Strai8ning for the Prize

                                                        Sunday School Lesson

                                 

Lesson: Philippians 3:12-16;                                                                                        
Golden Text: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

INTRODUCTION.Before his conversion, Paul had given his entire life to trying to earn the favor of God.He had built an impressive resume that would have appealed to any Jewish employer or leader.  Now,however,he had found something so tremendous that it made his goodness and accomplishments seem worthless.This week’s lesson is a continuation of last week’s with more of Paul’s reasons for the way he managed his life.

 II. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE GOAL (Philippians 3:12-14). Last week’s lesson ended with Paul stating that he was striving toward special goals that included knowing Christ intimately.He wanted to know the power that raised Jesus from the dead having it work in his life.He also said the he wanted to fellowship with Christ in His sufferings.His intention was to continuously strive for those things until the return of Christ.

A. What I have not attained (Philippians 3:12).  Yes, the Apostle Paul expressed his desire to reach godliness in everyday experience through knowing Christ.  But he had to confess to the Philippians saying “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”  The phrase “Not as though I had already attained” indicates that Paul realized that he had not yet become fully conformed to Christ.The term “attained” means to “lay hold of.”  In other words, Paul had not reached or laid hold of all for which God had saved him.The phrase, “either were already perfect” is parallel to “Not as though I had already attained.”The word “perfect” means complete or mature.Paul was saying that he had not reached full spiritual maturity, so he had to “follow after” it.There are varying degrees of maturity, of course; but Paul declared that he was not satisfied with the level of maturity he had attained.The truth is, we should not be either.  Probably likening himself to a runner, Paul said “I follow after” meaning to eagerly pursue something.In his pursuit, the apostle was trying to “apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”The word “apprehend” means to grasp or lay hold of something.Paul recognized that Christ had “apprehended” or laid hold of him for a purpose so he wanted to lay hold of that purpose fully.Note: But what was the purpose for which Christ had laid hold of Paul?  It is true that Christ had laid hold of Paul so that he would preach the gospel to the Gentiles (see Acts 26:16-18).  However, here, Paul was probably thinking about God’s deeper spiritual purpose of molding him into the image of Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 4:13).  Paul was not trying to measure up to the standard of other believers. His standard was the perfect Son of God.

B.  What I have not apprehended (Philippians 3:13).  Paul continued to say “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”  The apostle here admitted that he had not attained or reached his goal of being like Christ, when he said “I count not myself to have apprehended” or laid hold of the image and perfection of Christ.  But he was not discouraged for he focused on only “one thing.”  In his single-minded pursuit of being more like Jesus, Paul was not sidetracked by lesser concerns or things that really didn’t matter (see Philippians 3:4-7).  The prize was worth it!  Paul had accomplished many good things.  There were churches all over the Roman Empire that existed because of his diligent ministry in many cities.  There were also maturing Christians in every place he went.  Paul had many reasons to relish the past.  However, the “one thing” he focused on was first “forgetting those things which are behind.”  In other words, he didn’t spend time admiring his past accomplishments or being discouraged by past failures.  Instead, he was constantly “reaching forth unto those things which are before.”  Like a runner in a race Paul was constantly “reaching” or stretching himself forward to be the first to cross the finish line.  For every believer there is something much better ahead and we shouldn’t let anything in this life deter or derail us from reaching for that future.  The words “those things” refer to all that God has in store for every believer (see I Corinthians 2:9).       

