AMBASSADOR IN BONDS

In yesterday’s meditation we looked at the various items of armour which will equip the believer for the spiritual battle. Today, the focus shifts from the armour to the soldiers doing the fighting and the request of the apostle is that prayer is made on their behalf. In verse 18 the request is general, ‘for all saints’, but, in verse 19, his request is specific, ‘and for me’.

In chapter 3 verse 1, Paul describes himself as ‘the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles’. He viewed his imprisonment as being part of a divine plan for the benefit of the Gentile saints. It was whilst in custody he wrote the Ephesian and Colossian let­ters which unfold the wonders of the mystery of the church. In chapter 4 verse 1, Paul describes himself as ‘the prisoner of the Lord’. It may have been an edict of Rome that resulted in his being incarcerated but Paul was aware that a greater authority was operating behind the scenes. He was a prisoner for the Lord’s sake.

It is for these reasons that when asking for prayer on his behalf in verse 19, Paul doesn’t request that the saints suppli­cate for his freedom. His primary concern was the furtherance of the gospel and not his personal liberty. His desire was that he would be given the message to preach and have confidence to make it known.

On three occasions Paul refers to the gospel as ‘my gospel’, cf. Rom. 2. 16; 16. 25; 2 Tim. 2. 8. From being a persecutor of God’s people, he became a propagator of the gospel. To him the mes­sage became the consuming passion of his life and hence, in relation to it, he describes himself as an ‘ambassador in bonds’, v. 20. Contrary to the rights of nations, where ambassadors are afforded diplomatic immunity, this ambassador of the King of kings was put in a chain.

In all probability, Paul wrote this epistle while he was under house arrest for two years in Rome, cf. Acts 28. 30, 31. It is also likely that Paul wrote Ephesians before he wrote to the Philip- pians. If this is so, we can see that his request for prayer was effective and those prayers were answered. Far from curtailing the gospel, his bonds resulted in its furtherance, cf. Phil. 1. 12-14.