As we enter this third chapter of Ephesians, I want to remind you that when Paul wrote his letters, they were simply that. Personal letters to the churches, establishing doctrine, settling disputes, giving assurance, offering encouragement, requesting prayer, but over all else, exalting the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
There were no chapter and verse divisions when he wrote, and we have to keep that in mind as we study, so we do not subconsciously leave all thought of one chapter behind as we go on to the next, and miss the connections between the two.
Another thing we will see as we go on, is one of the instances of Paul’s tendency to stop what he’s saying, go to great length to explain some phrase he has used, or statement he has made, and then come back to his main point down the line.
When you read verse one you will see that he begins to say something;
“For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -”
Then he breaks off, creating what I’ve called one of his literary cliff-hangers, and doesn’t come back to what he was about to say until verse 14.
So I propose to you that we handle this chapter accordingly. We will talk about verse one today, and then we will move on to verse 14 and the rest of the chapter, or close to it, then come back and spend a few weeks talking about verses 2 through 13.
So I’m warning you in advance, don’t let yourself be encouraged that I’m finally picking up the pace, just because in a relatively short time you see us nearing the end of chapter 3. Remember that we’ve skipped half the chapter, and are going to have to back track and study these other verses.
For today though, I want to stay right here in verse one of chapter three, and take care that we do not miss the significance of this reference he makes to himself.
“I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus...”
SAUL
The man we know as the Apostle Paul, began as Saul.
Now I am not prepared to give you an in-depth account of the life of Saul here, and a history of the ancient world at the time he lived. But I would like to draw a sketch of him for the purpose of comparison to what he eventually became.
First of all, we know that he was born in the city of Tarsus. If you find a map in the back of your Bible that shows the journeys of Paul and therefore, depicts the entire Mediterranean Sea and surrounding territories, here is how you can find Tarsus. Look at Israel, there on the eastern border of the Mediterranean, and let your eyes follow the coastline north. You will come to Antioch. Then, if you continue up that coast and turn west with it, you will see Tarsus.
Tarsus was a large, bustling city and positioned along the main trade routes of the surrounding regions. During Saul’s time the study of the liberal arts and philosophy and just learning in general, were of primary focus in Tarsus. In fact, in his book on the life of Paul, F. F. Bruce called Tarsus a ‘University City’, and he indicated that Tarsus surpassed even Athens and Alexandria in these educational pursuits.
So this is the background Saul comes from, and the early influence of his life.
He was a Roman citizen, although a Jew, his citizenship apparently purchased by his parents, as he makes the claim in Acts 22 that he was born a citizen of Rome.
On the other side of the coin, he was a Hebrew. Reading Philippians 3:5,
“circumcised on the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the Law, a Pharisee...”
So it was a matter of pride to Saul, to be not only a Hebrew, but in his own estimation, a Hebrew of Hebrews. Another way of saying, “If anyone can claim to be Hebrew, it is I”
Notice his boast is not in being simply an Israelite, or even Jewish, but a Hebrew. An educated man. He commanded the respect and attention of a crowd near riot in Jerusalem when he began speaking to them in the Hebrew dialect, as by then it had become a language of the learned, and not as commonly spoken as Greek or Aramaic, and was used primarily in Temple worship and ceremonies.
We know Paul studied at the feet of Gamaliel , a leading Pharisee of his day, and himself became a Pharisee. In fact, let’s just go to Acts 21 & 22 for a moment and then to Philippians 3, and read Saul’s very impressive resume.
First of all, in Acts. Start reading with me at Acts 21:37
“And as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks he said to the commander, ‘May I say something to you?’ And he said, ‘Do you know Greek?’ Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?’
But Paul said, ‘I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.’ And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying,
‘Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.’
And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet, and he said, ‘I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.”
Now go to Philippians 3, and start reading at verse 5 as he says of himself;
“...circumcised on the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the Law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless...”
Now friends, I want to point out to you today, that this is quite an impressive list of pluses for someone of that time and culture. Saul had the best of both worlds; Jew and Greek.
A Roman citizen, from a well-known place of origin, but brought up in the capitol of the Jews, if you will; Jerusalem. Educated by a great educator and religious leader, becoming himself, one of the religious elite, who could say without fear of contradiction, “as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless...”
Wow! That’s quite a claim to be able to make of one’s self! Not that he was righteous before God because of his keeping of the Law; but it’s impressive enough to be able to boast that he kept it so well that men could find no fault with him.
How many of us could dare to say that about ourselves. Folks, one of the things that makes me so happy to know that I am absolutely acceptable to God in Christ, is the very fact that I cannot claim to be better than anyone else, either in my private life or my devotion to my religion. Even if I was inclined to put my trust in my personal righteousness or my religious piety, I couldn’t do it. Too many people know too much about me!