C.  What I have not possessed (Philippians 3:14).   Continuing his thought regarding not focusing on the past, Paul said “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  In saying “I press (or pursue) toward the mark,” much like a runner, the apostle had fixed his eyes on a mark at the end of the race, refusing to let anything around him break his concentration.  In the Greek, the word order is “Toward the mark I press.”  The only thing in Paul’s sight was the finish line.  The word “press” is in the present tense emphasizing continuous or habitual action as in “I am pressing” or “I keep on pressing.”  Paul said that he kept pressing “toward the mark,” or the finish line.  However, his goal was “the prize,” the reward after crossing the finish line. In I Cor. 9:24, Paul reminded the Corinthians that “they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize;” then he urged them, “So run that ye may obtain.”  Beyond that “mark” or the finish line, there was a “prize” for him.  In the Greek games the winner was called up to the place where the judge sat and there he received a garland of leaves from the judge.  In like manner, Paul anticipated receiving from God “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  To what prize was Paul referring?  Perhaps he was thinking only of the completed salvation he would enjoy in Christ’s presence; but more likely he had in mind the rewards given at the judgment seat of Christ where every believer will stand to “receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (see II Corinthians 5:10).  At the end of his life Paul anticipated receiving a “crown of righteousness” (see II Timothy 4:8) from the Lord, the righteous Judge.  Note: This judgment will not determine whether a person goes to heaven, because that will have already been decided.Instead, it will determine whether a person receives rewards for faithfulness to the Lord through service and obedience.Believers will either receive rewards from the Lord or suffer the loss of rewards (see I Corinthians 3:12-15).             

III. LIVING TO REACH THE GOAL (Philippians 3:15-16)

A.  Have the right mind (Philippians 3:15).  Paul now turned from his personal spiritual desires to draw attention to an application for his readers.  He said “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”  The phrase “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded” appears to be a contradiction of Paul’s previous statement in verse 12 that he had not yet reached perfection.  Again, the word “perfect” means mature; and maturity is relative.  Paul had not yet reached full spiritual maturity, but he was not a spiritual babe either; so relatively speaking he referred to himself and other Philippians as mature.  Paul knew that maturity comes from a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.  Attending church as a ritual proves nothing!  He also encouraged his readers to be “thus minded.”  Paul was referring to the outlook he described earlier---counting earthly gain as loss, seeking to know Christ’s resurrection power, and pressing forward toward the goal of God’s high calling in Christ (see Philippians 3:7-14).  Our spiritual maturity comes from our intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and our obedience to God’s Word.  On the other hand, Paul realized that there were some who were still “otherwise minded” meaning that there may be other believers who had a different understanding of spiritual maturity.  However, he also declared that God would reveal the correct truth about spiritual maturity to them, but only if they were open to God’s teaching.  The mature Christian mind is not just for church leaders; it’s for every believer who is willing to receive it.

B. Walk by the right rule (Philippians 3:16).  Paul’s final admonition to the Philippians in our lesson is “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”  This simply means that we are to continue on the same spiritual path by which God has already led us, following the same standards that have brought us to our present level of maturity.  Our path may have been difficult and we may have stumbled often.  It may also seem monotonous and we may crave something spectacular.  However, the right path is the one outlined in the Bible, the one by which we have already experienced growth.  Note: We should never be satisfied with where we are spiritually.  Even the most intelligent and most godly among us still have a long way to go.  It would certainly be appropriate to apply the phrase “whereto we have already attained” to the fact that too often people get concerned about portions of Scripture they can’t understand, when in reality they need to be more concerned and obedient to the parts they do understand.  All of us have the same spiritual goal: growth in our relationship with Jesus.  Salvation is not the end of the matter; it is only the beginning, and we need to be constantly encouraging each other to be more like Jesus Christ in our Christian walks.  

IV. Conclusion.  Pressing toward the mark; running to win is the only legitimate pursuit of a runner.  We need to get clearly in mind that the Lord Jesus saved us to bring us to full stature and maturity as Christians.  We can forget the past, with its excuses and reasons, and run flat out one day at a time to reach the prize.  It is a high calling, and God has called each of us to it.  We all have our own race to run.  Don’t look around to see what others are doing or you will certainly lose ground.  The Lord Jesus Christ, Himself is waiting at the finish line to award the prize (see II Timothy 4:7-8).  Let us be thus minded and run! 

Gaining Christ

                                                            Sunday School Lesson
                                 

Lesson: Philippians 3:7-11;                                                                                       
Golden Text: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7).

I.  INTRODUCTION.  According to normal standards of accomplishments for a first century Jew, the Apostle Paul had been a tremendous success prior to his salvation.  However, without Christ, his accomplishments were worthless.  In this week’s lesson, we will see the very heart of Paul as he desired the most important thing; to know more about Jesus.  This goes way beyond intellectual knowledge and reaches deep into spiritual and heart matters.

