Philippians 1.12-26

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 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 honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

What a magnificent passage of Scripture…especially when you consider it was written by a man chained to a Roman soldier in a prison

We’re going to continue to follow the thread of Paul’s thinking as we link this passage to the last one…

Last week, we saw that Paul professed his deep affection for the Philippian believers, remembering them with joy and praying for them with particular intensity -- for them to overflow with love, adding to that love knowledge and discernment and the ability to make good and grounded decisions…to the end that they would be found pure and blameless, and filled with the fruit of righteousness on the day of Christ

We’ll consider this passage as a series of questions…

What Informs Your Perspective? 

The first is this: what informs your perspective? How do we understand our circumstances, our world and our place in it? Let’s see how Paul would answer that question…

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul transitions his thought to his immediate circumstances as he gives us some insight into what he was experiencing in prison

Imperial Guard -- aka Praetorian Guard, or praetoriani -- were good soldiers, but not as battle-hardened as those on the frontiers of the Empire…the number ranged from 9K to 16K, all in Rome, quite a few for a personal security detail for the Emperor…they enjoyed greater pay and some privileges…but in addition to ceremonial duties, securing imperial prisoners was still a duty that fell to them

Customary for the prisoner to be chained to one or two guards to absolutely ensure the prisoner could not escape

Paul’s claim that his imprisonment for the cause of Christ was “known throughout the whole imperial guard” probably means at least a thousand praetorians, a cohort, had heard about Paul and his story, and many of them had served as his guard…Paul also adds “to all the rest” -- probably meaning the household staff and servants of the Emperor, for at the end of Philippians Paul sends greetings from “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household” -- so clearly Paul’s witness was spreading through all those who met him in the course of their duties

But Paul also says that “most of the brothers” were also affected by Paul’s presence and his witness for Jesus -- and they were becoming more bold in their witness because of what they saw in the example of the apostle

Paul’s testimony about his imprisonment is this: the gospel is advancing among those who are lost, even in the halls of the Emperor’s home, and the gospel is now being proclaimed boldly by those who had before been too timid to speak out for Christ…he speaks of this as a victory for the kingdom of God

Doesn’t sound like your average Roman prisoner…but then the apostle Paul wasn’t your average Roman prisoner

His perspective was not just informed, but entirely dominated, by his concern for the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ -- where others would have seen defeat because of his imprisonment, Paul saw victory -- he received a new potential convert in the form of a praetorian guard every 12 hours, people he hadn’t even met in Caesar’s household were learning about Jesus, and even most of the brothers were becoming increasingly bold to preach the Word 

Most people would have focused on the difficulty, the indignity, the isolation and separation from beloved brothers and sisters like the Philippians; even with occasional visitors like Epaphroditus, it was still a hard and lonely time for Paul as it was for any prisoner; he could have sat in chains, wondering what was happening among the churches he had founded and loved so much…thinking about the places he wanted to go to share the gospel of Christ, like Spain and the rest of the western and northern reaches of the Roman Empire…thinking about the other apostles and disciples who were still free, while he was in confinement…it would have been very easy to fall into despair/depression over the situation he was in

Here’s my observation…the critical difference between Paul and the majority of the rest of us is this: not our circumstances themselves, but the perspective on those circumstances

The world or the gospel? How do we see our lives and our world: through the lens the world gives us, or through the lens of the gospel?  

The world has never had so many ways to clamor for your attention, so many things to distract you, so many thoughts to fill your mind, so many desires to fill your heart…and such effective ways to keep us from engaging/learning the Word of God

Simply put, the god of this world, Satan -- desperately wants to claim your attention with the sideshow of culture, media, values, beliefs, and ideas the Bible calls the “world” and that John Bunyan in Pilgrim’s Progress rightly called “Vanity Fair” -- because he knows that if he can distract or discourage believers, or make us afraid, or confused, or disinterested, or lazy, or proud -- then he’s taken us off the field, as it were, he’s taken us out of the fight or, perhaps more accurately, we’ve taken ourselves out of the fight

He greatly desires to change our perspective from the gospel to ourselves -- if he can keep us thinking about ourselves, then we won’t be thinking about God and advancing His kingdom

C.S. Lewis in “The Screwtape Letters” -- Screwtape to Wormwood: “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.”

