Advancing the Gospel in the Midst of Adversity (Phil. 1:12-26)

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In John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life, he tells the story of Ruby Eliason and Laura Edwards; probably two names you’ll never hear again. These two women were both in their eighties, and Ruby specifically had been single all her life. They were both members of Bethlehem Baptist Church, which is the church John Piper pastors. In April 2000 while Ruby and Laura were on a mission trip in Cameroon, West Africa serving the poor, the sick, and the unreached, tragedy struck. While they were driving the breaks in their car failed and they drove over a cliff and died instantly.

In the midst of that very difficult situation, when John Piper stood before his congregation, he asked them a very thought provoking: Was this a tragedy?! “Two lives, driven by one great passion, namely, to be spent in unheralded service to the perishing poor for the glory of Jesus Christ”; was this a tragedy, he asked his people?[1] “No,” he said, “that was not a tragedy. That is glory. These lives were not wasted. And these lives were not lost. And he quoted Mark 8:35, where Jesus says, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

These lives were not wasted because they were given in service to Christ and for the sake of his gospel. And the spreading of the gospel must be the center of our lives. It must be our central focus. And Jesus has told us that it would not be easy. Aside from our own personal struggles with fear, timidity, laziness, and overall nonchalant attitude about the gospel, he’s also told us that we would face persecution: If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you (John 15:18). A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you (John 15:20).

Despite these realities of opposition, worldly pressures, family pressures, time constraints, Jesus calls us to live for spreading the gospel. All of this leads us to the central truth we find in this passage:

We are called to advance the gospel in the midst of adversity

As you’ll remember, Paul founded the church at Philippi on his second missionary journey, which is recorded for us in Acts 16. We’re told of the Lord opening Lydia’s heart to the gospel (16:14), followed by Paul and Silas being miraculously freed from their imprisonment and the subsequent conversion of the Philippian jailer.[2] Paul grows to have deep affection for this church; and that feeling is reciprocated by the congregation; they love him because he is their apostle.

So when they find out some years later that Paul is imprisoned and on trial for this life they are concerned about him. Not only are they concerned about him, but they want to see to it that his physical needs are met, so they send a gift to him through a man by the name of Epaphroditus (Phil. 4:18). We’re not told what the gift is, but we do know that the Philippians contributed financially to help Paul in his ministry (Phil. 4:15-16).

But Epaphroditus doesn’t just bring good news; he also has some bad news for Paul. He lets Paul know that there are false teachings being spread by the Judaizers, who are teaching that, in addition to accepting Christ, one must also be circumcised. Paul deals with this in Romans, Galatians, and here in Philippians in the third chapter. In addition to this, the Phillipian church is made up of mostly poor people who are being persecuted for their faith. So with all of this going on, when the Philippians learn that Paul is in imprisoned, they are a bit worried. Their chief concern is about the spread of the gospel. The Phillipians have two worries: 1) What’s going to happen to the gospel if the false teachings continue spread? And 2) What’s going to happen to the spread of the gospel if Paul dies?

Well, Paul writes this letter to the Philippians to encourage them in the faith and to tell them that his imprisonment has not hindered the gospel. In fact, it has done just the opposite; it has caused the gospel to spread.

And that’s what this passage teaches us today: We are called to advance the gospel in the midst of adversity. As we work our way through this passage there are three truths that standout and I want to pass those along to you today. And as we look at them I’m praying that God would raise our affections as high as possible.

1. We must learn to view our adversities as opportunities to advance the gospel (V. 12-18).

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.

Notice what Paul says in verse 12. He writes, I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. What’s happened to Paul is that he has been put into prison. To get the entire context you have to go back and read Acts 21:27ff, where Paul is falsely accused of defiling the temple by bringing a non-Jewish person past the court of the Gentiles into the inner sanctuary. From there Paul awaits trial for two years in Caesarea, only to appeal to Caesar, at which time he is sent to Rome, and that’s where the book of Acts ends. And it’s during that Roman imprisonment when Paul writes to the Philippians.