II. VIEWING THE PRESENT (Philippians 3:7-9).  In this third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippian believers, he warned them against the teaching of Jewish legalists.  These legalists placed confidence in the flesh, that is, in self-effort (see verses 1-3).  The point that Paul was making was that these Jewish legalists were placing an importance on works and following the Law of Moses in order to gain salvation.  This included being circumcised to which Paul referred to when he told them to beware of the “concision” or mutilation in verse 2.  It was not necessary to mutilate one’s flesh in order to be right with God.  Paul explained this by revealing all he had done previously in order to be right with God.  He went on to list his credentials in verses 4-6 to show that he had accomplished more than those Jews who still taught that keeping the law was necessary to salvation.

A. Counting loss (Philippians 3:7).  At this point one would think that Paul would have been proud of who he was and what he had accomplished even after becoming a believer.  Instead he wrote “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”  The things that Paul had once put his confidence in to make right with God (see verses 4-6), he considered them as “gain” or a plus.  But now after being saved, he “counted” or considered those same things as “loss” because of Christ.  The Greek word translated “loss” means “detriment.”  Whenever anyone puts confidence for salvation in anything other than Jesus Christ, he or she is in danger of falling away from the faith.     

B.  Gaining Christ (Philippians 3:8).  Paul continued to say “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”  The apostle considered as loss not only his formerly prized Jewish heritage and his religious accomplishments, but he also counted “all things” as losses.  Whatever pleasures, possessions, and prestige the world had to offer, Paul wrote off as “dung” or worthless.  The Greek word translated “dung” refers to any type of refuse, rubbish or trash.  Such things as family ties, inheritance, former friendships, influence and worldly security had been replaced by a far greater treasure---Jesus Christ.  Tell me; of what value is Jesus Christ to you?  After Paul had considered everything he had accomplished in his life, he said it was all “but loss” when compared to the “excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.”  This is a profound statement about values.  Paul said he gave up everything else so that “I may win Christ.”  Gaining more knowledge of Jesus Christ should be our ultimate goal.  A person’s relationship with Christ is more important than anything else, because it’s the only thing that will last.   

C.  Finding righteousness (Philippians 3:9).   Paul not only considered all worldly gains as loss in order to gain the greater knowledge of Christ, he also wanted to “be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”   The phrase “be found in him” takes God’s point of view, as He sees the believing sinner in His Son, both now and when we are in glory.  In Jesus Christ every one of us is completely safe, for our eternal destiny has already been decided.  In the phrase “not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law” Paul was saying that his own righteousness would not be sufficient since he assumed keeping the law made him righteous.  He realized that true righteousness or justification can only come “through the faith of Christ” or by faith in Christ who has made us righteous (see II Corinthians 5:21).  It is true that only “the righteousness which is of God by faith” is given to those who trust Christ can meet God’s righteous standards (see Romans 3:20-22; Galatians 2:16).  

VII. VIEWING THE FUTURE (Philippians 3:10-11)

A.  Knowing Christ (Philippians 3:10).  The apostle realized that being found in Christ not only made him righteous, but that same righteousness was given to him as he said “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”  The Greek word for “know” refers to knowledge based on personal experience.  Paul wanted to have an experiential knowledge of Christ as if he had literally walked with the Lord Jesus and had seen and heard all that He did.  Paul wanted his own personality to be constantly remolded to be more like Jesus’ personality so that he could experience more of Him in somewhat the same manner as a happily married couple becomes more and more like each other as they live together over the years.  Simply knowing about Christ was not what Paul had in mind.  Paul listed three things that he wanted to know or experience about Christ.

1.  First, He wanted to know or experience the “power of his resurrection.”   This was the power that raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him victory over sin and death (see Romans 6:4-13).  This same power would raise Paul and all believers from the dead (see I Corinthians 15:51-57; I Thessalonians 4:14-17). 

