Philippians 1: 12 – 26

Jan. 22, 2022

12But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

13So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

14And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:

16The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

17But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

18What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

19For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20According 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.

21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

23For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

24Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

25And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

26That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

“15Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife;” Paul isn’t referring to false teachers in this verse, but rather about people who have not been trained by him or have heard the Gospel and share it because it has been such a revelation to them.

What I worry about is the internet; YouTube and other sources that present some pretty wild and wooly ideas about Jesus, His teachings, and His Father. Network television as well – I think it would take a miracle of Biblical proportions for a casual viewer to ‘find Jesus’ in a Discovery or History Channel presentation.

I’m reminded of St. Philip, who ‘opened Scripture’ to the questioning eunuch (Acts 8:34-40). When St. Philip saw him reading in his conveyance, he asked if the eunuch understood what he was reading and the eunuch questioned – how can I know unless someone explain the Scriptures for me? My prayer is that for every seeker there is a Christian nearby ready, willing, and able to do just that.

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