He knows the Philippians have been worried about him, and he tells them, “Don’t be worried”; this has not hindered the spread of the gospel. In fact, Paul mentions two ways that his imprisonment has actually served to advance the gospel. We find the first reason in verse 13: so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

In other words, “my imprisonment has not hindered the gospel because I’ve been able to witness to the palace guards!” He was able to do this because he was hand-cuffed to a Roman guard. And can you imagine what it must have been like for those guards to be attached to Paul? This is the apostle to the Gentiles! As we know, Paul was a man who was consumed by a passion to spread the gospel. So Paul developed friendships with the prison guards and shared the gospel with them. And many of them became Christians and joined a church. So much so that Paul says at the end of this letter in 4:22: All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. And the Caesar is the Roman emperor (at this time, Nero), and the palace guards work for him.

And Paul had access to them all. For a period of at least two years they had the opportunity to speak to Paul and to see what kind of a person he was. And through this time it became evident by what he said and how he lived that he was not in prison for committing a crime but rather because he was a Christian.

Secondly, Paul’s imprisonment has served to advance the gospel because, v.14:
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.

Do you see what he’s saying here? He’s saying, “Not only has my imprisonment given me the opportunity to share the gospel, but it’s caused others to become more bold in their witness for the gospel! In verse 13 Paul is directly responsible for the advancement of the gospel, and in verse 14 Paul is indirectly responsible.[3] But the question is, “How did this happen?” It happened by other Christians in Rome seeing Paul’s perseverance in the midst of his adversity. Rather than Paul becoming depressed and feeling sorry for himself, and saying, “God, why me? How could you let this happen to me?” I mean, he was hand-cuffed to another human being 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for at least two years—he had absolutely no privacy. Paul trusts in the sovereignty of God, and in the providence of God, he knows God has a plan. Remember, this is the apostle who wrote Romans 8:28! And the Christians in Rome see this and they are emboldened to preach the gospel. So Paul says, “Don’t worry about me; the main thing is the gospel.” Paul’s logic is, “If my imprisonment has caused the spread of the gospel then it’s worth it.” Paul doesn’t care who gets the credit, as long as the gospel is advancing.
In fact, he doesn’t even care if those doing the spreading care much for him. This is what he says in verse 15 and following.

We read, 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 rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

Now, once again, Paul is saying, “It’s not about me, it’s about the gospel.” While what these preachers were saying about Paul is not made explicit, it appears that they were jealous and envious of him. The issue is that their motives were not pure. He doesn’t say anything was wrong with their theology. He refers to them as brothers and says they are preaching Christ; the issue is their motivation. They’re proclaiming Christ in an attempt to afflict Paul in his imprisonment. But Paul says it’s not going to work. And he gives his conclusion in verse 18: What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Can you see Paul’s heart? It’s simply amazing. It’s not about him; it’s all about the glory of God in the advancement of the gospel. Paul didn’t fret about his situation. He viewed his adversity (that is, his imprisonment) as an opportunity to spread the gospel. We have to put ourselves in Paul’s shoes to try to imagine how disappointing his arrest and imprisonment were for him and the other Christians. When Paul is arrested in Acts 21, in the eyes of many his ministry is over, especially since his trial is prolonged for two years. But rather than complaining and blaming God for the situation, he notices that the longer he is in prison the more the gospel is advancing into Roman society.

Paul viewed this unpleasant situation as an opportunity to share his faith. Of course, I think the great illustration of this throughout church history is the life of John Bunyan. He is put in prison for preaching the gospel. He was even told that he could be released from prison if he promised to stop preaching. Bunyan refused and chose to stay in jail. And what did he do while he was in jail? He didn’t sit around and complain. He wrote Pilgrims Progress, one of the greatest Christian classics of all time. What did Bunyan do? He viewed his adversity as an opportunity to advance the gospel. While he was in prison he couldn’t preach. But he wrote a book that would share the Christian faith long after he was gone.

We, like John Bunyan, and like the apostle Paul, must learn to view our adversities as opportunities to advance the gospel.