2.  Second, Paul wanted to experience “the fellowship of his sufferings.”  The apostle recognized that he would come to understand Christ’s compassionate heart by being a partner in His sufferings.  In Philippians 1:29 Paul wrote, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.”  We will never suffer what Jesus did on the cross, but if we are true to Him, we will experience the kind of suffering that comes from those who don’t believe and who hate Him.  We should be more than willing to suffer with Christ in that way.  For sure, the opposition to the gospel assures us that there is plenty of suffering left for all who serve Him (see Matthew 20:22-23; I Peter 4:13-15).

3.  Third, Paul wanted to experience Christ by “being made conformable unto his death.”  The idea of being like Christ in His death is explained in Romans 6:4-11 as becoming dead to sin.  Those who are joined to Christ and who have died to their former life enter a new life of victory over sin and of service to the Lord.  Jesus Christ gave His life for us in selfless love.  Paul wanted to know Christ so that he could have this same love for others.

B. Attaining perfection (Philippians 3:11).  Paul concluded our text by saying “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”  The use of the word “if” does not imply that Paul doubted that he would be resurrected from the dead.  A better word would be “since.”  The phrase “by any means” indicates that Paul was not sure how he would meet God; by execution or natural death.  He didn’t doubt that he would be raised from the dead, but he knew that attaining it was in God’s power not his own.  It’s true that our identification with Christ in suffering, death, and resurrection will result in our bodily resurrection.  However, this resurrection is dependent not on our works but on having the righteousness provided by faith in Christ.  There is no doubt about the resurrection of true believers (see I Corinthians 15:12-23).  This beautiful hope is provided for all who are in Christ (see I Corinthians 15:51-57; I Thessalonians 4:13-17; I Peter 1:3-7).  The Lord has promised that we will be with Him forever (see John 14:2-3; I Thessalonians 4:17).

   

          

IV. Conclusion.  Counting everything as loss for Christ is essential to a deep experience of Christ.  Counting all earthly things as “dung” or worthless is the starting point for a life of coming to know Christ.  We cannot choose our experiences in life, but we can totally give Him our lives and possessions.

Reflecting the Mind of Christ

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson

                                 

Lesson: Philippians 2:5-11;                                                                                        
Golden Text: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

 INTRODUCTION.The human mind is easily influenced by the flesh making the mind untrustworthy.  Since the mind directs our thoughts and behaviors, it follows that those who would reflect Christ would do well to take on the mind of Christ.In verses 1-4, not a part of our printed text, Paul addressed the issue of pride with his readers.Then in our text he presents humility or humbleness as the clear antidote to the problem of pride.This week’s lesson not only defines humility; it also presents the supreme example of humility, Jesus Christ Himself.

II. WILLING TO LOSE (Philippians 2:5-8)

A. Jesus gave no thought to robbery (Philippians 2:5-6).    

1. (vs. 5).  In this verse Paul clearly stated that the attitudes of believers should mimic or copy those of Christ.  He said “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”  The words “this mind” refers back to the idea of humility and humbleness expressed in verses 3-4.  The fact that our mind or thought process should mimic Christ indicates that He provides a standard that helps us realize that continual spiritual growth is necessary even though we can never be just like Christ in this life.  However, that does not release us from God’s expectation that we try.

2.  (vs. 6).  Here, Paul begins to explain the mind of Christ that we are to imitate.  Referring to Christ and his humility he said “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”  The word “form” does not refer to a body or shape but to the essential attributes or nature.  Christ was, is, and always will be God.  His nature and God the Father’s nature are one and the same.  Jesus is everything His Father is and just as much God as the Father (see Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).  Having the very nature of God Himself, Jesus “thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”  The word “robbery” is based on a word meaning “to seize.”  It should best be understood to mean something that is grasped and held onto.  The complete thought presented in this phrase is that even though Jesus was deity, He didn’t consider His deity to be something to grasp or hold on to.  In other words, in all humility, Jesus was willing to let go of who He was in order to become the Saviour of all humanity.  When He took on human flesh, He laid aside His divine prerogatives, glory and power in order to be like us.

