“For I am an ambassador in chains…” (Eph. 6:20)

“For I am an ambassador in chains…” (Eph. 6:20)

Most people think of the Bible as a serious book, and it is. Yet, there is also humor scattered through its pages…if you know how to look for it. 

When St. Paul was arrested in imprisoned, it also meant that he was bound and fettered in chains. However, where most would see this as a negative, St. Paul turned it into a positive. He embraced his imprisonment and suffering (for the sake of Jesus Christ) as an honor; a means of spreading the gospel via publicity. In one sense, this is perhaps akin to those arrested at sit-in and protests, against the Vietnam War or in promotion of Civil Rights.

The twist comes by St. Paul’s use of the words “ambassador in chains.” At first blush we take this to mean that he is a “spokesman” for Jesus who is imprisoned. Yet the Greek word for chains, halysei, which does mean chains, manacles, and fetters, was also the nickname for the thick gold necklace and wristbands that were worn by Roman ambassadors to show their rank. 

Thus, St. Paul humorously equates his chains and fetters as jewelry, showcasing his own rank as an ambassador for Christ.

Fr. John