PIONEER ADVANCES

Philippians 1:12-18

Introduction: Philippi, the first church plant in Europe, was special for Paul. Early converts like Lydia and her household and the jailer and his family formed the core group of this new church. Paul’s feelings for them appear in the opening greetings in the letter to the Philippians: “God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ” (tlb). And his friends at Philippi also had found ways to express their love. They had already sent two love gifts (Phil. 4:14-16). And then they sent a messenger, Epaphroditus, who risked his life in a sea voyage to bring a third gift (2:25-30). Epaphroditus stayed for a while ministering to Paul, but eventually the time came for him to travel home. So Paul got out his parchment and quill and wrote a thank you letter to send back with him that included some godly counsel and a personal update. Here is 1:12-18 of that letter:

• Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice… (Phil.1:12-18)

The casual reader might conclude that Paul’s “wings had been clipped” and his ministry curtailed. Just the opposite took place. Even chained in his own hired house and under constant guard, his influence for Christ continued in at least three ways:

• Roman soldiers were being converted (1:12-13; 4:22).
• The timid were gaining courage (1:14).
• The envious continued to share the gospel (1:16-18).

Let’s see how God used Paul while a prisoner in Rome.

1. Roman soldiers were being converted (1:12-13; 4:22). In Philippians 1:12, Paul began his update with the expression, “the things which happened to me.” What Paul included in six words, Luke described in seven chapters (Acts 21–27). Luke records a false arrest, jail, false accusations, an assassination plot, a sea voyage, a shipwreck, a snakebite, and finally Paul’s arrival in Rome. But Paul’s purpose was not to belabor how tough the adversity was but rather to show how God’s amazing hand of providence had been at work in prison. One Greek word summarizes it: prokope. The word means “to cut a way forward.” Picture a virgin jungle and sweaty men with sharp machetes chopping a new path in the tangled woods. The new path makes way for a new advance in unexplored territory.

For Paul, it was a new ministry inside the palace. The Imperial Guard included 9,000 carefully selected soldiers, many of whom were assigned to guard Paul on rotating shifts. What did they experience in this hired house in Rome? They witnessed a number of godly visitors coming in and out and a prisoner who was a prolific writer of letters to churches and friends. Their curiosity must have been aroused: How did Paul wind up in prison? What did he mean by “my chains are in Christ”? (1:13). These questions must have led to some stimulating conversations about the gospel, which led to some conversions of Roman soldiers. And these new converts must have shared the gospel with their wives and children and fellow guards. Thus Paul could close his letter with the words: “All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household” (4:22).

If ever there was an incentive to start a prison ministry, this is it. If ever there was an encouragement to begin a pioneer advance in our town, this is it. It was Philippians 1:12 that prompted our leadership to launch a new campus ministry in our university city. We discovered that there were 1,700 lonely and disconnected international students enrolled among a student body of 24,000. So we offered to be American “parents.” Bible studies were held on campus, and Sunday morning transportation to church was provided. One of our unforgettable memories of the time was the baptism of a former Buddhist. Tears filled our eyes as he gave a public confession of faith in Christ. What pioneer advance ministry are you considering in your town?

2. The timid were gaining courage (Phil. 1:14). “Most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” The text challenged the readers: “If Paul can be that effective in sharing the gospel as a prisoner of Rome, what can we do for Jesus as freemen on the streets of the capital?” Why was Paul prompted to include these words in his letter to his friends at Philippi? It was because fear was an issue for them. Epaphroditus must have told Paul that opposition was increasing and that some of the church members were on the verge of “caving in.” The courage of the brethren in Rome needed to be embraced in Philippi. So Paul wrote:

• Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me. (1:27-30)

What was the struggle for Paul? Beatings and jail. The believers in Philippi may have faced a similar threat. But what does this have to do with followers of Jesus today? N. T. Wright tells us. “From the first-century Mediterranean world to the twenty-first century in China, in the Sudan, and in many other places, there have been plenty of people determined to stamp out this Christian nonsense and to use every trick in the book to do so. And in the post-Christian West, today, the forces of skepticism and cynicism within our culture are extremely powerful, not least in newspapers and on television. It’s easy for Christians to feel intimidated; but Paul insists that we mustn’t” (N. T. Wright, p.94).

3. The envious continued to share the gospel (1:16-18). In these verses, Paul dealt with ancient issues that continue to be a 21st-century church problem: competition, envy, jealousy, and wrong motives. These were Paul’s concerns as he wrote this letter, and they’re a struggle today for the Evangelical church.

Paul was very direct and honest as he wrote about church life in the city of Rome. He knew what was going on even though he was chained and housebound. Some were ministering with pure motives and others with impure motives. Some viewed Paul’s imprisonment as an opportunity to make a name for themselves. They served out of envy, strife, and selfish ambition (Phil. 1:15-16). They did not know the heart of this man or that in years to come his commitment to the spreading of the good news would lead to his execution. Yet, Paul’s response to those who preached with wrong motives was “So what!” The important thing was that the gospel was being preached. Paul left their motives with an all-knowing God.

I like the paraphrase in The Message: “So how am I to respond? I’ve decided I really don’t care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on” (v.18).

We in the evangelical church are called to confront competition and jealousy. No matter how many churches are in your city, the facts are that church attendance is declining, some churches are closing their doors, and there is a waning interest in the gospel. The time has come to thank God for every gospel-preaching church in our city and to join together as a “band of brothers.”

Recommended Resources:

Philippians by Gordon Fee

Philippian Studies by J. A. Motyer

Laugh Again by Charles Swindoll

Paul for Everyone by N. T. Wright

Philippians: A Distant Presence by Tim Woodroof