Phil: Paragraph 5- Study
Posted on 18. May, 2009 by Jeremy in Study
Many people don’t realize that the Bible is one gigantic story. It’s a story of salvation and redemption, but it’s also a story of history. From Genesis to Acts, you can basically fit pieces into a semi-chronological order that makes it very exciting. Philippians is a letter written to a real church with real people during the life of a real Paul. Let’s put it into some context.
When Paul was arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 21) and shut away in prison in Caesarea (Acts 23–24), you could have easily assumed that this was the end of his ministry, especially as his imprisonment dragged on month after month (Acts 24:27). But in the brilliant timing of God, very deja vu of Joseph’s story in Genesis, Paul’s imprisonment served to thrust the gospel up into higher levels of Roman society than it had ever reached before. Roman military officers, chiliarchs, and centurions (Acts 23:24, 26), as well as Roman soldiers, heard the gospel in Jerusalem and Caesarea. Two Roman governors, Felix and Festus, along with King Herod Agrippa and their wives heard Paul speak about faith in Christ Jesus (Acts 24:24–27; 25:1–26:32). One of these governors, over a span of two years, often sent for Paul to converse with him (Acts 24:26). News of this celebrated prisoner and his teaching must have spread through the surrounding community. Thus, what appeared at first to be the fatal blow to the Christian mission, the arrest of Paul, turned out to be the means of its revitalization, the key to preaching the gospel before governors and kings (cf. Mark 13:9) and their staff personnel. It became evident, therefore, to those in all parts of the residence of the provincial governor of Caesarea and to all outside it that Paul was a prisoner because he was a Christian. Christianity, therefore, gained public notice because of Paul’s bonds. His imprisonment produced notoriety as being for Christ and provided extraordinary opportunity for bearing witness to the saving power of Christ in the gospel.
This brings me to the ultimate question- does God ordain trials or simply use them when they occur?