B.  Jesus gave no thought to reputation (Philippians 2:7).  This verse says “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”  Paul, in three statements presented the depths to which Christ’s humble attitude led Him.  First, He “made himself of no reputation.”  The Greek word for “no reputation” means “to make empty.”  It indicates that Jesus emptied Himself.  This emptying didn’t involve giving up His deity or any part of it.  What Jesus did was relinquish the manifestations and privileges of His deity.  Jesus voluntarily gave up the independent use of His divine attributes while on earth in order to fulfill God’s plan to provide salvation for the world.  Second, Christ “took upon him the form of a servant.”  The word “servant” in Scripture is often translated as “slave.”  Just as Jesus is truly God, He also became a true Slave, with all the manifestations that go along with that status.  He was a slave, or servant, to all mankind for He came “not to be ministered unto, but to minister” (see Matthew 20:28; Luke 22:27).  His mission was complete servant-hood (see Mark 10:45).  Third, Christ’s humility led Him to the depths of being “made in the likeness of men.”  Although He remained deity, Jesus took to Himself a genuine human nature.  No one looking at Him would see him as any privileged person.  He walked this earth as a man with no special distinctions.  The eternal Son of God became the Son of man as well, identifying with us so that He might bear our sins (see Hebrews 2:14-15).  This alone was a great humiliation.  To live as a man and associate with human weaknesses required of Jesus the utmost Self-denial.

C.Jesus gave no thought to pride (Philippians 2:8).  Continuing his thought on Jesus’ humanity Paul said “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”   Here the word “fashion” refers to Jesus’ outer appearance not His nature (see vs. 6-7).  He looked like a mere man and anyone meeting Him on the street wouldn’t think He was someone special (see John 1:46).  As His contemporaries saw Him “in fashion as a man,” Jesus also “humbled himself” even more and “became obedient unto death.”  As if becoming human wasn’t humiliation enough, Jesus submitted to death, the result of human sin.  He didn’t have to die, since He was not a sinner. He died in man’s place in obedience to His Father’s will (see II Cor. 5:21).  The phrase “became obedient unto death” may appear to mean that death had power over Jesus, but that is certainly far from the truth.  Jesus, in obedience to do His Father’s will, freely submitted to death (see John 10:17-18).  However, Christ’s death was no ordinary death.  It was “the death of the cross” the most excruciating death possible.   Crucifixion was the Roman method of executing criminals, but Roman citizens were exempt from it.  It was extremely painful and humiliating, yet Jesus endured it for us.  Note: At any point in His crucifixion, Christ could have drawn back and said, “Enough! I am not obligated to do any of this.”But in love and humility,He put our interests ahead of His own.  This is the mind of Christ that should govern believers as we deal with one another.  True humility puts no limits on what it will give.

III. GUARANTEED TO GAIN (Philippians 2:9-11)

A.  Christ’s exaltation (Philippians 2:9).  Paul concluded his lesson on humility by stating “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”  The word “Wherefore” indicates that there is a direct connection between Christ’s obedience and His exaltation.  This is a truth that Jesus Himself taught. In Luke 14:11 Jesus said “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The height of Jesus’ exaltation is described by the words “highly exalted.” The Greek word for “highly exalted,” means “to elevate to the highest position possible.”  This exaltation of Christ implies that He not only regained His original position (see vs. 6), but now has additional glory and power (see Ephesians 1:20-22).  Part of Christ’s exaltation involved God giving Him “a name which is above every name.”  Jesus’ name is exalted above every other name and therefore He deserves all our worship and praise.  He alone stands above all power and authority. He is indeed exalted.

B. Universal submission (Philippians 2:10).  In this verse Paul continues to say “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.”   No doubt Paul had the name “Jesus” in mind, for at that name every knee shall bend.  How ironic it is that the very name associated with the Lord’s earthly humiliation will elicit homage from all His creatures.  This recognition of Jesus will come from creatures in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.  This includes angels, men, and fallen angels.  The fact that the entire creation will bow at the name of Jesus does not mean that all intelligent created beings will be saved and voluntarily worship Him.  It means that willingly or unwillingly they will one day acknowledge Jesus’ absolute lordship. 

