Philippians 1
(15 - 30)
15 It is
true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out
of goodwill.
They
were preaching Christ out of envy that they were feeling towards
Paul, in his success at teaching the Gospel in Rome. They wanted to
transfer the credit from him to themselves. (Some were probably
Judaizers. Romans 14, 1
Corinthians 3:10 – 15, 2 Corinthians 11:1 - 4)1
They probably also denounced Paul to the Jews in Rome as a very
imperfect Christian, because of his opposition to the doctrine of
circumcision. They probably also endeavoured to prejudice him with
the Roman authorities.2
16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here
for the defense of the gospel.17 The
former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely,
supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.
Paul
has been apppointed by God for the defense of the gospel. (1
Thessalonians 3:2, 33,
Philippians 1:74)
But the others out of contention took up the opportunity of Paul
being in prison to exalt themselves and so depreciate Paul and his
teaching, and cause trouble for him while he was bound.5
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in
every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.
And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
That some preach Christ out of envy
and rivraly – Those who were
envious of Paul were glad that he was imprisioned, as they thought it
gave them a competitive edge over him in the what they considered the
contest of preaching the gospel. They had in part a competitive
spirit, which is often common among preachers.
Paul didn't believe
that all other preachers had bad motives. He knew that others also
preached from good will.
The former preach Christ out of
selfish ambition – Those who
are preaching the gospel out of wrong motives are infected with
selfish ambition. They serve, but not with sincerity.
Ambition
is not necessarily bad. There isn't anything wrong in wanting to be
(or do) the best for God. Selfish ambition is more concerned about a
successful image
rather than striving for true success before God.
Supposing that they can stir up
trouble for me while I am in chains
– Those who preached Christ from the wrong motive wanted to add
affliction to Paul's chains. Their competitive hearts not only wanted
to themselves to win, but for Paul to lose.
They wanted to
humiliate Paul by making him admit that others were more effective
than he was. What they didn't understand was that he honestly didn't
care about this as he didn't have a competitive spirit in ministry.
The important this is that in every
way, whether from false motive or true, Christ is preached. And
because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice
– Paul could rejoice that the gospel was being preached more
because of his imprisonment. It didn't matter that some where
motivated in a bad way or a good way.
Paul's concern was
not with the content of the gospel being preached, only with the
motives of those who preached. He objected if he thought a false or
distorted gospel was being preached, even from the best of motives.
(Galatians 1:6 – 9)
If the true gospel
was being preached, he didn't care about the person's motives. God
will deal with the person who had bad motives. But he didn't care how
good the motives are if the gospel was wrong! One who is preaching a
false gospel is dangerous!
Paul's
imprisonment nor the wrong motives of some could not stop God's work
from being done. And that was cause for rejoicing.6
Those preaching the
gospel out of bad motives were hypocrites, but Paul is more agitated
when the gospel that is taught is defective than when the people who
are preaching have defective motives.
So, we should
rejoice that God can override prison and poor motives to advance His
cause, and value the truth of the gospel more highly than the
attutudes of those who preach it.7
Compare the motives of the two
groups described in verses 15 - 188
19 for
I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit
of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my
deliverance.[d]9
Through your prayers
– He was satisfied that the Philippians would be praying for him in
his situation.
Provision of the Spirit of Jesus
Christ – He expected the
Spirit to help him in his infirmities and to furnish him with the
wisdom, prudence and strength of reason that might have been
necessary for him in his trials that he had to pass through.10
20 I
eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will
have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted
in my body, whether by life or by death.
For I know … will turn out for my
deliverance – Paul knew that
the Lord was in control of all events, even though his imprisonment
and impending trial before the Emperor made the the situation look
rather dark.
Through your prayers
– Paul was so confident was because he knew he was in the prayers
of the Philippians. His deliverance in that situation was connected
to the prayer of the Philippians.
This shows how
important prayer is. Without the Philippians' prayers, Paul's
deliverance by God would be hindered.
Through your prayers and God's
provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ
– However it is not the prayer that meets Paul's need, but the
provision of the Holy Spirit.
I eagerly expect and hope
– These are words of faith. Paul mightly trusted God here, and he
first trusted God that he 'will in no way be ashamed'. He believed
that God would not cause him to be ashamed or turn against him in the
matter.
Although he was
imprisoned and awaiting trial, he was confident that he was in the
center of God's will. He knew God wasn't punishing him through the
adversity.
Christ will be exalted in my body,
whether by life or by death – Paul
also had this trust and admitted to the Philippian Christians that he
might not be released, but that he might be martyred instead.
Paul lived his life
not to preserve or promote himself, but to glorify Jesus Christ. If
Jesus decides that Paul could best glorify Him through laying down
his life, Paul would be well pleased by the opportunity.
