I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (ESV)
If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.
Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...
Enemies or An Audience
It cannot be denied that we have very real enemies in this world. To love Jesus is to be hated by the world. If you are public about your love and devotion to Jesus and your desire for others to know and love Him too, you may lose friends. Family may turn away. Co-workers may try to get you fired or passed over for promotion. The media and culture shapers WILL mock you and paint you as an idiot or a bigot. You may be taken to court and ordered to violate your conscience in the way you do business. You may be fined, you may be imprisoned. Some of us are being killed already.
This should not be a surprise. Jesus said there would be days like this:
"Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles." ~ Jesus (Matthew 10:17-18 ESV)
"Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake." ~ Jesus (Matthew 10:21-22 ESV)
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household." ~ Jesus (Matthew 10:24-25 ESV)
"A person's enemies will be those of his own household." ~ Jesus (Matthew 10:36 ESV)
"They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God." ~ Jesus (John 16:2 ESV)
As Paul writes this letter to the Philippians, he has begun to feel the weight of truth behind those words from our Lord. And yet, Philippians - written from prison - is a letter of JOY and HOPE!
How can that be? For at least Three reasons.
The first two reasons are important, but not really the point of this passage. They are that 1) we are not alone in our suffering and 2) that our suffering is not the end of the story.
Paul says in Romans 8:16-18 that to suffer for the Gospel is to share with Christ, and if we share in His suffering we will also share in His glory.
And Jesus says the same in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." ~ Jesus (Matthew 5:10-12 ESV)
The third, often neglected, reason why our suffering can be good is that it has the opportunity to turn enemies into an audience - IF WE LIVE TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL (see the previous article).
Our suffering has the opportunity to turn enemies into an audience.
And, once you have an audience - you have an avenue on which to walk unbelievers toward faith.
One group of God's church called Soma Communities who are located in and around Tacoma, Washington, remind us to think of all people not necessarily as enemies of the church, but as possibly lost brothers and sisters in Christ, who just don't know their Father yet.
In fact, they helpfully try not to use the term unbeliever when they talk about someone who is not justified by faith in Christ. Instead they use the term not-yet-believers. Always hopeful that the unreached will take the step from death to life.
In fact, they helpfully try not to use the term unbeliever when they talk about someone who is not justified by faith in Christ. Instead they use the term not-yet-believers. Always hopeful that the unreached will take the step from death to life.
It is that idea that seems to inform Paul's JOY and HOPE in the midst of imprisonment.
So, he is surrounded by the imperial guard - So What!?
That means Paul gets to share the Gospel with more people that he might not have had the chance to reach before.
The reason we need to see this today is that we are fed a steady diet of information that is designed to outrage us and incite our passions (through social media, through talk radio, and the daily news). But, instead of falling for the propaganda that pushes us further away from one another and deeper into our particular camps of humanity, INSTEAD we need to see everyone EVERYONE as an audience to reach with the Gospel for THEIR good.
No matter if you are a democrat talking to a republican, or a gun rights person talking to a gun control person, or an American talking to a person from another country, you are first and foremost a Christian talking to a person who may be waiting to hear your testimony before the Holy Spirit sets fire to their heart with faith.
Paul, a Christian, saw this when encountering the imperial guard. We are more closely united to our enemies through the common problem of sin than we are divided by any other issue. Share the Gospel. Do so gently. Do so lovingly. But share the Gospel so that it can become known throughout the whole ________________ (your "enemy" group) and to all the rest that your life is for Christ.