C. Universal confession (Philippians 2:11).  In addition to universal submission, “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”The Greek word for “confess” means to acknowledge or to agree with.  The confession that will come from “every tongue” is not unto salvation but that “Jesus Christ is Lord.”This universal acknowledgment of Christ’s lordship is not intended ultimately to glorify Jesus Christ alone.  The intent is “to the glory of God the Father.”  When the crucified, risen, ascended, and conquering Christ is glorified, the infinite wisdom of the Father who gave Him will be praised as well (see I Corinthians 15:28). 

                         

IV. Conclusion.  Jesus Christ humbled Himself and was obedient even unto death.  God, therefore, supremely exalted His Son.  Christ’s followers who live according to His example must live a life of sacrifice and service.  To those who do, a promise is made, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (see I Peter 5:6).  Our response to the self-humbling and exaltation of the Lord Jesus and the proclamation of God that every knee shall bow to Him should be to bow our knees now.We should bow and receive Him now as Saviour.If we do so, we are destined for heaven.If we wait to bow before Him as our Judge at the judgment, we will go into condemnation.Even the proudest knee shall bow.The unbeliever and the staunch atheist and all those who think they are smarter than God will bow.There will be no exceptions.

Proclaiming Christ

                                                                   Sunday School Lesson

                                 

Lesson: Philippians 1:15-26                                                                                       
Golden Text: “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice” (Philippians 1:18).

 INTRODUCTION.  One’s motive in service to God must be genuine and out of a pure heart.  Nothing the believer does should be done through strife or vainglory.  In particular a person’s motives should not hinder the furtherance of the gospel in any way.  In this week’s lesson, we will see how the Apostle Paul felt about the Gospel of Christ.  He was not moved by the motives behind a person preaching the gospel.  The only thing that was important to him was that the gospel was being preached regardless of the motives of those who preached it.

II. EXTERNAL CONFLICT (Philippians 1:15-18).  As Paul began this letter, he greeted his readers and acknowledged that he was praying for their continued growth in Christ.  Then he told them what his imprisonment really meant.  He said that his experiences had not been for naught, but had resulted in the “furtherance of the gospel” (see Philippians 1:12).  Paul’s imprisonment led to the gospel being preached in unexplored territory---Rome.  The gospel had reached people in the palace as well as in other places as many new Christians witnessed the boldness of this prisoner and also shared their faith in Jesus Christ (see Philippians 1:13-14).

A. Mixed preaching (Philippians 1:15).  

1. (vs. 15).  Regrettably, not all the Christian eagerness to preach the gospel in Rome was worthy of praise.  There was a mixture of motives for preaching the gospel by believers in Rome.  Paul said in this verse “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will.”  In other words, some of those who were preaching Christ did so with attitudes of “envy and strife.”  The term “envy” refers to jealousy and “strife” refers to rivalry.  This group was preaching the gospel only because they were jealous of Paul’s popularity and who saw themselves as Paul’s rivals, not brothers in Christ.  Their main goal was not to preach Christ, but to hurt Paul.  On the other hand there were those who shared their faith in Christ out “of good will” meaning they were delighted to do it.  Speaking for Christ in “good will” meant that this group of believers found real satisfaction in being able to speak for their Lord. 

B.  Mixed motives (Philippians 1:16-17).

1. (vs. 16).  As he continued to address the motives behind the preaching of some believers, Paul here said “The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds.”  Again, those believers who wanted to hurt Paul also preached Christ out “of contention, not sincerely.”  Their whole motivation was selfish and their ministry was not based on sincerity or purity of heart.  They were more concerned according to Paul, about adding “affliction to my bonds.”  In other words, they saw his imprisonment as an opportunity to upstage and discredit Paul.  Through preaching they would take away his following.  Note:  Sadly today there are those who preach with selfish motives.  Teachers, preachers, churches, denominations, and organizations often try to outdo each other to gain a following and to glorify themselves.  There are pastors who are dictatorial and judgmental toward their people when they should be loving and encouraging.  Some ministers even instill fear into their people either out of insecurity or a desire to be exalted.  It seems that their motive often is to build a personal following.  

