NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 79
page 2063
1:13
qver 7,14,17
1:14
rver 7,13,17
1:16
sver
7,12
1:17
tPhp 2:3
uver 7,13,14
1:19
v2Co
wAc
1:11
16:7
1:20
8:19
xRo
•
P h i l i pp i a n s
1:20
whole palace guard a and to everyone else that I am in chains q for Christ. 14And because
of my chains, r most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and
dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
15 It is true that some p
reach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.
16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.s
17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, t not sincerely, supposing that they
can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. u 18But what does it matter? The impor
tant thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.
And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers v and God’s
provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ w what has happened to me will turn out for my de
liverance. b 20I eagerly expect x and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have
a
13 Or whole palace b 19 Or vindication; or salvation
1:9 Often the best way to influence other people is to pray for them.
Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was that they would be unified in love.
Their love was to result in greater knowledge of Christ and deeper insight
(moral discernment). Their love was not based on feelings but on what
Christ had done for them. As you grow in Christ’s love, your heart and
mind must grow together. Are your love and insight growing?
1:10 Paul prayed that the Philippian believers would “discern what is
best”—in other words, that they would have the ability to differentiate
between right and wrong, good and bad, vital and trivial, healthy and
infirm. We ought to pray for moral discernment so we can maintain
Christ’s perspective on what really matters. In every situation, consistently choosing the best course of action will yield tremendous
benefits for us and those around us. Always think about what will be
of lasting value. (See Hebrews 5:14, which also emphasizes the need
for discernment.)
1:10 “The day of Christ” refers to the time when God will judge the
world through Jesus Christ. We should live each day as though he might
return at any moment. If you knew it would be tomorrow, how would
that knowledge affect how you live today?
1:11 The “fruit of righteousness” includes all the character traits flowing from a right relationship with God. When we love Christ rightly, he
produces godly actions in us. This fruit of righteousness involves more
than kindness to other believers. It requires integrity in such areas as
our financial matters, our speech, family conflict, and relationships with
all kinds of people. (See Galatians 5:22-23 for the “fruit of the Spirit.”)
1:12-14 Being imprisoned would cause many people to become bitter or to give up, but Paul saw it as one more opportunity to spread
the Good News of Christ. Paul realized that his current circumstances
weren’t as important as what he did with them. Turning his bad situation into a good one, he reached out to the Roman soldiers who made
up the palace guard and encouraged Christians who were afraid of
persecution. We may not be in prison, but we still have plenty of opportunities to be discouraged—times of indecision, financial burdens,
family conflict, church conflict, or the loss of our jobs. How we act in
such situations will reflect what we believe. Like Paul, look for ways to
demonstrate your faith even in bad situations, when your emotional
reserves are almost depleted. Whether or not the situation improves,
your faith will grow stronger.
1:12 In the past, m
issionaries—those who spread the g ospel—would
board ships to go to foreign lands and would not expect to see their
homeland shores again. Their good-byes were final, in terms of earth time.
There was no turning back. While air travel, digital messaging, and other
technologies have made worldwide separation much easier, pioneering
with the gospel still requires a high sacrifice. Paul passionately wanted
others to discover the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ,
no matter what the cost would be. Pressing through frontiers of spiritual
darkness still requires pathfinders and pioneers today—people who will
reach neglected people or new people groups. Pray for missionaries;
support them; join them.
1:13 How did Paul end up in chains in a Roman prison? While he was
visiting Jerusalem, some Jews had him arrested for preaching the gospel,
but he appealed to Caesar to hear his case (Acts 21:15–25:12). He was
then escorted by soldiers to Rome, where he was placed under house
arrest while awaiting t rial—not a trial for breaking civil law, but for proclaiming the Good News of Christ. At that time, the Roman authorities
did not consider this to be a serious charge. A few years later, however,
Rome would take a different view of Christianity and make every effort to
stamp it out of existence. Paul’s house arrest allowed him some degree
of freedom. He could have visitors, continue to preach, and write letters
such as this one. A brief record of Paul’s time in Rome is found in Acts
28:11-31. The “whole palace guard” refers to the Praetorian Guard, the
elite troops who served at times as bodyguards for Roman emperors.
1:14 We don’t know what special gifts Paul had in prison, but we do
know that he used every opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus. When
we speak out for Christ or live faithfully for him during difficult situations,
we encourage others to do the same. Be an encouragement to others
by the way you live.
1:15-18 Paul had an amazingly selfless attitude. He knew that some
were preaching to build their own reputations, taking advantage of Paul’s
imprisonment to try to make a name for themselves. Regardless of the
motives of these preachers, Paul rejoiced that the gospel was being
preached. Some Christians serve for the wrong reasons. Paul wouldn’t
condone—nor does God excuse—their motives, but we should be glad
if God uses their message regardless of their motives. Have you been
judgmental about some preacher’s style or approach? Take another look
to see if God has used that person to bring others to Christ.
1:16-19 Paul could have become depressed, discouraged, or disillusioned. He could have wallowed in self-pity and despair. Instead, he
regarded his imprisonment as being appointed by God. In fact, God had
used Paul’s imprisonment in Rome to bring the gospel to the center of
the empire, as well as to give Paul time to write letters that would one
day end up in the New Testament and give us much teaching and encouragement. The prayers of the Philippians and the Holy Spirit helped Paul
see his difficulties through new eyes. Do you have difficulty accepting
your station in life? Do you resent where God has placed you? Although
education and effort may enable us to take a new role or find a new
job, often God puts us in a certain place because that’s exactly where he
wants us to serve. Whether it is an actual prison or a place that feels like
one, God wants you to serve him faithfully and joyfully exactly where
you are until it is time to move on to your next assignment of service.
1:19-21 This was not Paul’s final imprisonment in Rome, but he didn’t
know that. Awaiting trial, he knew he could either be released or executed.
He trusted Christ, however, because he knew Christ would deliver him,
dead or alive. Paul’s desire was that when he stood trial he would speak
courageously for Christ and not be timid or ashamed. Whether he lived
or died, he wanted to exalt Christ. As it turned out, he was released from
this imprisonment but arrested again two or three years later.
1:20-21 Those who don’t believe in God think that life on earth is all
there is. Therefore, it is natural for them to strive for what this world
values: prosperity, popularity, power, pleasure, and prestige. For Paul,
however, to live meant to tell others about Christ, who alone could
help them see life from an eternal perspective. Paul’s whole purpose