Locking him up behind bars does not keep him quiet

Acts of the Apostles Ch. 16, verses 23-24, mention Paul and Silas being arrested and imprisoned:

“After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely. When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.”

While this imprisonment lasted a very short time, thanks to an earthquake, Ch. 28 mentions at its end a longer imprisonment of about two years.
While captive, and behind bars, God continues to inspire Paul. Four letters are attributed to his time in jail and I would like to say a few words about these writings known as the “Captivity Letters.” These short excerpts describing each letter are taken from Scott Hahn’s “Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament” published by Ignatius Press.

Ephesians: Paul gives the Ephesians a dose of preventative medicine, hoping that a deeper appreciation of God's blessings will lead them to a more mature commitment to the Gospel. Since many of Paul's readers are recent converts, Ephesians might best be described as Paul's mystagogical catechesis for the newly baptized.

Philippians: It is a letter of thanks and encouragement to a congregation of dear friends. The gratitude that Paul expresses throughout the letter is a response to their generosity. The Philippians supported the imprisoned apostle through their constant prayers as well as by sending him financial assistance.

Colossians: Epaphras who founded the Colossian Church also traveled to Rome to update Paul on their recent successes and struggles. Among other things, he informed Paul that certain agitators were planting doubts in the minds of the Colossians about their new faith. Paul wrote to address this danger and to reassure these believing Gentiles of their Christian inheritance.

Philemon: The letter is Paul's impassioned appeal to Philemon, urging him to welcome back one of his runaway slaves, Onesimus. Formerly, Onesimus was a useless servant who not only deserted his master but may have stolen money or property from him as well. In the meantime, Onesimus has become a Christian through an encounter with Paul. The apostle is now sending him back to Philemon and asking that he be received, no longer as a bondservant, but as a beloved brother in Christ. Secondarily, Paul asks that preparations be made for his own arrival, pending his expected release from prison.

While these four letters treat different subjects, the bottom line for me is that Paul is an example of how – no matter what difficulties, prisons or hell we might be going through at any given moment – God is always with us. We must be open always to the love and light of his Holy Spirit to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in good times and bad. This is our calling.

Thank God for inspiring these “Captivity Letters.” Amen.