Maria Brunner supported their three children by cleaning other people’s houses. Her husband was unemployed and managed to run up a number of unpaid tickets. The bill totaled nearly $5,000. Mr. Brunner kept the tickets a secret from his wife, but as the owner of the vehicle, she was responsible. Maria could not pay the fine, so unless they would come up with the money, she would need to spend three months behind bars.
Maria’s reaction? She said, “I’ve had enough of scraping a living for the family… As long as I get food and a hot shower every day, I don’t mind being sent to jail. I can finally get some rest and relaxation.”
Police reported that when they went to arrest Maria, “she seemed really happy to see us… and repeatedly thanked us for arresting her.” While most people taken into custody hide their heads in shame, Maria “smiled and waved as she was driven off to jail.” (Family of the Week, www.timesonline.co.uk, 5-15-05; www.PreachingToday.com)
Maria was looking for happiness in jail, an unusual place for sure. Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to the book of Philippians, a book about joy in the New Testament. Philippians 1 is where we read that Paul also found joy in Jail.
The book of Philippians is a letter that should be seen as a missionary report sent back to supporting believers at Philippi. It is written much like a typical missionary letter is written today. You know, when a missionary sends a letter back to their partners, to resolve any fears, rekindle hope and stir up support and prayer for the cause. What is the cause?
- Adversity is an Opportunity for the Gospel. (1:12–14).
In vs.12, Paul says, “I want you to know…that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”
Well, what exactly did happen to Paul? Luke tells us at the end of the book of Acts. In Acts 21, Paul is accused and arrested in Jerusalem. In Acts 22, He is nearly mobbed and flogged. In Acts 23, He is struck on the mouth before a Jewish court. In Acts 24, He is transferred to Caesarea under armed guard, because the Jews tried to kill him in Jerusalem. In Acts 25-26, He gets placed in a Caesarean prison for two (2) years, because he refuses to bribe the governor. In Acts 27, He is shipwrecked on his way to Rome, and in Acts 28, He is placed under house arrest in Rome, and guarded by the praetorian guards 24-hours a day, awaiting trial before Caesar.
These are the things that happened to Paul. And yet, through it all, he finds joy (vs.18 says). Why? Because these things have served to “advance the gospel” (vs.12). That word, “advance,” (prokope) is a very interesting word. It literally means, “to strike forward,” it pictures a scout who cuts his way through thick brush to advance those who followed him.
Even though Paul’s imprisonment may have appeared like a setback, it actually served to advance the gospel among those in Rome. That’s great to dwell on because Jesus is Lord even in lock down!
The Lord ordained Paul’s imprisonment in Rome and many people would hear the gospel who would not otherwise have heard it.Furthermore, many of these guards will be significant and influential people, who in the future, have a great impact for God. Although God closes a cold prison door behind Paul, He opens a bold door for the gospel.
A praetorium consists of 9000 soldiers. These are elite troops housed in the emperor’s palace. They are a specialized, handpicked, military group. They were Caesar’s own personal bodyguards—strong, courageous, brilliant, sophisticated, young men—kind of a mixture of West Point and the Secret Service.
A normal duty for the praetorian guard was to protect Caesar and guard the prisoners, who, like Paul, had appealed to him. After their duty, many of them transitioned into other influential careers. Some went on to be the commanding generals of large forces. Others went into public office and became senators or ambassadors to other countries. Still others advanced into the top echelons of business and industry. Importantly, as a group, these guards were the movers and shakers of the future, opinion leaders of the next generation. They were a powerful and strategic group of young men. If you wanted to influence the Roman Empire, you couldn’t pick a better situation or group of people to start with.
Our passage conveys that every day Paul found joy in jail because for two years, one guard had to stay with him. Paul had a “captive” audience with whom he shared Christ, which led to a “chain reaction” of conversions throughout the whole Roman empire.
Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on Philippians, says, “The shifts changed every six hours, which meant that Paul could witness to at least four men each day! Imagine yourself as one of those soldiers, chained to a man who prayed “without ceasing,” who was constantly interviewing people about their spiritual condition, and who was repeatedly writing letters to Christians and churches throughout the Empire! It was not long before some of those soldiers put their faith in Christ. Paul was able to get the Gospel into the elite [Palace] guard, something he could not have done had he been a free man.” (Be Joyful, p.33)
Since Paul was guarded 24 hours a day, the result was that the whole imperial guard heard about Christ, because of his imprisonment (vs.13). and witnessed four books of the bible being written. (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon)
The gospel was preached among the guard and some believed and shared the gospel freely because Paul closed the letter in Philippians 4:21-22 “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.”
