Philippians 1:12-18 says,...
Today's scriptures are Philippians 1:12-18, which read,
v.12-14 - Now I want to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
Paul is sharing and showing with us and the Christians in the church in Philippi that the gospel is not contained by prison walls. Paul is continuing to share the gospel because he has a captive crowd in the soldiers who are guarding him day and night. "While you are here, let me tell you some of the greatest news of all time" could have been one of Paul's lines to share the gospel with the whole praetorian guard assigned to him. Suffering and persecution do not diminish the effectiveness of the gospel but actually propel it further. Those willing to suffer and be persecuted for it show the value and worth of what they are suffering or being persecuted for.
Paul is a realist when he says, "most of the brethren" are more courageous with speaking the word of God because of his witness that has placed him in prison. I am glad he said "most" and not "a few." Most of the Christians from the new churches are standing bolder for Christ because of Paul's example. Are most Christians standing boldly for God's word today or would it be more accurate to say it is a few Christians are standing boldly? I fear it is "a few" because we have made our comfort and ease more important than the proclamation of God's gospel of grace through the cross of Christ.
v.15-17 - Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from the pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.
Paul had people who despised him and his methods. They, the few, were glad that he was in prison and used it to promote themselves and their ways against Paul's ways that had landed him in prison. Some, the most, were speaking of Christ out of love and seeing Paul in prison as of God to make a stronger case for the truth of the gospel. Others, the few, were speaking of Christ with selfish ambitions to promote themselves over a suffering Paul who was locked up at the time. A few of the brethren were using this opportunity of Paul's suffering to elevate themselves in importance but in the avenue of the church in which Christ is the head and His name is being proclaimed.
Christ is being proclaimed but by a few from wrong motives of self promotion rather than the right motives of glorifying God. What does Paul make of all of this?
v.18 - What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.
The gospel was not to be stopped by his circumstances of imprisonment or his critics of wrong motives. Christ was being named by those who loved him, Paul, and by those who hated or despised him. Those, the most, who could see God working through the imprisonment were proclaiming Christ and those, the few, who using Paul's imprisonment to promote themselves were also proclaiming Christ. The proclaiming of Christ is the powerful agent and not the person doing the speaking.
Christ's name was being spoken and as recorded in Acts 4:12 the apostle Peter says, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Paul may be slandered by a few but those few are saying the name of Jesus in the process and His name is more important than Paul's name or any other name. Therefore, Paul rejoices that people are speaking of and about Jesus even in the midst of his suffering. Paul's critics are no more in control of the process of salvation as Paul is in prison. They may think that they have more of a handle on it because they are not in prison and Paul is but the power is in the name of Jesus and not the human circumstances that surround it. In response to that fact, Paul says that he rejoices. Let's pray.
"Lord, we always have a few that are critical of methods and maybe even with wrong motives in serving but remind us that You are larger than our man made thoughts and actions and our selfish ambitions that need to be centered back on You. Your name is a strong and mighty tower as the song goes and it is at Your name that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord. May we have many, the most, bowing the knee and boldly speaking of You who cuts through our feeble and sometimes selfish efforts to reach out and call people home. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.12-14 - Now I want to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
Paul is sharing and showing with us and the Christians in the church in Philippi that the gospel is not contained by prison walls. Paul is continuing to share the gospel because he has a captive crowd in the soldiers who are guarding him day and night. "While you are here, let me tell you some of the greatest news of all time" could have been one of Paul's lines to share the gospel with the whole praetorian guard assigned to him. Suffering and persecution do not diminish the effectiveness of the gospel but actually propel it further. Those willing to suffer and be persecuted for it show the value and worth of what they are suffering or being persecuted for.
Paul is a realist when he says, "most of the brethren" are more courageous with speaking the word of God because of his witness that has placed him in prison. I am glad he said "most" and not "a few." Most of the Christians from the new churches are standing bolder for Christ because of Paul's example. Are most Christians standing boldly for God's word today or would it be more accurate to say it is a few Christians are standing boldly? I fear it is "a few" because we have made our comfort and ease more important than the proclamation of God's gospel of grace through the cross of Christ.
v.15-17 - Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from the pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.
Paul had people who despised him and his methods. They, the few, were glad that he was in prison and used it to promote themselves and their ways against Paul's ways that had landed him in prison. Some, the most, were speaking of Christ out of love and seeing Paul in prison as of God to make a stronger case for the truth of the gospel. Others, the few, were speaking of Christ with selfish ambitions to promote themselves over a suffering Paul who was locked up at the time. A few of the brethren were using this opportunity of Paul's suffering to elevate themselves in importance but in the avenue of the church in which Christ is the head and His name is being proclaimed.
Christ is being proclaimed but by a few from wrong motives of self promotion rather than the right motives of glorifying God. What does Paul make of all of this?
v.18 - What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.
The gospel was not to be stopped by his circumstances of imprisonment or his critics of wrong motives. Christ was being named by those who loved him, Paul, and by those who hated or despised him. Those, the most, who could see God working through the imprisonment were proclaiming Christ and those, the few, who using Paul's imprisonment to promote themselves were also proclaiming Christ. The proclaiming of Christ is the powerful agent and not the person doing the speaking.
Christ's name was being spoken and as recorded in Acts 4:12 the apostle Peter says, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Paul may be slandered by a few but those few are saying the name of Jesus in the process and His name is more important than Paul's name or any other name. Therefore, Paul rejoices that people are speaking of and about Jesus even in the midst of his suffering. Paul's critics are no more in control of the process of salvation as Paul is in prison. They may think that they have more of a handle on it because they are not in prison and Paul is but the power is in the name of Jesus and not the human circumstances that surround it. In response to that fact, Paul says that he rejoices. Let's pray.
"Lord, we always have a few that are critical of methods and maybe even with wrong motives in serving but remind us that You are larger than our man made thoughts and actions and our selfish ambitions that need to be centered back on You. Your name is a strong and mighty tower as the song goes and it is at Your name that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord. May we have many, the most, bowing the knee and boldly speaking of You who cuts through our feeble and sometimes selfish efforts to reach out and call people home. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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