Paul's digression continues... Even though he is in prison, Paul does not focus on his circumstances but on his privilege. He feels privileged that he has become a servant of the gospel and that God has called him to serve.
Paul is painfully aware of his past as a persecutor of the faithful and a legalistic bigot... This makes him even more grateful for the grace and privilege he has been given to proclaim the gospel.
Paul is very excited to be able to share his faith! This passage reverberates and shakes with the passion Paul has for the message. Look how he describes it:
- Preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ
- Making plain the administration of the mystery
Paul is thrilled to speak of the glory and majesty of Christ. He loves to tell what Christ has done for a fallen world. He feels privileged to explain "administration (economy) of the mystery": how the story unfolds through Moses and the Prophets and the whole of the Old Testament until the time was right for Christ to come.
Paul doesn't see the bars of the prison he writes from - he sees a needy world that needs to hear the glorious salvation message and he counts it a huge privilege to tell others about Christ.
How do you feel about having a wonderful Saviour and message to share?
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
