Philippians 1:12-16To: Philippians Main MenuTo: Grace Notes Home Page Philippians 1:12"But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel."We now turn from Paul's prayer for the Philippians to Paul's attitude about being jailed (1:12-24). His attitude is connected closely with how he viewed God's sovereign hand on his situation. The Philippian church was deeply concerned about Paul. They loved him. Under God, they owed their salvation to him. When Paul left Philippi for the last time they lost track of him. Paul had gone back to Jerusalem. He was arrested and spent two years in jail in Caesarea. He was shipped to Rome and imprisoned there where finally the Philippians found him. In this section Paul is assuring the Philippian church. He is alleviating their fears to calm their concern for him. ---------- "But I want you to know"Invariably the very thing God wants us to know is the thing about which we are most ignorant. Here Paul puts it in the positive--"I want you to know." Hebrews 11:3 says "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God..." That is a difficult concept to grasp for a non-Christian. They can understand: "by brains we understand;" "by education we understand"; "by intuition we understand". The Christian, however, understands that faith is crucial to understand divine things. Especially when it comes to coming to grips with the adversity we face, faith is foundational to coping with the pain. ---------- "that the things which happened to me"Paul was in danger of death and this put great pressure on his confidence in God's plan for his life. Very shortly he may be dead. Yet he makes a clear appraisal of his situation from God's viewpoint. In the New King James Version the words "which happened" are in italics which means that these words are not in the original text. Nothing just happened to Paul. Nothing just happens to us. There are no "rotten breaks" or "bad luck" for the Christian. Everything that comes into the life of the child of God comes by divine design. Our lives are divinely ordered. Good health, poor health; prosperity, poverty; all of these God mixes into our lives with a clear blueprint in his mind. All of the specifications are in God's plan for your life. There is no accident, no luck, no coincident with the believer. Paul left Philippi the last time in Acts 20. In Acts 28 he is in prison at Rome where he wrote the book of Philippians. These are the "things which happened to me." Some mighty ugly things happened to him. He lay in prison in Caesarea without a fair trial. During that time he could not do his missionary work freely. From a human viewpoint it appeared that his time there was wasted. Again, at Rome he is in jail. God had a definite plan in all this as we will see in the ensuing verses. PRINCIPLE: God is sovereignly in control of every thing that happens to us. God wants us to "know" this principle for sure. APPLICATION: Do you "know" that God's hand is sovereignly working in your life? Do you believe that God has a divine design behind every situation, event, blessing and burden you face? In our study of the first phrase we saw that there are no accidents in the life of the child of God. Now Paul demonstrates what this means in his own life. ---------- "have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel."The phrase "turned out" is in a tense which means the action was completed in the past with the results remaining unto the present. His imprisonment and near death experience has had a permanent effect on advancing the gospel!! Man proposes but God disposes. The best laid plans of men are not adequate for God's designs for the universe. God overruled all the unfortunate events of Paul's life. He took Paul's imprisonment and turned it into a benefit. Souls have come to personally know Jesus Christ as their Saviour as a result of his incarceration. This same principle is found in Romans 8:28, "And we know (this is often something we do not know) that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." God does not make a mistake. God is too good to do wrong and too wise to make a mistake. If we are in deep pain at the present time it is no mistake. God is in control of everything. Nothing is capricious with God. He manages every thing that comes into our lives and works them together into a pattern which will result in "good." We may be disappointed from the standpoint of our personal design; however, from God's design he has something better in mind. God knows our plight better than we do. God knows the future. He has not chosen to reveal to us everything in that plan. He is infinite and we are finite. Finiteness cannot fully comprehend infiniteness. We do not have to take an exam on "why" God has allowed our predicament to happen. We will take an exam on our confidence in God's plan for our life. If we flunk it, we will have to take the course and exam again. PRINCIPLE: Man proposes plans but God often disposes of them. A finite mind can never compete with an infinite God and his plans for man. APPLICATION: Are we willing to flex our lives so that we submit to God's plan even though it may