Paul's Bonds Further the Gospel

Driving home: From the words unto the glory and praise of God, he moves immediately to these words, I would have you know, brethren, that the things pertaining to me, and there is no jangling in these things, for the God whose praise …

Martin uses the common experience of intimate friendship and the spontaneous desire to know a friend's well-being to explain why Paul shares personal details with the Philippians. This analogy highlights the natural human need for information about loved ones, especially when they are in difficult circumstances.

As we begin our study of this portion of the word of God this morning, I want to ask each of you a very simple question. The question is this. Do you have a very close and intimate friend?

2:06 - 2:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: From the words unto the glory and praise of God, he moves immediately to these words, I would have you know, brethren, that the things pertaining to me, and there is no jangling in these things, for the God whose praise …

Building on the friendship analogy, Martin gives an example of teenage friends prying into romances, or other friends asking about jobs or health. This illustrates how intimate friendships involve a liberty to inquire and a desire to alleviate pain caused by ignorance, setting the stage for Paul's communication.

if you're a teenager, then it isn't long before they want to know how your romances are going, and whether or not he still looks at you in a special way, and whether you've had your first kiss yet, and if it's other kinds of friendships, why there's concern to know about how your job is, or about your aches and pains. Well, all of us who has a close friend is very conscious that one of the unwritten ground rules of an intimate friendship is both that liberty to pry into the concerns of another, and also, the knowledge that areas that are clouded or shrouded in ignorance can cause pain to a tru...

4:01 - 4:42 Read in full sermon

Driving home: My being seized by the angry mob, my being taken under Roman governmental, authority, my shipwreck, my trials, even to my present chain by which I am bound to a Roman soldier, and everything else pertaining to the things…

Martin uses the metaphor of listing all of Paul's hardships (mob seizure, shipwreck, trials, chains) in a column and 'adding them up.' The sum total, Paul declares, is 'the progress of the gospel,' illustrating his God-centered perspective on suffering.

From all the way back to my original seizure there in Jerusalem by an angry mob, put them in a column. My being seized by the angry mob, my being taken under Roman governmental, authority, my shipwreck, my trials, even to my present chain by which I am bound to a Roman soldier, and everything else pertaining to the things that have happened to me, line them up in a column, draw a line at the bottom, add them up, and he says, this is what you get, the progress of the gospel. I would have you know, brethren, that the things,

10:47 - 11:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first specific manifestation of gospel progress is among the unconverted at Rome, particularly the Praetorian Guard and 'all the rest.' Martin explains how Paul's chains made…

He compares the Praetorian Guard to 'crack troops' or 'a special elite group taken out of an already elite group such as our Marines.' This helps the audience understand the high status and specialized nature of the soldiers guarding Paul.

Verse 30 he abode two whole years in his own higher dwelling and received all that went in unto him. Though he had certain liberties he was under the care of Romans soldiers and most likely this guard of what we would call crack troops. It would be like a special elite group taken out of an already elite group such as our Marines. And these soldiers were deployed on special errands throughout the Roman Empire and in all likelihood the Apostle Paul was guarded by this group called the Praetorian Guard.

17:50 - 18:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first specific manifestation of gospel progress is among the unconverted at Rome, particularly the Praetorian Guard and 'all the rest.' Martin explains how Paul's chains made…

Martin vividly imagines a Roman soldier, chained to Paul, witnessing Paul's private devotions. Instead of complaints, the soldier hears praise, worship, and intercession, illustrating how Paul's exemplary life and God-centeredness became manifest to his guards.

Every six hours a different soldier would come and would exchange the chain of his soldier friend the chain which was attached to the soldier and to the arm of the Apostle Paul. So that day and night there was in very close proximity to the Apostle a Roman soldier. Now imagine what this would have been like to be with this man who's already said in this epistle that he is a man of prayer. But a man whose prayers are suffused with praise and thanksgiving and one again can only imagine the look on the eyes of a Roman soldier who for the first time takes up his assignment

18:32 - 19:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first specific manifestation of gospel progress is among the unconverted at Rome, particularly the Praetorian Guard and 'all the rest.' Martin explains how Paul's chains made…

Martin quotes Lutheran commentator Lenski, who summarizes how Paul's daily interactions with the Praetorian Guard led to the entire influential body becoming conversant with and interested in Christ. This quotation buttresses the argument that Paul's bonds truly advanced the gospel among the unconverted.

so must thou bear witness also at Rome and so now God in a strange way has brought his servant to Rome and there he bears witness to the unconverted soldiers and to all the rest in that place in which God has put him I want to read from Lenski the Lutheran commentator who summarizing this verse says for two years day after day soldier after soldier had guarded Paul in his rented house in this way Paul gained entrance into the Praetorian cohorts his daily guards

23:09 - 23:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Repent of squandering God's gifts on self-centeredness and recognize that God made you to glorify and enjoy Him forever.

Addressing unbelievers, Martin uses the analogy of a self-centered person being the 'sun around which everything in your life must orbit.' This illustrates the natural human condition of sin, where personal pleasures and ambitions are prioritized over God, explaining the need for a Savior.

to live in communion with him you have taken and you squander all of God's gifts upon your own self-centeredness and you are the sun around which everything in your life must orbit your pleasures your everything your ambitions your likes your dislikes my friend God didn't make you to be a little self-centered independent God he made you that you might find your greatest joy in glorifying him in the language of the catechism that you might glorify God and enjoy him forever and this is why you need a savior

33:22 - 34:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Find tremendous consolation in the invincibility of God's purposes for the gospel, knowing that the world will not end until every elect person is gathered.

