Chapter 27—Caesar’s Household
The gospel has ever achieved its greatest success among the hum-
bler classes. “Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble, are called.” It could not be expected that Paul, a poor and
friendless prisoner, would be able to gain the attention of the wealthy
and titled classes of Roman citizens. Their whole life —physical,
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mental, and moral—was on a different plane from his. To them vice
presented all its glittering allurements, and held them willing captives.
But from the toil-worn, want-stricken victims of their oppression, even
from the poor slaves, ignorant and degraded as they were, many gladly
listened to the words of Paul, and found in the faith of Christ a hope
and peace which cheered them under the hardships of their lot.
Yet while the apostle’s work began with the humble and lowly, its
influence extended, until it reached the very palace of the emperor.
Rome was at this time the metropolis of the world. The haughty
Caesars were giving laws to nearly every nation upon the earth. King
and courtier were either wholly ignorant of the humble Nazarene, or
they regarded him with hatred and derision. And yet in less than two
years the gospel found its way from the prisoner’s lowly home into the
imperial halls. Paul is in bonds as an evil-doer; but “the word of God
is not bound.”
Among the saints who send greetings to the Philippian church, the
apostle mentions chiefly them that are of Caesar’s household. Nowhere
could there exist an atmosphere more uncongenial to Christianity than
in the Roman court under such a monster of wickedness as then stood
at its head. Nero seemed to have obliterated from his soul the last trace
of the Divine, and even of the human, and to bear only the impress of
the Satanic. His attendants and courtiers were in general of the same
character as himself, fierce, debased, and corrupt. To all appearance it
would be impossible for Christianity to gain a foot-hold in the court
and palace of Nero.
Yet in this case, as in so many others, was proved the truth of Paul’s
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assertion, that the weapons of his warfare were “mighty through God
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