Was Paul literally a prisoner of Jesus Christ?
Yes. Scripture presents Paul as the prisoner of Jesus Christ, and the teaching text states he was not only a bondslave of Christ but the literal prisoner of Christ for the distinct purpose of bringing Gentiles out of spiritual darkness into the knowledge of his gospel.
Ephesians 3:1 calls Paul “the prisoner of Jesus Christ” for the sake of the Gentiles. Les explains that Paul was not only a bondslave of Christ but was the literal prisoner of Christ for that distinct purpose. To show how this began, Les goes back to Acts chapter 9. Before salvation, Paul was a religious zealot who thought that stamping out anything referring to Jesus of Nazareth in Israel was doing service to the God of Abraham. But God stopped him on the road to Damascus. In Damascus, while Saul was blind, the Lord spoke to Ananias, telling him to go to the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for Saul of Tarsus, for he is praying. Saul had seen a vision of Ananias coming and putting his hands on him so he might receive his sight. Ananias was to understand that Saul was being made ready for something special.
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
More Questions
Why did Paul say he was a prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles?
Paul's ministry was directed specifically at pagan Gentiles, to bring them out of their sin and spiritual darkness and into the knowledge of the gospel.