2. Christ is glorified when we value him more than life (V. 18b-21).

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

The first thing to grasp here is that Paul is giving us another reason why he will rejoice. In the first part of verse 18 Paul says he will rejoice because the gospel is being proclaimed. In the latter half of verse 18 where Paul says, “Yes, and I will rejoice,” he is beginning a new section.
Why is Paul going to rejoice? Because, as he says in verse 19, I know; that’s a strong Greek word there, which means “to know with certainty.” So, what does Paul know with certainty? He tells the Philippian congregation, I know with certainty that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance. Note the connection between Paul’s knowledge of God’s promises, the prayers of the people, and the help of the Holy Spirit (i.e. the Spirit of Jesus Christ). The Holy Spirit is guiding and comforting Paul as only he can.
All of this leads him to know that this will turn out for my deliverance. Now, you should know that this word “Deliverance” is translated elsewhere in the NT as “Salvation.” Because the word can have either meaning it has led to some discussion as to exactly what Paul means here. Is he talking about physical deliverance when he is acquitted? Or is he talking about final salvation and saying that he will not be ashamed when he has to stand before God? Many NT scholars think Paul is intentionally ambiguous here, and that fits the context, because Paul’s point is that it doesn’t matter what happens to him!

Whether he is given life or death, Paul says, Christ will be glorified! So he has rock solid confidence in God. Not only does he know with certainty that this will turn out for his deliverance, but he also says it is his eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. Now, the words “eager expectation and hope” are synonyms and we know that the word “hope” in the Bible means more than wishful thinking; it means a settled conviction. And it’s Paul’s settled conviction that he will not be ashamed. That means he knows that whether he’s standing before the Roman tribunal or before God, he will be vindicated. He will not fail to trust God. Paul is drawing heavily on OT language here, particularly Psalm 34:5-6, where David writes, Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

O if we only knew what Paul was feeling here then we could feel the true weight of these words! So to summarize, here is what Paul is saying: Whether he is released from prison or not, he is confident that through the prayers of the Philippians and through the power of the Holy Spirit, he will be able to endure this situation. Furthermore, Paul is not at all worried if he is sentenced to death, because, as he says in verse 21, For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
And that verse comes right after Paul has just said, “now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”

The word “honored” means “magnified,” “exalted,” or “shown to be magnificent.” What he’s saying here is, whether in life or death, Christ will be magnified and seen as supremely valuable because Paul’s desire that Christ be glorified far outweighs Paul’s desire to live a pain-free life. Since that’s where Paul’s heart is at, death is no threat.

Now, of course, this is simply amazing! And I want to park here for a moment because I believe what Paul is saying here is so important and a truth we as believers need to grasp, myself included. Think about what Paul is saying here: He’s saying death is no threat! You can hear the Philippians saying, “Yes, Paul, in theory I hear what you’re saying, but there is sword hanging over your head and Nero is not afraid to use it!” Nero was the emperor at the time, and he killed many Christians, and was the one who eventually had Paul beheaded.

So the question is, “How can Paul say this? And how can we come to feel the same way where death is not a threat to us?” Because Paul says, “To live is Christ and to die is gain,” and then a few verses later he say, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Really Paul? Far better? Better than all my friends, family, my wife, and better than my 2 month old son? And GOD through the apostle Paul tells us yes!

Now how do we make sense out of these words? I’m taking my answer from John Piper because he says it better than I can and he’s a unique gift to the church. You’ll want to write this down: You and I must learn that death is only a threat to the degree that it frustrates our goals. To say it another way, “Death is fearful to the degree that it threatens to rob you of what you value most. So for Paul, death was no threat because Paul valued Christ most!”

Death didn’t rob Paul of what he valued most. So he wasn’t afraid of the persecutions or of death. In Acts 20 when he’s meeting with the Ephesian elders, Paul says, And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Brother and sisters, we need to pray earnestly for such a heart. May we be like those saints in Revelation 12:11 where it says “they . . . conquered . . . by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives unto death.”

May we not be afraid of death. In Calvin’s Institutes, there’s a section entitled “Against the fear of death!” He writes this:

But monstrous it is that many who boast themselves Christians are gripped by such a great fear of death, rather than a desire for it, that they tremble at the least mention of it, as of something utterly dire and disastrous. Surely, it is no wonder if the natural awareness in us bristles with dread at the mention of our dissolution. But it is wholly unbearable that there is not in Christian hearts any light of piety to overcome and suppress that fear, whatever it is, by a greater consolation. . . . If we should think that through death we are recalled from exile to dwell in . . . the heavenly fatherland, would we get no comfort from this fact?[4]

Yes, we must take comfort in this fact. Not only is it possible glorify God in our lives, but it is also possible to glorify God in our death. How so? By doing what Paul says in this text: Dying in such a way as to know that you are going to a place that is far better, and by viewing death as a gain. I had a professor in Bible College who refused to say Christians died; he’d always say Christians don’t die, they gain eternity. And that’s true.

