Well, those evil Jews were at it again. I really shouldn't be surprised at the lengths these men went through to get rid of Paul, but this surprised me. In this chapter it is written that they accused Paul of setting Rome ablaze. The anti-Christian sentiment was so strong at the time that it didn't take much to make the accusation stick. Paul was arrested, and instead of a nice house, he was put into a gloomy dungeon.
Many of his friends had left the city for one reason or another, and he valued those who stayed that much more. A key person was Luke who "was a great comfort to Paul and enabled him to communicate with his brethren and the world without" (pg. 490). Another friend who stayed was Onesiphorous.
This warmhearted Ephesian did all in his power to lighten the burden of the apostle's imprisonment. His beloved teacher was in bonds for the truth's sake, while he himself went free, and he spared himself no effort to make Paul's lot more bearable. pg. 490We all need each other. Even Jesus wanted the sympathy of His disciples while at Gethsemane. Those who spend their lives in service of others still need to be ministered to once in a while. May we all be more attuned to the needs of others and do our best to fulfill them.
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