Bible Discussion Thread

what does the word Bonds mean in verse 9?

Terasa,

Paul begins the verse by saying wherein I suffer trouble. He's been put in prison for being part of an "Illegal religion." He says I suffer as an evil doer. He's in prison like a criminal, even unto bonds; That word bonds is the Greek word for chains.

Here it is: but the word of God is not bound.

There's an old saying that comes from this verse, you can bind the messenger, but you cannot bind the message.

There were many testimonies of people who were imprisoned for Christ, and who suffered for Christ's sake like Paul, and the gospel just spread like wildfire.

Can you imagine the first imprisonment, when they chained Paul to those soldiers, and people were coming and going all day long, and Paul was talking about Jesus Christ, and you have to wonder who's being held prisoner here?

Remember Paul and Silas were in jail in Philippi and there was a big earthquake, and the Philippian jailor thought all the prisoners had escaped, and Paul said don't kill yourself, we're all still here.

And he said sirs, what must I do to be saved? What must I do to know this kind of God that you know?

God put them in prison so that the prisoners could hear the message, and so the jailor could hear the message, and the jailor's family could hear the gospel message.

We feel bad, and even complain when our life is limited, and when we can't do what we want to do. And yet the history of the church, so many martyrs, and so many people who have suffered for Christ, lost their lives for the sake of the gospel.

So always remember this. They can bind the messenger, but not the message!

In fact, if they put you in jail for being a Christian, they're doing themselves a great disservice, because you can just spread the gospel to everyone that's in jail!

Or, simply put, bonds = chains, shackles, cuffs etc.

Bonds is another way of saying one is held in captivity i.e. bound and in jail like Paul is in the passage.