2.  (vs. 17).  In this verse Paul said “But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.”  Just as there were those preaching the gospel with the wrong motives, there were others who preached out of “love.”  These people appreciated Paul because they understood that he was “set for the defence of the gospel.”   The Greek word rendered “set” means appointed.  God had appointed Paul to the special task of defending the gospel in Rome at that time, and many believers wanted to join him.  Paul saw his ministry as a “defence.”  As one transformed by the power of the gospel (see Philippians 3:4-14), he could argue persuasively for its power to change others.  We too will best defend our faith not by irrefutable logic, but by behavior consistent with our message.

C.  Positive Results (Philippians 1:18).  This verse gives us Paul’s response to the mixed motives of his Christian brethren.  He said “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”  By asking the question “What then?” Paul was actually saying “why does the motive for preaching Christ matter?”  All that really mattered was that in “every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached.”  In Paul’s mind, as long as the gospel was being preached it didn’t matter if it was “in pretence” or false motives or if it was done “in truth” or sincerity.  If Paul had been concerned about the honor of his own name, he would have wallowed in self-pity because others were trying to discredit him. He also might have retaliated by waging a war of words with his detractors.  But instead, the apostle said “I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”   To him Christ was more important than hurt feelings or a tarnished reputation.  Whether Christ was proclaimed in pretense of in sincerity, He was becoming known by many and this brought Paul great joy.  Paul emphasized the results of the preaching not the reasons and he rejoiced.  God was overcoming evil to accomplish good; so why should Paul oppose God’s purposes by fighting his brethren?Note: It’s evident that the people who were preaching for the wrong motives were not false teachers because Paul said that he rejoiced and would continue to rejoice that they were preaching the gospel.He never would have done that if a false gospel was being preached.This remarkable man’s example puts us to shame.How often do we let our differences with other Christians degenerate into bitter attitudes and arguments?In such conflicts everyone loses, including Jesus Christ.

III. INTERNAL CONFLICT (Philippians 1:19-26)

A.  Earnest expectation (Philippians 1:19-20).

1. (vs. 19).  Paul foresaw another result of God’s intervention.  He wrote “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”  He was confident that his present situation would “turn to my salvation” meaning he would be delivered from imprisonment.  Paul had been arrested on false charges (see Acts 24:5-6; 25:7), but he appeared to be quite sure that he would be found innocent of those charges; he therefore anticipated his release.  Paul told his readers that his deliverance would be accomplished by two means: “through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”  His sufferings had caused prayers to be rendered for him among the Philippians saints and the Lord would surely honor them.  Paul was also confident that the Holy Spirit would assist him in whatever happened in the coming days.  The combination of prayer and the work of “the Spirit of Jesus Christ” gave the apostle assurance of deliverance.

2. (vs. 20).  Here Paul continued his thoughts about his situation as he said “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”  It was Paul’s “earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed.”  In other words, he earnestly hoped and expected that regardless of what happened to him, he would not react in any way that would cause him to be ashamed.  Whatever might happen in his imprisonment and trial, his desire was to remain bold and give a good account of himself to God and men.  As a result he said “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”  If he remained bold through his situation, Paul knew that Christ would be magnified in his body whether he lived or died.

B. Fruitful labor (Philippians 1:21-22).

1. (vs. 21).  Paul went on to say “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  The apostle’s view of life and death is summed up in this statement.  The words “to me” indicate that no matter what life may have meant to others, to Paul it meant Christ.  Nothing was more important to him than living for Christ and promoting Him.  Paul knew that if he lived he would continue to preach Christ, and “to die is gain.”  Paul was not afraid of death; for he knew that it would unite Him with the One he loved most (see II Corinthians 5:6-8).  Indeed, to be with Christ would be “gain.”Note: Anyone who has this philosophy of life and death is really invincible.Absolutely nothing can harm us if we are absorbed in Jesus Christ.Our problems begin when we allow something of lesser value like friends, family, money, education and self to take Jesus’ place.Life then becomes worrisome, and death becomes a fearful prospect (see Luke 12:16-21, 31-34).

