Except for These ChainsSample

Paul was in prison not because of criminal activity on his part (although wild accusations had been made against him) but as a result of his witness as a missionary. His opponents hoped to impede the spread of the Gospel, and rivals within the early church tried to take the opportunity to outshine Paul with their own preaching.

Paul, however, was convinced that his opponents had not been able to hinder the advance of the Gospel. His testimony for Christ had reached the whole palace guard and … everyone else (Philippians 1:13). Even though Paul could not move around freely, the soldiers who in turn guarded him took the message to their barracks and to those near the emperor. In his final greetings to the Philippian church, Paul writes: All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household (Philippians 4:22).

Furthermore, although Paul was confined to prison, many simple believers were finding courage to proclaim the gospel without fear (Philippians 1:14). By attempting to silence the apostle, his enemies had unleashed an army of witnesses to Christ. As Jesus taught in the short parable in Matthew 13:33: The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough. All believers in Christ are called to witness to others about salvation.

Finally, Paul writes to the church in Philippi to thank them for a gift they had sent him. One common situation in prison is the difficulty in obtaining basic necessities, often because work is not available to all detainees. Paul had been through tough times and had learned the secret of being content in any and every situation (Philippians 4:12). All of us need to learn this lesson, whether in detention or free. From prison, Paul writes this marvelous promise: And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).