NT Text: 2 Timothy 4:17
OT Source(s):
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): Analogy + Longitudinal Theme
Anchor Text: Psalm 22 — My God My God Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me
Significance: Paul states that "the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it" (2 Tim 4:17). This resonates with the turning point of Psalm 22:22, where after describing extreme suffering and abandonment, the psalmist declares "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you." The structural parallel is striking: both move from abandonment and mortal danger to proclamation and testimony before the nations. In Psalm 22, the sufferer's deliverance leads to worldwide declaration (22:27-28); in Paul's case, deliverance from the lion's mouth enables the gospel to be fully proclaimed to all nations. Paul's apostolic experience thus follows the Psalm 22 pattern: suffering-deliverance-proclamation.