2. (vs. 22).  In this verse Paul said “But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.”  Paul’s view of life and death made him invincible, but it also placed him in a dilemma.  He realized that continuing to live “in the flesh” or body had its advantages.  He referred to this as “the fruit of my labour.”  The apostle had seen hundreds of spiritual children and dozens of churches maturing in Christ as a result of his fruitful ministry.  Although continuing to live meant a fruitful earthly ministry, and dying meant he would be with Jesus, Paul had to say “yet what I shall choose I wot not.”  This was his dilemma.  The words “I wot not” mean that he didn’t know which to choose.  Note: Paul’s inner conflict would have to be settled by God.Whatever His will, Paul would be content with it.That is a very good way to live our Christian lives.Let God have control; He already has it anyway.

C. Opposing desires (Philippians 1:23-24)). 

1. (vs. 23).  Still dealing with his inner conflict and dilemma, Paul said “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.”  The phrase “in a strait betwixt two” means that Paul was torn between two desires.  It was as if he was between two magnets, one on either side of him.  One was drawing him to desire life and the other was drawing him to desire death.  To be loosed form the responsibilities and heartaches of the present life and to be with Christ, Paul said would be “far better.”  Yet he didn’t actively seek or pray for death.  He was willing to leave that in God’s hands.

2. (vs. 24).  Putting aside his personal desire to be with Christ, Paul said “Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”  Yes, it would be more wonderful to depart and be with Christ, but there was more work for him to do here on earth.  Paul realized that to “abide in the flesh” or remaining on earth to continue his ministry would be “needful” or beneficial to the Philippian believers. The words “for you” refer specifically to the Philippian Christians, but other churches would also benefit from the continuation of Paul’s ministry.  Proclaiming his earthly life to be “needful” to his readers was not the result of arrogance or pride.  It was a simple fact that God had placed on Paul the heavy responsibility of caring for the churches.  There was much he could still teach them to help them grow.  Paul’s selfless attitude is shown here as he placed the needs of his friends above his own.  That is real love!

D. Abundant rejoicing (Philippians 1:25-26).

1. (vs. 25).  Now Paul writes “And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith.”  He was confident that he was needed so he was able to say “I know that I shall abide and continue with you all.”  The word “abide” indicates that Paul expected to remain alive.  The word “continue” indicates that he expected to remain alongside the Philippians in their times of need.  He was confident that he would both survive his situation and further his ministry.  Paul also told his fellow believers that the purpose of his continuing with them was to be “for your furtherance and joy of faith.”  The phrase “for your furtherance” means that Paul’s presence among the Philippians would result in their spiritual growth which would in turn lead to their “joy of faith.”  Progress in their faith could not help but bring joy to the Philippian Christians.

2. (vs. 26).  In our final verse, Paul continued to refer to the Philippians’ joy as he said “That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.”  Paul told his readers that his release and continued ministry was so “That your rejoicing may be more abundant.”  The term “abundant” means “to abound” or “to exceed.”  In saying their rejoicing would be “in Jesus” Paul meant that they would be boasting of Christ as the reason for their joy.  The Apostle Paul was able to predict the joyous reaction of the Philippian believers not out of personal conceit but out of confidence that Christ would bless them through his coming to them again.  Note: Paul’s confidence in his eventual deliverance was well-founded.  The letters to Timothy and Titus were written after this time, and although Paul was in prison again when he wrote II Timothy, he was free when he wrote I Timothy and Titus.He apparently also visited Philippi again for he mentioned having gone into Macedonia when he wrote to Timothy (see I Timothy 1:3).                    

IV. Conclusion.Let us follow Paul’s example and not hold our lives or ease and comfort more dearly than our service for the Lord and His people.We may not be facing the risk of getting ourselves killed for spreading the gospel.But we can give our lives daily for the Lord’s use and furtherance of His message.Even when there is no one looking our lives should proclaim Christ.