“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also” (Hebrews 13:3).
From its inception, Christianity has always faced hostility. When Jesus sent out the apostles on the first ever preaching mission, He spoke of scenarios in which they would be delivered up to (Jewish) councils and scourged in the synagogues (Matthew 10:17). Their plight before Gentile tribunals would be similar (Matthew 10:18).
As the first century A. D. rocketed toward its close, the hostility of sinners against Christ and His bride increased. By the time the book of Hebrews had been written, imprisonment and the plundering of Christians and their possessions were facts of history (Hebrews 10:34) and Timothy–Paul’s son in the faith–had just recently been set free from prison (Hebrews 13:23).
Rarely did prisoners in the first century receive anything close to humane treatment. Often, clean water, nutritious food, and warm clothing had to be supplied by a prisoner’s loved ones. Coming to someone in prison with the necessities of life (Matthew 25:36) was frequently essential to any hope of survival.
Because of this, brotherly love was not a lofty moral suggestion; rather, it was a practical expression of God’s love abiding in your heart (1 John 3:17). In the first century, remembering your persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ as if chained with them was as essential to their physical survival as it was to your spiritual well-being.
