THIS IS BAD, EDITH, THIS IS REALLY BAD!

I can only imagine what the Christians in Rome thought when they heard that the apostle Paul had been arrested and was being brought to Rome to be tried before Caesar.

“This is bad, Edith! Many of our friends have fled to other cities because of the increasing persecution; in fact, our friends Aquila and Priscilla have moved to Corinth. Everybody is keeping a low profile these days and just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did—they have arrested the Apostle! If they can get him, what chance do we have? This is bad Edith, this is really bad!”

For two years Paul was kept in confinement in Rome while he awaited trial. He was imprisoned by the Praetorian Guard, the power elite of the Roman military. The Praetorian Guard was responsible for protecting the Emperor and policing the city of Rome. Over the centuries, the Praetorians became a force to be reckoned with. More than once they removed an Emperor from power (which means they killed him). It is reported that once they removed an Emperor, their power was such that they “sold” the Roman Empire to the highest bidder. These were the men who were charged with imprisoning Paul.

Paul was chained by the wrist to a soldier every moment of every day. The soldiers were there as Paul visited with his guests; they heard him share the gospel; heard him as he prayed for his friends and their needs; heard him in his private moments as he communed with the Lord in worship and prayer. I am sure that Paul had lengthy witnessing conversations with the soldiers who rotated through this duty.

Paul saw his imprisonment not as a defeat but as a victory. “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1:12 NIV). Paul then goes on to explain that because of his chains, the Praetorian Guard and all who lived in the Emperor’s palace had been touched by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A little background is helpful here. Prior to Paul’s imprisonment, the Roman church had come under increasing persecution. The Emperor Nero, who set fire to Rome, falsely blamed the Christians for the fire and persecution began to intensify. Many Christians fled to other cities and other countries where the persecution was not as intense.

Those who stayed in Rome were largely silenced. Out of fear, they stopped sharing the good news. They literally went underground, and to the world around them they were silent.

Paul explains in Philippians 1:14: “Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly” (NIV).

Because of Paul’s positive response to his chains, the Roman believers broke their silence and began to share the message of Christ to those around them. I think it’s entirely feasible that one of those with Paul, perhaps Timothy, was serving as a liaison between Paul and the remnants of the church. As Paul’s imprisonment wore on, the messenger began to share stories of the soldiers and others that were coming to faith in Christ through Paul’s witness. At first the church may have been stunned by what they were hearing, and possibly rather skeptical. Over the weeks and months, however, that all changed and the remnant church began to understand what God was up to. They stepped out of their fear and silence and again began to share the Good News.

What had appeared to be a horrific defeat with Paul being imprisoned was now being seen as a circumstance that God had turned into a victory. Paul led the way with his understanding of “because of my chains.” We understand that Paul was not really talking about physical chains but about the circumstances that brought bondage into his life. The word used here for chains means anything that is used for tying—a band or a fetter.

Paul let God turn what appeared to be circumstances that limited him, and use it all for good (Romans 8:28).

The Bible establishes this as a pattern of God’s working early on. In Genesis chapters 37-50, we read the fascinating story of Joseph. His jealous brothers faked an accident and sold Joseph into slavery to get rid of him. Bought by nomadic traders, Joseph was then sold to one of the high-ranking officers in Egypt. Working as a household slave, he was falsely accused of rape and thrown into prison. His circumstances went from bad to worse but after several years, Joseph was again freed and went on to become one of the most important men in Egypt. It was through his wisdom and the unwavering favor of God that he ended up being the savior/deliverer of his family and his nation.

After reuniting with his brothers, Joseph said to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20 NIV).

A selfish, harmful plan had been conceived but God turned the shameful act into a glorious victory!