Still, this would
have hit hard on the Philippian who had seen God do many remarkable
miracles in Paul's life while he was in Phillippi. (Acts 16:11 –
40.) They may have associated God's glory only with being delivered
from your problems rather than being delivered in the midst of those
problems.
It is easy for us
to dictate to God how He can and cannot glorify Himself in our lives.
Paul wisely left that to God.11
This verse
amplifies the previous verse, where Paul stated that his spiritual
aspiration was to make Christ big in his body. Paul was confident
that he was going to be released from prison. He only had two
options. What would he do with them? He wanted his body to be a
showcase in either option.
'To me' – This is
Paul's personal testimony. He's not speaking for anyone else. He's
saying “I will define what life an death are to me.” The verbs is
were added by the translators.
Therefore the
literal idea is: “to live … Christ.” or in formula form: to
live = Christ. To live equals Christ. Living for Christ was Paul's
ambition. As long as he continued to live, he would live for the
purpose of glorifying Christ.
It's also true that
what produces a spiritual life is Christ Himself. “When Christ who
is our life.” Colossians 3:412.
The Christian life is Christ moving into believers, so that his life
is lived through them. This is far more than imitating Jesus. He is
more willing to live His life through us than we are willing to allow
Him.
2 Corinthians 4:10,
Galatians 1:16.
For
Paul, the Christian life was not a hobby, it was his very life. It
should be central to everything we do.13
Most people focus
on the second part of the verse and contemplate the joys of heaven.
But what comes before should not be overlooked. Paul's singular aim
was to bring glory to Jesus.
It means that we
imitate the example of Christ. Everything Christ did, is what Paul
wanted to do. The Church benefited from his godly example. “Follow
my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians
11:1. What would Jesus do? That is what we should do.
It also means that
we pursue the knowledge of Christ, to know Him better and better each
day. Not just a set of facts about Christ, but Christ Himself.
Phillipians 3:10 – 11.
It means that we
are willing to give up anything that prevents us from having Christ.
Philippians 3:7 -9. We cling to the promise in Mark 10:29, 30
that our sacrifices for Jesus' sake will be repaid a hundredfold.
It means that
Christ is our focus, our goal and our chief desire. He is the
centerpoint of our mind, heart, body and soul, we do everything for
His glory.14
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean
fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I
am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which
is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I
remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will
remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy
in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your
boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
Paul continues to
be happy and is confident that the Romans will free him (vs 19). The
reasons that he gives are that the Christians at Phillipi are praying
for him, and that he knows that they are praying for him to be
released. He knows the power of prayer, but he also knows that the
Holy Spirit helps us.
Vs 20. Paul doesn't
want to be ashamed. His whole desire is to bring honour to Christ,
whether or not he is thinking that he might not complete his work for
Him, or lack courage before a judge. If he lives, he would continue
to serve Christ as an apostle. If he dies, he would be a loyal
witness to the strength of his faith.
Vs 21. Paul has the
power to live in the right way, because Christ 'lives in him'
Galatians 2:20. Therefore the only reason for his life is to
bring honour and praise to Christ.
For Paul (and all
Christians) death means to be 'at home with the Lord' in heaven. 2
Corinthians 5:8. Again, his death would be a witness to his
faith. Even his death will help the gospel to spread. A later
Christian writer said, 'The blood of martyrs is like the seed of the
church'.
Vs 22. If Paul
continues to live; he will be able to continue to go on encouraging
Christians and establishing new churches. He knows that his work is
useful to God. Our work for the Lord is not without value. I
Corinthians 15:58.
Vs 23. Paul's
desire is to 'leave this life'. The Greek word means 'to move a
tent'. He wanted to leave the temporary home of his body for a
permanent home in heaven.
Vs 24. What the
Christians at Philippi needed was more important to Paul than his own
desires. The Philippian church was young. They had many good
qualities but had some weaknesses. They were also in danger from
false doctrine. Therefore Paul was willing to remain in order to help
them.
Vs 25, 26 Paul
wanted them to make progress in their faith. They needed to love each
other, more. 1:9. And work together more. 2:2. They
must also be able to approve the best things. 1:10. As their
faith grows, so does their joy.15
For to me, to live is Christ and to
die is gain – Paul knew that
death is not a defeat for a Christian. It is merely a graduation to
glory, a net gain.
Paul's death would
be a gain in two senses
- It would glorify Jesus.
- He would be in the immediate presence of the Lord.
