| For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles ... | ||
| Ephesians 3:1 | ||
| Paul penned this Epistle seemingly as a prisoner of Rome. Yet he gives us a different perspective of his situation when he writes, ‘Indeed I’m a prisoner. But I’m a prisoner for a cause.’ What cause? The incredible revelation as seen in Chapter 2, that Jews and Gentiles are brought together in Jesus Christ into a new entity. ‘We’re in this thing together,’ said Paul. Not only was Paul a prisoner for a cause, He was a prisoner of Christ. ‘I’m not a prisoner of Nero,’ he declared. ‘I’m not a prisoner of the Roman Empire. I’m a prisoner of Jesus Christ. And He has brought me to this place.’ I hate to say it, but I’m glad Paul was in prison — because our Bible is a whole lot richer and the Body much more complete as a result. You see, while he was in prison, Paul wrote the letters we value so greatly. In addition, the guards to whom he was chained as a prisoner began getting saved one by one and were returning to Caesar’s palace as born-again believers. That is why in his letter to the Philippians, Paul says, ‘The saints in Caesar’s palace, your new brothers in Christ, greet you,’ (Philippians 4:22). Why do I point this out? Because I think happy will be the one who realizes that wherever he is has been ordained by the Lord to bring about good things if he will have eyes to see and patience to wait. Whenever I complain about my circumstances or situation, I am really complaining about my Father, for it is He who sets our course and determines our days. Paul never lost this perspective. That is why He could say, ‘I’m a prisoner of Jesus Christ, for it is He Who has captivated my heart and brought me to this place.’ | ||
