Paul's Love Letter from Prison
A Study of Philippians - 3
In this study we will be looking at verses 12 to 30, and I've called this section, "A reminder of Paul's prison circumstances". This letter was written from Rome where the apostle was under house arrest awaiting his trial. So, in verse 12 he refers to this and says:
"Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel."
What a statement of faith in the purposes of God this is! Some might have seen Paul's imprisonment as a hindrance to the spread of the gospel, but Paul says, if anything it has helped considerably! This is another example of God at work in overruling the destructive plans of Satan.
Verses 13 and 14 show us that something positive resulted from Paul's arrest and confinement:
"As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly."
It is a remarkable fact that persecution often has the effect of transforming quiet and more reserved and even fearful Christians into courageous witnesses. If, as you listen to "Discovery" today, you are going through a time of persecution or suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ, take courage from Paul's example. He looked beyond his immediate circumstances to see the purpose of God in it all. And the Lord does have a purpose for you, just as he did for Paul. Listen to what the apostle Peter has to say on this question of suffering as a Christian, in 1 Peter 5 verses 9 and 10:
"Resist the devil, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered for a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
May you know His sustaining grace in your time of need.
We have already discovered that Paul's burning ambition was that at all times he would preach Christ and Him crucified. In verses 15 to 18 of Philippians chapter 1 he turns to the subject of the gospel and the question of preaching this wonderful, life-giving message from the right motives.
(Verses 15 to 17)
"It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of good will. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains."
Paul says that it is of great importance that we always present the good news for the right reasons, with honest hearts. He says that some were preaching out of envy and were jealous of Paul's success. They were exalting themselves rather than their precious Lord. Martin Luther, that great preacher of centuries ago, once said to would-be preachers, "See that pride, covetousness and envy do not follow you into the pulpit." If you are one to whom the Lord has given the privilege and responsibility of publicly proclaiming the gospel, that is a sound piece of advice.
However, Paul also says in these verses that others were preaching out of goodwill and with sincere love. Their motives were right and pure, seeking only to bring glory to their Lord Jesus Christ, and they knew that Paul was imprisoned for his courageous defence of the gospel.
Verse 18 shows us that Paul had his priorities right:
"But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, I will continue to rejoice!"
What a lovely word that word "rejoice" is! Many believe that this Philippian letter could be called the epistle of joy or rejoicing. Let's take a moment to discover a few examples:-
In chapter 1 verse 4 we have JOY IN PRAYING, and in verse 18, as we have just seen, it is JOY IN PREACHING CHRIST. Then in verse 25 it is JOY IN THE FAITH, and in verse 26 it is JOY IN CHRIST JESUS. He, our precious Lord, being our greatest source of joy.
Now, we may not always feel like rejoicing in our circumstances, but we always have reason to rejoice in our Lord - in what He is, and in that which He has done in saving us. We can rejoice in what He is doing for us now in the presence of God as our Great high Priest. And we can be filled with joy as we think of what He will do for us in the future when He returns or calls to take us home to glory.
Paul commenced his letter by telling the Philippians that he prayed for them all the time, and now in verse 19 he mentions the fact that he knows that his Christian friends in Philippi are praying for him:
"I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance."
What an encouragement this must have been for Paul in prison, to know that his brothers and sisters in the Lord had not forgotten him, but they were praying for him. And what an encouragement to the Philippian believers to know that through their prayers Paul expected to be delivered. The source of Paul's courage and strength was twofold, it was the prayers of God's people, but it was also "the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ."
Someone has said that "our prayers cut channels for the river of God's gracious Spirit." That is a lovely thought because no sincere prayer ever fails, it cuts a path for God to work along. In his prison circumstances, Paul needed courage, patience and wisdom. He could only meet the difficulties as he received the heavenly supplies. It was for these that his friends prayed.
Here, then, is another lesson for us to discover from this letter: that we should cultivate in our lives the ministry of prayer one for another. In so doing we will open up channels of blessing in the lives and circumstances of those for whom we pray, and it will be a source of great joy for us, too.
In verse 20 we discover the great hope and purpose of Paul's life as a Christian:
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will always have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death."
Paul's hope - his confident anticipation - rested completely in his Master and Lord. His overwhelming desire was that Christ would be magnified, or exalted, by his every action whether he lived or died. He sums it up in verse 21 by saying: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!" Everything in and about Paul's life centred on Christ.
We can look at it like this: The Lord Jesus Christ was THE SOURCE OF PAUL'S LIFE and He was THE SUPREME OBJECT OF PAUL'S CONTEMPLATION. Christ was the SPRING OF HIS HAPPINESS and THE SECRET OF HIS ABOUNDING ENERGY. THE OBJECT OF PAUL'S SACRIFICIAL LOVE was the Lord Jesus, and His glory was THE GREAT END OF PAUL'S ENDEAVOURS. Christ, and only Christ, was his total motivation. What a challenge this is to some shallow Christianity that we see today! What a challenge to me and to you that we would live Christ-centred and Christ glorifying lives!
It is this total trust in and dedication to the Lord Jesus that enables Paul to stress that if he were to die in prison or for his faith at anytime, that for him would be gain. Someone has written, "Death to a good man is the daybreak of eternal brightness." Calvin wrote to a friend just before he died, "I feel I am about to draw my last breath, happy, however, to live and die in Jesus Christ, Who is gain to all His children in life and death."
Such can be the confidence of all who trust in Christ for their salvation. Such was the confidence of the apostle Paul as he wrote this love-letter from prison to his beloved Philippians.