Prisoners of Christ

BIBLE STDY #769-CHURCH IN THE HOUSES TUESDAY, MAY 14 @ 20, 2013 Topic: “Prisoners of Christ” Ephesians 3:1, 13

Here we see Paul willing to suffer for Christ and for the church. In these times of the beginning and development of Christianity, God’s direct treatment with the people of Israel is temporarily set aside, the nation we acknowledge as His earthly chosen people. Since those times of Paul until today we are living in the era of the church in which the Jewish and Gentiles are at the same level before God. When we, the Gentile believers, are with the Lord, then God will retake a direct treatment with Israel again. So, the present age is a type of parenthesis between the past treatments and the future of God with Israel. The Gentiles did not come first, but now God buries them in Paul’s heart because they are in God’s heart. “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.” It is the privileged place in which the Gentile believers have been introduced as a result of their union with Christ. “For this cause”, says the Paul who killed all those who dared to break the Jewish law. Now he had a cause that every Gentile that converted would be united with Christ and for those Paul was willing to fight even if he had to suffer in prison. The gentiles were liberated when Paul preached to them, and Paul would go to prison for preaching about the Lord bringing them well-being. We see the result: liberation of Gentiles and prison for Paul. This letter to the Ephesians was written during Paul’s first roman incarceration. But here the apostle was speaking of himself as one who is imprisoned in Rome; well this could have indicated a sensation of defeat, a feeling of self-compassion or a desire for sympathy. Paul referred to himself as a PRISONER OF JESUS CHRIST, an honorable acceptance of his condition as a “prisoner of Christ”, for him that was dignity and triumph. Ruth Paxson makes a comment regarding this moment lived by Paul and says: “there is no smell of prison in Ephesus because Paul is not tied or attached in his spirit.” The apostle is there as a prisoner of Rome, but he doesn’t affirm but rather he prefers to say that he is a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Which is the secret of this victorious transcendence (to go beyond, to go above) of the world? It is that Paul’s spirit is with Christ in celestial places even if his body languishes in prison! (Ephesians 2:6 “…and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”) His imprisonment was of course because of the Gentiles. For Paul there was a tremendous opposition on behalf of many for teaching that the Gentiles had the same rights and privileges as the Jewish believers in the Christian church. But, that was HIS CAUSE: TO LOVE AND TAKE THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES! For that cause he was called even if he had to suffer persecution. He knew that in spite of the battles and the suffering he would always be supported by God until the end. (2 Timothy 4:17,18 “But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”) Paul is a prisoner in jail. The apostle understood his calling; he would go through many tribulations because of the gentiles, that despicable nation. Jail was nothing to him because of the love for those whom he was called to battle, and that battle took him not only to jail, but to tribulations, pains, sadness and anguishes. But, this did not matter to him as long as they were free in Christ; that is why he wanted to tell them to be calm. Ephesians 3:13 “…I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.” His love took him to suffer, but the important thing was for them to reach Jesus. At the view of the dignity of his ministry and the wonderful results that sprouted from his ministry, Paul rested and received encouragement for the much well-being he brought to others. For him the result of his ministry was more important than the sufferings and ailment. If he had to go to prison, well, that was for Christ and the favor of many. Then, the brothers did not have a reason to faint or worry because all that, even if it was hard and difficult, for Paul himself that was not his concern. Then it is necessary to see the prisons as something good. (Ephesians 3:13 “…I ask, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.”) Let no one be distressed because of the prisons, this should be their glory. When we struggle out of love for others, although the problems, persecutions and battles become prisons, remember that this is your glory! We shouldn’t be so worried and anguished; the sufferings and ailment of those who struggle for us is our glory. What Paul does is to encourage the saints not to be discouraged when going through their suffering. He felt fortunate to be able to bear tribulations in the fulfillment of his mission with the gentiles. INSTEAD OF FEELING DISCOURAGED FOR THE TRIALS HE SUFFERED THEY SHOULD FEEL PROUD TO BE CONSIDERED DIGNIFIED FOR SUFFERING FOR THE LORD JESUS. They should rejoice thinking of the benefits of their tribulations for themselves and other Gentiles. They should see their actual imprisonment as a glory and not as a disgrace. How great and marvelous is our God! Amen.