by Don Hatfield
The Prison of Freedom
By Don Hatfield
Copyright 2013 Don Hatfield
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One - Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Introduction
Come meet the Apostle Paul as he writes his letter to the Ephesians. Take an imaginary journey with Paul and a new believer named Tychicus. Listen as Paul writes his letter to the Ephesians while explaining its meaning to Tychicus. Sit with them in the confines of their jail cell in Rome as they meet Gregory, Mr Gruff, Lucius and Angel.
Chapter one - Day one
They had me in hand cuffs as they led me toward the prison cell. They said that telling men about Jesus was not allowed here in the city of Rome. I had only been a believer for a short time and was just bursting to tell others of this wonderful Savior. I never dreamed that I would be arrested for doing so. They led me down a winding hallway to a heavy wooden door. They unlocked it, took off the cuffs and roughly pushed me inside. I tripped and fell onto a hard floor facing the wall. I had been slapped around some and felt bruised and broken in body and in spirit. I laid there for a little while and then rolled over and it was then that I saw him sitting there looking at me. He rose up and came over and helped me into one of the rickety wooden chairs that were in the cell. He gave me some water and then sat down beside me and said the strangest thing. “God sent you to me”, I just stared at him. Finally I opened my mouth and said, “What in the world are you talking about? He spoke very gently to me and said, “God has sent you here to learn and to help. First to learn of Him, to know of His grace and love for you and second to help me. You see I have very bad eyesight and I am writing to some of my fellow believers in Ephesus to encourage and uplift them. When I write it is hard for me to know if they will be able to read it. Now that you have come I will explain to you about your God and Savior as I write. You can then look at my writing and tell me if you think they will be able to read it.”
I stared at him for a little while and then asked his name. He said my name is Paul what is yours I told him that mine was Tychicus. He was an average size man in his mid-forties with closed cropped dark hair and dark eyes. He clothes looked as if they had once been very expensive but were showing signs of wear as they had several rips in the arms and back. Once while we were washing I saw his back and it looked like he had suffered terrible beatings. I did not dare ask him about for as I was to discover he was a very private man. A serious man whose conversation always revolved around his Savior and God. It was getting late and I was physically exhausted. Paul shared some of his bread and water with me and then said let’s get some sleep for we have much work to do tomorrow. With that we both went to bed.
Day Two
The daylight came dripping through the one window that was in the cell. I began to stir around and when I looked for Paul I spotted him in the corner of the room down on his knees praying. I thought that perhaps that I should do the same. I must confess that as I was trying to pray I would take a peek with my eyes to see if Paul was done. After a while I grew tired of waiting and just sat down on the floor and watched him. It was as if he were somewhere else with someone else. Finally Paul looked around at me and smiled and said,” good morning.” The guards brought us some figs, bread and grapes. Paul then got out his writing materials looked at me and said, “Let’s get started” I pulled up a chair beside of Him and sat down. I can now only tell you how he began to teach me and write at the same time. He would write a sentence or two speaking out loud as he wrote then we would often talk about what he had written. I would then look at what he had written there in that dim light and tell him if I could make out the words that he had written. What follows is what Paul explained to me. I hope that you come to know our Lord a little more intimately as I did when you hear what he had to say. His very first sentence to his fellow believers at Ephesus started like this. “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Paul stopped and looked at me and in a kidding voice said to me,” Tychicus, my apostle, how are you feeling today? I said.” Paul I am no apostle”, to which he answered.” My dear Tychicus we are all apostles because and apostle is one who is sent, a messenger for our Savior Jesus Christ. Tychicus, we are all sent to tell the world of the good news of Jesus just as someone told you my young saint.” At this I actually laughed out loud and said,” Paul you do not know what you are saying calling me a saint. You have no idea what a wicked life I have lived.” Paul nodded his head and said,” my young friend I do not need to know. The moment you came to know the Savior you became one of Gods most Holy things. That is the way He looks at you now, a most Holy thing in His Son Jesus.” I was humbled to think that God would think that of me. Paul then said,” that is why He wants you to be faithful as the other saints are in Ephesus. We have all become saints by the will of God in Christ Jesus our Savior.” Oh yes, I learned one other thing just from that first sentence that Paul wrote. I learned that Christ means anointed one and that Jesus means that Jehovah is Salvation. I must admit that I had already become excited about this time I was going to spend with Paul. How can I put this so that I do not bore you to death? I think that I will just say next discussion when we I began to tell you of what Paul explained to me.
So here goes, next discussion. “Grace be to you”, what a wonderful word I learned from Paul. Paul explained to me that this grace that he was talking about actually could be summed up this way, Gods merciful kindness to us. God who owes us nothing has in His merciful kindness came searching for us who are hiding from Him. Paul then told me the story of Adam and Eve and how they had disobeyed God and then tried to hide from Him in the garden. He came searching for them, found them, and covered them with animal skins which was a type of Jesus. He explained that it was grace that saved them just as it is grace that saves us now.
Next discussion, “grace be unto you and peace from God.” After all these years of turmoil, wanderings, and battles with myself I have finally found what I have been searching for all the time. Peace with my creator, wonderful peace with the one who created me. My soul can rest now for my “Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ” have brought peace to their wandering lost son. In looking over what Paul had written I noticed that word Lord and wondered why he had put it there. Paul said the word meant owner or master and told me that I was now where I belonged back with my owner. I had been like a lost puppy who had been caught in the rain and mud and had been searching through the trash for something to eat. My owner found me there and picked me up, took me home and now I could curl up on His lap by the warm fire. I am safe within the arms of my creator. Paul then wrote one word and stopped as tears began to run down his cheeks, “Blessed”, he looked at me and said “Praise, Praise, Praise, Tychicus we shall live eternally in praise for we have such a small idea of what God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. It will take us all of eternity to find out. “As he wrote the rest of the sentence he said,” do you know my young saint that you have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places? Not only here do you have Jesus with you but He is waiting in heaven for us to come. Tychicus eye has not seen nor ear heard of the things that God has prepared for them that are called according to His purpose.” I was a little confused but Paul begin to explain what he meant with the next sentence.
Next discussion, “According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world. Tychicus, God in His foreknowledge knew those of us who would accept His Son
Jesus as Savior. So before Jesus ever came to earth to save us, God, chose us and yet He still gave us a free will to choose.” Paul looked at me and said,” do not let this confuse you Tychicus nor think it strange but remember that we are talking about the God who created all things. He knows and yet we choose, what a wonderful God who would let even those He knows will despise Him still choose to reject Him. Tychicus, not only did He know before you knew but He also has decided that we should be holy and without blame as we stand before Him in His love.” At this I was overwhelmed for I wanted so much to please the one who did so much to rescue me from myself. I said a silent prayer as I looked over Paul’s words. I prayed that I would stay true to the one who had chosen to stay true to a sinner like me. I watched as Paul wrote the next words, “having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ”, with those words Paul turned to me and said are you beginning to see my young saint. He then said to me, “how could God not know who was going to be saved. If He did not know then how could He be God? God decreed before eternity that His Son would come to save the sons of men. Yet in His loving kindness and desire to