The idea that Paul
could consider death a present gain argues against the idea of 'soul
sleep'. This false teaching holds that the believing dead are held in
some sort of suspended animation until the resurrection occurs. This
also argues against the idea of 'purgatory', which says that the
believing dead must be purified through suffering before they come
into the presence of God.
This shows that
Paul doesn't fear death. Though some may fear dying, no
Christian should fear death. If one fears death, their faith
would be in a very weak and sickly condition.
If I am to go on living in the body,
this will mean fruitful labor for me –
Paul was confident that God intended him to be fruitful. There was
no doubt in his mind about that. If he lived it would be a fruitful
life.
In a sad contrast,
many Christians have not yet come to a place where it's certain that
they will bear fruit for the kingdom.
I am torn between the two
– Paul was torn between being with the Lord and continuing to
minister to the Philippians and others.
I desire to depart and be with
Christ – His desire to depart
was a strong one. It was a strong longing.
Others have also
wanted to die
- Some have wished to die, gripped by the gloom and darkness that leads to suicide.
- Some have been so tired of the world and the cruelty of others that they thought death was better.
- Some have wanted to die in the crisis of some kind of suffering.
Paul's desire to
depart had nothing to do with any of these attitudes.
- Going to heaven meant that he would no longer have to deal with sin and temptation.
- Going to heaven meant that he would see those brothers and sisters who had gone to heaven before him.
- It meant being with Christ in a closer and better way than before.
I have a desire to depart
– It appears to be a metaphor taken from the commander of a vessel,
in a foreign port, who feels a strong desire, to set sail, and get to
his own country and family, but this desire is counterbalanced by a
conviction that the general interests of the voyage may be best
served by a longer stay at the port, although he may at any time
weigh anchor and be gone.
Paul knew that if
he did depart that the journey would not be long.
But it is more necessary for you
that I remain in the body – He
understood that others still needed him, that his work was not done
yet. While allowing for the possibility of his martyrdom, he told the
Phillipians that he expected to be spared at that time.
Paul was confident
and full of faith, yet he was short of absolute certainty. This lack
of absolute certainty is a comfort to us. Even the great apostle did
not have a prophet's certainty about the future.
So that through my being with you
again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me –
His friendship with the
Philippians was so close that he knew that they would be rejoicing to
see him again.16
What are Paul's considerations in
choosing between life and death (vs 20 – 26)?17
27 Whatever
happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of
Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my
absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,[e]18
striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.
Whatever
happens, conduct yourselves
– The ancient Greek word translated 'conduct' means literally 'to
live as a citizen'. Paul was telling the Philippians to be good
patriotic citizens of the Kingdom of God. This is a recurring theme
through the letter.
Hear
about you in my absence –
He wanted the Philippians to know that they were accountable before
him and would check up on them.
That
you stand firm in the one Spirit
– Paul wanted to know that the Philippian church stayed together as
one body without becoming fragmented and fractionalised.
Striving
together as one for the faith of the gospel –
Paul wanted their unity to be productive, so that there would be
increasing trust and belief in the good news of Jesus Christ among
those who already believed and among those who had yet to believe.19
28 without
being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign
to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and
that by God.
Without
being frightened in any way by those who oppose you
– 'Frightened' – a vivid term in the Greek denoting the
uncontrollable stampede of startled horses. In the face of that kind
of opposition, Paul wanted the Philippian Christians to have the same
kind of boldness he had.
This
is a sign to them that they will be destroyed
– When Christians are not in any way frightened by those who oppose
them that is in itself proof that those who oppose them will be
destroyed.
Some
other translations use the word 'perdition' – Gr.
Apolia
– destruction, wasting or damnation. It is also used in Philippians
3:19 and
2
Peter 2:1.
Both Judas20
and the Antichrist21
are called the 'son of perdition'.
When
Christians stand against intimidation, the the flesh and the devil it
shows those spiritual enemies that their ultimate destruction is
certain. They have no other weapons than fear and intimidation, so
when they fail to make us afraid, they have failed completely.
But
that you will be saved
– When we are not frightened of our spiritual enemies it is also
evidence our own salvation. In the Lord we can surprise ourselves
with our boldness.22
29 For it has been granted to
you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to
suffer for him,
There is an
attitude among Christians that somehow they are supposed to be exempt
from suffering. This says that God allows the suffering in the life
of the believer so that they would represent Christ in it. Verse 28
indicated that when we share our faith people will stand against us.
We will face opposition when we share our faith.
This is a double
gift
- To believe in Christ
- To suffer for His sake.
For it has been granted to you on
behalf of Christ – Suffering
is a gift from God. The phrase 'been granted' in the Greek means that
that the believer receives suffering as a gift from God. 'Granted'
means to 'to give freely or graciously as a favor.' We have been
granted the privlege of suffering for Christ. This suffering is under
God's sovereign conrol. It's not an accident, nor is it a sign of His
punishment.