Most believers know that John Bunyan wrote the book “Pilgrim’s Progress” -- he wrote it in 1678 from prison…but not as many believers know that he wrote almost sixty other books, too…probably the best known of that group is titled “The Holy War,” another allegory that describes the town of Mansoul (the human soul), the favorite town of El Shaddai, its founder…the town had five gates: the eye gate, the ear gate, the nose gate, the mouth gate, and the feel gate…and the town could not be conquered or defeated by its enemy, Diabolus, unless -- someone in the town opened a gate to the enemy

That’s a fitting description of our condition…we belong to the Almighty God, but if we are deceived by the god of this world to throw open the gates of our minds and hearts to the things of this world, we will fall…those who are truly saved will not lose their salvation, but they may well lose their witness, their integrity, certainly their joy 

The warning: don’t buy in to the lies of the world; don’t see the world through that lens…you have to replace that perspective with something better

The admonition: see the world through the lens of the gospel…let the gospel inform your perspective…look for how your circumstances affect the kingdom of God, not just yourself or others…let’s look at our lives and situations with those eyes for eternity…Colossians 3.1-4 says it best: 

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Keep your eyes and your thoughts above…as Paul did, even in prison.

The second question we face in this passage comes from verses 15 through 18a

What Influences Your Motivations?

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Paul now writes to the Philippians a most surprising thing: there were some preachers who were preaching the gospel out of a motivation of love and good will -- what we would expect and hope for

But there were other preachers who were motivated by envy, rivalry, and selfish ambition, attempting through their preaching to afflict Paul -- to somehow make things even worse for him in his imprisonment

We know little to nothing of these other preachers -- they might have been preaching in Rome, or perhaps elsewhere in the Empire…we don’t know who they were, or how many there were, or what they were preaching, exactly

We do know that it wasn’t false teaching, or, as Galatians calls it in chapter 1, “another gospel” -- if it had been, Paul would have instantly called them out as he did the false teachers troubling the Galatians…since he never criticizes the content of the preaching, we are left to conclude that the content of the preaching was acceptable to Paul, at least as much as he knew of it

Instead of criticizing the content, though, Paul notes their motivation -- he doesn’t criticize what they’re saying, only observing why they’re saying it 

We would understand that somehow their intention was that their preaching would harm Paul and benefit them in some way…perhaps they believed that while Paul was imprisoned, they might rise to greater fame or prominence in the Christian community, essentially taking Paul’s place while he could not be out preaching in public, indicating they were envious of the apostle or considered themselves to be his rivals

Or it could have been for financial gain, maybe they were hoping to make a lucrative income off of preaching the gospel

Or they simply coveted the power and prestige that came with fame

Whatever the motive was, it caused Paul in a number of letters to have to defend both himself and his apostleship -- I and II Corinthians

And here’s where it gets most interesting: while these preachers were preaching the gospel from less than honest motives, Paul writes to the Philippians that he is not concerned about why these preachers are preaching the gospel -- his only concern is that they are preaching the gospel

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

These unnamed preachers were preaching from pretense, not from true or honest motivations…while they were apparently preaching an accurate and true gospel, even so it was not, as verse 18 says, “in truth” 

But that didn’t matter to Paul…as long as Christ was proclaimed according to the truth of the gospel, then he would rejoice

He couldn’t control the actions of others…if these preachers sought to harm him or exalt themselves at his expense…if their envy, rivalry, selfish ambition, and divisive spirit were driving them to do what they were doing, that could not be Paul’s concern, even if he were their target 

So what could Paul do? He kept his focus on the gospel -- the only thing that motivated him, that drove him in everything he did, was the advancement of the gospel

Paul was concerned only that the gospel go forth -- that was his sole motivation -- my sense is that the apostle Paul didn’t want to spend any energy or time worrying about what others were doing or their motives, provided they were preaching the gospel in truth…

When he was attacked and defended himself and the gospel, it was because the attacks were intended to undermine the gospel…it seems his concern wasn’t for himself, it was for his ministry as an apostle 

So the question for us is this: (SLIDE 5 -- Self or Christ?) -- what influences our motivation: self or Christ?

For the preachers, it was self -- the message was right, but the motive was wrong

For Paul, it was Christ and Christ alone

In I Corinthians 2.1-5, Paul wrote this:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

May our motivation always be the same as that of the apostle Paul -- that the gospel of Jesus Christ would advance and that believers would experience the power of God

What is your life?

Now we come to the final passage -- Philippians 1.18b-26 

And the final question: what is your life? SLIDE 6 -- What is your life?

