Timeless Truth: Suffering and perseverance are part of the Christian journey
If one could earn
frequent traveler miles two thousand years ago, Paul might hold a record. After
spending nearly three years in Ephesus, he retraced his steps through Greece
and Macedonia before docking in Miletus.
There he summoned the Ephesian elders for a tearful and final
farewell. He charged them with
shepherding the church of God. After a
brief stay with Philip in Caesarea, Paul headed for Jerusalem, knowing that
chains awaited him there.
Paul seemed to
always be able to stir up a controversy. Just walking into the temple court
stirred up trouble. The Jews tried to
kill him in Jerusalem so the Roman authorities stepped in to arrest him. While being taken into custody, Paul gave his
testimony before an angry crowd. The
Roman commander brought him before the Sanhedrin to get some answers, but that
only made the problem worse. Paul
remained in protective custody and was transferred to Caesarea’s higher court
where he remained for two years before appealing to Caesar.
When Paul wrote to
the church in Rome while still on his missionary journeys, he told them that he
planned to visit them. He probably did not anticipate his “fourth missionary
journey” to be under these circumstances.
Luke joined him on this cruise to Rome with Julius, a kind Imperial
centurion, as Paul’s personal escort.
Paul warned the crew that sailing on in bad weather would be disastrous,
but they continued anyway. Conditions
worsened to hurricane force winds off the coast of Crete driving their ship
every which way. Weeks later the storm
had not weakened, but all thoughts of survival surely had. Food was low; gear was gone; hope was gone. What seemed like a bad episode of Gilligan’s
Island became unlikely opportunities for Paul to talk about God. The next morning they arrived safely ashore
on Malta where the islanders showed exceptional hospitality. When Paul was
bitten by a poisonous snake without incident, the people thought he was either
a criminal or a god. Paul healed many of
the locals during their winter stay there. Three months later they were finally
able to set sail for Rome.
Paul was greeted by
believers at the port of Puteoli, modern day Pozzuoli, about 150 miles south of
Rome. They encouraged him, and he spent a week there before traveling on. When the Roman Christians heard he was
coming, they joined him for the final forty miles of his trek to Rome where
Paul was confined to house arrest under the supervision of a soldier. Paul invited the Jewish leaders to come to
his house. There he told them about his
conflict with the Jerusalem Jews and the fulfillment of the Scriptures by
Jesus. Some believed, but others
rejected his message. So once again Paul
pronounced his mission to the Gentiles. He spent the next two years boldly
teaching anyone about Jesus who would stop by (60-62 A.D). In his spare time, Paul corresponded with
some old friends.
Paul had a special
place in his heart for the church in Ephesus. He had spent three years there
developing the new church (Acts 20:31).
He wrote to remind them of the high calling in Christ that is the basis
of God’s plan to unite all believers—Jews and Gentiles alike—in one body, the
Church. Therefore, those who are called are to conduct themselves in the
highest of ethical standards. Although the world is hostile, believers are to
preserve unity in the Spirit. During his final Roman imprisonment (67-68 A.D.),
Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him to be faithful in preserving the gospel
in the midst of persecution and false teachers. Timothy faced hardship in
Ephesus. So knowing he was probably
facing execution soon, Paul penned a heartfelt letter to strengthen this son
even from a damp, cold dungeon in Rome.
Questions
- From his farewell speech, describe Paul’s ministry in Ephesus (p. 363-364). Look up 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. What did he teach about the responsibility of elders from his personal life, his farewell address and his letters?
- In 1 Corinthians 4:16 and 11:1, and 1 Thessalonians 1:6, how was Paul an imitator of Christ throughout his ordeals and what are the implications for believers today?
- Paul was a Jewish Pharisee and a Roman citizen (p. 366) who exercised his rights as either at various times in his life. Discuss as a group the appropriate exercise of our civil rights in the light of our “heavenly citizenship”.
- What evidence of God’s grace and sovereignty can you find in Paul’s arrests, trials and travels?
- Look up Acts 28:30-31, Eph. 6:20, Phil. 1:7, Col. 4:10, 4:18 and Philemon 1. How did Paul spend his two years while under house arrest in Rome (p. 373). What lessons can you learn about dealing with disagreeable and difficult circumstances?
- Ephesians 1:1-10 (p. 373-374) teaches that as Christians we are “in Christ.” What benefits and blessings does this status bring us?
- Paul urged the believers in Ephesus to “live a life worthy of the calling” that they had received (Ephesians 4:1, p. 375). According to Paul’s letter, what does that mean?
- What makes the marriage relationship a good metaphor for the church’s relationship to Christ? What does Christ do for the church (p. 376, Ephesians 5:21-33)?
- Look up Romans 5:3-5 and 2 Timothy 3:10-17 (p. 378). What has Paul’s life taught you about perseverance? What might perseverance look like for us today?
- Paul reminded Timothy of his need to persevere in the work of preparing a future generation of Christian servants using the three illustrations of a soldier, athlete and farmer (2 Timothy 2:1-7, p. 377). How does each one help Timothy fulfill his call while facing hardships? Which of these traits do all believers need to fulfill their service to the Lord, even today?
