Yesterday, my husband and I made a short video on the apostle Paul in prison. The video had no bells or whistles, but the message is still on my heart today. When we read Paul’s letters, we don’t often do not realize aul was in chains in a dungeon while writing them.
“Prisons in the days of Paul were not pleasant or healthy. In the mind of the people, prison was equal to death, despair, sickness of mind and body, and humiliation. This short article looks at four features of prison: physical constraints, chains, hygiene, and distress and mortality. Prisons generally were devoid of light. Apparently even in the free prison at Rome (for upper class prisoners), was a place of darkness. In the more secure cells, there was no natural light at all. During the night, there was absolute darkness, and after nightfall in some places light was not permitted. “
Life in Prison in 1ad | PDF | Prison | Paul The Apostle (scribd.com)
Where you slept? On the ground. You had your cloak. Food was scarce and unless you had family bringing you something, you could starve. Head lice, sewage, and in some cases, rats. The stench was horrible and bathing and hygiene almost nonexistent or very seldom.
How can a man like Paul encourage and exalt the Holy One in such conditions? How would we use our time in prison? How much light could you pour out in such conditions? Paul was placed in prison. He had no choice, and what is most interesting is what he said about it:
After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ” When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we fell silent and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
Acts 21:10-14
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Great message, and yes I read those books last fall and thought about his circumstance some but you made it worse than I probably imagined!
It’s something I pondered but not like I have of late.