Family Bible Study

Vs. 13 – “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.”

This is a really powerful verse.  Paul is talking about how his imprisonment is actually helping the gospel being advanced.  He says that it has become clear to all the guards and to everyone around him in the prison that he is there because of Christ.  I had two thoughts/questions on this.

1.  How in the world did everyone just know that he was in chains for Christ?  Did he tell them all?  Did he preach to them all?  Or was the presence of God so strong with him that it was so evident?

2.  How can we let everyone around us know that we are here because of Christ?  What if everyone we meet believer/unbeliever would somehow know that our purpose is to live for Christ.  They would say something like:  “Oh, that Hannah-girl, yeah, she lives for Christ.”  Or “Natalie, that girl in Kinsolving, yeah, I think she lives for Christ or something.”  How do we let people know that we are living for Christ without preaching?  Certainly, preaching is necessary sometimes, but with Paul, he may not have been able to preach to everyone in the prison, yet they all knew.

I would love your thoughts on this.  Perhaps, it has something to do with verse 26:

“so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.”

Perhaps when people are around us, they feel the overflowing of God’s love.  Thoughts?