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 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 honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Paul’s discussion now turns back to his circumstances in prison…he expects that he will be released from his confinement through the prayers of the church and the help of the Spirit…Paul has great faith in the working of God through the people of God

And his purpose is clear -- that Christ will be honored in his body, whether he is released from prison and returns to his apostolic traveling ministry, or if he dies in that Roman prison…his single-mindedness extends from his concern for the gospel to his concern for his physical life

His goal is simple: to honor Christ. Either way, in life or in death, what mattered to Paul was that Jesus be lifted up and exalted

Then Paul writes what must stand as the most often quoted verse in the book -- verse 21

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Now Paul brings his thinking thus far in the letter to its culminating point, telling us exactly his perspective and his motivation, and he tells what his life is -- Jesus Christ

When you look at the life of Paul -- from his earliest mention as Saul in the book of Acts, through all his letters and occasional mentions in other NT books, to his final letter to his son in the faith, Timothy, it’s clear that this statement is the distilled apostolic life of Paul -- it’s Christ…nothing more, nothing less, nothing else

He was clear on his perspective on death…we learn this from his other letters

Romans 8.38-39   For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I Corinthians 15.26     (effects of the resurrection of Christ) The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

I Corinthians 15.51-55      51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O death, where is your victory?

   O death, where is your sting?”

So to bring that together -- Paul views death as a defeated foe, a vanquished enemy, one who can never separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus; in fact, death is now in truth and will be in time, “swallowed up in victory”

To Paul, death is nothing to fear, but instead is just a moment between this existence of pain and suffering, and an existence of perfect love and peace and joy…it’s not just better than this, it’s “far better” than this -- to use the word in verse 21, it’s “gain”

Paul now gives us a peek into what you could call his internal debate…

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

He begins to talk his way through the factors he would consider if it were up to him to decide if it would be better to live or to die…a personal conversation probably few of us have had…

On the positive side, for Paul, to live is all about Jesus Christ…it would result in “fruitful labor” as Paul puts it, because he would return to his preaching and teaching, and he is confident that more people, both Jews and Gentiles, would come to faith in Jesus…Paul would continue to serve, to work, to witness, to travel, and to honor God by his faithfulness and diligence, undoubtedly proving worthy of the rewards the Father bestows on His children…Paul describes his continued service as “more needful” for the sake of others, for the churches he has founded, and the lost he has yet to reach, for their progress as they mature in the faith, and for the sake of the joy they will experience in Christ

But if Paul were to go home to be with Jesus, to be absent from the body and be present with the Lord, for him personally, it’s an easy choice: he would run to the side of his Savior…he knows already that it would be “far better”…which all of us accept by faith, and rightly so, but Paul had a decided advantage over us, for he had already been there…

We read a fascinating though brief account from Paul in II Corinthians 12.1b-5

I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 

Though he’s speaking in the third person from an abundance of humility, this account is of his own experience, and tells his story of being “caught up to the third heaven” -- the most common description of the abode of God in Jewish tradition -- and also uses the Persian loan word, “paradise”, almost certainly as a synonym for the same place or experience. It clearly deeply affected Paul, and seems to have been utterly overwhelming…but there’s no sense that it was anything but a blessed and wonderful experience

So Paul has a reason to know that going to be with Jesus would be “far better”

Eventually he reaches the conclusion that, because of the benefit for the church, and I think especially for the Philippians, he sees more need for him to stay in the flesh and return to the church he loves so much than to go home to be with Jesus; someday, but not yet

As we conclude today, I have two more questions for you 

I’ve left the most important word out -- “For to me, to live is ___________

I know you already know what the “right” answer is -- of course, it’s “Christ”

But I urge you to stop for a moment and freshly consider this question…to help sharpen your thoughts, let me ask you this: 

Where do you spend your time? 

Where do you spend your money?

What energizes you, drives you to action, motivates you?

What do you find yourself thinking about?

If someone where to spend every minute with you for ten straight days, or maybe even 30 days, heard every word you said, saw every action, and then I asked that person to answer these questions about you, fill in the blank for you, what do you think that person would say? 

Would it match what you would say yourself?

One more question 

Barring the return of Christ in our lifetimes, all of us will someday die…our earthly life will come to an end…I suggest we think about that moment now so we can answer this issue

“And to die is _________” -- again, you know the “right” answer, the “book” answer

Of course, the answer is “gain”

But this time let’s imagine that the same person from the previous question has now been given the ability to know your deepest thoughts and emotions…and you’re placed in a situation where you think you actually could die…in that moment, right then, honestly…how do you answer the question? What word would that person put in the blank for you?

Scary?

Terrifying?

Confident?

Confusing?

Hopeful?

Sad?

Of course, there really is a Person who knows our thoughts, hears our words, sees all that we do…He’s the Holy Spirit…ask Him for the truth about how you should fill in those blanks

What informs your perspective? What influences your motivations? And most importantly, what -- or perhaps better said, Who -- is your life?

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