Philippians 1:12-30

[00:00:01] You are listening to the Through the Bible Studio series with Pastor Nate Holdridge. Join us as we continue our study through the New Testament book of Philippians. Here's Nate.

[00:00:14] Well, in Philippians chapter one, we're studying this little epistle that Paul the Apostle wrote while he was imprisoned to the Philippian church.

[00:00:24] And the Philippian church cared and wondered about his well-being. This would have been one of the things that they were concerned with.

[00:00:33] And they would have heard from a pathoditis, but they needed to hear from Paul's own lips or from Paul's own pen a report on his progress.

[00:00:44] And this to me just speaks of the great love that the body of Christ has for one another, the great love that the gospel produces in our hearts for each other.

[00:00:56] And so Paul now as we turn to Philippians 1 verse 12 begins to explain to the Philippian church how he's doing and how he's processing this imprisonment that he's facing.

[00:01:08] You know, the Philippians want to know is he depressed? Is he sad? Is he, you know, downcast or is there some other attitude?

[00:01:18] And I'm sure that for most of the people in the church in Philippi they in their imaginations saw Paul in their mind's eye as a downcast man as a result of this imprisonment.

[00:01:32] And so Paul responds to all of that and gives them the report beginning in verse 12.

[00:01:39] He says, I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

[00:01:57] And so Paul's desire was to preach the gospel at all costs.

[00:02:04] And so here he tells them, he says, listen, all of this imprisonment everything that I experienced, everything I faced, everything I went through and in the heart of Paul, he had said before, I must see Rome.

[00:02:16] I must go to Rome.

[00:02:18] I must preach in Rome.

[00:02:19] And of course he went there in a very different kind of way.

[00:02:23] He went there as a prisoner and he says all of this has been for the advancement or the furtherance of the gospel.

[00:02:35] And this, of course, is the passion of Paul the apostle, the message of the gospel.

[00:02:37] He said in Romans chapter one that I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

[00:02:44] It is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

[00:02:53] His passion was the presentation of the gospel.

[00:02:56] He said to the Corinthians and 1 Corinthians 9, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

[00:03:02] It was the passion of his heart.

[00:03:05] And he saw how this imprisonment actually worked for the advancement of the gospel.

[00:03:12] And in Paul's mind, he thought that this would just soothe the hearts of the people back in Philippi.

[00:03:18] But his suffering basically advanced the gospel message.

[00:03:24] This was the chief aim of the heart of this apostle.

[00:03:28] He's not there downcast and sad over his circumstances.

[00:03:32] He's not there to be sad at the advancement of the gospel throughout the world.

[00:03:37] And the first way that he mentions that his imprisonment had turned out for the advancement of the gospel is found in verse 13.

[00:03:44] Where he says that it's become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

[00:03:55] And so he tells us that basically this wonderful thing had been occurring.

[00:03:59] There was this palace guard and this palace guard, the Praetorian guard was 9000 men strong in the imperial bodyguard.

[00:04:11] And for two years now Paul has been imprisoned and he had been on house arrest.

[00:04:18] And so he has this constant and steady flow of Roman soldiers that are chained to him or watching over him.

[00:04:27] And Paul made the most of that opportunity and he preached the gospel to them.

[00:04:31] And slowly but surely the entire palace guard had or imperial guard had heard the gospel as a result of Paul being imprisoned next to them.

[00:04:42] He had communicated it to them personally and they more than likely would talk about this crazy prisoner Paul as they stayed up at night and hung out together.

[00:04:53] They probably talked about their day and talked about the conversations they had with Paul and some of them were I'm sure stirred to receive Christ as a result of Paul's preaching.

[00:05:04] And I just love that because in one sense Paul is he didn't need to look very far for an opportunity.

[00:05:10] And you know I sort of have to ask myself who is it that is chained to me?

[00:05:16] Who is it that is in my life that I'm joined together with that I have an opportunity to share the gospel with?