But Saul could. He was a success story. He could write his own ticket. He could have enjoyed respect and authority and fortune, anywhere he went in the civilized world, because he had the best of Greek credentials, and the best of Jewish credentials.
But God had other plans.
PAUL
Now let’s talk about his name for just a moment, because many folks labor under the misimpression that Saul changed his name to Paul when he got saved.
The fact is, Paul was simply the Greek rendering of the name, Saul. It was not uncommon for those Jews living in a Greek society, to use their Greek name and their Hebrew name interchangeably, depending on the company they were in.
I believe we see him going by Paul after his conversion, because on the Damascus road the risen Christ called him into service, telling him that He would send him to the Gentiles with the gospel. So if his ministry was to be primarily to the Greek speaking world, he would find a more willing audience if they were listening to Paul, and not the Hebrew, Saul.
Now I want to take you back to Philippians 3 for just a moment, and let’s see what became of Saul of Tarsus. Picking up where we left off, at verse 7
“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, ...”
I’m giving you this brief overview of Paul’s life today for the purpose of showcasing the complete and utter change made in this life, wholly given over to Christ.
Almost in an instant, there on the Damascus road, this man went from a politically powerful, religiously proud, wealthy citizen of the Roman Empire and hate-filled murderer of Christians, enjoying all the comforts and conveniences his world had to offer, and nothing but promotion and prestige in his future, to a humble bond-servant of God, emptied of self and the world, devoid of material possessions, considered a turn-coat by his Jewish peers, and feared by skeptical followers of Christ who had lost friends and relatives during his rampages against the church.
Let’s go to another telling portion of scripture, that gives us a panoramic view of life after conversion, for this little missionary to the Gentiles. Turn to II Corinthians 11, and start reading with me at verse 22, as he defends himself against the accusations of the Judaizers who attempted to undermine Paul’s ministry and his message of salvation by grace through faith:
“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as if insane) I more so;”
Now let me stop here for a moment and point out to you that he does not consider them servants of Christ at all, as is evidenced up in verse 13 where he calls them ‘false apostles’ and ‘deceitful workers’.
Continuing now in verse 23...
“...in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches.”
Christians, I want you to see today, that Paul did not live a life of worldly glory and celebrity and acclaim, as an Apostle of Jesus Christ.
For the most part he had small audiences for his messages, and when they were large, they were usually crying out for his death, or watching him be stripped naked and beaten with rods, or getting ready to stone him to death.
The modern day preachers who would tell you that a successful Christian is the one who has financial success and comfort, and whose prayers for blessing are answered just because he says them the same way Jabez did; and the successful church leader is the one who has a big following because he copies the tactics of some famous pastor who has been blessed by God with a large and wealthy congregation, are preaching a gospel other than the one Paul preached. And Paul would say of them, ‘let them be accursed’.
And I would have to agree with Paul. They’re leading people astray from the true calling of Christ in the believer’s life, and if you listen to them, then they will lead you astray from it also.
We are not living in a world that gives out rewards for following Christ, people. We are living in a world where Franklin Graham comes under heavy criticism for daring to pray in the name of Jesus Christ at the President’s inauguration. We’re living in a world where preachers are picketed and scoffed at and taken to court, if they dare to declare publicly that the only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ, and when they denounce another religion for being founded on the premise that true followers of God will kill Jews and Christians.
We are living in a world where in almost every country but this one, Christians are being shot and bombed and imprisoned and persecuted, just for being Christians.
And when we go around thinking that our lives should be more comfortable because we’re good Christians, and that God’s blessing on our lives should consist of worldly success and physical health, and everything turning out alright, just because we’re Christians, we do a great disservice to Paul, and all those through the centuries, and even this very day, who suffer the loss of all things, for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I, PRISONER
What I want you to see today, followers of Jesus Christ, is that Paul’s attitude toward his sufferings was not like ours usually is.
I think we tend to see the unpleasant circumstances of our lives in one of several ways, all of which are erroneous.
One way, is that we are somehow not pleasing to God. Or perhaps, that we’re being punished for some infraction. “If I was where God wants me spiritually, I wouldn’t be going through this right now.” “Well, I deserve this, because of all the things I did as a non-Christian”. “God is punishing me”.
Another way Christians approach suffering, is with a sort of fatalism. It’s just life. Life is unfair. Someday I’ll go to Heaven, and all of this will be over, so I just have to endure until then.” “Jesus will reward my tenacity, if I just endure without complaint”
Then there’s the ‘martyr approach’. “It’s a spiritual thing. The people who persecute me may not even realize why they’re doing it; but there is a spiritual battle going on, and demons are influencing people’s reactions to me because I’m a Christian. That’s why the guy in the pickup honked and made a gesture at me, when my car stalled at the light. That’s why I can’t get that loan I want and so badly need from the bank. That’s why the mechanic refuses to take my car in before next Tuesday”.
