Unhindered

Human beings were created to be unhindered.

As I was reading this morning in the book of Acts, I was again struck by the power of the closing words of this book. “And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered (Acts 28:30, 31 NASV).

Paul was restricted in his movements. He was being held in Rome as a prisoner while he waited for an audience with the emperor. Since he had not been convicted and his case was up in the air, so to speak, he had some freedom to meet with his friends and those who sought him out. Nevertheless, he was chained to a Roman soldier, even though he was living in his own rented quarters. People could come to him, he just couldn’t go anywhere. So people came, and he ministered to whoever came through his door. As he shared the gospel and proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Roman soldier who was chained to Paul at the time also heard the good news about Jesus. In fact, during this time Paul said, “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else” (Phil. 1:12-13 NASV). At the end of that letter Paul wrote, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household” (Phil. 4:22 NASV)

Even though Paul’s movements were hindered, as he was chained to a Roman guard, the gospel was unhindered. Paul’s ministry was unhindered. The guard had to change every so often. It appears that some of these guards were turning to Christ during their time of being chained to one of the greatest evangelists of all time. It was as though Paul was not chained to them, they were chained to him!

It appears that the gospel infiltrated caesar’s household through the praetorian guards who were having to take turns being chained to Paul. During this time Paul wrote, “My circumstances (literally ‘the things against me’) have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel”(Phil. 1:12 NASB). In other words, all these things that seemed to be against Paul were actually accelerating the spread of the good news about Jesus Christ. Paul was chained, but the gospel was not. Paul was quarantined, chained to a Roman soldier, unable to go anywhere; but his message spread like a pandemic.

We often tend to focus on the things that are against us. What if we focused instead on the opportunities that are presented through the things that seem to be against us?