[00:05:23] But he goes on in verse 13 and says that this gospel message actually as a result went out to all the rest.

[00:05:30] In other words it went beyond the guards and it went out into Rome.

[00:05:34] In other words Rome had begun to hear of the gospel more and more as a result of this prisoner Paul.

[00:05:42] You know as they got the news reports and his rumors spread the gospel was spreading as well.

[00:05:48] And for this Paul absolutely rejoiced.

[00:05:52] And so he declared at the end of verse 13 he said,

[00:05:56] So my imprisonment is for Christ.

[00:06:00] In other words he saw that he was not imprisoned for evil but he was imprisoned for Christ.

[00:06:08] You know Peter had talked about being beaten for your faults in 1 Peter chapter 2.

[00:06:13] But Paul was not being beaten for his faults he was not imprisoned for his faults he was imprisoned for Christ.

[00:06:21] And Paul had just come to a place where he trusted the sovereignty of the Lord so much

[00:06:25] that he just realized listen this is not an ideal situation

[00:06:30] but God is using this for the glory of God and for the furtherance of the gospel.

[00:06:37] And so I am looking at my chains as being chains that are in Christ.

[00:06:43] I'm an actual prisoner of Christ.

[00:06:46] And what a wonderful way to look at trials and difficulties.

[00:06:50] Not just bearing under them or going over them.

[00:06:52] But just passing right through that trial.

[00:06:57] And when you do, the gospel has an opportunity to enter into the lives of the people around you.

[00:07:05] I mean Paul was there in prison suffering and people took notice at his joy, his gladness, his zeal even in the midst of that suffering.

[00:07:15] And so for you when you endure a difficult marriage and people see the joy in your life and in your heart regardless

[00:07:23] or as you submit to difficult authority in your life

[00:07:27] or as you choose to be an employee who will not slander the company or your boss or whoever it might be

[00:07:36] these things stand out to the people around you

[00:07:39] and it gives an opportunity for the gospel.

[00:07:45] And so Paul was glad at that but also in verse 14 he goes on and he says you know not only was it the communication to the imperial guard and all the rest

[00:07:54] but most of the brothers verse 14 having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment

[00:08:00] are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

[00:08:03] Paul realized that his boldness in prison had this wonderful effect on the Christians that were already residing in Rome.

[00:08:15] That his boldness was sort of stimulating in some kind of sense.

[00:08:20] The bravery of Paul was producing bravery in others and Paul was glad at that wonderful turn of events.

[00:08:31] And so he's communicating to the Philippians guys it's okay.

[00:08:36] God is using this time that I am in prison for his glory and the furtherance of the gospel.

[00:08:43] Now in speaking of the gospel Paul moves on in verse 15 to talk about those who preach the gospel preach Christ

[00:08:51] and he says some indeed verse 15 preach Christ from envy and rivalry but others from goodwill.

[00:08:59] The latter do it out of love knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

[00:09:05] The former proclaimed Christ out of rivalry not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

[00:09:13] Why then only that in every way whether in pretense or in truth Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice.

[00:09:21] And so Paul talks about different people preaching the gospel and in verse 15 that some preach Christ from envy and rivalry

[00:09:30] but others from a good conscience or from goodwill.

[00:09:34] And he talks about the latter first in verse 16 and he says you know when they preach the gospel they do it out of love.

[00:09:41] They have a pure heart they know that I'm here for the defense of the gospel.

[00:09:45] Apparently there were those who even as they were preaching the gospel they were preaching it in a way in Rome

[00:09:53] or an area that Paul at least heard of that they were preaching it in such a way that they were sort of ridiculing the fact that Paul was in prison.

[00:10:02] And it's so hard to imagine how this would occur.

[00:10:06] Here's Paul the apostle I mean we regard him as you know one of the greatest if not the greatest Christian who has ever lived

[00:10:14] the author of you know the most responsible for most of the New Testament.

