Imprisonment in the cause of Christ
Philippians 1:12-14 · Unknown · Feb 4, 2024
Philippians (2021-24), No. 05
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926193436270

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

We're in the Philippians study, I think it's lesson four, and the verses today are verses 12 through 14. Imprisonment in the cause of Christ, Roger gave us that title. Let's read verses one through eight just to begin. Paul and Timothy bond servants of Christ Jesus to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including overseers and deacons, grace to you, peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all. Every time I read that, I think of the times that we need to do that, but also the times that we are doing it, and the times, Lord, that we have joy.

Certainly that's an exhortation. In view of your participation in the gospel from the very first day until now, for I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it. Bring it to maturity until the day of Christ Jesus. For it's only right for me to feel this way about you because I have you in my heart. Since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Now I'd like to read verse 9 through 14. This I pray that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ. Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God, The verses for today here in red are, Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment as the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole Praetorium Guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord, because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.

Let's begin with some observations on chapter 1. We dealt with the salutation in verses 1 and 2. That centers in verse 2, with grace to you, peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In the remainder of the chapter, there are three sections. Verses three through 11 is the thanksgiving and prayer section, centered at verse six. He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Today's verses are part of verse 12 through 18, and it centers on the thought in verse 12, our first verse here. which we're covering today, my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel. And verses 19 through 30 is the third section in the thought there is in verse 21, which we have not covered yet. It's to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Why may that always be the thought in our minds? Some thoughtful questions to be answered personally. Are we thankful for the grace and peace that comes to us from God? Are we content with the beginning of our walk with God alone? Do we realize that there is a goal of perfection maturity that God is moving us toward. And are we aware that He has united us with Christ?

God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son are all involved, that we share and show His glory. some observations on 9 through 11 from last week. This is a prayer of love and it includes these things. Verse 11 sets forth the characteristics of those who produce and the three requests for which Paul prays are that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment. that you may approve the things that are excellent, and that you may be sincere and with offense till the day of Christ. Those who have these characteristics of Christ in their lives, that's characteristics of Christ, will produce fruit. Now I want you to know, brethren, This is verse 12, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel.

In today's lesson, I've sort of taken liberties a little bit, as I did the last time I taught, by asking questions and giving some answers that I observed. Why does this begin with now here? Well, it introduces a new section. We're shifting. The occasion or reason for writing this letter is the opening now. He's going to give that to us. And what do the words I want you to know imply that they do not know? Well, the context shows us They don't know the results of his circumstances. And that's why he wants them to know that.

And to whom is this letter written? Well, it's pretty obvious that the brethren, the saints set apart ones unto God in Philippi for verse one of this chapter. It's important to know that because they're believers. And what's the results that Paul wants them to know? Things that are so important that he wrote this letter with this purpose.

That God has turned his sufferings into the progress of God's plans. To bring progress from the good news of Christ's work. Boy, I'll tell you that's a big statement. A big thing to know is that there is progress from the good news of Christ's work that are in these circumstances that Paul was afflicted with.

And having turned out, the greater adds what information? That the result of Paul's imprisonment were not expected. Interesting that that word that is used behind this is one of surprise. Good came, not bad. The adverb Milan means rather and more and more than ever. It's quite a word, quite an adverb that adds meaning to this.

What verses amplify God's reasons for Paul's suffering? And I did quite a bit of searching on that, but I was able to find that There are 120 other texts that do this same thing, including the very next verse, verse 13 in Philippians. It explains that. And particularly one text, Romans 828, states this principle of God's ways very well. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

I know that that's not much when you look at one whole verse on the basis of what we've been doing in the past. And I'm trying to give us sort of an overview here of the main message. So let's turn to verse 13. So that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard and to everyone else. What does so that do to help us see what God is saying in this verse? Well, it tells us that what follows are the results that God gave from the imprisonment.

It's a transition, isn't it? Are the words in the cause of, in the original text? There's a clue there, it's in italics, isn't it? No, the text only has in Cristo. in or by Christ. And this is significant to note. Does my imprisonment in Christ give us the focus God has made known? Answer is a resounding yes. God is saying that this was Christ's imprisonment of Paul, not Rome's. Man's view is opposite to this. Normally being in jail is for human punishment.

God's view here, however, is to reveal himself in his love message. And more is found in verse 14. This is not positional truth, by the way, even though it says in Christ. This is about God's plan to reveal himself and his ways with us, things he wants us to notice about himself.

So what does has become add to our understanding of this? It's from Genomai to become something that was not before. I had a new page here because I ran out of room. Does well-known give us the focus of has become? Yes, this tells us that God has revealed, and that word is phonoros, made visible, that this imprisonment is different from human normal imprisonment. This is divine. This is something even unbelievers could see was different. This well known is a key to understanding many passages about God's ways with us.

He's constantly been communicating with men about himself. He reveals himself in his creation, doesn't he? All you have to do is look around to know that he exists and he's all-powerful, and that there's an order and a design in everything he makes. And in the scriptures we see him repeatedly showing man his presence. A couple of them here, the star at his birth, the shepherds being told of his birth, and being told where they could go to see him. There are many more. God is a communicator. He is constantly communicating. Well over a hundred verses I found about this.