Martin alludes to Psalm 2, describing the kings of the earth gathering against the Lord and His anointed, with Paul becoming the focal point of this enmity. This illustrates the invincibility of God's purposes despite human opposition, as God laughs at their derision.

described in Acts 28 the cause of the gospel has been advanced why well I've already given you the answer because the cause of the gospel is the cause of the triune God and nothing stands in the way of that God here we have an illustration of the second song the kings of the earth gather together against the Lord and against his anointed and the apostle Paul has become as it were the very focal point of men's enmity against the gospel and the only way they figure they can shut the mouth of this man and impede the progress of the gospel is stir up a riot so they stir up a riot and when they see...

37:43 - 38:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Derive consolation from the invincibility of the cause of the gospel, trusting that God will accomplish His purposes.

He uses the metaphor of God holding the world at bay until 'every last elect sheep has been gathered into the fold' and the 'last living stone in that temple' is placed. This powerfully illustrates the invincibility of God's purposes and the gospel's ultimate triumph.

to bring this world to nothing if they multiply their hydrogen bombs a thousand times over as long as there is one sheep yet uncalled in any part of the world be it today's Rome's the great metropolis centers of humanity or in some remote little village in the heart of the Amazon where there exists a tribe of only ten people but within that tribe there is one of those sheep the Lord will hold it all at bay until he's called every last sheep to himself and has put the last living stone in that temple oh what consolation

39:57 - 40:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Trust in God's wise providence, knowing that all things work together for good to those who love God, even when circumstances seem to impede noble ambitions.

Martin highlights the paradox that God makes Paul's chain 'loose the tongues of Christians.' This illustrates the mystery of divine providence, where seemingly negative circumstances are used by God to achieve positive, counter-intuitive outcomes for the gospel.

he makes Paul to have a chain that by that chain the tongues of Christians might be loosed well whoever heard of loosing something with a chain well that's the way God works my chains have resulted in most of the brethren being bold to speak without fear Paul's imprisonment his being made a captive leads to captives being set free the knowledge of Christ comes to the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest so that later on he can speak

41:24 - 42:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Trust in God's wise providence, knowing that all things work together for good to those who love God, even when circumstances seem to impede noble ambitions.

He points to the existence of the 'prison epistles' (Philippians, Ephesians, etc.) as a concrete example of how Paul's imprisonment, though seemingly hindering, actually led to the writing of scripture that continues to advance the gospel to the end of time.

of greeting those that are in Caesar's household and the Lord is pleased to overrule and make his prison a platform to preach not only to the church in that day but to the church to the end of time for where would we be without the prison epistles where would we be without the book of Philippians where would we be without Ephesians where would we be without those other epistles that were written when he was there chained to a soldier ostensibly now the cause of the gospel greatly hindered this great and flaming apostle and evangelist taken as it were out of circulation

42:09 - 42:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Trust in God's wise providence, knowing that all things work together for good to those who love God, even when circumstances seem to impede noble ambitions.

Martin quotes an unnamed source, stating that Paul 'came to Rome a prisoner, his passage paid by the Roman government and the hatred of his enemies was the breath of the almighty which wafted him to his desired destination.' This vivid imagery illustrates how God sovereignly uses even evil intentions to fulfill His purposes.

and yet in the mystery of God's providence the gospel is advancing as one has aptly said he came to Rome a prisoner his passage paid by the Roman government and the hatred of his enemies was the breath of the almighty which wafted him to his desired destination think of it it was the very breath of his enemies I'm sorry the hatred of his enemies that constituted the breath of the almighty which was brought him there to Rome where the cause of the gospel would be advanced ah but someone

42:54 - 43:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Trust in God's wise providence, knowing that all things work together for good to those who love God, even when circumstances seem to impede noble ambitions.

Martin quotes a poem (likely by James Russell Lowell) that begins, 'Careless seems the great Avenger, history's pages but record one death grapple in the darkness twixt old systems and the word.' This poetic illustration powerfully conveys the mystery of divine providence, where God works behind the scenes even when truth seems to be on the 'scaffold' and evil on the 'throne.'

at work accomplishing the designs of the loving heart of our God and of our Father you remember Joseph's classic words ye meant it for evil but God meant it for good someone has penned these lines and I found them so moving that I wanted to read them to you this morning in the first line the word Avenger is with a capital A it refers to God as the Avenger of evil and these are the lines speaking of this very thing this mystery of divine providence illustrated in these words careless seems the great Avenger

44:23 - 45:06 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that your life exemplifies the power of truth, so that the gospel preached from the pulpit and taught at home has a grip on your children.

He uses the proverb 'one picture is worth a thousand words' to emphasize the power of an exemplary life. This illustrates that a life lived consistently with the gospel speaks more powerfully than mere verbal proclamation, especially to children.

there at Rome were stirred up to a level of boldness and aggressiveness in the work of the gospel that hitherto they had not known and oh how desperately we need to remind ourselves again and again with respect to the truth of the gospel that many times one picture is worth a thousand words could it be that with some of you the reason why the things preached from this pulpit to your children taught by you at family worship have so little grip is that your life simply does not exemplify the power of truth I have seen no cynicism like the cynicism

47:16 - 48:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that your life exemplifies the power of truth, so that the gospel preached from the pulpit and taught at home has a grip on your children.

Martin describes the 'cynicism of young people' whose parents profess to believe and love a sound biblical ministry but do not exemplify its truth in daily life. This powerful illustration highlights the destructive impact of hypocrisy on the next generation's perception of the gospel.

there at Rome were stirred up to a level of boldness and aggressiveness in the work of the gospel that hitherto they had not known and oh how desperately we need to remind ourselves again and again with respect to the truth of the gospel that many times one picture is worth a thousand words could it be that with some of you the reason why the things preached from this pulpit to your children taught by you at family worship have so little grip is that your life simply does not exemplify the power of truth I have seen no cynicism like the cynicism

47:16 - 48:01 Read in full sermon