April 13, 2020 – PHILIPPIANS 1:15-18
“His Kingdom”
Today, we continue our “Unshakeable” reading plan by looking again at Philippians 1. This time we look at verses 15-18. The passage reads:
15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (ESV)
Key Takeaways:
- Check your motivation – continually
- This one strikes at my heart more than anything else. Doing things out of selfish ambition can easily sneak up on any of us, especially me. We turn from good and pure motives that are dependent on the Spirit and suddenly, we realize that our motives are no longer pure. Maybe it was a flip of the switch because we see others succeeding or maybe it was a subtle and Kind of slow switch where it goes from good to selfish ambition. We go from following God’s will to seeking fame, acclaim, acknowledgment, notoriety, value, worth, and a myriad of other things.
- Paul’s joy
- Compared to the envious preachers, Paul had a single mind focus and that was on Jesus and the gospel being preached. That brought him joy.
Deeper Exposition:
Verses 15-16: The churches in Rome were divided. Some preached Christ sincerely, wanting to see people saved. Some preached Christ insincerely, wanting to make the situation more difficult for Paul. The people who were emboldened to speak God’s Word were of two kinds. Some preached Christ out of envy and rivalry (i.e. strife), but others preached Him out of good will (v. 15). Those who preached out of good will did so in love (v. 16), knowing that Paul was in chains because of his defense of the gospel. These “good will” people thought well of Paul and of the gospel message and were dedicated to serving God faithfully.
Those preaching from envy and rivalry were not heretics, since they were preaching Christ. But apparently, they were jealous of the attention Paul received, and they determined to sow seeds of dissension in order to cause him trouble. The word “defense” is the Greek word apologia, also used in verse 7. Paul believed that these envious preachers actually desired to cause him additional problems while he was in prison.
Perhaps the selfish group belonged to the “legalistic” wing of the church that opposed Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles and his emphasis on the grace of God as opposed to obedience to the Jewish Law. Envy and strife go together, just as love and unity go together. Instead of asking, “Have you trusted Christ?” they asked, “Whose side are you on—ours or Paul’s?” Unfortunately, this kind of “religious politics” is still seen today.
Verse 17: The group that preached Christ out of envy and rivalry (v. 15) had selfish ambition (v. 17) as their motive. The term for selfish ambition implies that they did not preach to honor God or to help Paul, but rather to gain applause and followers for themselves (see Phil 2:3). They purposely wanted to stir up trouble for Paul while he was in bondage.
They were probably not Judaizers, as some suppose, because Paul said they were preaching Christ, though insincerely. Paul reemphasized the fact that these Christians were not acting with pure motives (phrase “not sincerely”). The Judaizers believed that keeping the Old Testament Law was a means of salvation. Paul had sternly rebuked them as preachers of “a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6). However, since he did not accuse these in Philippi of presenting “another gospel,” it seems that they were believers who for some unknown reason did not love the apostle or appreciate his work. Though they were doctrinally sound, they promoted themselves.
Verse 18: “What then” is essentially Paul saying, “their motives are between them and God.” Whether the preaching was done for false motives or pure, whether for appearance sake or for the sake of what was right, Paul was pleased that the gospel was being spread. Notice that Paul is not condoning error. He called a curse down on those who corrupt the gospel (Gal 1:6-9). The issue was motive and attitude, not doctrine.
What rejoiced Paul’s heart was that Christ was being preached, even though it was from wrong motives by some (Phil. 1:18). Since the content of the preaching was the same for both groups, the apostle could rejoice. He did not rejoice because there was a faction among members of Christ’s body, for this brought him grief. Instead, it was the preaching of Christ that brought him joy. “Rejoice” means simply “to be glad.” What a contrast is his noble and magnanimous spirit. How did he rejoice rather than grow angry and vengeful? It came from focusing on Jesus (Heb 12:2-3).
Final Thoughts:
Paul was deeply committed to the truth and integrity of the gospel. But in Philippians 1:12-18, Paul credits others who were doing ministry, even though they had impure motives.
This sets an important example for Christians today who feel strong loyalty to their particular tradition or institution. Like Paul, we need to accept and celebrate the fact that other believers with different perspectives and approaches may be helping people and accomplishing tasks that we never could.
When you have the single mind, you look on your critics as another opportunity for the furtherance of the Gospel. Like a faithful soldier, Paul was “set [appointed] for the defense of the Gospel” (v. 17). He was able to rejoice, not in the selfishness of his critics, but in the fact that Christ was being preached! There was no envy in Paul’s heart. It mattered not that some were for him and some were against him. All that mattered was the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!