Where is this Praetorian guard? I found this very interesting in reading through Philippians and seeking an answer. I remember, Bob, when you taught the introduction that you gave the accepted view that the Praetorian guard referred to here was probably in Rome because probably Paul was in prison in Rome. Many assume this is the Roman elite guards of Caesar, especially because the last few verses in Philippians, Caesar's household is used there.

But that's an assumption that became written about by leaders in the Roman church in the early centuries after the Roman church was the state church. But strong evidence here in the text in Philippians 2 indicates that there were several information gathering and giving trips by people associated with Paul and the Philippi believers. In fact, if you read it, the number of trips is about six or seven in that text, leading me to conclude that this may have been the Roman Praetorium, the Roman meeting area in Ephesus, which is about three to five days in journey walking from Philippi. However, the Roman path would be at the minimum weeks, even months.

And six or seven trips would not make sense in that regard. It's just a thought, and it really doesn't change the content that much, except when you think of there was a period mentioned in those verses where they were not able to give, and God enabled them above and beyond to give. It's interesting. Yeah, that's good, Roy.

Looking at verse 14, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear." What's the significance of that word, most, in this verse? Well, it indicates that most, but not all, the believers reacted correctly to Christ's imprisonment of Paul. More about this in next week's lesson, of course. Because there was two kinds of responses to his imprisonment, wasn't there?

A good response and a bad response. Is the word trusting translated consistently in Philippians? It's interesting. No. There are six places that use this word in Philippians. Primarily, it means persuaded, not trust. However, it can be translated trust if the context warrants it. Well, here are the references. There's verse 6 of chapter 1, verse 14, and 25 as well. In chapter 2, verse 24, And then in chapter 3, verses 3 and 4. But in addition, there are 52 uses in the New Testament combined for this word. It's really something. God persuades. He prods us to action.

He arranges circumstances to get us to think. and to act in harmony with his thoughts and his actions so we, like Paul, can rejoice in suffering. Why does God persuade us instead of just making us do his will? Well, his ways are to reveal his glory and his plans to us so that we can look on suffering in preparation for helping others. that he works all things together for good. Circumstances may be good or bad from our old nature's view, but now we have his nature so that we can grow and experience both joy and pain. We know that all he brings our way are for our good and his purposes to be accomplished.

And what is the cause for believers having courage to speak the word without fear? Because courage or boldness or dare is God's gift when we respond to his persuasion positively. When we are, so to speak, goaded by God, We believe him and his strength is revealed through us, encouraged to speak his word without fear.

He is in control and we are his willing instruments, his revealers of his message. Well, that's an overview. The emphasis today is on God giving us joy during all circumstances. Boy, what a big emphasis. As he persuades us to fearlessly speak about his good news, offering all men intimate knowledge of himself and the magnitude of his work of love. This is God's gift to us that we may now live in harmony with God's supreme purpose.

And you'll forgive me, but I've tried to capture it in a few words. that all may acknowledge the perfection of His Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord. I really believe that that is the ultimate goal of God. That at His magnification, every knee will bow in heaven, on the earth, and even the fallen angels and those assigned to punishment that is separation for him forever. Everyone will acknowledge the perfection of his son, our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

Well, the following is a preparation for this lesson. Carefully reading and translating what God has given us in these verses and upon this foundation this lesson has been given. Here's the New American Standard of 1995. Here's the translation that I carefully made.

Now to come to know you are wanting brothers. that these circumstances in respect to me now I'm sorry let me start again now to come to know you I am wanting brothers that these circumstances in respect to me now more than ever are towards progress of the gospel having brought permanent results so that the visible change of me in Christ will become visible to all the Praetorian and to all others.

And also most of the brethren in the Lord are persuaded, because of the imprisonment of me, exceedingly to have courage, boldly, the word, to be speaking. I'll tell you, could say an awful lot about the things that were revealed by looking at these words. Well, let me give the amplification or the expanded translation that Wiest has given us. Now, after mature consideration, my desire is that you gain this knowledge from my experience, namely that the things which are holding me down, those associated with my imprisonment, have come to result rather in the pioneer advance of the good news.

I didn't say anything about that, but that's the purpose of God, isn't it? The advancement of the good news, so that it has become plainly recognized that my shackles, my chains are because of Christ. This recognition of their true meaning existing throughout the whole praetorium guard and among all the rest. And that the great majority of the brethren having come to a state of settled confidence in the Lord, have been influenced by the gentle persuasion of my shackles to take that stick of confidence are more bold, more abundantly bold, fearlessly breaking their silence and speaking the word of God. Tell you, that's something, isn't it? Yes, that's amazing. So Roy, you'll talk about how he got the pioneering. Where did the concept of pioneering advance? Where does that come from? One of the things that that comes from is this was not expected results.

This is the Lord showing us his expected results by imprisoning Paul. Isn't that something? Two things. Number one, that unbelievers and believers would know that his imprisonment was caused by Christ, not Rome. Right. Isn't that something? It is. And the second thing, of course, is that He wanted to give the gift of boldness. The gift of recognizing that Paul's imprisonment was of Christ. And that they could be bold because it is his gift that we suffer with him. That we be misunderstood like he was being misunderstood when he was on the earth. And still is for that matter. That's what we share with him, isn't it?

