Peter Misselbrook's Blog

Feb 10 2020 - Paul's Prison Epistles

Paul's Epistles, or letters, to the Philippians, Philemon, Colossians and Ephesians are known collectively as his Prison Epistles. They were evidently written while Paul was in prison and uncertain whether he would be freed or face death (see particularly Philippians 1:12-25). But the key question is when and from where were they written?

Many have argued that they were written from Paul's final imprisonment in Rome, therefore dating them after his letter to the Romans. Others have thought that they may have been written during Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea, after his arrest in the Temple at Jerusalem but before his transportation to Rome. These are the only occasions of lengthy imprisonment recorded in the Book of Acts.

However, in recent years many scholars have suggested that Paul may have been imprisoned in Ephesus in the early to mid 50s. N T Wright has provided what I believe to be persuasive arguments for this view. In particular, he and Michael Bird provide the following four arguments for this view in their excellent co-authored book, The New Testament in Its World (p. 439), which I summarise as follows:

1. Paul stayed in Ephesus for some time. An Ephesian imprisonment is a reasonable deduction based on Luke's report of the riots his preaching stirred up, his own reference to, "the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia" (2 Corinthians 1:8), and to his enigmatic remark about fighting "wild beasts in Ephesus" (1 Corinthians 15:32).
2. In his letter to the Romans, Paul states that he hopes to travel from Rome to Spain. But in his prison letter to Philemon, Paul suggests that if he is released from prison he hopes to come and visit Philemon in Colossae. Paul's comments to Philemon, along with the fact that Philemon's slave, Onesimus, fled to find Paul in prison, fit in with an Ephesian captivity rather than imprisonment in Rome.
3. Timothy is the co-author of Paul's letter to the Philippians. We have no evidence that Timothy accompanied Paul to Rome. The later Pastoral Epistles suggest he remained in Ephesus.
4. The suggestion that mention of "the praetorium" and the "saints of Caesar's household" in Philippians 1:13 and 4:22 suggest an imprisonment in Rome is unwarranted. "Given the prominence of the city, an imperial residence with imperial administrators and a skeleton garrison would be found in Ephesus."

These notes assume an Ephesian context for Paul's writing of the "Prison Epistles", and this accounts for their insertion at this point in the narrative of the Book of Acts.

Feb 10 2020 - Introduction to Paul's Letter to the Philippians

Philippi and the history of its Church

Philippi was a Roman colony situated at the far eastern end of a large fertile plain in central Macedonia and was the urban political centre of its region. It was about 10 miles inland from the seaport of Neapolis and was situated on the Egnatian Way, a major Roman road.  "Its population was both Roman and Greek; and although Latin was the official language, Greek was the predominant language of everyday life" (Fee).

For the circumstances of the church's origin, see Acts 16:6-40. The church evidently included people from a variety of social backgrounds: Lydia the well-to-do business woman, the Philippian jailer and a slave girl. The church had taken Paul to heart and supported him in his continuing missionary activity (Phil 4:15-16 cf. 2 Cor 8:1-5), and has now sent a gift to him in prison (Phil 4:10,18).

It is evident that the church has experienced opposition and has had to face suffering (Phil 1:27-30).  Paul's words suggest that they may be suffering at the hands of the Roman authorities even as he is presently imprisoned by that same power. However, Paul is also concerned that the Philippians may face pressure from Judaisers seeking to persuade them to adopt the protection of Judaism and its law-code (Phil 4:2-3 and following).  Paul is concerned that, at this critical moment in history, these Christians live lives distinct both from Roman society and from Judaism.

Paul's letter to the Philippians

Paul's letter to the Philippians is an informal letter rather than a doctrinal treatise or a logical argument. Paul makes use of Epaphroditus' return to Philippi as an opportunity of writing as a friend to friends. Paul is writing to the firstfruits of Europe, not to settle a debate or to correct errors (though he does address local difficulties, Phil 4:2), but to express his appreciation of these Christians, thanking them for their gift and encouraging them to single-minded devotion in following Christ.

If there is a single theme to this letter it is the effect of Christ's death and resurrection for the believer. The Christian is one who knows Christ, and this means more than knowing that they benefit from Christ's death and resurrection; it involves being united with Christ in his death and resurrection. This was the burden of Paul's preaching and the driving reality of his life. It is evident in Philippians 3 where he describes the radical transformation knowing Christ has made on his thinking, his values and his hopes and ambitions. More than that, knowing Christ has transformed his whole pattern of life; his driving desire is to know more of Christ even though this means being conformed to him in his death that he might be conformed to him in his resurrection life.

Christians are those who must live in union with Christ under the shadow of the cross. They are to be a people transformed in heart, mind and character of life. They are to be visibly different. Thus Paul exhorts the Philippians to possess the mind of Christ, to possess a common mind one with another, to do all things without murmuring or complaining, to rejoice in the Lord always.

This dynamic, which comes from the life of Christ in the life of the Christian, is seen in Paul's own behaviour – in prison, under threat of death, yet remaining useful, pressing on to glory, content and rejoicing in whatever circumstance may befall him. Paul's words, 'for me to live is Christ and to die is gain' are no mere words but voice the passionate conviction that shapes his life.