I want you to see today, how Paul saw the circumstances of his life. It becomes evident in the way he addresses himself to the Ephesians, right here in chapter 3 verse 1.
He could have said, “I, Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus...” He could rightfully have said, “I, Paul, minister to the Gentiles...” He could have said, I, Paul, prisoner of Rome...”
But he saw himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
He was in chains, because Christ Jesus wanted him there. Do you hear me?
And I think Paul was perfectly content, right where he was, chained to a stone wall in a Roman prison and writing this letter to the church, because he knew to Whom he belonged, and he knew that his Master had the power to put him exactly where he was supposed to be.
This is the main thing I want you to understand today, about Paul, and about yourself.
Are you a Christian? Are you a believer in Jesus Christ? Saved by grace through faith in the shed blood of God’s only Son?
If you are, then you are as important to God as Paul was. If you are, then you serve the Master of the universe, who has the power to do anything He chooses to do in your life, without hindrance and without obligation to explain to anyone.
I want you to consider today, all the circumstances you find yourself in, right now. I want you to consider your physical discomforts, and your financial burdens, and the uncertainty of your near future. I want you to take into account the grief you may be experiencing over the deaths that may be plaguing your existence...either the physical death of a loved one that is recent or imminent; or the death of a relationship that is recent or imminent; or the death of a long-awaited dream that is recent or apparently imminent...
...and I want to ask you to ask yourself, “Am I prepared to acknowledge that since I belong to Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer, I am precisely where He wants me to be, and the circumstances of my life are absolutely and entirely in His control, right now...right in the middle of all this?”
Can you call yourself, without bitterness or chagrin, “I, the prisoner, not of my circumstances, or my pain, or my grief, or my uncertain future, but prisoner of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whatever it is He wants to accomplish in and through my life”?
Remember what I said earlier about chapter and verse divisions?
I want you to take notice today, of what made Paul perfectly content to be a prisoner.
He says, “For this reason”, obviously referring back to previous declarations.
Why is he content to be a prisoner? Because he is in prison, for serving the Lord who did all those things! The Lord who broke down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile. The Lord who abolished in His flesh the hostility between men and men and men and God. The Lord who, by His Spirit, made us all into one new man, purchased us access to the very Throne, made us citizens of Heaven and even called us members of the Household of God.
He was in prison, because he served the One Who was the Cornerstone of the faith, and Who, every time a sinner is saved, adds one more stone, living stone, to the structure of the church.
And he considered that worth it all.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us”
He said to the Romans.
When I mentioned F. F. Bruce earlier, I was quoting his book, “Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free”. That title says it all about this great servant of Jesus Christ.
Throughout his ministry they bound him with ropes and chains, beat him, whipped him, put him in jails and prisons, and the final years of his life were spent writing his letters to his beloved churches while locked in Rome’s chains.
But he was free. His heart had been set free one day on the hot Damascus road, and in Paul’s own words,
“...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Cor 3:17)
You can know this liberty today too, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ.
You can reckon yourself a prisoner of Jesus Christ, to whatever the unpleasant circumstances of your life might be, for the sake of being exactly where He wants you to be.
He who holds the universe together by the word of His power, has purchased you with a price, made you alive, set you on your course toward home, and there is not the minutest, most seemingly insignificant thing in your life, that He has not brought about, or allowed, for your ultimate, eternal good, and the completion of His perfect plan for His church, of which you became an important part the moment you were born again.
Paul was able to see his life through the eyes of Christ, and discern that the things we call ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in life, in the economy of heaven, are all being caused to work out His great plan of salvation, and our eternal good; and in this he rejoiced.
My fellow Christians, even if you feel helpless in your circumstances, and even if you don’t understand right now what God might be working in and through your life, let Him, right now, set your heart free.
Let Him open the eyes of your understanding to see the greater picture, and just know that you are not forgotten, you are not neglected, you are not out of His favor, and He has not withheld His grace from you. No, if you are His then you are no longer a prisoner of the world. You are a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and you are right where He wants you. Serve Him there.
Don’t ask for deliverance. Serve Him where you are. Ask Him each day, ‘what can I do for you today, Master?’ and watch for His leading. And you will find yourself flying above your circumstances in the spirit, rejoicing that you are a part of His great plan, willing to suffer the loss of all things for the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord.
Do you have His Spirit living in you?
“...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”