[00:10:22] So to hear that there were those preaching the gospel and ridiculing Paul at the same time seems absurd to us but you can almost imagine how this kind of philosophy would trickle its way into the messages of some.

[00:10:36] I mean even today there are those who preach that if you are in the will of God and if God is favoring your life then you will not experience trials.

[00:10:47] You will not experience difficulties.

[00:10:49] You will not experience sickness and pain and all of that.

[00:10:53] And of course we know that this is a ridiculous idea.

[00:10:57] We know that there's a thing called the fellowship of his sufferings and we know that there will be brothers and sisters in Christ who are called to and experience.

[00:11:06] Poverty and sickness and martyrdom and all of that but you can imagine even in our modern context someone ridiculing a person like Paul the apostle for the trial that they were enduring.

[00:11:22] And so some Paul says preached out of goodwill knowing that Paul was there for the defense of the gospel but the former he said the wicked people verse 17 they proclaim Christ out of rivalry.

[00:11:34] They had something to prove they wanted a stronger position in the body of Christ so they looked at Paul who was in that lofty position of apostle and sought to tear him down.

[00:11:47] Not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

[00:11:52] Now the question is you know who were these people?

[00:11:55] Were they unbelievers?

[00:11:57] Were they Jewish skeptics?

[00:11:59] Who were explaining the gospel in order to try and debunk it?

[00:12:04] Were they Judaizers who were introducing the law and promoting circumcision for gentile people?

[00:12:12] Were they just simply jealous evangelicals?

[00:12:16] Were they you know all of those and more?

[00:12:19] I don't know.

[00:12:20] I don't know but somehow there was a group out there who was ridiculing Paul for being in prison and Paul just simply says in verse 18 in his response of all of this he says well what then?

[00:12:36] What should I make of all of this only that in every way whether in pretense or in truth Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice.

[00:12:43] You know the attitude of Paul that he was you know even in this time where he was obviously being wrongfully accused even in that Paul was simply at peace just knowing that Christ was being preached that Christ was being proclaimed and this brought Paul and caused Paul to actually rejoice.

[00:13:06] He was just happy that the message went out and you know I think this stands as a rebuke in our modern age.

[00:13:15] We can become so picky and so critical of various forms of ministry and various forms of even doctrine and sort of get on our high horse and speak down about others.

[00:13:29] And of course it's important for us to have reasons for why we believe what we believe we should be able to express and explain our doctrine well.

[00:13:42] But on the other hand you know Paul's attitude was so mature in the sense that he just said I'm just so happy that Christ is preached.

[00:13:51] I'm so happy that the gospel is going out. This just caused him to rejoice.

[00:13:59] Now he goes on at the end of verse 18 and says yes and I will rejoice. There's this joy within his heart.

[00:14:08] Now what follows is the philosophy of life for Paul the apostle. He says it this way.

[00:14:16] He says for I know that through your prayers and the help of the spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed but that with full courage now as always Christ will be

[00:14:37] honored in my body whether by life or by death. The first thing here that Paul says to them is he says listen I believe that I'm going to be delivered through your prayers.

[00:14:50] It's interesting to note the power of prayer that Paul believed in and also the partnership in prayer.

[00:14:56] He had prayed for them and they were praying for him and he believed that they would by their prayers that he would experience a deliverance in his life.

[00:15:09] Now it's clear on the other hand that the deliverance that Paul expected wasn't necessarily freedom from prison.

[00:15:18] He says in verse 20 you know I'm expecting and hopeful that I will not be at all ashamed but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body whether by life or death.

[00:15:34] In other words as he's in prison thinking about the potential of a coming death penalty.

[00:15:40] Paul is sitting there saying to himself I'm confident that through the prayers of the Philippian church I will be delivered.

[00:15:51] Maybe that delivery will be life.

[00:15:55] Maybe it will be life.

[00:15:57] However perhaps that delivery will come in the form of death itself delivered unto God and his concern did you see it there?

[00:16:07] This is so impressive from Paul.

