by Larry Ferrell | December 9, 2017
We are always interested in the circumstances of our friends, and Paul knew that the Philippians were concerned to know how he was faring. Consequently, having greeted them and thanked God for them, and having expressed his prayerful hopes for them, he turned to tell them about himself. The verses are no less absorbing to us than they must have been when they were first read to the Philippian church. How much we owe to Paul and how grateful we are for such a window as this, not only into his experiences but also into his mind! The result we find here is an example of true Christian living; this is a statement of principle for the guidance of the saints. Paul is giving us his testimony and he displays himself in three typical situations. He is faced by personal suffering (vv. 12-14), a divided church (vv. 15-18), and an uncertain future (vv. 19-26). Over the next three weeks we will study each of these three headings.

Suffering (Phil. 1:12-14): We must remember, first, that the things that had happened to Paul were quite different from the things Paul had planned for himself. For years Paul carried the gospel to the various parts of the world. He had traveled through Syria and Crete, through most of what is now Turkey, and through Greece. Somewhere along the way he conceived the plan of taking the gospel to the far west, to Spain, after returning once more to Jerusalem and stopping for a visit in Rome. These plans were not fulfilled. Instead of this he found himself a prisoner on trial for his life. At the time of writing Philippians he could have no real confidence he would ever be free again. Think of it! All the frustration, all the delay, all the physical suffering; yet this is overshadowed by the fact that it has served to spread the gospel.

Have you experienced anything like that in your own Christian life? Suffering is of different kinds, and God has different purposes in permitting it to come upon us. Some suffering is corrective. It is intended to get us on the right path when we have gone astray. Some suffering is intended to awaken us to the needs and feelings of other people. It is intended to mold us into the image of Jesus Christ, for we learn through the things that we suffer. Paul’s suffering was neither corrective nor instructive. It was simply a suffering permitted by God so that the gospel might be spread to others.

I don’t think that many of us have experienced what Paul experienced, certainly not myself. But some have. Perhaps not as consistently as Paul but in ways equally bitter and equally filled with anguish. If this has happened to you, you must know that God has greatly honored you with this suffering, and you must take joy even in the midst of it as you see how your suffering has brought salvation to others. This is a joy won through vales of tears, but it is one of the choicest prizes of the Christian life.

A question that Paul’s statement raises is this: How did the things that happened to Paul result in the spread of the gospel? The first answer is that through them Paul was able to bear a remarkable witness to the Praetorian Guard. This guard was the official bodyguard of the emperor, which took charge of all imperial prisoners. We must visualize the scene at this point. Paul is imprisoned in Rome, chained to a Roman guard. Ever since his arrest in Jerusalem he had been chained to a guard, except for moments on the ship carrying him to Rome. He is now in care of the picked troops who guard the emperor. Paul has some freedom of action. He may have visitors. For a while at least he lived in a private home. But always there was the guard.

What did Paul do in this situation? He might have complained, but that was never Paul’s way. He himself was a soldier for Christ and the guard at the end of the chain represented a person for whom Christ died. Paul bore a witness not only to this soldier but the one who replaced him for the second watch and the one who replaced him for the third watch and so on throughout the days and years. In this way in time Paul reached most of the imperial guard. Think how Paul must have lived to have this effect upon a corps of tough Roman soldiers. Here was a man who had every right to be thinking about himself, but instead he spoke of Christ, even in prison, and even the soldiers listened. The witness of a life lived for Christ even in the midst of suffering also spreads to others. Paul triumphed over his circumstances, and the result spread through Rome.

There is a further way in which Paul’s suffering for Christ served to advance the gospel. It had an effect on other Christians (v. 14). Christians moved from fear to boldness as a result of Paul’s example. They learned to testify. Has your life ever had that effect on other Christians? Someone is going to say to me that Christians should always be bold in their witness for Jesus Christ, that Christians should “always be ready” to testify. This is true. However it is equally true that many Christians are shy and afraid. They may simply lack an example. It may be that God has placed you in a position where your witness can move one of God’s shy witnesses to boldness.

Philippians 1:12-14 Reflection Questions:
What kind of suffering have you been through in your Christian life? Looking back on it, was it a platform to show the glory of God?
In what ways are you witnessing a life of Christ?
Are ready to testify?

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