Ephesians 6:20

“for which. am an ambassador in chains; that in it. may speak boldly, as. ought to speak”

“For which”: Paul was in prison because he had been preaching the gospel with boldness (Ephesians 3:1; Ephesians 4:1). “I am an ambassador in chains”: “To put an ambassador in chains was not only persecution to him personally but it was also the greatest insult to his nation. Is it any wonder that Paul prayed for the opportunity to speak boldly to the foreign king who refused to accord any relationship to the government of heaven? Even in chains Paul would not speak as. timid prisoner but as. confident ambassador of the most powerful government ever known” (Caldwell p. 321). “An ambassador can be snubbed or expelled by the nation to which he is sent, but it is quite abnormal for him to be thrown in chains. Even the most hostile nations normally expect the freedom and safety of an ambassador. Even so, Paul does not lament his present state” (Boles p. 343).

“That in it. may speak boldly”: Boldness is often linked with the apostles preaching (Acts 9:27; Acts 9:29; Acts 13:46; Acts 14:3; Acts 18:8). “He is anxious to obscure nothing by muddled speech and to hide nothing by cowardly compromise. Clarity and courage remain two of the most crucial characteristics of authentic Christian preaching. For ‘imprisonment brings its own special temptation to bow to the fear of man'” (Stott pp. 285-286). Even though the Lord had promised the apostles "inspiration" during such times (Matthew 10:19). It also seems clear that inspiration did not override personal freewill, through fear one could fail to use such. spiritual gift (2 Timothy 1:6). The Christian soldier can fight from any set of circumstances. “His imprisonment in Rome only served to advance the gospel (1 Peter 1:12; 1 Peter 4:22)” (Boles p. 344). “F.F. Bruce has asked the penetrating question concerning the soldiers to whom Paul was bound constantly, ‘Who was the real prisoner?' Those guards who probably took four to six hour shifts attached to the other end of the apostle's bonds may have been the real prisoners. Paul always spoke as. free man when he was delivering the message of Christ. What would it have been like to have been chained to an ambassador like Paul? He was the one who enjoyed the ‘captive audience'” (Caldwell p. 321).

The coming of Tychicus