[00:16:10] His concern is that if death was the future that God was going to give to him his concern is that he would not be ashamed in it and that he would have full courage and that Christ would be honored in his body.

[00:16:26] In other words he didn't want to experience the death penalty and say something or do something or carry himself in a way any less than with strong boldness that would shame the name of Christ.

[00:16:43] Just an amazing man this Paul the Apostle.

[00:16:46] He wanted Christ to be magnified through his death or through his life.

[00:16:51] Now isn't it as we just think about that for a moment isn't it just amazing that you and I through our bodies and here Paul says whether by life or by death isn't it amazing that through our bodies we can bring honor to Christ.

[00:17:08] Honor to God.

[00:17:10] That Christ can be magnified through our bodies.

[00:17:16] Paul said in Romans 12 verse 1 and 2 he said to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.

[00:17:24] Holy and acceptable to God this is our he says reasonable service.

[00:17:30] And to think of that to think of my hands and my feet and my ears and my eyes my sweat my blood my muscle to think that that somehow this body of mine can bring glory to Christ is such an impressive concept.

[00:17:51] And so Paul you know communicates and says listen I am looking to bring honor and glory to Christ through my body whether by life or by death for he declares in verse 21 is one of the greatest lines in the New Testament.

[00:18:04] This is again his philosophy on life he says for to me to live as Christ and to die is gained.

[00:18:14] To live as Christ and to die is gained.

[00:18:16] First of all this was a personal assessment that Paul had made he says for to me for to me and then he goes on he says to live as Christ and to die is gained.

[00:18:29] To live as Christ and to die is gained.

[00:18:32] Now most of us would sort of quote this line as if it was a truism for every believer every Christian hate to live as Christ and to die is gained.

[00:18:43] Well if you're in Christ then half of this statement from Paul is always true the die is gained portion of it.

[00:18:54] I mean when we die and we meet the Lord face to face if we're in Christ it is a glorious reunion.

[00:19:01] We receive our inheritance and our future and our hope and it is a glorious moment to die is gained.

[00:19:09] We get Christ fully but the first part to live is Christ.

[00:19:16] This is something that is not an across the board truth of every believer's life.

[00:19:24] Death will be gained for every believer but life will not always and universally be for every Christian for Christ.

[00:19:32] But Paul could say this he could say that for him to live to live to be alive was all about Christ for Paul.

[00:19:43] Now we cannot all make this claim Paul could and it's humbling to think of this man but he was could not say to live is money or indebtedness to me to live is entertainment to me to live is friendships

[00:20:02] or education or my house my family sex my career exercise no for him to live was Christ.

[00:20:13] All right so he had he was able to say that more and more living for him was all about Christ.

[00:20:20] Paul was a man who truly like Jesus said in Matthew 6 verse 33 sought first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

[00:20:26] The very first thing on Paul's mind was Christ the kingdom of Christ and so powerful perspective that Paul had in life and although we could have more of this perspective in our lives more of this perspective in our hearts that for us to live means that our lives are given over to Christ himself.

[00:20:48] Now in verse 22 Paul begins to have a little bit of a debate within himself he's got these two options so to speak one is life and he says you know if I live it's for Christ and the other is death and if I die he says it's good for me it's gain.

[00:21:05] And he says in verse 22 now he starts to debate which one lie for death which one do I prefer Paul is saying and again he's emoting for the Philippian church so that they could know his perspective there in prison.

[00:21:20] He says if I am to live in the flash verse 22 that means fruitful labor for me yet which I shall choose I cannot tell I am hard pressed between the two my desire is to depart and be with Christ.

[00:21:35] For that is far better but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

[00:21:42] Notice the things that Paul says I mean here he starts off there in verse 22 and says you know hey if I live in the flesh then I'll have more fruit I'll be able to work in the kingdom of God there will be fruitful labor but still it's hard for me.

[00:21:57] He says verse 22 yet which I shall choose I cannot tell you know it's almost like it sounds as if Paul is making a choice here like he's deciding whether it's time for him to go or time for him to die which obviously was ultimately he knew in the hands of God.

