““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” (Philippians 1:18)
Paul has just written that the things that had happened to him had actually served to advance the Gospel. Some of the members of the Praetorian Guard had been converted, and those who were already Christians were encouraged (by Paul's courageous stand) to bear a witness for Christ. And there are those who are sincerely preaching the gospel. But there was a darker side to the situation also. Now, we see a second trial that Paul had to endure. He was being attacked from other Christians. In the military we would say he was being threatened by "friendly fire". It’s important to note that whoever these selfish preachers were, they weren’t false prophets or apostates. I don't think Paul would have rejoiced if they were preaching a false Gospel, in Galatians he anathematises, he curses people who are preaching a false Gospel. No, they are true brothers in Christ. Paul says that they took advantage of his imprisonment to preach the gospel for less than noble reasons. They were not anti-Christ. They were anti-Paul. But they were anti-Paul with a vengence. In Paul’s words, they were doing so “thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.”
I love Paul’s triumphant conclusion, "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” He has chosen to rejoice in spite of his critics. Paul’s only concern is the gospel of Christ. As long as people preach Christ, it doesn’t matter what they say about him. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” For Paul, the “main thing” is the gospel. He refused to be diverted by lesser issues such as how certain people felt about him.
How did Paul do it? The answer is not hard to find. He was committed to a cause that was beyond himself. He believed in something that was so great that even after he had given his best effort, there was still much work to done, even by his critics! He believed in the cause so much that it didn’t particularly matter what happened to him personally.
Paul said in Acts 20:24, “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.” Paul’s battle cry was “It doesn’t matter what happens to me!” He didn't really mind what happened to him so long as nothing happened to stop the gospel, because in his understanding the message preached mattered more than the man preaching. Paul was fierce when the gospel was perverted, he was fierce when the unity of the church was threatened, but he was passive when the attacks were personal.
Jonathan Edwards faithfully served his congregation at Northampton, Massachusetts, for almost 24 years. He took a position that a person must profess Christianity before they can take Communion. As a result the church took a vote on the matter and voted 90% to 10% for him to be fired (this was with a wife and 10 kids)! Then, strangely enough, they asked him to stay on and preach until they found a replacement. This he did for 15 months! It is said by one of his contemporaries named David Hall of Edward’s reaction to being so unjustly and harshly fired, “The faithful witness received the shock, unshaken. I never saw the least symptoms of displeasure in his countenance the whole week but he appeared like a man of God, whose happiness was out of reach of his enemies.” I love that statement: “whose happiness was out of reach of his enemies.” Oh for us to live with that kind of attitude in that kind of freedom! This is what happens to a person whose happiness does not depend upon this world, the things of this world, or in the approval of others, but whose supreme happiness is in God alone.
This was the happiness of the apostle Paul who says “in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice”. He gets real joy - why? Because the gospel is being preached! Joy comes when we approach difficult people this way because we realize that the worst thing anyone says about us is still not even close to what could be said about us. In the slander and opposition of others we are reminded of the Gospel of God's grace and forgiveness towards us who apart from His grace are slanderers and opposers of God. That frees us to act in grace towards others. When the gospel is the center of a man’s life, he will default to grace in his dealings with others.
Secondly, because if you believe in a sovereign, loving God who doesn't just put you through life's prisons for kicks but has a purpose has a plan and a design, you can also believe in a God who can overrule human failure and bring people to Christ through it and in spite of it!
Thirdly, our joy is not anchored to the opinion of the crowd or others but the opinion of the Lord. Paul’s says, in 2 Corinthians 5:9,“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” So if I am in jail, my aim is to please Him. If people criticized me, don’t like me, and judge me, my aim is to please Him. Paul didn't care because of the one thing, the great joy of his life, the gospel, was being proclaimed! Remember his purpose? “To testify to the gospel of the grace of God”. Paul lived and breathed, ate and drank, gospel! “Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed.”
In one deft sentence Paul shifts the legitimate interest of the Philippians from himself to the great undeterred purpose of God in history. Perhaps you feel a complete disconnect from Paul. Do you know why we are not gospel centered and blasé about these kinds of things? Because there is a great malaise afflicting the church today called spiritual amnesia. When we have forgotten the greatness of the gospel and what it means to the totality of our lives, our amnesia is flaring up again.
Tozer says, “When it comes to our minds, what we think about God (and I might add His gospel) is the most important thing about us.” Spiritual amnesia means we have forgotten the centrality, the worth, the greatness of the gospel. We have forgotten that the greatest thing in the world is to be saved; how great it is to be saved and rescued from certain death. How great it is to rescue as many as we can with the good news of Jesus Christ. Oh that we would think and feel the preciousness of the gospel! What a difference it makes when we are centered in it.
Every day the gospel’s advance is at stake in your life. When the gospel is in the forefront, there is a seriousness over all of life, there is a sense of urgency in all our endeavors, there is an awareness that everything in my life is about the gospel, there is a flavor of blood earnestness that seasons everything and makes sin feel more sinful, and righteousness feel more righteous, and salvation more awesome and amazing, and life feels more precious, and relationships more profound, and God appears more wonderful, beautiful, and important.
The gospel-It is so full, rich, and wonderful, and all of its treasures are for the enjoyment of the world. Apart from the gospel, there is only guilt, shame, condemnation, judgment, and sorrow. But with the gospel, everything that Paul enjoyed was owing to the gospel. And so Paul rejoiced in a gospel where all the blessings were purchased for him at the cost of the death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and he rejoiced when this same gospel was being proclaimed to lost sinners not only by his friends, but even by his enemies and with the worst of motives.
Paul's example is impressive and clear: Put the advance of the gospel at the center of your aspirations. Get set on fire by the gospel! I pray that Paul’s passion would awaken in you a desire for you to be set on fire by the gospel-even if you are surrounded by people who neither feel nor desire what you desire. Our own comforts, our bruised feelings, our reputations, our misunderstood motives, all of these are insignificant in comparison with the advance and splendor of the gospel. May we gain a single minded passion like Paul when he said in Acts 20:24, “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. One thing mattered to Paul, I will not waste my life, I will not waste my chains and trials, and I will not waste my problems with people. There is too much at stake: Jesus Christ and His wonderful gospel! Oh that we would pray, think, live, dream, plan, and work with this purpose at the forefront of our lives.
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