The Letters
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ...
Ephesians 3:8
Mamertine Prison in Rome, Italy, is where Peter and Paul were imprisoned at various times. It is a quiet and solemn place. Our tour group viewed the prisoners’ spaces below the floor. The relic of a piece of heavy iron chain brought visual images of the reality of their captivity.
Theologians agree that Paul wrote the “Prison Letters”—Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon at various times during captivity. In his first letter to Christian friends at Philippi, he wrote: It is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me (Philippians 1:7).
As we walked outside the prison, the ancient ruins built during the Roman Empire were in our view around the slopes of Capitoline Hill. The remains of sprawling Romanesque buildings, which delineated important architectural features, were before our eyes in one place—a real-time textbook on Roman architecture.
That day Paul’s words from Philippians come to my mind. I envisioned my own Bible with well worn underlinings, and stars beside Paul’s section of encouragement. I paraphrased Paul’s words—I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8).
Sometimes it takes a lifetime to experience an epiphany—the sudden moment of a personal revelation. While I was looking at this particular place on earth, a joyful trip memory was demonstrated to me that day. God did not perfectly preserve the grandeur and opulence of the Roman Empire; but through his sovereign plan of love and grace, he preserved the Bible.
I love Paul’s salutation in Colossians. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you (Colossians 4:18).
Jill Hendrix