[00:22:17] But he goes on in verse 23 and he says you know I'm hard pressed in this decision between the two.

[00:22:22] On one hand my desire is to depart and go be with Christ that's far better he just had this deep longing in his heart to be with Christ.

[00:22:33] You know his longing wasn't necessarily just to escape earth but to be with Christ you know here some believers speak of eternity it's merely an escape from planet earth for Paul it was not just that it was partly that escaping the trial.

[00:22:51] The imprisonment the difficulty but his big desire was to be with Christ to gain Christ to be in fellowship with him.

[00:23:01] But then he says but to remain verse 24 in the flesh is more necessary on your account remaining in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

[00:23:14] In other words Paul understood and here he is kind of making his decision alright he's got this willingness this insight.

[00:23:22] And he's saying listen I know that if I stay here's my conclusion to this whole thing to live as Christ to die as gain to be better to go better for me but I know that it's actually a good thing for me to stay that's more needful for you.

[00:23:37] It's going to lead to your maturity and your blessing and to me this is just amazing selflessness from Paul the Apostle the only reason he desired to live any longer was simply to minister to others to take care of others.

[00:23:53] Very similar to the attitude of Christ who was willing to empty himself as we'll see in chapter 2 is willing to empty himself to make himself of no reputation and take the form of a bondservant to come and to serve us.

[00:24:06] And this is the maturity of a Christian you know to lay down life and to do what is best for the blessing and the care of others that my life would be about ministering to other people.

[00:24:22] Now is the attitude and the heart of Paul the Apostle.

[00:24:25] You know your life in one sense really is not your own and when you live life for yourself in the lusts and desires of the flesh.

[00:24:37] You know the people around you in life are not blessed but when you lay down your life like Paul did for others and you minister to others their lives are truly blessed and this was the life that Paul the Apostle had chosen.

[00:24:51] Now in verse 25 he said convinced of this I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.

[00:25:02] In other words I'm going to stay I'm going to minister to you so that verse 26 in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again.

[00:25:14] He wanted them to be glad in their hearts that he would return.

[00:25:18] You know he just loved the Philippian church so much and was so willing to return and minister to them and he's just believing and trusting that God is going to set him free through their prayers.

[00:25:28] In verse 27 to close this chapter he said only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or am absent I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel not frightened in anything by your opponents.

[00:25:50] I love the discipleship mentality of Paul the Apostle.

[00:25:54] He would tell people how to live and best practices as believers but his big thing here in verse 27 was make sure that your conduct is worthy of the gospel.

[00:26:05] I love how he connects conduct to the gospel when that's the motivation of a person's heart and they realize that Christ has paid the ultimate penalty for them and their hearts have been humbled by the cross of Christ.

[00:26:19] When that occurs in a person's life the conduct is sure to follow and so he says let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ and then he tells them these three things.

[00:26:31] Stand firm in one spirit in one mind strive side by side in a sort of a war like mentality.

[00:26:38] Stand firm in one spirit like mentality.

[00:26:42] Stand firm side by side and do not be frightened in anything by your opponents.

[00:26:50] Just a boldness a fearlessness in the Philippian church.

[00:26:54] He says this is a clear sign to them of their destruction the boldness of the Philippian church it would speak to the nonbeliever of their destruction but of your salvation Paul says in that from God.

[00:27:06] For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.

[00:27:15] Engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

[00:27:21] And so Paul is hoping that just as others had been emboldened by the fact that Paul was thriving in prison.

[00:27:29] Paul was hoping that this would cause a Philippian church to be bold and stand side by side firm in one spirit not frightened by anyone in the context of the city of Philippi that they were ministering in as well.

[00:27:44] And so the boldness that we are to have in Christ Jesus God bless you and amen.

[00:27:50] Thank you for listening. For additional resources and teachings or to contact us please visit us at NateHoldridge.com.