Rediscovering Paul by David B. Capes Rodney Reeves E. Randolph Richards

Author:David B. Capes, Rodney Reeves, E. Randolph Richards
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Paul;apostle;textbook;pauline studies;pauline letters;Romans;Ephesians;Corinthians;Damascus Road;conversion;apostle Paul;pseudonymity;pauls letters;pauls conversion;biblical studies;biblical studies textbook;paul textbook
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2017-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

WHAT’S MORE . . .

Paul’s Imprisonment

According to Acts, Paul was held in prison at least three times: in Philippi, in Caesarea, and in Rome. More than likely there were several other occurrences, since he claims to have endured “far more imprisonments” in a letter written before he was arrested in Jerusalem and imprisoned in Caesarea/Rome (2 Cor 11:23). The conditions of his imprisonment seem to match the three kinds of incarceration used by Roman magistrates. The carcer entailed the harshest conditions for the worst criminals. Prisoners feared this form of custody since many died from malnutrition, exposure, or disease. There were no food rations or state-issued clothing for criminals or laws governing due process. These prisons operated at the discretion of the magistrate; many prisoners were left to rot in jail. Luke’s description of Paul and Silas’s imprisonment in Philippi sounds as though they were in a carcer. Under these conditions, no one was supposed to aid prisoners in their distress. It was just the opposite case for prisoners under house arrest. High-status defendants, or even those charged with lesser crimes, could rent their own quarters while awaiting trial or sentencing. Sometimes the prisoner would be chained to a guard. Most often the accused would merely be confined to quarters with a guard posted at the entrance. In either situation, these “free prisons” allowed visitors to take care of the needs of the prisoner, providing food, clothing, and other personal effects and comforts. Luke describes Paul’s Roman imprisonment using these terms (Acts 28:16-31). Finally, military custody was similar to free prisons in that the incarceration could occur anywhere; the only difference was that soldiers were given charge of the prisoners (Phil 1:13), determining where the criminal would be held. Therefore, in all three cases, it was the guard (whether military or civilian) who controlled prison conditions, not only allocating food and clothing, but determining whether the prisoner was to be chained, fettered, or even isolated from outsiders.

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