Suffering with a
purpose is a privilege. Suffering in itself is not a privilege, but
suffering for Christ is.
'On behalf of
Christ' indicates the pinnacle purpose for suffering. It points
people to Christ.
Not only to believe on him
– Our ability to believe on Christ is a gift from God. Our
salvation is dependent on Christ's sacrifice upon the Cross. We
contribute nothing to salvation but trust in His Grace.
But also to suffer for him – Some
would not face the claims of Christ until they see how a Chrsitian
faces deep anguish. A believer undergoing immense adversity but also
having an inner orientation will have an impact upon those without
Christ.
Nothing is valuable
in life until the aim is in Christ. Suffering is not an end in of
itself. Pain is not good. But the association of it with suffering
for Christ gives it a purpose.
Everything that the
believer has of spiritual value is donated from God, even affliction.
We
should not treat life on Earth as the ultimate goal of our lives.
This isn't our permanent home, we should expect to be opposed.23
30 since you are going through
the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Vs 28. Dangerous
unexpected things may happen to the Christians at Philippi. Even
then, they have to show courage.
Opponents may
include
- Jews now opposed the Christian faith. There were few Jews in Philippi when Paul first visited, but the situation may have changed.
- Gentiles. These include Roman officials whose attitude towards the church was changing.
- False teachers: Those who said that Gentiles must have Jewish circumcision first. 3:23. And those who used God's grace an excuse for allowing all their physical desires to control them. 1:6.
Their opponents will see that they are wrong.
Vs29,
30. Their pain and trouble were gifts of God's grace, when they were
on behalf of Christ. It was a sign that their faith was genuine.They
were sharing the same struggle as Paul. This was like the great effor
of a runner who was trying to win a race. They had seen what had
happened to Paul at Philippi. Acts
16. They had also head
what Paul had to suffer in prison in Rome.24
For it has been granted to you
– It was granted to the Phillipians to believe in Him. In the same
ways as the belief was granted to them, so also has the the
priviledge to suffer for His sake.
They didn't need to
fear hat their present trial (and that of Paul) meant that God had
abandomed them. The difficulty was granted to them, not as a
punishment, but as one of His workings.
But also to suffer for him
– Suffer- Gr. Pasko.
This word was used primarily in the sense of persecution. But it's
also used of physical sufferings that aren't related to persecution
(Acts 28:5 and Matthew
17:15), of suffering under
temptation (Hebrews 2:8)
and hardships in a general sense (1 Corinthians 12:26
and Galatians 3:4).
Meyer: “Everyone
cannot be trusted with suffering. All could not stand the fiery
ordeal. They would speak rashly and complainingly. So the Master has
to select with careful scrutiny the branches which can stand the
knife.”
Meyer: “Look up
and take each throb of pain, each hour of agony, as a gift. Dare to
thank Him for it. Look inside the envelope of pain for the message it
enfolds. It is a rough packing-case, but there is treasure in it.”
since you are going through the same
struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have
– They had the same kind of conflict that Paul had had among them
in Philippi and that Paul faced in Rome. This concerned the
difficulty of walking right with the Lord and proclaiming the gospel
while being persecuted and under attack.
Struggle
– Gr. Agon. The root
word for agony and
agonize.
If the
Philippians had Paul's kind of struggle, the could also have Paul's
kind of joy and fruit in the midst of it.25
Paul emphasized
that his desire for the Philippians was that they remained strong in
Christ regardless of whether he was with them or not. A phrase in
verse 27 uses the Greek imperative verb form. He also uses the word
for 'worthy' Gr. Axios. Add to that imperative (a command) a
phrase “worthy of the gospel
of Christ” and the
sense is that Paul is insisting upon a lifestyle that is 'worthy'. It
could be worded like this: Only, let you live in a manner worthy of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Contrary to what many would have you
believe, what other people observe about our lifestyle does matter.26
What does it mean to conduct
ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel (vs 27 – 30)?
- What are the most difficult circumstances you are presently facing?
- How can Christ be exalted in that situation? 27
3
2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s
service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and
encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be
unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are
destined for them.
4
7 It is right for me to
feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and,
whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all
of you share in God’s grace with me.
Out of Christ no one can stand before God. Without grace, there is
no peace. The work of this grace won't be perfected until the day or
Jesus' return. We should be confident that God will continue his
good work. So also that fellow Christians should encourage each
other.[a]
9
NIV subnote: Or vindication,
or salvation
18
NIV subnote: Or in one
spirit
20
John 17:12
21
2 Thessalonians 2:3
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