Nor does Paul think himself at all extraordinary, but exhorts the Philippians to follow his example and to take special note of those who live according to the same pattern (3:17).

This is a very special letter that breathes a passion for Christ. It was written that, by God's grace, the same passion might dominate those to whom it was sent – and that includes us.

Feb 10 2020 - Luke 21:1-28 – Not a hair of your head will perish

In Luke 21:12-18 Jesus says:

They will seize you and persecute you. They will … put you in prison, and you will be brought before … governors, and all on account of my name. And so you will bear testimony to me. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed … and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.

Among the several books I have re-read recently is The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten-Boom. Corrie, her sister Betsie and their father were betrayed by a fellow Dutchman and imprisoned by the Germans for sheltering Jews and for dealing in stolen ration cards. Their 84-year-old father, Caspar, died after ten days in prison. Corrie and Betsie continued in prison and later were transferred to the concentration camp at Ravensbrook. During all of their imprisonment they suffered cruel and spiteful treatment. Yet Betsie always pitied the guards who treated them so cruelly, pitying them for the darkness that possessed their souls and praying that she and Corrie might be able to teach them to love rather than hate.

Jesus’ words seem to contain a strange contradiction. He says both that “they will put some of you to death” and, “But not a hair of your head will perish.” Betsie died in Ravensbrook but Corrie survived to tell their story. How was it true of Caspar and Betsie that not a hair of their heads would perish? It was true because even in death they were safe. Even though they died, they had won life. They will know the fullness of resurrection life while many of their tormentors would perish.

For at the heart of this paradox is the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was betrayed, tortured and subjected to the most cruel of deaths. Yet his dying marks the death of death, and his rising the beginning of resurrection life for all who trust in him. Because he died for us and is risen for us, we can trust him no matter what circumstances we face and no matter what others may do to us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39).

In a world marked by cruelty and hatred, we need to pray, as Betsie taught Corrie to pray, that the Lord would teach us not to hate but to love those who despise and mistreat us. Such love can transform a twisted world and bring a foretaste of the resurrection world to come.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your great love for me that determined to embrace me as your child. Lord Jesus, thank you that you loved me and gave yourself for me and that you continue to intercede for me in glory. Spirit of the living God, thank you for your witness in my heart that I am not an orphan but a cherished member of the family of God. In the light of these things, help me to meet every situation I face with confidence and joy. Help me to pray and live gladly for others knowing that I can trust myself to your care.

Feb 10 2019 - Psalm 17 – When I awake I will be with God

There are many psalms that we find it easy to identify with and echo in our own prayers. Others may seem to use language that is strange to us, language we would not dream of using – though they may express ideas that often occupy our private thoughts. Psalm 17 falls into this latter category.

The psalm is a plea for God's help uttered from a situation of distress and perplexity. The psalmist has always been careful to live a life pleasing to God. He has not sought to do evil and has been careful to speak always with truthfulness and sincerity. He has paid attention to God's word and has kept his feet firmly on the path God has set out for him. Nevertheless, some who care nothing for God seem intent on his destruction. Why do bad things happen to good people – or at least threaten to happen to good people? It just does not seem right.

So the psalmist pleads his integrity before God and even challenges God to look right into his heart and see if there is any evil in him. This is the basis of his appeal for God's help.

This is the plea of an obedient child. If we had sent one of our children to perform some task for us and, precisely because they followed our instructions, they got into difficulties, what would we expect them to do? I expect that they would say, like the psalmist, "I've followed your instructions and it's landed me in problems. You got me into this mess, please now help me get out of it." That's what our children would say to us and this is what the psalmist is saying to God.

The psalmist is confident that God will hear and answer his cry (v.6). He knows that he is loved by God and will not be abandoned. He pleads, "Keep me as the apple of your eye" (v.8). The original Hebrew expression may have the meaning "the little man of the eye". If you look into someone else's eyes, you see a tiny reflection of yourself in their eye – you are the little man of their eye. So the psalmist asks that he might remain in the centre of God's sight and attention. He pleads that he might shelter under God's protection as a baby bird shelters under its mothers wings. He urgently pleads that God would rise up and rescue him from the trouble he is in.

Thus far, we can identify with the words of the psalmist, but he then turns to calling down curses on his enemies and their children (v.14). We would not wish to imitate him by using such words in our own prayers. But God does not turn away from the psalmist's cry and the psalmist is confident that he will be vindicated.

And this leads us to the remarkable closing words of this psalm, "As for me, I shall be vindicated and shall see your face; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness" (v.15). Here, like Job, the psalmist expresses the confidence that even if he should be killed by those who now threaten him, he will yet live to see God's face. He expresses a confident hope in the resurrection.

We who have come to trust in the Lord Jesus, our crucified and risen Lord, have even more reason to believe that beyond this life we will awake to see God's face and be made perfectly like our glorious Saviour. We, even more than the psalmist, have reason to approach the throne of God's grace and seek his help in every time of need.

Father God, we thank you that even when we feel surrounded by dangers and threats we can be confident of your unfailing love and saving power. Lord Jesus, we thank you that you have gone to prepare a place for us in your Father's house and that we will one day awake to see your face and be satisfied at last when we not only see you as you are but are made like you.

Peter Misselbrook