While the apostle Paul was imprisoned by house arrest, and chained to a Roman soldier 24/7, he mentioned in his letter to the church at Philippi, what I suspect was an unexpected subject – labour. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me (Philippians 1:22). Paul, not knowing if his imprisonment would conclude with execution, slavery, or release, understood his situation from God’s perspective. Viewing imprisonment as productive labour lifted Paul’s expectations with an optimism that set him free in Christ while chained. What a blessed man he was!
Paul more than understood the painful seriousness of his situation. He was not delusional! Rather, his strong hope in God elevated him above seeking escape as he aligned his heart attitude towards imprisonment with Christ’s attitude and motivation. This allowed Paul to experience the satisfaction of understanding his purpose for being where he was and with whom he was.
Of course, it helped that Paul was imprisoned due to his outspoken faith in Jesus Christ. This meant there were no actual crimes conflicting his conscience. Make no mistake, Paul was tired, beaten, and experiencing the severe pains of persecution, human betrayal, and Roman brutality! Yet, he saw only 2 options. 1) Roman execution which would release him to the bliss of being with Christ in heaven, or 2) using his circumstances as effective tools for the benefit of nonbelievers within his imprisonment and believers outside of his imprisonment. So Paul says, Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith (Php 1:25).
Even though incarcerated, and preferring release from Roman cruelty, Paul had remarkable clarity with contentment about God’s purpose for him. He embraced the realisation that it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake (Php 1:29). This Christ centered acceptance of suffering set his spirit free to labour for spiritual productivity in the lives of those surrounding him. And we see the fruitful outcome of Paul’s labour for Christ while under house arrest. He goes on to explain, I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ (Php 1:12-13).
Paul was provided, by God and Rome, with a captive audience to the gospel, through the guards taking 8 hourly shifts in being chained to this Christian gospel mouthpiece. While this was spectacular, Paul’s jailed labour efforts produced fruit further abroad, in an unexpected group of transforming evangelistic recipients. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear (Php 1:14).
As believers visited Paul, possibly taking the occasional nonbeliever with them, and no doubt talking, praying, and discussing God’s Word, the life changing power of Jesus Christ was hatched by the Holy Spirit within them. The Roman guards were imprisoned more than Paul was, unavoidably confronted by the truths of Jesus, through both their captive and his visitors. But the visitors were also encapsulated within this God ordained peculiar environment. I seriously doubt any visitor would leave the same as they had arrived. May the Lord enable us to view the entrapping circumstances of our lives as God appointed opportunities for productive labour of love for Christ’s glory and other’s blessing.
