<p>3:11 <i>Persecutions, sufferings- </i>I suggest the &quot;sufferings&quot; refer to the mental and spiritual temptations which arise from the literal, physical persecutions. The same word is translated &quot;sinful passions&quot; (Rom. 7:5; Gal. 5:24). The rest of the verse goes on to talk about the Lord's spiritual deliverance of Paul from these spiritual temptations (see commentary).</p><p><i>Think of what things befell me </i><i>at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra</i><i>- </i>Timothy had been with Paul and was being asked to model himself on Paul.</p><p><i>What persecutions I endured</i>- Paul uses the same word for &quot;endured&quot; in explaining that we can only bear or endure our trials because a way of escape is made for us out of them (1 Cor. 10:13). And so the Lord's deliverance of Paul was through making ways of escape every time. The comment that the Lord had 'delivered' Paul from those persecutions therefore refers to not suffering him to spiritually collapse as a result of them. Paul seems to constantly feel that Timothy is on the verge of spiritual collapse; the fact he fulfilled his ministry at Ephesus, according to the Lord's judgment of the church in Rev. 2, shows that despite so much teetering on the edge, the Spirit finally made Timothy strong out of weakness. Timothy was being encouraged that despite all the trauma that Paul had endured, the Lord had delivered him from spiritually stumbling as a result of them; and Paul is consciously setting himself as Timothy's example.</p><p><i>And out of them all, the Lord delivered me</i>- I noted above that this deliverance was more in spiritual terms than deliverance from literal hardship. The bad experiences were not allowed to make Paul stumble. We find the same word in the Lord's prayer, regarding deliverance from temptation (Mt. 6:13); and of our deliverance from spiritual temptation (2 Pet. 2:9). Paul's confidence that he would always be &quot;delivered&quot; (4:18) surely refers to his confidence that he would be delivered from spiritually falling; for in the same breath he recognizes that the time of his death is near, and he did not expect any last minute reprieve from it. This is huge encouragement for us all; we shall be delivered from spiritual temptation if this is our true desire. Truly &quot;The sceptre of wickedness won&rsquo;t remain over the allotment of the righteous; so that the righteous won&rsquo;t put forth their hands to do evil&quot; (Ps. 125:3).</p>