2 Timothy 4:16 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

At my first answer Απολογια, apology, or defence, before the emperor, or, as is more generally thought, the prefect of the city in his absence; no man None of the Christians here at Rome; stood Appeared in court; with me, but all Either through treachery or cowardice; forsook me “Many circumstances make it astonishing that Paul should have been deserted by the Christians at Rome in this extremity. When he wrote his epistle to the church there, which must have been almost ten years before this, he speaks of their faith as celebrated through the world, Romans 1:8. He salutes a vast number of illustrious persons by name, and mentions many of them as his particular friends, Romans 16:3-15; and we may assure ourselves that during the two years he spent there in his hired house, when access was granted to all that desired it, the number, and probably the zeal of the Christian converts would be greatly increased, as indeed he expressly assures the Philippians that it was, and that some of Cesar's palaces were added to them, Philippians 1:12; Philippians 4:22.” How then did it happen that he was thus forsaken? The true answer seems to be, that the cruel persecution which Nero had raised against the Christians at Rome, (in which they were worried in the skins of wild beasts, wrapped up in pitched clothes, and then chained to stakes, and set on fire to give light in the streets by night,) had taken place before this; and it is probable that many of the excellent persons above mentioned had suffered death for their religion; and that others, according to our Lord's advice, had retired to a distance from Rome, while some were so terrified that they concealed themselves; or at least had not courage to appear with him before the tribunal. For these last mentioned the apostle prays, May it not be laid to their charge He was sensible of the danger to which his friends would have exposed themselves by appearing with him at his trial; he knew likewise the infirmity of human nature; and therefore he made great allowance for their yielding in such circumstances, and prayed that they might be forgiven, as Christ prayed his Father to forgive those who crucified him.