Well, anyway, I think that that might be an overview of these verses. Say, Roy? Something that impressed me about these passages, the pretariat guards, just imagine that every morning all these guards assembled for their morning briefing, and they said to one guard, Joe, you're going to go see Paul, and you're going to be changed up to him all day. And Joe probably said, no, I don't want to do that.

All Paul ever does is talk about Jesus Christ, Him crucified, buried, and risen again. But on the other hand, many of the other guards who had the duty of protecting Paul they probably became believers. They went out and told the heads of the government that, yes, this is true. And then it became known throughout the whole city that Jesus Christ died, was buried, rose again for the salvation of all. And then the believers in Philippi, who were maybe reluctant to talk about Christ, they suddenly saw how this gospel has been spread all over the place, so they became bold, and they started talking about the gospel.

That's what these three verses, that's impressed on me. And there's also a message here too that I learned is that God is not interested in a celebrity status. It wasn't the fame that was spraying around that he was in prison that was the result here. It wasn't that Paul was being magnified because he was persecuted, no. He was in that message that was spreading both to the unbelievers and believers, that this was an unusual imprisonment, that God was the author of it, that he was a prisoner of Christ.

The believers recognized that they were walking with God, weren't they? And they spoke up. They took that as a mark to be bold for the Lord as well. Anyway, it's sort of the reverse of what verse 13 usually is taken. It's that God wants us to know that this imprisonment was designed by God to, what is it used there in that verse? To advance the gospel. to spread it. And certainly Vitorian Guard and all others did that. Do you know about Paul in prison? He's there because of his allegiance to Jesus Christ. He is the captive of Christ. And by the way, there was no real charge against Paul mentioned here. Nothing. That's another issue, isn't it? Anyway, I appreciate your comments, Bob. I think that that's spot on. By the way, there was a jailer who was born again at Philippi, right? Yes. So he's part of the brethren that this letter is written to. Interesting thought, huh?

I wonder what his message was to the petroleum pit. Anyway, the group that's in charge It must have been quite a conversation, like you said, Bob. It's really something. Let's pray as we close. I guess it's that time, right? We have a few minutes if you want to. Oh, OK. Is there any other comments?

So why do you make it a fact that the bonds and price were manifested in all of the palace? What's your thought about that? I think that the emphasis there is on the manifestation. In this text, that is the purpose of God to manifest or make visible the glory of his son, the glory of our savior, the glory of deity himself. that they would know that Paul's imprisonment was under the control of God, and that he was working to advance the message of God's love. That's what I believe that means. I don't doubt that.

I just was curious about the kind of geographic layout that might have been there. It says, and also in other places, I think it's in italics. I mean, do you have any idea how big the palace was? Is this a one jail room palace? I'm sure it's not, but probably much larger. No, but in every city, both in Caesarea, in Jerusalem, and in the two houses in Jerusalem, one of Pilate and, he escapes me with the other guy's name there. But there were two houses and they became friends at the time of the crucifixion of Christ and they were enemies before, but both of them had a patrolling. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum.

Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum. Petroleum And Philippi, by the way, was a colony of Rome. It had Roman citizenship for its members. Citizens of Philippi were actually citizens of Rome. They had all of the legal rights of Roman citizens.

It's unique in that regard. Anyway, that's another issue. Anything else, questions, observations? I noticed, too, that I didn't realize that there was, you know, so many trips in Chapter 2. Yeah, that's good. And it doesn't make a lot of sense that this was occurring between Philippi and Rome. given the ways that people had to travel. Today, we get on the phone, or we get on the internet, and we get an answer.

But then, to find out about Paul being in prison, it took a while. Somebody had to bring that message. Somebody then had to go back and tell the message. And then somebody had to come and give him a gift to support him. And then they gave him a message and he prayed for them because they were concerned for him.

I mean, that's quite an interaction. Several times back and forth. I'm impressed with how much the Lord loves to show himself, though. Isn't that something? Yeah. Even to folks that are out there on the mountainside watching their sheep at night. He is a communicator to us, isn't he? Not like the other religions of the world where we got to please them here He's already pleased, and he's inviting us to share that pleasure.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this time today. And even though there's a lot to be desired sometimes in the way that we Ultimately, looking at your word, see what you're communicating. That we have your Holy Spirit is such a comfort, Lord. Thank you for him. And thank you, Holy Spirit, for showing us Christ. And thank you, Father, for giving us, through your love, the gift of your only Son, our precious Savior. Thank you for the magnitude and the details of your love.

May we be bold. May we take the gift that you've given us and speak so that your word may be spread abroad effectively here in the neighborhoods, in our church, through the missionaries that we support and that we, like Paul, share the burden that they have. and pray for them, sharing the ministry. We commit unto you the rest of the services today at Holly Hills, and the teaching of your word everywhere, because we're all part of your body, Lord. May there be clarity of thought. May there be clarity of speech. May you be honored. In Christ's name, amen.