Joy of Adversity • Philippians 1:12-26
By Don Hicks
Paul begins our focal passage this way: “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel” (Philippians 1:12 CSB). What has happened to Paul?
— He has been put under arrest and charged with what the Roman emperor considered a capital offense.
— He knows people are being executed for the crime with which he was charged.
— He is chained day and night to the emperor’s special, select imperial guards.
— A final trial and execution could take place at any time with little or no advance warning.
Philippians was being written to “brothers and sisters” whom Paul in his greeting called ‘the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi.” These folks would actually understand the depth of the meaning in Paul’s phrase, “… actually advanced the gospel.”
Timothy may have been the person actually writing down these words. Paul had explained to Timothy in his second letter, “But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5 CSB).
The LifeWay Leader’s Guide presents a key doctrine of the Christian faith based on this verse in 2 Timothy in these words: “It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.”
One of the ways Paul actually advanced the Gospel is explained in verse 13: “…so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ” (Philippians 1:13 CSB).
If you’re monitored every minute of every day, your true personality and lifestyle will become well known. This is especially true if you’re being watched under adverse circumstances, such as being chained to a guard day in and day out. You probably could not have convinced any of the imperial guards watching over Paul that he was guilty of any criminal or malicious misdemeanor.
If we turn to the end of Philippians, we get further insight to the success of Paul’s witness to imperial guards (also known as the Praetorian Guards). Philippians 4:21b-22 says in the Christian Standard Bible: “The brothers who are with me send you greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.”
Nearly all New Testament scholars interpret “those who belong to Caesar’s household” as mostly referring to the imperial guards.
Another aspect of Paul’s statement that, “what has happened to me actually advanced the gospel,” is described in verse 14: “Most of the brothers have gained confidence in the Lord from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the word fearlessly.” Paul’s example of speaking the word fearlessly was being emulated by other believers.
This truth applies immediately to our 21st century lives. If we speak Biblical truths such as,“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6 KJV), many will call us bigoted and characterize us as using hate speech.
We can understand why those that reject Christ are so afraid of this truth if we understand the depth of its meaning. Look at how the Amplified Version translates what Jesus said: “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Paul was in a Roman prison because he preached that Jesus was the only way to the true God, which contradicted the emperor who claimed to be a god and demanded under penalty of death that the Roman people worship him.
In Philippians 1:14, Paul teaches that his example of preaching the truth, no matter if it landed him in jail, led most of the brothers to gain confidence in the Lord and dared them to speak even more fearlessly.
We can be an example to 21st century American Christians that no matter the personal cost, we will dare to speak, vote, and write the truth whether it is politically correct or not.
When we do preach Christ, we are the people Paul commends in verse 16: “These preach out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel” (CSB).
Hicks is missions director for Jasper Association in Bay Springs. He may be contacted at donaldwhicks@gmail.com.
