Discussion Episode #5 A Detailed Look and Warning Into the False Teaching of Easy Believism.

Discussion Episode #5 A Detailed Look and Warning Into the False Teaching of Easy Believism. – Disciple's Direction

The Gospel Is Progressing Because Of Paul’s Imprisonment. EXPOSITION ON THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS study #5 (Philippians 1:12-18)

The heart of Paul has been seen so much already in this great epistle to the Philippian church. We have seen a pastors heart as he desires to see the growth spiritually in these fellow Christians. Paul’s thankfulness, joy and expectation for these Philippians is focused on the fact that these believers have continued in their giving to God for the Gospel. Paul’s message in all of the epistles that he wrote is focused on the fact that he wants the Gospel message to spread and see people get saved. He has no personal goal but is only doing what God has called him to do since that miraculous event of his salvation day on the Damascus road. In this study we will look at how Paul is continually joyful for the fact that the Gospel message is continually being preached by others as well as himself. Paul doesn’t care how this message of the true Gospel is preached as long as there is no distortion of the original message that we are all sinners in need of a Savior. His heart for the spreading of the Gospel will be seen so much in this study and this really continues our look into the heart of Paul and his love for the Lord Jesus. Let’s look now at our first point.

1.The Gospel is spreading even while Paul is in prison.
Look with me at Philippians 1:12-14 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. ¹⁴ And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. We need here a little background to understand what he means when he is saying that what has happened to me. What he is speaking of has to do with what he mentions about his imprisonment. As we discussed in our first study in Philippians, Paul is in prison in Rome. This is his first imprisonment in Rome that we can see some detail about in the book of Acts. It is really in Acts 21:27-36 where you can read of this account of Paul being taken into custody in Jerusalem. In short there was a riot by the Jews because of Paul and therefore the Romans soldiers came and seized him thinking he was the one that started the riot. But because of the Jewish leaders desire to see Paul dead they made accusations about him which led him down the road towards Rome. Paul was a prisoner 2 years in Caesarea in which he was kept in prison because of corrupt politics between the Roman officials and the Jews. They really had no charge against him but refused to release him. That brings us to the point where Paul appeals to Caesar in Acts 25:11. Through the next several chapters in Acts we see Paul traveling towards Rome as a prisoner. It is in this time that we see God lead the way as Paul travels along with others to Rome as a prisoner. We then see the shipwreck that landed them on the island of Malta where Paul gets bit by a viper and survives without any side effects. Then in Acts 28:14b we see Luke says And so we came to Rome.

It was in this time in Rome that Paul writes several letters in which one of them is the letter to the church in Philippi. We see that Paul had some freedom even as a prisoner because they knew that he was no real threat to flee or cause any issues. In fact we see that Acts 28:16 says And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him. This was good for Paul to have this freedom but it was not the way he thought he would come to Rome. In fact we see in the book of Romans in different places his desire to minister to the people in Rome as he planned to continue his travels in that area. He says in Romans 1:9-13 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you ¹⁰ always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. ¹¹ For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— ¹² that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 

Then also at the end of his letter to the Romans he says this in Romans 15:23-25 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, ²⁴ I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵ At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints.

So that gets us up to where we are in what he says to the Philippians here. He is in prison but we will notice that it is not hindering the spreading of the Gospel in fact Paul says in Philippians 1:12b-13 that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

Instead of his imprisonment being a hindrance to his ministry and to the overall spreading of the Gospel we see that he says it is served to advance the gospel. He uses a word that shows that this imprisonment has not only failed to hinder but really has opened up an avenue for the Gospel to spread even more. He use the Greek word prokopé which means advancement by chopping down whatever impedes progress. This is encouraging to Paul and brings him joy simply because he desires for the Gospel message to spread more and more. He continues to show how it is that this hasn’t hindered but really opened up new opportunities. We see again Paul says this in Philippians 1:14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul’s imprisonment did not stop others from sharing the Gospel as I’m afraid many people now would do. Instead this ignited in them a fire to preach and share even more. Again we see that this imprisonment was in Paul’s mind a good thing because the Gospel was being spread due to the boldness of these other people. We know that Paul had some freedom to minister to people while in Rome but it is the fact that others were sharing the Gospel is what gave Paul the joy he had. We see much more of this in our next point.

2.Joy because of the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let’s look now at Philippians 1:15-18 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. Yes, and I will rejoice. As we look at these verses we must keep in mind that Paul is pointing out that in spite of his imprisonment, the Gospel is still progressing and people are being saved. There is no special power inside of Paul other than the Holy Spirit that we as believers all have. Paul was a powerful vessel that God used to spread the Gospel but it is the work of the Spirit as the Gospel is being preached that really has the power to save lost sinners. So Paul points out that there are 2 groups of people that are preaching as he is detained in the Roman prison. First we see Paul says that there are some that preach Christ from envy and rivalry. Sadly these people are true preachers of the Gospel, they are not false teachers or pagan opponents. These people are truly preaching Christ but they have a personal goal to discredit Paul. They look to elevate themselves instead of staying focused on the ministry that they are in involved in and giving glory to God. They are interested in bringing Paul down so they can possibly draw in the crowds and converts. We must notice what Paul says about them, he says they are preaching Christ but they proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. So I believe that they were attacking Paul’s character because of his imprisonment. Paul does not go into detail on what they were saying but I’m sure these people tried to discredit Paul due to the fact that he was now in prison. He had been in jail before, he had been released, he had been persecuted and nearly put to death but now he is in prison and there seems to be no way out. Many people I’m sure were throwing around the idea that Paul must be living in some type of sinful behavior for God to leave him imprisoned for so long.

Paul also mentions that there are those that are preaching Christ from good will. He already mentioned that many brothers have become bold in the proclamation of the Gospel because of his imprisonment. He says here that these brothers preach the Gospel out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. So these other people are preaching the Gospel and not seeking to discredit Paul at all because they know that he is in prison not because of some sin in his life but rather because of his defense of the gospel. This group does not seek to be elevated or to be seen as greater than Paul but sincerely preaches and hopes to see people saved.

What is amazing to me is that Paul may be hurt to some point about those that are slandering his name but he looks past that to the most important aspect of what they are doing. He says in Philippians 1:18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Paul in no way seeks to defend himself nor to retaliate towards these people but what we see is his joy in the fact that no matter if someone is only doing it to make themselves look better than himself or if they are preaching out of genuine love for Christ. We need this in the pulpits in our Christian churches today. We need preachers and teachers that don’t look to point the spotlight on themselves and their ministry. We need people that will preach Christ.

To close this study I want to look at a passage out of 1 Corinthians that really lays out what the Gospel message is. I want you to notice the last verse and how that ties into the fact that again Paul did not care who it was that was sharing this message of the Gospel as long as the true message was being shared and not some distorted message that we see in so many churches today. Read this as the final statement of this part of the study from 1 Corinthians 15:3-11 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. ¹¹ Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Bible Passage For The Day 7-29-2022

Psalm 51:14-17

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

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Bible passage for the day 7-29-2022 – Disciple's Direction