New Testament Biblical Theology

Lecture #26
Dr. Hoke

Paul’s Prison Epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon

How do we know Paul was imprisoned when he wrote these letters? In order to determine
where a letter was written and under what circumstances you begin with internal evidence,
which is the strongest indication of the circumstances of a letter. What were it, to whom did he
write, what were the circumstances for the writing.

Ephesians
Eph. 3:1 “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles.”

Eph. 4:1 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling to which you have been called.”

Eph 6:1 “for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to
speak.”

Philippians
Phil. 1:7 “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for
you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and
confirmation of the gospel.”

Phil. 1:13 “so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the
rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.”

Phil. 1:14 “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my
imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Phil 1:17 “The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in
my imprisonment.”

Colossians
Col. 4:10 “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you.”

Col. 4:18 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with
you.”

Philemon 1:9, 10 “yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a
prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I
became in my imprisonment.”
In addition to these letters being written when Paul was imprisoned, other factors link them
together. For example, Philemon was a member of the church at Colossae. Tychicus delivered
both letters to Ephesus and Colossae (Col. 4 7, 8; Eph. 6:21, 22), which are located only 100
miles apart. Do bear in mind however that, while 100 miles is a 1.5 to 2 hour journey today, it
would take 4-5 days in the ancient world. Also, Colossians and Ephesians include some of the
same people (the same persons—Aristarchus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke and Demas).

These letters were likely written during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome when he was under house
guard. This afforded him the opportunity for people to come to him. You can imagine what a
joy it would have been for Paul to receive visitors and to encourage them in the faith. What an
impression this would have made on them as they witnessed Paul’s joy amidst difficult
circumstances. Also, the letters focus on similar concepts such as:

• Paul’s prayers (Ephesians 1:15-22; 3:14-20; Colossians 1:9-12)

• In Christ (multiple times in all)
• Body of Christ (Ephesians and Colossians)
• Christ’s deity (all, but Colossians 1:15-19; 2:9)

There are a number of other common features in these prison letters. Dr. Robertson focuses on
three main things: Christ is all, Christ is one with God, Christ is progressively understood. We
shall explore them now.

Christ is All

Paul centers everything on the person and work of Christ. His meaning reaches far back into the
Old Covenant Scriptures that promised a Messiah to come and flashes forward to the Messiah
who has come, lived a perfect life, died as our sacrifice on the cross, rose from the dead,
ascended to God’s right hand, and is coming again to consummate the age. As such, Christ truly
is everything to Paul both in this life and in the one to come.

Christ is in everyday living in marriage and family:

Ephesians 5:22-27 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is
the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its
Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to
their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up
for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the
word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands
should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one
ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30
because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother
and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound,
and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love
his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Ephesians 6:1-4 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father
and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you
and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but
bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Ephesians 6:5-9 speaks of work relationships. Although we do not have slaves and masters the
principles apply to employers and employees.

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you
would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and
not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the
Lord, whether he is a slave or free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your
threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there
is no partiality with him.”

Then there are the matters of our personal qualities

Col. 3:1-17 “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on
things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4
When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil
desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them
all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to
one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on
the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here
there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against
another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And
above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let
the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be
thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another
in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts
to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Our relationship to Jesus changes everything! Read what Paul says in Philippians 2:3-11: “Do
nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have
this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form
of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing,
taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human
form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every
name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.”

These things are profound when you consider that they shape life on this earth. Christ touches
every area of our earthly existence.

Christ’s Is One with God

Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

Colossians 1:19 “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”

Colossians 2:9 “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”

Philippians 2:6 “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a
thing to be grasped.”

Christ Is Progressively Understood

Did the apostle Paul continue to learn new things about Christ after his three years in the desert
consequent to conversion in the Damascus area? I think it is safe to say that most of Paul’s
theology would have been firmly in place after those three years. I seriously doubt that Paul
made big leaps in his learning about Christ after that. But I also think it is wrong to say that he
learned nothing else. Paul’s experience in ministry would have taught him about Christ’s
faithfulness as it does with all of us. Furthermore, I think his understanding would have been
more solidified as he experienced Christ day after day. As we look at Paul’s later letters we can
compare them with his earlier ones to see if his knowledge has changed. However, I would
offer a strong caution also. Each letter addresses a particular church and specific issues. They
are all different. Therefore, Paul would have stressed different aspects of the Christian faith to
address each one. This may indicate progressive understanding as he went along. It can also
indicate new ways to apply the same truths in different circumstances with different people. In
other words, the changes may indicate more an audience adaptation than acquisition of new
knowledge.
Continuity in Paul’s Writings

• The triune nature of God

• The world as a creation of God
• The sovereign power of God
• The deity of Jesus Christ
• Christ as the fulfillment of redemptive promises
• The depravity of humanity
• The atoning death of Jesus Christ
• Christ’s resurrection and ascension to the most exalted position of power
• The reality of Satan
• A coming judgment of all people by God on the basis of their works
• Deliverance from sin and as a gift of God’s goodness and grace
• The embracing of all nations in the Christian gospel
• The return of Jesus Christ in glory

Things Mentioned Less in the Prison Letters

• Use of the OT in NT
• The Term “Good News”
• The Term “Justification”
• Specific moral and cultural issues

Things Mentioned More in the Prison Letters

• Prayers
• Church as Body of Christ with Christ as Head
• In Christ – stressed in earlier letters, but developed some in prison letters
• Fullness (pleroma)

I fail to see how any of these items is new. There may some enhanced understanding of them,
however.

End of lecture