How Would You Feel If You Found Yourself In Prison?

I am so grateful that I have never been arrested, accused of a crime, or found myself in jail, or worse, prison. But I try to imagine how I would feel if I were arrested for speaking out about my beliefs. That arrest would clearly be unfounded.

While sitting in jail or prison, I believe I would feel scared, uncertain about my future, and even indignant, knowing the arrest was unwarranted.

A completely different set of emotions emerges as we read the Prison Epistles of Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians. (In this blog, I am leaving off Philemon, which is the other prison epistle.) The Apostle Paul was arrested, accused of being a troublemaker, stirring up riots among Jews in the Roman Empire. He was held in house arrest, chained to a guard. Yet, despite the difficulty involved, he wrote these letters to the believers in the various cities.

He was more concerned with their Christian walk than with his own situation. He knew he was a servant of Christ, and that came with great concern and compassion for these people. He was thankful for their Christian character, yet he knew there was more going on in these cities.

In Colossians, Paul knew that unhealthy and false teaching had infiltrated the church, de-emphasizing the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. Paul’s letter included information about who Christ is and what He has accomplished. It spoke directly to how a Christian should live in their interpersonal relationships, at home with their spouse, as a child, as an employee, or as an employer. He truly recognized the importance of consistent Christian living and of sharing the gospel, making the most of every opportunity.

Ephesians is very similar to Colossians, both of which were written by Paul. He realized that the church in Ephesus was struggling with similar issues. He again portrays an all-powerful Christ with universal sovereignty. He praises God for every spiritual blessing that He has provided to believers. Paul addresses the "before and after” of people's spiritual condition. He covers the need to be ready, to stand strong against the evil one, and to put on the full armor of God. He gives them a final charge to pray at all times.

In Philippians, we are flooded sixteen times with the words joy or rejoice. I have always loved this encouraging and uplifting book. Paul tells the Philippians about how Christ lived and that he is our example. He lets them know that true joy comes from knowing the Lord, and in that shares how, in Christ, he has learned that he can do all things.

There is so much more that can be shared about each of these books, but the best thing to do is pick up your hard copy Bible and read each one. Be encouraged that the Lord has provided these books to us to show us how to live as Christians and that we can be filled with joy no matter what our circumstances involve.