be different from ours? We come to the last phrase of verse twelve. This is the reason for the sovereign hand of God upon Paul. The word "furtherance" was used to refer to a group of people who cut brush and trees down in an impenetrable forest before an advancing army. The word means literally "to cut down in advance." The point here is that "the things which happened" to Paul "advanced" the gospel. The adverse circumstances were the divine wood cutters. How could losing his liberty by imprisonment "advance" the gospel? He was chained to a Roman guard. He had what appears to us handicaps to preach the gospel. He was no longer free to roam the Roman Empire. But to Paul these hindrances were stepping stones to further the gospel throughout the Empire. Paul had travelled thousands of miles to advance the gospel, how can he now say that the gospel has advanced while he is in prison? He is now in one location. He does not have a great number of contacts with non-Christians. As we will see in the next verse, he led some strategic people in the Roman Empire to the Lord Jesus. Instead of one person carrying the gospel to the Empire, it is now a number of people. These were people of great influence politically. Instead of everyone banking on Paul to do the strategic evangelism, now his number has multiplied. One of the most important things that ever happened to Paul was that he was put into jail. The number of people dispersing the gospel has multiplied. Going into prison he thought that his missionary career was ruined. It seemed to him as if his years in jail were going to be wasted. But God overruled the Roman Empire! God expanded his number. Many more people came to Christ as a result. THE GOSPELIn verse 5 we have the phrase "fellowship in the gospel," in verse 7 "confirmation of the gospel" and now "furtherance of the gospel." The gospel is one of the cardinal reasons for our taking up space on earth. What part have we played in the furtherance of the gospel? God is far more interested in the furtherance of the gospel than he is in politics. Are we coupled to the Great Commission? The reason Paul could recognize God's plan for his imprisonment is that it advanced the gospel. When we get to the Judgment Seat of Christ, God is not going to ask us how well we manicured our lawns. He is going to ask us what part we played in advancing the cause of Christ. Obviously God wants us to care for our lawns, if only for our neighbour's mental health! It is a question of majoring on majors. However, we often major on minors. We make much ado about things of little consequence. We squander our energies. We prostitute our time making religious daisy chains. PRINCIPLE: God's plans to use us transcend our ability to anticipate, from a finite perspective, the global strategy of reaching those without Christ. God has factored adversity into our lives. This often makes no sense to us but nevertheless advances the gospel. APPLICATION: Are you absorbed in advancing the gospel? Have you placed yourself in the infinite hands of God to get the gospel out? Philippians 1:13"so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;"Now we come to the results of God's sovereignly placing Paul in prison. There are two results, two ways his adversity advanced the cause of Christ. 1. The impact his imprisonment had on non-Christians, v13. 2. The effect his incarceration had upon believers, v14. Today we examine the first result. ---------- "so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard""So that" is a result clause. Paul had become a celebrated prisoner. He was renowned not because he had committed a crime; he was notable because of his testimony. He was in jail for Jesus' sake. The "palace guard" was the Praetorian guard. This group was instituted by Augustus Caesar. They were the emperors's private bodyguard. They were an elite troop. Eventually they became the king makers; they appointed the Caesar. As Rome conquered the nations of the world these men were appointed to rule over them. Obviously this band of men were strategic in the Roman Empire. Paul had become a famous prisoner to the Praetorian guard. Some of these men came to trust Christ as their Saviour. Note the last chapter, "All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household" (4:22). Paul was able to reach a segment of society normally out of reach of most Christians of the time. The conventional arm of the church could not reach these men. No wonder God had a design for his imprisonment! After these men came to Christ they went throughout the empire sharing their faith. Paul had multiplied himself strategically in the Roman Empire. Evidently the church at Rome was typically ineffective in reaching these men. Paul came to Rome as a prisoner and was able to evangelize this Praetorian guard. He had a captive audience. One guard at a time was chained to him. Each shift he had a new opportunity to share Christ. Can you imagine the talk of the barracks? "Have you been chained to that Paul yet? Boy, are you going to get an ear full! All he can talk about is that Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection for our sins." Paul was an effective witness one man at a time. That is where most Christians fail--one on one testimony. The most effective way to reach people for Christ is one on one. I doubt that any of the Praetorian guards attended the stated services of the church in Rome or any evangelistic services. We are the best witness to our relatives, neighbours and friends. We are the best Christians some people know; it may be that we are the only Christians some people know. ---------- "that my chains are in Christ"Paul never lost perspective that is was not the Roman Empire which placed him in jail. He was not a prisoner of Caesar but of Jesus Christ. The sovereign hand of God put him there. PRINCIPLE: Each solder presented to Paul a fresh opportunity to preach Christ to a strategic group of people in the Roman Empire. Because of Paul's confinement he was able to multiply himself many times. The gospel spread much faster because of it. APPLICATION: Are you sharing your faith one on one? Philippians 1:14"and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."We come to the second result of Paul's imprisonment. The first result spread the gospel all over the Roman Empire--a number of the Praetorian guard came to Christ. The second result impacted the Christians of Rome. In Rome the church lived their Christianity with caution and care. They would take no chances; they shirked from sharing their faith. Yet they were already ready to say "we told you so." Their insecurities were obvious. ---------- "and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains"The phrase "having become confident" means to "receive confidence." Paul's testimony impacted them so powerfully that they derived confidence from it. ---------- "are much more bold"Boldness in Rome took some courage. A person could risk imprisonment or even death. There was open season on Christians. This issued a timid and mousy witness. They were not sure of themselves. They were afraid of what might happen if they ran afoul of Roman authority. Christians today often are mousy and afraid to share their faith with far less consequence than the Romans. We are apologetic and quiet about our faith. We are afraid to hurt feelings. We do not want to speak up so that the issues are clear--heaven and hell. The word "are" is continual action in the Greek. Their boldness became a pattern. Previously Paul had written to the Romans "that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world" (Rom. 1:8). Evidently they did witness previously but it had become intermittent and anemic. They were cautious because they were afraid. But here they established a pattern of "much more" boldness. To be bold is one thing. To be more bold is another. Yet, to be much more bold is another. Paul's testimony had a mighty impact on advancing the gospel among Christians! Why were they bold? Because they "received confidence" from Paul's witness in prison. They saw that he was always on the move when it came to sharing his faith. He had another ministry in prison. We often are quick to find excuses for not sharing our faith; Paul was alert to every opportunity. ---------- "to speak the word without fear"Fear disappeared from their witness. The prayer of the church shortly after it began was "grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word" (Acts 4:29). One of the least common denominator in witnessing is boldness. If we are not confident of what we are sharing we are dead in the water before we begin. People will know that we do not believe what we are saying. PRINCIPLE: Confidence vanquishes fear. Paul's great model of sharing his faith under adversity and winning some of the Praetorian guard to Christ encouraged Christians to share their faith. APPLICATION: Are we a witness to Christians? Do we model the dynamics of witnessing for our faith? Philippians 1:15"Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill"In Prison Paul had two sorts of opposition, both from without and from within. Antagonism from without came from Roman authorities. Animosity from within came from the church! And this from a church that Paul said their "faith was spoken of throughout the world." Beginning at verse 15 and running through verse 17 Paul catalogues incentives for preaching the gospel. Their message was the same (thank God!) but their motive was different. ---------- "Some indeed preach Christ"They all preached Christ. They were not preaching Moses or Abraham. They were outstanding men of God but they were not Christ. Jesus was more than a man, he was the "great God and Saviour" (Tit. 2:13). He stands like a majestic skyscraper over a shack. ---------- "even from envy and strife""Envy and strife"--what a blend of motives with which to preach! The word "from" means "because of" (motives). The message was fine but the motive was something else! Envy is the feeling of disapproval by hearing the successes of others. This term is always used in the negative or evil sense in the New Testament. Some preachers in Rome evidently resented Paul's success in ministry. It takes maturity to rejoice in the success of others. Immaturity