Paul said to the Ephesian believers, "For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles..." and again, "wherefore I desire that you faint not at my tribulation for you which is your glory" (Ephesians 3:1 and 13 KJV).

Paul was incarcerated for the sake of the Gentiles at Ephesus and believers elsewhere. He had been arrested and thrown in prison for their spiritual well being, for the sake of preaching the gospel to them, and to see them flourish in the things of God and grow spiritually in Christ. Pastors battle many types of prisons for the sake of their people. These prisons range from very negative and difficult prisons (those that shackle them so to speak in their call), to those that are positive. It is all done for the sake of God's people that He has placed under their care.

Notice that Paul says he is the "prisoner of Jesus Christ" for their sake. He belongs to Jesus. All born again believers are the possession of Jesus Christ, purchased by His blood (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). But even more so are those He has truly called into His full time service, which is the five fold ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16). We are Jesus' prisoner for their sake and not the other way around. We are not to be held prisoner to people's will, but only to Jesus'.

Often well meaning people that God has placed under our care attempt to make us prisoners to what they want. We go through things often for their sake but we are not to be their prisoners. We are not to be held captive by our people or the leaders of the church (Board, Elders, Deacons, etc.). We must be directed by Jesus and not by power hungry people. Otherwise, we can't adequately be there for them and we become nothing more than a hireling. We must be able to both speak for God to the people corporately as well as individually (2 Timothy 4:2-3 & Ephesians 4:15), while also receiving direction or vision from the Holy Spirit (Habakkuk 2:2-3 & Proverbs 29:18). Leaders back your pastors and let them do their job by allowing them to follow the vision that God has given them!

Let me list some prisons pastors frequently battle for the sake of their people.

 Pressure and stress. Being in the ministry can be a burden at times.

1. Burdened for the sake of the people. Paul said to the Romans, "I say the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart" (Romans 9:1-2 KJV).
2. Criticism and complaints. You don't have to be in ministry very long before you experience this. The entire book of Numbers deals with the complaining of the children of Israel. There were times it was so severe that Moses cried out to God, "I can't bear the burden of this people". In Acts 6 there arose a complaint when the Hellenistic Jews were left out in the distribution of food. This can be a continual source of pressure in the life of the minister.

   God condemns such actions through out the book of Numbers and in the New Testament as well (Philippians 2:14). Even though in most cases there seems to be no reason for their complaints and criticism, God does use it at times. In the case of Acts 6, God used it to cause the church to restructure things, to develop other leaders (the first deacons), and to enable the apostles to focus on the word and prayer as they should have been doing all along.

Next... Pastoral Prisons Part 2