![]() But so many of us can be locked in a prison-like state of mind - trapped within a trial that appears to be closing in on us. “Unlike Paul, most of us do not spend our days locked up within prison walls. He referenced joy and rejoicing over 15 times in this letter alone. He expressed gratitude (see Philippians 1:3), hope (see Philippians 1:20) and trust in the Lord (see Philippians 2:19). “And yet, somehow, in this dire place, he wrote what many Christians call the happiest book in the Bible. But Paul was in a prison that historians describe as ‘twelve feet (3.6 m) deep into the ground’ and ‘disgusting and vile by reason of the filth, the darkness and the stench.’ This room, which was 6 ½ feet (2 m) high, 30 feet (9 m) long and 22 feet (7 m) wide, was where ‘prisoners who had been condemned to die either by strangulation or starvation were thrown’ (‘ Roman Prisons,’ UNRV). Today, prisons are typically a room with concrete bricks, a toilet, food and clean clothes, and offer a chance to work and interact with others, at least to some extent. He wrote these words while bound in prison - and it wasn’t like the prisons we think of today, either. “It is especially astonishing that Paul, of all people, was able to be content in the state he was in. ![]() These are the words of Paul in a letter to the people of Philippi. “‘For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content’ ( Philippians 4:11). ![]() This week’s “ Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Philippians and Colossians, which includes the apostle Paul’s writings on doing “all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” ( Philippians 4:13).Ĭhurch News recently dug through archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to learn what leaders and scholars have said about these chapters. ![]()
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