Captivity ...

Recently I was reading in the book of Philemon, which doesn't often happen because it is so small and easy to overlook, so let me start with a quick plug extolling the benefits of systematic reading of scripture if nothing else!

This time, as I read, I was struck by a couple of verses - in this blog I will focus on the first .... in verse 1 we read "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus..."  Which is an interesting way to start a letter, especially when we consider that Paul was in fact a prisoner of the Roman state ... so why does he refer to himself in this way?

What is captivity? 
The greek word 'prisoner' is translated as "a captive (as bound):--in bonds, prisoner." The idea of captivity can be expressed as follows;

The dictionary defines captive as;
n.
1. One, such as a prisoner of war, who is forcibly confined, subjugated, or enslaved.
2. One held in the grip of a strong emotion or passion.

Which interestingly leads us to reflect on both aspects of Paul's sense of being a prisoner of Christ Jesus .. to whom he considers himself a prisoner.

Firstly, there is the external - our confidence in the sovereignty of God and obedience to Him as He leads us into the circumstances of life. In Paul's case this involved periods of imprisonment, but he was able to maintain the perspective of trusting that the Lord remains in control and is purposefully working out His plans, of which his imprisonment was a part and not some accident that is hindering the Lord's purposes.

 
Secondly, there is an internal sense - which can best be described as the call of God upon our lives (more details of that here.) Once we have received and responded to the call of the Lord we have given Him the freedom to take us wherever He leads and desires.  So the captivity is to Christ, which I have chosen and yielded to, rather than to the circumstances over which I have no control, but which are an outworking of my choice. This is an inner compulsion that shapes our decision making which can lead us anywhere.

The modern songwriters express it in such terms as "I'm captured by your holy calling ..." Does this accurately describe how you feel in relation to Jesus?
If you are struggling with a sense of being out of control then ask the Lord to give you greater understanding and insight into this. 

Press on!