constantly compares self with others. Juvenile Christians are intimidated by the accomplishments of others. Envy not only means to desire to have what someone else has but to seek to deprive another person of what they have. In other words, in some way envy seeks to diminish the accomplishments of others. If a church in town is blessed with significant growth, another church may say "all they are concerned about is numbers." Envy never builds up; it always lessens the person who exercises it. "Envy is rottenness to the bones" (Prov 14:3); envy will rot the core of our person. When people feel diminished by the success of others there is a corollary that always comes with this--strife. Strife is an expression of enmity. These two evils are stitched together in James 3:16, "For where envy and self-seeking (strife) exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." People try to outdo and eclipse others where there is envy in motivation. Churches are often neutralized because of this deadly combination. Think of a church full of people threatened by everybody else. Strife is inevitable. ---------- "and some also from good will""Good will" means a kind purpose. Thank God some in the church at Rome had good motives. The word "from" here means "because of" as well. These people did not have a twisted sense of ill will at Paul's achievements. PRINCIPLE: Motivation is crucial because if false motivation drives us it distorts our maturity. APPLICATION: Paul had no bed of roses in Rome. Small jealousies tried to undermine him. Paul stood independent from these hurts. He did not retaliate with distortions of his own. Are immature motivations distorting your soul and keeping you from being what God wants you to be? Is your motivation to gain approbation from others? In your ministry do you try to impress? Philippians 1:16"The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains"Verse 15 marked three motives for preaching the gospel. Verse 16 assigns three more negative motives. ---------- "The former preach Christ from selfish ambition"Christ is preached but from the motive of "selfish ambition." These words in the Greek originally meant a person who works for hire. To many, to work for hire was demeaning since he worked for his own interests. Instead of working for the good of the group this person worked for himself. Also, it was used in a political sense; it had the idea of party- making. It denotes pursuing political office by unfair means. This person would plot and scheme to reach his ends. Intrigue was the name of the game. This is a person who is out for his personal approbation. He operates on power lust. This motivation causes strife, contention and discord. It is an expression of enmity. It is the desire to fight back. They had the spirit of rivalry; they had an argumentative spirit. ---------- "not sincerely""Sincerely" means "pure," in this context, pure intentions. To not to be pure is to blend something impure with something pure. They had a pure message but added something impure to it. It is an arresting idea that God can bless the gospel preached from impure motives. Later, Paul says that he rejoiced that the gospel was preached by these people (v.18). When we give the message of Jesus Christ with impure motives it is like mixing gas and water. To put a gallon of gas into the tank of your car is one thing, to put a gallon of water into it as well is another. To preach the gospel is one thing; to preach the gospel with impure motives is another. Impure motives have been placed into the pure gospel. This dilutes the gospel to some extent. It distorts its power because what is preached does not line up with the way it is preached. ---------- "supposing to add affliction to my chains"The reason they were preaching Christ from "selfish ambition" and impure motives was that they wanted to add to Paul's affliction in jail! They wanted to rub salt into his wounds. Possibly, they would come to Paul in jail and brag about the numbers of people who were coming to Christ in their ministry. Maybe they would even leave the impression that he was in jail because something was wrong with his life. They were spiritual; he was carnal. They would watch to see if he turned green with envy. But they did not know the calibre of his soul. Paul was not jealous, in fact, he thanked God that the gospel was preached (v.18). PRINCIPLE: Some people do not preach the gospel with pure motives; they are malicious with their message. Recipients of this malice need to be people with a calibre of soul. APPLICATION: Do you put yourself at the mercy of malice? Are you independent from people who try to hurt you? ---------- Copyright © 1995, Dr. Grant Richison. All rights reserved. There is no charge for Grace Notes Materials. You can help further this work by your prayer and by sending a contribution to: Grace Notes 1705 Aggie Lane Austin, Texas 78757 wdoud@bga.com Grace Notes Web site: http://www.realtime.net/~wdoud/ Anonymous FTP site: ftp://ftp.bga.com/vendors/wdoud/ Grace Notes is a ministry of Village Missions International. |
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