Paul loved the Philippian Christians! He started the church, trained these believers in the ways of the Lord, and stayed in touch with them when he embarked on other mission trips. In turn, the Philippians provided Paul with financial help for his ministry. Their gifts enabled the apostle to put away his tent-making tools and dedicate himself full-time to spreading the good news of Jesus. He appreciated this congregation!
No stranger to trials, Paul had suffered a lot for the cause of Christ. Writing this letter as a prisoner of Rome, he considered the end of his life and work. But Paul wasn’t morose; he refers to joy or rejoicing at least 15 times in his letter to the church. He faced incarceration with a positive attitude.
But he wasn’t trying to promote joy in general. Rather, he focused on rejoicing in the midst of suffering for the sake of gospel ministry. With the gospel as his priority, nothing could squelch his joy, not even the threat of death itself.
In this blog series, we’ve been looking at this subject from the perspectives of the apostles Peter and Paul. (Here are the links to posts one and two.) We’re going to continue exploring how Paul handled “the end” as it related to the Philippian saints. To do this, we’ll take a look at a big passage from his letter to the church.
Scripture
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me. 27Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved–and that by God. 29For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” – Philippians 1:20-30
The easiest way to mine the jewels of this passage is to take it one verse at a time. This way, we’ll learn how Paul dealt with difficulties, what advice he gave the Philippians, and how we can apply these principles in our situations.
Verses
Vs. 20 – Paul would feel ashamed of himself if he didn’t exalt Jesus in his life and ministry. It didn’t matter to him whether he lived or died; he cared about glorifying the Lord. Nothing else mattered!
Vs. 21 – Why did he feel this way? What could make Paul so fearless? Because Jesus is his life! And if (when) his time came to an end, he’d stand to gain because he’d finally get to see the One Whom he’d trusted and served for many years. He can’t lose!
Vs. 22 – But if he survived, he’d continue to serve. Paul lived for Jesus, not for himself. So why did he have trouble choosing? Which option would we prefer? Opportunities to minister or the chance to see Christ face-to-face? I know which one I’d pick! And I’m sure the presence of the Lord was Paul’s desire, too.
Vs. 23 – Paul felt pressure because he had to choose between earthly ministry or heavenly glory. He could have both, but not at the same time. He recognized that leaving this world was better for him because he’d be with Jesus at last.
Vs. 24 – But if he stayed and served, the church would be better off.
Vs. 25 – Paul opted to remain with the Philippians for two reasons. One, he chose to. He so valued his brothers and sisters in Christ that he would delay his own blessing for their sake. Two, God willed him to. The result was the church progressing or advancing in the faith (cf. 1:12 about the gospel). This is why we serve the Lord!
Vs. 26 – Paul wanted to be worthy of the church’s boasts of him, that he was a worthy role model of Christian servanthood. Paul exemplifies how to have joy in the midst of ministry suffering. It’s the biggest lesson the apostle communicated to the Philippians.
Vs. 27 – Paul showed the believers how to conduct themselves as citizens of heaven (cf. 3:20) who live on earth. That’s what a Christian is! They can do this by prioritizing the gospel and teaming up to share it with the community. And they don’t need Paul around to do this. Whether he’s with them or not, they’re capable of fulfilling this ministry. This is the end or purpose Paul intended for the Philippians.
Vs. 28 – The word translated “sign” means demonstration or proof. Opposition to our gospel ministry reveals who will suffer judgment and who will enjoy salvation. This is how we handle opposition. We don’t have to take it only as a negative; we can interpret hostility as a tremendous positive. If we’re living for Christ and people oppose us, we should rejoice! It’s proof that we’re His!
Vs. 29 – God gives Christians two blessings: faith in Christ and suffering for Christ. We can’t have one without the other. Jesus is worthy of our trust, even if it costs us a heavy price.
Vs. 30 – Paul did more than tell the Philippians what to do. He was a role model of suffering for Christ in two ways–in the past when he was with them in the city and now in his absence from them in prison.
Application
Paul demonstrates discipleship. The way he’s handling his suffering serves as an example for the Philippians to imitate.
The way we handle the trials of life show us what we value. If we live for ourselves, we’ll react to any perceived threat with defensiveness and urgency. But if our aim is to exalt Jesus, we can handle anything that comes across our path. The joy we experience in promoting the gospel makes our endurance worthwhile.
When the pressure intensifies, it’s understandable if we seek to go home to heaven. We’ve reached our fill of trials and we want to check out!
But we must consider the end of our lives–not just the last moments but also the purpose of our existence. Our dedication to Jesus inspires others to stay faithful to Him. The honor of influencing another person’s walk with Christ motivates us to press on in our service. And that’s a joy that will abide in us forever.
Don’t give up!
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