For The Sake Of The Gospel Series

- Now forms of communication weren’t what they are now, but word would have gotten around about this strange prisoner who was influencing the praetorian guard and others around the emperor. So Paul is, on a certain level, reaching a city from a jail house. This is what he means when he writes that his circumstances had actually provided for the advancement of the gospel despite apparent difficulty.

- God can use you no matter what your circumstances are. Paul is proof of that. And not only was Paul being used to influence the influential, as it were, in Rome; he was being used to encourage other believers.

PAUL’S CIRCUMSTANCES ENCOURAGED FELLOW BELIEVERS

- He writes in v.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. Fear is a crippling emotion. When you are afraid of something, or afraid to do something; very few things will convince you to lay that fear aside.

- The first century world was not a friendly place for the new believers in Jesus Christ. The church was constantly being persecuted – both by Jewish and Roman leaders. And no one, however brave they are, wants to be persecuted. No one wants to be harmed or killed because of what they believe. But that is what was going on at the time Paul was writing this letter.

- In fact, persecution started out “small” and over the course of the first few centuries grew to the point where Christians were being burned alive while tied to stakes, crucified as criminals, and thrown to lions. Tradition tells us, and whether this is true or not is up for debate, that Paul was beheaded in Rome.

- So these are some of the things that the Philippians saints feared if they made too much of a nuisance by preaching the gospel. We would all fear these things. But as they watched Paul continue to proclaim the name of Jesus despite imminent danger and the possibility of execution, they began to follow his example. They began to preach boldly, he says, laying their fear aside.

- Had Paul not gone through this imprisonment, these believers never would have been encouraged in this way. So not only was God using Paul despite his circumstances to influence those outside the church – authorities in Rome; he was using Paul to influence those inside the church – other brothers and sisters who were spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

- For us, being afraid to preach or share the gospel is a common occurrence, I’m sure. That is not a commentary on us a church particularly, but a realization that fear and timidity is not a new device of the enemy. In fact, Paul’s dearest protégé struggled with being afraid and ashamed of preaching the gospel. Look at 2 Timothy 1:6-8.

- Paul writes this to the young pastor of the church in Ephesus: For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.