The grace of God sustained Paul in his imprisonment, enabling him to rejoice in tribulation. With faith and assurance he wrote to his Philippian brethren that his imprisonment had resulted in the furtherance of the gospel. "I would ye should understand, brethren," he declared, "that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds with Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; and 481 many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."

Guds nåde opretholdt Paulus under hans fangenskab og gjorde, at han kunne fryde sig trods trængslerne. Med tro og tillid skrev han til sine brødre i Filippi, at hans fangenskab havde bevirket fremgang for evangeliet. "Jeg vil, at I skal vide, brødre!" erklærede han, "at det, der er sket med mig, snarest har fremmet evangeliet. Derved er det nemlig blevet klart for hele livvagten og alle de andre, at det er i Kristus, jeg bærer mine lænker. Og de fleste af brødrene er ved mine lænker blevet så tillidsfulde i Herren, at de med større mod forkynder Guds ord uden frygt."