 |  |
Prayer expresses a sense of need.
His prayer is for "utterance", "boldness", the ability and the courage to speak freely as
he "ought'. Here is a man of like infirmity as ourselves. He knew what it was to feel a
shrinking, and could sympathise with the timid spirit of Timothy (II Tim. 1: 4, 7). He
knew what it was to despised (I Tim. 4: 12; II Cor. 10: 10), and to have indifferent
health (Gal. 4: 14). He knew that whenever there is an "open door" there will be "many
adversaries" (I Cor. 16: 9), and prayer was needed that the opposition may not be
allowed to turn him back from the appointed path. Did he never have moments of doubt
when with aching limbs and tired brain he laboured and travailed at some lowly
occupation for the bare necessities of life? Did no one whisper that he might have served
the Lord better by staying in honour and influence at Tarsus? Did he never need the
vision at night of the Lord saying:--
"Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man
shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city" (Acts 18: 9, 10).
Unless we have made a most critical mistake in our understanding of Paul's
temperament and circumstances, we believe he had the scholar's shrinking from the
physical blow, the super-sensitiveness to criticism, the knowledge within of his own utter
unworthiness, the consciousness that in following his calling he must ever appear in the
eyes of many as a presumptuous boaster. Yet he turned not back. This man who shrank
from the tumult of Corinth was ready to face the mob at Ephesus (Acts 19: 30), and the
enraged Jews at Jerusalem (Acts 21: 40). He could write to the Philippians:--
"That with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body,
whether by life or by death" (Phil. 1: 20).
He could speak of himself as a drink-offering poured out upon the sacrifice and
service of faith (Phil. 2: 17). There is some compensation to the sensitive spirit, if he or
she "suffer as a Christian", but Paul had to face the shame of "suffering as a
malefactor" (II Tim. 2: 9; Luke 23: 32). He understood in measure what the Lord felt
when He faced not only death and suffering, but the intense shame of being "numbered
with the transgressors" (Mark 15: 28). Compulsory association with the brutal company
may be more torture than the stake. And so Paul said "and for me".
The mystery of the gospel.
The utterance and the boldness that Paul desired was that he might make known the
mystery of the gospel. There are two sources of help available in seeking the meaning of
this expression. We may observe its connection with the use of the word "mystery" in
this epistle. We may read it in the light of the parallel passage in Colossians. Now the
mystery is mentioned six times in Ephesians:--