Now I realize that many of you didn’t come to church today expecting to hear about this, and that’s fine, I understand that. Because the point is, we plan on living a lot longer, Lord willing. But this text isn’t just about dying! Paul says “Christ will be honored in my body . . .” And this is the same apostle who said, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). So this has implications right as we leave this building. Question: How will you magnify Christ this afternoon? In other words, how will you live to show others Christ is more valuable than anything else in your life?

A few more questions: 1) Do you value Christ more than the approval of your family and friends? Are you afraid to tell your family and friends that you are a follower of Christ? If so, then we demonstrate that we value something more than Christ.

Similarly we could ask, Do you value Christ more than your reputation? You want people to think well of you so you downplay your Christian convictions in front of certain people; you don’t want people to make fun of you. That’s a long way off from what Paul says in 1 Cor. 4:13 about how the world saw him and the other apostles. He writes: “We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.”

3. As Christians, we are called to a life of selfless service (V. 22-26).

22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Paul exemplifies what it means to live a life of service. In verses 22-23 Paul shows us his dilemma. He would rather be with Christ and enjoy sweet communion with him! “But,” he says in verse 24, “to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” So if Paul has to decide whether to be with Christ or to serve his brothers and sisters in the faith, what does he choose? He says, “I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith.
Paul’s number one joy was to see people grow up in the Lord. He loved to see people mature in the faith and make progress in their sanctification. He also did this, as he says, for their joy! Paul lived to make people happy in God. And because this was the case Paul knew he was going to stay alive. And he said this was fruitful labor for him. Now the question is, how can Paul say this? Given all that he’s been through in his life—the imprisonments, the beatings, the shipwrecks, the disappointments, the betrayals—how can he say this? And not just Paul, but all of us? With all of the things we face in our own lives, how can we continue in this fallen world? The answer is Phil. 1:21: I want to ask you a serious question: Do you believe this verse? Because if you do it will change the way you see everything in your life.

If to live is Christ and to die is gain, and Christ said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve,” then what kind of life will be evident of Christ’s followers?” We will live in such a way as to show our superior satisfaction in Christ by the giving up of ourselves in service to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to our neighbors.

So it shouldn’t sound shocking to us when Paul says, confronted with the dilemma of either going to be with Christ or staying to serve the Philippians, that he says that’s a no-brainer. I’m going to stay and serve you! Why shouldn’t that sound shocking? Because Paul’s response comes from the overflow of Christ’s work in his life.

Think about it: If to depart and be with Christ is better for Paul but staying with the Philippians is better for them, from what we know of Paul, what would we expect him to say? Paul’s going to give up himself for the sake of his brothers and sisters. Can you see how that’s the overflow of Christ’s work in his life?

He certainly reflects Christ in his behavior. Would it have been better for Jesus to stay in glory with angels worshipping him, where he was in perfect communion with the Spirit and the Father, enjoying perfect bliss, or to come and be born in a feeding trough next to animal feces, to be rejected by his people, to be treated like a criminal and die a death he didn’t deserve? I ask you, what was better for Jesus? It was to stay in glory. But Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that though he was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus said it was his food to do the will of him who sent him (John 4:34).
The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus endured the cross and despised the shame for the joy that was set before him (Heb. 12:2).

The apostle Paul could have lived a somewhat leisurely life as a well respected Jewish rabbi, but after he had encountered the risen Christ he said he counted everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8).

Jesus told us it was possible to gain the world and lose your soul. He also told us that whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matt. 10:39). This is the paradox of the kingdom: those who give away everything in service to Christ find a joy beyond anything they could have found had they pursued joy for joy’s sake.

May we give away everything in service to Christ as view our adversities as opportunities to advance the gospel, live lives of selfless service, and thus demonstrate to the world that value Christ more than anything and anyone else.

[1] John Piper. Don’t Waste Your Life. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2003), 45.
[2] Silva speculates that the jailer may have joined the congregation. See Moises Silva. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Phillipians. Second Edition (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005), 2.
[3] Gordon Fee. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Philippians. (Downers Grove:IVP, 1999), 60.
[4] Institutes, 3.9.5.