The following article was retrieved from the website maintained by Prison Fellowship. They are an organization dedicated to bringing the presence of God to the dark places of jails and prisons.  See https://www.prisonfellowship.org/resources/training-resources/in-prison/ministry-basics/what-the-bible-says-about-prison-ministry/



Whathe BiblSayAbout Prison Ministry

I was iprison and you came to visit me...I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Matthe25:36,40

Follow Jesus' Footsteps

WheJesus was berated for eating with tax collectors ansinners, he answerethat "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark2:17).

Back ithe day, tax collectors had fallen into their own category of contempt--set apart, it seems from the rest of the sinners. They were loathed as corrupt, treacherous...criminal. YeJesus went to them, spent timwith them, shared a friendly meal witthem. Hdid not overloowhat they hadone or what they had become. But ithe moral "sicknessof their sin, He

Offered them the healing of His forgiveness, His salvation, and even His friendship.

One of those loathed tax collectors was Zacchaeus, a corrupt man who had grown rich by cheating others. When he climbed a tree to sewhat this Jesus waall about, the Lord invited Himself to dinner witZacchaeus--again, to the irritation of the mor"righteouspeople ithe crowd. But that lovininvitation brought this corrupt tax collector to repentance antransformation--ready to makamends for his crimes. And then Jesus made an announcement to thcrowd. "This man, too, is a soof Abraham(Luke19:9). This man that the otherhad considered aoutcast was to be restoreas a brother. If Jesus were oearth today, would we find Him in the prisons, talking and dining witthe most loathecriminals and outcasts? Of course wwould. He Would bthere "to seek and to save the lost and to restore them to sonship, just as Hdid with Zacchaeus.

And because thChurch is now His representative on earth, prison is where wshould be as well--calling thsick to the healing touch of our Lord and Savior; still recognizing in them the dignity of God's creation, no matter how far they have fallen; trusting that no one--NO ONE--is beyond Christ's love and power tredeem. The Scripture passages that follogive us insight into God's heart for prison ministry. We hope these passages will encourage you to folloJesus into the prisons and into the communities to minister to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families.


Follow Jesus' Example

God does nodespise the broken; noshould weRather, we are to imitate the One who came to seek antsave the lost--as wonce were -- no matter what type of bonds enslavancripple them. This is why Prison Fellowship has takeas its logo a bruised reed, based on thpromise of Isaiah 42:3, which is affirmed in the life of Jesus.

"A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick hwill not snuff out. In faithfulness hwill bring forth justice.Isaiah 42:3

"Aware of this [the plot to kill Him], Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed himand he healed all their sick, warning thenot to tell who hwas. This was to fulfill whawas spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'Here is my servant whom I have chosen, thone I love, iwhom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaijustice to thnations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voicithe streets. A bruisereed he will not break, and a smoldering wick hwill not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.'” Matthew12:15-20

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children anlive a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1

Jesus identifies strongly with thweak, the helplessand the outcast. He considers the way wtreat thetbe the way we treat Him. Hwants us to identifwitthem as well, putting ourselves itheir shoeand caring for them.

"Then thKing will say tthose ohis right,

'Come, yowhare blessed by my father;

Take your inheritance...For I was hungrand you gave me something teat, I wathirsty and you gave me something to drink, I

Was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick

And yolooked after me, I was iprison and you came to visit me. 'Then thrighteouwill answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty angive yosomething to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing

Clothes and clothe you? When diwe see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for onof the least of these brotherof mine, you did for me.'” Matthew25:34-40

"Keep oloving each other as brothers. Do not forget tentertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if yowere their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if yoyourselves were suffering.Hebrews13:1-3

Jesus admonishes us to show no partiality to others on the basis of their status in life. All are equally in need of Christ for forgiveness and salvation. All have equal potential tbecome mighty men and women of faith.

"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

Suppose a man comes intyour meeting wear ing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes alscomes in. If yoshow special attention tthe man


Wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You

Stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet, 'have you not discriminated monyourselves anbecome judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of thworld to be rich in faith antinherit The kingdohe promised those who love him?James 2:1-5

"...Do not be deceived: Neither thsexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of yowere. But yowere washed, yowere sanctified, you were justified in the name of thLord Jesus Christ and by thSpirit of our God.” I Corinthians 6:9-11

Share Freedom Behind Bars

God seeks to set prisoners free--not always from theiphysical prison, but certainly from their imprisonment by sinignorance, rebellion, and foolish choices. Jesus identifieHimself as the source of this freedom. As this is aimportant part of God's work, it is an important part of the Church's woras well.

