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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Philippians 1:12 - 1:17
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
St. Paul's Present Circumstances, Experiences, and Expectations.
The result of Paul's imprisonment:
v. 12. But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel,
v. 13. so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places;
v. 14. and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the Word without fear.
v. 15. Some, indeed, preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also of good will.
v. 16. The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds;
v. 17. but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel.
Having expressed his gratitude and confidence on account of their excellent spiritual condition, the apostle now gives to the solicitous Philippians an assurance concerning himself: I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have rather gone forth for the furtherance of the Gospel. So far as his condition and present circumstances were concerned, there was no need for the natural worry which the Philippians felt for their beloved teacher. They had remembered him with their gifts of lave in his imprisonment. But now his report to them is intended to reassure them. His imprisonment in the capital, and the position in which he was thereby placed, had not always been of value to the Gospel, but matters had now so shaped themselves that they actually redounded to, and served for, the progress of the Gospel. It might have been expected, it was natural under the circumstances, in fact, that the free course of the Gospel should be hindered by Paul's being imprisoned and thus being kept back from continuing his missionary activity. But under the guiding hand of God these very circumstances had served the progress of the Gospel.
How this has been effected the apostle now proceeds to show: So that my bonds became manifest in Christ in the entire praetorium and to all the rest, and the greater number of brethren in the Lord gained confidence by my bonds the more vehemently to dare without fear to preach the Word of God. It was a case where man proposes, God disposes, men thinking evil, but God meaning it unto good. It had become manifest in Rome that Paul was a prisoner only for the cause of Christ and for no other reason. He was not guilty of any crime, but had been made captive only because he preached Christ. The fact of his innocence had become generally known in the entire body-guard of Caesar. Although Paul was not held captive at their camp in Rome, but lived in his own lodgings nearby, chained to a soldier, yet the true state of his affairs had been noised abroad in the camp, probably through the soldiers whose work it was to guard Paul. There is also a probability that a hearing of Paul's case had taken place before the tribunal of Caesar, in the presence of the Praetorian Guard. This hearing made it evident that Paul was no criminal, but had been brought before Caesar merely on account of the Gospel which he proclaimed. This fact had then been spread by the Praetorians and others, also in the city.
Thus it came about that the majority of the brethren, having in the Lord gained confidence in his bonds, came out for Christ with all the greater boldness. They carried into resolute action the confidence which they felt They preached the Word with all the greater fearlessness. And this confidence was in Paul's bonds; they were convinced all the more that he was a martyr for the sake of the Gospel, and they thus put faith in him and his message, they were convinced of the power and beauty of the Gospel, all the more firmly, all the more vehemently. It became to them a cause whose sacredness and goodness made it worth suffering for. This confidence influenced their testimony; with great joy and assurance, with an entire absence of fear, they spoke the Word, proclaiming the gracious message of salvation through Christ.
But even in Rome the Judaizing sympathizers were not absent: Some, indeed, (preach the Word) also for envy and strife, but some also for good will preach Christ; these out of love, since they know that for the defense of the Gospel I am placed: those, however, out of contention preach Christ, not sincerely, believing that they will raise affliction for my bonds. This was the drop of bitterness in Paul's cup of joy, since there were some people in Rome that were envious of the Gospel's success and therefore stirred up strife in order to check this activity and to injure the apostle's person. Their ambition, incidentally, did not go beyond a service for the sake of filthy lucre. Selfishness was their motive in preaching, they hoped to have personal gain in their work. They saw that the Christians loved Paul, that he had a great following, and they hoped to gain influence and also money by preaching, and perhaps counteract the influence of Paul. There was no sincerity in their hearts. They wanted to raise, add to, the tribulation of Paul, as though his sufferings were not yet great enough. To him, who felt the imprisonment as a harsh and almost unbearable measure in view of the great need of the world for Gospel-preaching, it caused additional pain when he saw that the methods of these insincere people caused strife among the brethren, that there were preachers who wanted to organize their own parties in opposition to the congregation which was established on the basis of Scriptures. But in the midst of this added suffering the apostle and his Gospel yet had true friends, men that proclaimed the Gospel from good will, out of love, men who knew the true reason for Paul's incarceration and would have shrunk a thousand times from hurting him. The Gospel of Christ gained power in their estimation by the fact of Paul's imprisonment. They felt the might of martyrdom. For that reason they, on their part, spread the Gospel with sincerity and singleness of heart. Their love for the apostle, their sympathy for his circumstances, intensified their zeal for the Gospel.