Biblical Misunderstandings
Paul's Captivity
"I, the prisoner of the Lord." Ephesians 4:1
Paul uses this expression, "the prisoner of the Lord," in letters he writes after his arrest in the temple in Jerusalem.
Paul's use of this expression is ambiguous at best, and perhaps misleading at worst, once we examine the circumstances of his arrest, his imprisonment and subsequent extradition to Rome.
We generally understand that the enemy take captives, and God sets them free. Certainly, while Paul was on his way to Damascus with letters of authority to persecute Christians, he was working for the enemy, and Jesus rescued him from a dismal eternity.
Just like Jonah, Paul and countless others have been commissioned by God to spread the Good News - it's a calling from which we cannot escape.
But prisoner of Jesus?
Here are some important details to consider.
Paul’s Captivity - "I, the prisoner of the Lord"
(Currently in note form but will be expanded.)
Paul was human, he made mistakes even as a believer, as an apostle. Note how he was taken prisoner (see below) - once he went to Rome as a prisoner we hear no more of his work.
Acts 15:39 (AMP)
[39] And there followed a sharp disagreement between them, so that they separated from each other, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
His arrogance and unwillingness to listen led him to separate from Barnabas, and also blinded him to warnings from Holy Spirit. When he was taken prisoner he was ignoring the advice of Holy Spirit:
Acts 20:22-23 (AMP)
[22] And now, you see, I am going to Jerusalem, bound by the spirit and obligated and compelled by the spirit, not knowing what will befall me there —
[23] Except that the Holy Spirit clearly and emphatically affirms to me in city after city that imprisonment and suffering await me.
Why was this? Because he had caused suffering and imprisonment to Christians before he became a believer.
There was more: two prophetic warnings from Holy Spirit not to go to Jerusalem.
In the city of Tyre:
Acts 21:4 (AMP)
[4] "And having looked up the disciples there, we remained with them for seven days. Prompted by the [Holy] Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem."
In Caesarea:
Acts 21:10-11 (AMP)
[10] "While we were remaining there for some time, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
[11] And coming to [see] us, he took Paul's belt and with it bound his own feet and hands and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit: The Jews at Jerusalem shall bind like this the man who owns this belt, and they shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles (heathen)."
How did Paul respond to these warnings from Holy Spirit? With arrogance.
Acts 21:13 (AMP)
[13] "Then Paul replied, What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart like this? For I hold myself in readiness not only to be arrested and bound and imprisoned at Jerusalem, but also [even] to die for the name of the Lord Jesus."
By this time Paul had already been teaching that it was no longer necessary to observe the ceremonial laws of Judaism, such as circumcision. When he arrived in Jerusalem he was persuaded that this was divisive and that, to show that he didn't believe or practice this, he was to take four men with him to the temple and pay for their purification under the law to show that he still observed the law.
Acts 21:18-24 (AMP)
[18] On the next day Paul went in with us to [see] James, and all the elders of the church were present [also].
[19] After saluting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
[20] And upon hearing it, they adored and exalted and praised and thanked God. And they said to [Paul], You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and all of them are enthusiastic upholders of the [Mosaic] Law.
[21] Now they have been informed about you that you continually teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn back from and forsake Moses, advising them not to circumcise their children or pay any attention to the observance of the [Mosaic] customs.
[22] What then [is best that] should be done? A multitude will come together, for they will surely hear that you have arrived.
[23] Therefore do just what we tell you. With us are four men who have taken a vow upon themselves.
[24] Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses [for the temple offering], so that they may have their heads shaved. Thus everybody will know that there is no truth in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself walk in observance of the Law.
Acts 21:26 (AMP)
[26] Then Paul took the [four] men with him and the following day [he went through the rites of] purifying himself along with them. And they entered the temple to give notice when the days of purification (the ending of each vow) would be fulfilled and the usual offering could be presented on behalf of each of them.
This was all a deception. Because Paul was in deception before Holy Spirit the enemy were easily able to trick him to be in the Temple, where he was never meant to be.
The very thing that the leaders said they did not want to happen, happened because they were in deception and still embracing the legalism of the Law to appease the leaders of the Jews. He was arrested and sent to Rome in chains.
Contrast this with words he had written to the believers in Rome some years earlier:
Romans 15:29 (AMP)
[29] "And I know that when I do come to you, I shall come in the abundant blessing of Christ."
Instead, he came in chains and spent at least two years under house arrest. His influence and his effectiveness waned and we hear no more of him because he went against what Holy Spirit was telling him.
Paul’s Duplicity
Circumcised Timothy in Acts 16:1-4 because of the Jews.
In Galatians 5:2-4 Paul says that circumcising is of no benefit, and anyone circumcised has to observe the whole Law.
Paul described himself as, “The prisoner of the Lord,” but in reality he was a prisoner of his own willful foolishness.