Volunteer Enslavement

Last night at Bible Study we discussed Philemon 1:1, "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus."  We are using John Juneman's video study entitled, The Life Message of Philemon.  If interested in this study contact: http://www.lifemessageinternational.org/

John does a great job at disecting a verse in order to find out every little detail about God's wonderful truth.  He is a true Bible scholar and a teacher by trade.  One of the facts he was teaching in last night's lesson struck a chord in me that remained in my deep thinking into the wee hours of the night.

Paul, at the time of writing the letter to Philemon was a prisoner in Rome.  He was under house arrrest which allowed for certain privilages such as receiving and entertaining guests.  One of those guests of course was Onesimus, a runaway slave who belonged to his master Philemon.  He and Paul became close friends and eventually Onesimus became a follower of Christ.

But the focus of last nights lesson was mostly on the fact that Paul was a prisoner in two different ways and from two different perspectives.  It's true he was held against his will under house arrest.  But he opened his letter to Philemon from a different perspective - as a prisoner to Jesus Christ.

These two different perspectives about enslavement greatly intrigued my thinking.  One was imposed upon Paul against his will, but the other was self-imposed.  One made him duty bound according to the law, but the other he volunteered for it; he signed up for it.  Paul actually exercized himself on a daily basis through prayer and solitude to keep himself bound to his volunteered enslavement.  

Even though being a prisoner represents breaking the law in today's society and is historically looked upon in a very negative way, to be a prisoner to Christ is a badge that every Christian should wear with great honor.

John reviewed the Greek word desmois which means "to be bound to."  This is the word used to understand what Paul meant in terms of being a prisoner of Christ Jesus.  This binding obviously flows out of the love and grace of almighty God through Jesus the Son, and empowered within us by God the Holy Spirit.  Once smittened by the power of His love we are truly bound forever.

I'm a prisoner for Jesus Christ!  Praise the Lord!

-Leo