But I would ye should understand, &c. As if he had said, Be not discouraged at my sufferings, but observe and consider this for your encouragement; that the things which happened unto me Greek, τα
κατ ' εμε, the things relating unto me: the apostle means his being sent a prisoner to Rome, and his being kept in bonds there, together with all the sufferings which had befallen him during his confinement; have fallen out rather unto the furtherance Than, as you feared, the hinderance; of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ Endured for his sake and the gospel's; are manifest Are much taken notice of, in all the palace Of the Roman emperor. The word πραιτωριον, here rendered palace, was, properly speaking, the place in Rome where the pretor determined causes. Or, according to the more common signification of the word, it was a place without the city, where the pretorian cohorts, or regiments of guards, were lodged. But in the provinces, the governor's palace was called the pretorium, (Mark 15:16,) both because the governors administered justice in their own palaces, and because they had their guards stationed there. See Acts 23:35. “Wherefore, though the apostle was himself at Rome when he wrote this, and though the matters of which he wrote were done at Rome, he uses the word pretorium in the provincial sense, to denote the emperor's palace, because he wrote to persons in the provinces. The knowledge of the true cause of the apostle's confinement may have been spread through the palace by some Jewish slaves in the emperor's family, who, happening to hear Paul in his own hired house, were converted by him. At this time, Rome was full of Jewish slaves; and that some such belonged to the palace, or had access to it, we learn from Josephus, De vita sua, who tells us he was introduced to the Empress Poppæa by means of a Jewish comedian. Such of the slaves in the palace as had embraced the gospel, whether heathen or Jews, would not fail to show the officers of the court whom they served, the true nature of the Christian faith, and the real cause of the apostle's imprisonment; that it was for no crime, but only for preaching a new scheme of doctrine. And, as it was now fashionable among the Romans to indulge a passion for philosophy, and many of them had a strong curiosity to be informed of every new doctrine which was broached, and of every strange occurrence which had happened in the provinces, it is not unreasonable to suppose that the brethren in the palace would explain the Christian religion to the emperor's domestics, and relate to them the resurrection of its author from the dead; and that some of them who were of high rank, strongly impressed with their relation, embraced the gospel.” And in all other places In and about the city. “The Christians at Rome were numerous before the apostle's arrival, but their number was greatly increased by his preaching, and by the preaching of his assistants. It is no wonder then, that in all places of the city,” and its environs, “the real cause of the apostle's imprisonment, and the true nature of the gospel, were so well known.” Macknight. And many of the brethren, who were before afraid, waxing confident by my bonds Or, trusting in the Lord through my bonds, as εν Κυριω πεποιθοτας τοις δεσμοις μου may be properly rendered; are much more bold to speak the word Than they were before, in consequence of having observed my constancy in testifying the gospel, and my safety notwithstanding; without fear Of any sufferings to which they might before have thought themselves exposed for so doing.