Written From Rome

We can learn a lot from Paul's prison letters.

This chapter deals with two letters written by Paul during his prison term in Rome. The letter to the Colossians and the letter to the Philippians. E.G. White goes into a fair amount of detail regarding the content of these letters, but I will just touch on certain points so as to not rewrite the chapter.

The Colossian believers had to deal with the entrance of those who were spreading false doctrines. Something that, sadly, is still prevalent in the church today.

The warnings of the word of God regarding the perils surrounding the Christian church belong to us today. As in the days of the apostles men tried by tradition and philosophy to destroy faith in the Scriptures, so today, by the pleasing sentiments of higher criticism, evolution, spiritualism, theosophy, and pantheism, the enemy of righteousness is seeking to lead souls into forbidden paths. To many the Bible is as a lamp without oil, because they have turned their minds into channels of speculative belief that bring misunderstanding and confusion. The work of higher criticism, in dissecting, conjecturing, reconstructing, is destroying faith in the Bible as a divine revelation. It is robbing God's word of power to control, uplift, and inspire human lives. By spiritualism, multitudes are taught to believe that desire is the highest law, that license is liberty, and that man is accountable only to himself. pg. 474

We may not always see blatant examples of such belief systems in or churches, but if we look with open eyes, we can see the fruits of such beliefs. We can see interpretations of the Bible that are based upon tradition and human philosophy that do nothing more than cause confusion. However, what strikes me most about the above statement is the phrase "that man is accountable only to himself". So many people live that way even if they profess an accountability to God. To live a double life is to have no life at all.

The work of gaining salvation is one of copartnership, a joint operation. There is to be co-operation between God and the repentant sinner. This is necessary for the formation of right principles in the character. Man is to make earnest efforts to overcome that which hinders him from attaining to perfection. But he is wholly dependent upon God for success. Human effort of itself is not sufficient. Without the aid of divine power it avails nothing. God works and man works. Resistance of temptation must come from man, who must draw his power from God. On the one side there is infinite wisdom, compassion, and power; on the other, weakness, sinfulness, absolute helplessness. pg. 482

Despite his most unfavorable circumstances, Paul was able to write some masterpieces regarding practical godliness, and we would do well to take the time to read and ponder these prison letters.