Between AD 58 and 60, when Paul returned to Jerusalem, he was arrested in the temple (Acts 21:27-36). The Jews had made a plot to killed Paul, (Acts 23:12-15) and Paul appealed to Caesar after several transitions (Acts 25:11). When being escorted from Caesarea to Rome in custody, he was shipwrecked off the coast of Malta due to violent storm, which was Paul’s fourth time of such perilous experience (Acts 27).
About AD 62, from the fullness of his heart, Paul wrote the “Epistle to Ephesians”, the “Epistle to Colossians”, the “Epistle to Philippians”, and the “Epistle to Philemon” under house-arrest in Rome. When Paul’s beloved Philippian churches learned about the news of his unjust arrest, they offered Paul a lot of supports and comfort. In order to thank them, Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians and told them that he would soon go back to meet them again; meanwhile Timothy was sent to visit them. Paul also grasped the opportunity to preach Gospel to the Praetorian guarded against him as well as other Roman soldiers. In the first chapter of his letter to the Philippians, Paul narrated the fruit of evangelization in the face of adversity, “brothers, that my situation has turned out rather to advance the gospel, so that my imprisonment has become well known in Christ throughout the whole praetorium and to all the rest, and so that the majority of the brothers, having taken encouragement in the Lord from my imprisonment, dare more than ever to proclaim the word fearlessly.” (Phil 1:12-14).
Paul spent his first two years in Rome under house arrest (Acts 28:30-31), and was acquitted and released eventually. About AD 65, when revisiting Macedonia, he wrote the “First Epistle to Timothy”, and then the “Epistle to Titus” from Ephesus in the same year. In AD 66, when Emperor Nero was persecuting Christians in Rome frantically, Paul was arrested again as soon as he arrived back to Rome.
This time, the Apostle knew that the possibility of his release was almost none, though with confidence unshaken. He doubted that he was able to see his beloved disciple again, and so he wrote his final words for Timothy into the “Second Epistle to Timothy”. Paul advised his beloved disciple to take his responsibility, and hoped that Timothy took Paul as an example, became courageous, and endured everything for Christ. Paul expressed his advice in such manner, as “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.”(2 Tim 4:1-2). He also straightforwardly said: “For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.”(2 Tim 4:6-8).
Finally he was expecting his martyrdom to be near, and was only stood by just one person, Luke. The Apostle longed for his beloved disciple Timothy to be by his side, and hence urged him to come to Rome quickly before the beginning of winter. (2 Tim 4:8,11)
“The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with all of you.”(2 Tim 4:22), which was the last words which Paul left to the churches.