I CAN DO ALL THINGS (PART II)

“Paul’s Perilous Path to Prison”

By Akin Ojumu

One of the greatest challenges of contemporary Christianity is the lack of the requisite skills for interpreting Bible texts using proper biblical hermeneutics and sound biblical exegesis. The vast majority of church folks simply don’t understand how to accurately and precisely handle Scriptures. While some don’t even bother to try, others don’t see any value in it. To make matters even worse, there are those who ridicule the few folks committed to the fidelity of Scriptures as being too concerned with the letter of the law.

2 Timothy 2:15

“Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.”

Yet, for Scripture to be effectual in the life of a Believer, it must be interpreted accurately. The power in the Word of God lies in the precision of its interpretation. When the Scripture is misinterpreted, it loses its power because the true meaning is lost on the recipient of the wrong interpretation. Also, proper application of the Word of God is rooted in proper interpretation. Erroneous interpretation of Scripture always produces faulty application. An application of Scripture derived from flawed interpretation is a fruit of a poisoned tree.

Which brings us to the subject of this commentary.

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

This is one of the most popular Bible verses in Christianity. In fact, it has been ranked at the very top of Bible verses most commonly misinterpreted and misquoted along with verses such as:

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Matthew 7:1 

“Judge not, that you be not judged.”

Proverbs 23:7

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Proverbs 29:18

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Romans 8:28 

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

You find Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things” emblazoned on T-shirts, printed on bumper stickers, incorporated into motivational speeches, used in half-time pep talks, and adopted as personal mottos. Ill-prepared students going in for their finals chant this verse like a talisman. Candidates interviewing for foreign visas or employment opportunities mutter the words of Philippians 4:13 under their breath during the interview. This verse is recited as a lucky charm by folks engaged in negotiations for business contracts.

All these people believe that by chanting the words of Philippians 4:13, good fortunes will smile on them in their various endeavors. Lost on them is a proper reflection on the intended meaning of this verse.

While many launch into their various battles waving the Philippians 4:13 as a flag that symbolizes triumph, the context of this verse does not remotely resemble victory or success. When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, the battle-hardened Gospel warrior was a prisoner of Caesar in Rome. The Philippian epistle, along with Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, were the four prison epistles written by Paul during his first incarceration in Rome (AD 60-62). 

Leading up to this imprisonment, Paul’s third missionary campaign had just ended in Jerusalem where he, accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia, had brought contributions from the believers of Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia for the poor of saints in Jerusalem.

Acts 24:17

“After several years, then, I returned to Jerusalem to bring alms to my people and to present offerings.”

Before Paul arrived in Jerusalem, however, his reputation had preceded him. Certain Jews from Asia Minor had spread rumors about him that he was blaspheming God and violating Jewish customs among the gentiles. To counter this rumor and, perhaps, tamp down the violent rhetoric, the leading Apostles in Jerusalem advised Paul to submit to the ceremonial “cleansing” in the temple as was the custom for Jews who had traveled among the Gentile lands.

Acts 21:26

“Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.”

Unfortunately, Paul’s gesture of peace was too little too late. His Jewish enemies from Asia Minor had previously seen him in town with his traveling companion, Trophimus, who was a gentile from Ephesus. These Jews stirred up the people by spreading the lie that Paul had brought Greeks into the temple to defile it, an offense, if proven true, was punishable by death.

Acts 21:27-29

“When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.”

As a result, pandemonium broke out and an angry mob descended on Paul. They seized him and dragged him out of the temple. Had it not been for a regiment of Roman soldiers stationed around the temple to maintain law and order who quickly intervened, Paul would have been lynched.

Acts 21:30-32

“The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil. Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.”

After rescuing Paul from the Jewish mob, the Roman soldiers placed him under arrest, put him in chains, and took him to their barracks.

Acts 21:33-36

“The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!””

Upon learning that Paul was a Roman citizen and they had put in chains, the garrison commander was alarmed. Quickly, he took of the chains, released him from detention, and summoned the Sanhedrin, i.e., the Jewish religious ruling council, to present their case against him, if they had one.

Acts 22:27-30

“The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered. “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. At once those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains. The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.”

During the hearing, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees factions of the Sanhedrin because Paul, in his own defense, had made the statement that he was on trial because of his hope for the resurrection of the dead. Since, unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees neither believed in the resurrection nor in angels nor spirits, the two factions couldn’t agree and there was a dissension in the Sanhedrin. The dispute was so fractious that the soldiers had to take Paul away again to put him in protective custody so that he didn’t get killed.

Acts 23:9-10

“A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.”

After the melee caused the hearing to be terminated, forty men conspired and vowed to have Paul killed. They went to the Chief Priest and swore an oath that they would not eat or drink until they had seen to it that Paul died.

Acts 23:12-15

“When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty of them were involved in this plot. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.””

Upon discovering this plot, the Roman commander sent Paul to Caesarea under heavy guard of 470 heavily armed soldiers. There in Caesarea, Paul was confined in Herod’s palace. Over a period of time, Paul was subjected to a series of interrogations and court appearances. First, he appeared before Felix, the Roman Governor of Judea who was hoping Paul would offer him a bribe for his release. Subsequently, he defended himself before Felix’s successor, Porcius Festus and King Agrippa.

After several political maneuverings and legal machinations, it dawned on Paul that he wasn’t going to get a fair hearing from the rulers in Judea. So, exercising his right as a Roman citizen, Paul appealed his case to Caesar.

Acts 25:11-12

“Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!””

Next time, we’ll examine Paul’s perilous voyage to Rome and his imprisonment in the capital city of the Roman Empire.