul also has faith that God “will bring me safely” to His heavenly kingdom. Looking again at the Greek roots of this verse, that phrase is bundled into the concise word σῴζω (sōzō), which translates to English as “to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health”. Paul would still die for his faith, but God would make him well again in eternal life.
If anything, this verse served to encourage Timothy that Paul was not afraid of his impending death; rather, he was entirely confident that he would be brought into God’s kingdom. Paul’s belief brought him complete assurance of salvation and eternal life, and he wanted to pass along that confidence to Timothy.
Timothy might very well go through more persecution and suffering in his life after Paul’s death; we honestly do not know what happened to this tireless helper and preacher of the Gospel. He would always have the example of Paul to guide him through whatever trials were to come.
The last sentence of 2 Timothy 4:18 wraps up the epistle; the few verses after it are mainly greetings from Paul to other faithful helpers. This doxology is common in Paul’s epistles, and acknowledges not only God’s supreme authority over His creation, but the eternal nature “for ever and ever” of His kingdom. It’s a perfect ending, emphasizing that all glory belongs to God for His deliverance of His people and His eternal plan of salvation.
It all ends with an Amen — the Greek ἀμήν or Hebrew אָמֵן — both meaning “so be it”, affirming the truth of what has been said before. In the context of Paul’s epistles, he is expressing his deep agreement with and trust in God’s promises.
A short digression from today’s devotional:
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Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:
Heavenly Father, what an inspiration to read this final letter that Paul wrote to Timothy and to realize that despite all the terrible things that he was facing, he encouraged us all to hold fast to the truth of God's Word, which can never be broken. Thank You, Father, that You have promised to rescue all Your children from every evil deed and to bring us safely home into our heavenly inheritance in Christ. To You be all praise and glory forever and ever, AMEN.