"He upholds thcause of the oppressed and givefood to thhungry. The LORsets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, and LORlifts up thoswho are bowed down, thLORloves the righteousThe LORwatches over the alien and sustains thfatherless and thwidow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.”  Psal146:7-9

"I, thLORD, have called you irighteousness; I wiltake hold of your hand. I will keep you and will makyou tbe a covenant for thpeople and a light for thGentiles, to open eyes that arblind, to free captivefrom prison and trelease from the dungeon thoswho sit idarkness.Isaiah 42:6-7

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORis on me, because the LORhas anointed me to preach good news to the poor. Hhas sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release frodarkness for thprisoners, to proclaim thyear of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, tcomfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of

Praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will bcalled oaks of righteousness, a plantinof the LORD for the display of his splendor.Isaiah61:1-3

"The scroll of the prophet Isaiawas handed to him [Jesus]. Unrolling it, he found thplace where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. Hhas sent me to proclaim freedofor the prisoners anrecovery of sight for thblind, trelease the oppressed, to proclaithe year of the

Lord's favor.' ” Luke 4:17-19

"Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets yofree, you will bfree indeed.'" John 8:34-36


Society may intend prison to be a place of punishment, but God can use it as a place of refinement and transformation. He does not give uon those iprison , but pursues them ilove.

"For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us intprison and laiburden on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and waterbut you brought us to a place of abundance.Psalm 66:10-12

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God ihis holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.Psalm 68:5-7

"The LORhears the needy andoes not despise his captive people.Psalm 69:33

We all know what it's like to bibondage to--imprisoned by--our sin and foolishness aparfrom Christ. This is why many who work iprison ministry say, "I areally no different frothosiprison.

"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For imy inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work ithe members of my body, waging war against thlaw of my mind and making me a prisoner of thlaw of siat work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from thibody of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” Romans 7:21-25

Introduce Prisoners to God's Mercy

Most men and women iprison are there for a reason: They did thcrime and are doing thtime. Hitting rock bottom is what prods many offenders to take ahonest look at their lives and cry out to God for mercy. And God is ready to give it.

"Some sat idarkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for thehad rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was none to help. Then thecried to the LORin their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He broughthem out of darkness and the deepest glooand broke away their chains. Let them givthanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breakdown gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.Psalm107:10-16

Transformed lives point everyone's attention to GodThis is the greatest motivation to get involved iprison ministry. No one else can take credit for the miraculouturn around icriminals' lives.

"Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for theare too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then thrighteous will gather about me because of yougoodness to me.Psal142:6-8


Remember No One iBeyond God's Reach

person's past does not have tdictate his future. Even a former criminal, if hhas learned from his mistakes and renounced his sins, can become a great leadein God's hands.

"Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who nlonger knows how to take warning. The youth may have come froprison to the kingship, or he may havbeen born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that all who lived anwalked under thsun followed the youth, the king's successor.Ecclesiastes 4:13-15

Also consider Moses, whwas a murderer and a fugitive frojustice when God callehim to lead His people out of slavery. Ithheat of passion, he had killed aEgyptianhidden him in thdeserts and, and fled thcountry because the head of the governmenwas out to execute him (Exodus2:11-15). Yet this is the man God called tlead Hipeople to thPromised Land, to receive the

Ten Commandments--tbe a pivotal figurin salvation history.

Or consider the apostle Paul, a formereligious zealot who had burned ihis hatrefor Christians and conspired iputting them to death for their faith. Yet Jesus called Paul to Himself, directed him to write most of thNew Testament, and turned him into the earlChurch's greatest missionary to the Gentiles.

Welcome Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Despite their past, offenders who come to Christ have a new identity and a new relationship to the Church! We are to receive them as family, our brothers and sisters iChrist.

[Paul is writing to a slave-owner about one of his runaway slaves, Onesimus.] "I appeato you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was ichains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now hhas become useful both tyoand to me...Perhapthere a son he was separated from you for a little while was that yomight have hiback for good--no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. His very dear to me but even dearer tyou, both as a man and as a brother in thLord.” Philemon 10-11, 15-16

[This takes place after Saul, aenemy of the Church, haan encounter witChrist and was transformed. Many Christians were hesitant twelcome  him.] "When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing thahe really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought hito the apostles. He tolthem how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how iDamascus he had preached fearlessly in thname of Jesus. SSaul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly ithe name of thLord.Acts 9:26-28

"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And thhead cannot say tthe feet,

'I don't need you!' on the contrary, those parts of the body that seetbe weaker arindispensableand the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honorAnd thparts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the   members of thbody and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should  bno

division ithbody, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

I Corinthians12:21-25

As brothers and sisters, we are tassist Christians coming out of prison as they struggle over many hurdles to rejoin their families and their communities.

"What good is it , my brothers, if a man claims to have faitbut has no deeds? Can sucfaith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says thim, 'Go, I wish yowell; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing abouhis physical needs, what good is it? Ithe same way, faith by itself, if it is noaccompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17

"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, yowho are spiritual should restore higently. Buwatch yourself, or you also may be temptedCarry each other's burdens, and in this way yowill fulfill the law of Christ.Galatians 6:1-2

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunitylet us do good to all people, especially tthose who belong to the family of believers.”  Galatians 6:9-10

"Be devoted tone another ibrotherly love. Honor one another above yourselvesNever blacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving thLord. Bjoyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are ineedPractice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those whmourn. Live in harmony with onanotherDo not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.Romans 12:10-16

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that witone heart and mouth you may glorifthe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Chrisaccepted you, iorder to bring praise to God.Romans15:5-7

"A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick hwill not snuff out. In faithfulness hwill brinfortjustice.Isaia42:3

Last modified: Monday, February 19, 2024, 8:40 AM