The Mamertine Prison of Rome was an ancient penal institution that had been used as a penitentiary for centuries prior to the events that led to the Neronian Persecutions. According to church tradition, this was the place where Paul the Apostle spent his final days prior to his execution in or around the year A.D. 67 .
The Mamertine Prison was essentially an underground dungeon for those condemned to die. It was a cold, damp place of incarceration with no windows or external light. A small opening in the ceiling allowed food to be dropped to the inmates who were confined below. The only amenities given to a prisoner were those that were brought by others who came to visit- if there were any.
If this traditional belief regarding Paul’s imprisonment is accurate, these were the conditions that reflected the harsh reality of daily existence for Paul the Apostle as the end of his life drew near. With these things in mind, it becomes easier to understand and appreciate some of Paul’s final words from this letter…
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6).
“Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments” (2 Timothy 4:13).
“Be diligent to come to me quickly… Do your utmost to come before winter” (2 Timothy 4:9, 21).
One Pastoral author offers a vivid description of this period of the great apostle’s life…
“If you were to visit the Mamertine prison in Rome today, you would appreciate the weight of every word in this letter. In the lower level of that prison there is a dungeon where it is believed the Romans held the Apostle Paul. The way he was chained amounted to continuous torture. That dungeon was a foul-smelling, horrible place to be incarcerated. It was reserved for Rome’s most hated prisoners.
Under these conditions, it is a mystery how Paul was able to write his second letter to Timothy and get it out of the prison. Everyone, it seems, deserted Paul, except an old man named Onesiphorus and Paul’s beloved physician, Luke. It may be Onesiphorus or Luke was able to smuggle this letter out. Paul certainly could not have written it with his own hand; he must have dictated it. As you read these last words of Paul, never forget the context of that horrible prison…” (1)
These conditions will serve as the backdrop for our look at the Biblical letter of 2 Timothy.
(1) Dick Woodward, Mini Bible College Study Booklet #14 Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II Thessalonians, I and II Timothy, Titus and Philemon (p. 36).