“Caesar’s household” meant every person, slaves and freemen alike, and includes guards in his palace on the Palatine Hill at Rome. (biblestudytools.com)
Paul’s Gospel witness helped Christianity to become accepted in the Emperor’s palace and empire. These guards would have a different opinion of Christianity after these encounters.
Paul concludes this section in 1:14 by explaining another way that God worked through his imprisonment: “and that most of the brethren, trusting [having gained confidence] in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.”
More than that, other believers in the empire would be emboldened to speak God’s word, because of Paul’s chains (vs.14). The Greek word for “speak” implies that the word of God has become a part of their every-day conversation.
Paul’s prison sentence brought about greater boldness among the Roman Christians. Rather than laying low and hiding out, these believers felt inspired by Paul’s courage. Consequently, they are standing up boldly for Christ and proclaiming Him in unprecedented fashion.
Do you realize that your commitment to boldly share Christ in the difficult circumstances of your life will embolden others to do the same?
Adversity advances God’s kingdom because the world is all eyes and ears when Christians suffer. They want to know how you will respond. When you trust Christ in the midst of your adversity the gospel advances in and through you. Secondly…
- Adversity reveals our Priorities (1:15–18a).
In the midst of trials and suffering, you find out what is really important to you. Adversity serves as a true gut check. In these verses you will see how Paul’s true passion and priorities reveal themselves.
In 1:15–17 he writes: “Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.”
Paul is clear in 1:15 and 17: these preachers “preach Christ,” but they do so out of “selfish ambition.” First of all, we must recognize that these are not false teachers; they are selfish teachers. The word translated “selfish ambition” (eritheia) was used to describe a selfish worker interested only in his pay or a politician in the self-seeking pursuit of office regardless of means.
Does this make Paul feel bad? NO! He finds joy even in this twist of convictions! Because Christ is preached even if it’s done for poor motives. It doesn’t matter if someone gains popularity, but that’s not what he’s living for. He’s not living for the promotion of himself. He’s living for the proclamation of the Gospel.
I hope that you can think this scenario through with me. Our joy should not be based on what’s happening around us. We need to do a better job to present the gospel for the right motives and be grateful that the gospel advances in other ways.
A person who has joy discovers that no matter what our circumstances…Jesus is Lord. And that means we must stop trying to promote ourselves, and start living to promote Christ.
In 2006, Emanuel returned to his home in West Africa to find police waiting for him. There had been a death in the village, and Emanuel’s name topped the suspect list. So he was cuffed and detained at the police station, where police questioned him well into the night and refused to let him go.
Hours turned into days; days dragged into weeks. He remained at the police station, then was transferred to the main prison in the capital city of Togo in West Africa. He remained there for five years and four days.
Emanuel was innocent.
The main prison was a perilous place. Built to house 500 inmates, but they would pack 1,800 inmates who live and sleep in one cramped, open-air yard. Infectious disease rampant, and many prisoners died, often before they’ve served their sentences.
Emanuel spent half a decade of his life there – always hungry, always scared, always wondering how he, an innocent man, landed in this place.
He said, “Life in prison is so difficult that it’s hard to understand for outsiders: inside people get raped, beaten up, money and possessions get stolen. There’s a lot of violence and pressure.”
However, for years, members of the Bible Society of Togo… would visit the prison, bringing food for the inmates and supplying them with another life-giving gift: the Bible.
For Emanuel, the Bible became a source of life and hope. It inspired him daily to reach out to his fellow inmates, spreading God’s Word through preaching and living out its message. Although Emanuel struggled to understand why he was placed in prison, God began to teach him that his detainment had a purpose: He was there to minister to his fellow inmates.
“I believe in God’s power and God’s Spirit,” Emanuel said, “so I continued my work, because I am not ruled by man.” With his purpose found and forged in the unlikeliest of places, Emanuel thanked God for bringing him to prison.
The day came for Emanuel’s release and after, he struggled to find work and was lost in the business of daily life. He knew something was missing, so he began to return to the prison regularly to visit friends and continue his ministry. Even though he’s no longer a prisoner, Emanuel had respect among the inmates. Inside the walls to those he ministers he is the real, breathing picture of God’s hope. (Benjamin Leama, “Wrongfully Accused”, American Bible Society News, June 22, 2011; http://news.americanbible.org/article/wrongfully-accused; www.PreachingToday.com)
Emanuel found joy in the worst of prisons, when he saw it as an opportunity to advance the Gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ. In fact, he thanked God for bringing him to prison, and you can too!
We start by thanking God for our situation. And then we find joy no matter where we find ourselves when we see it as an opportunity to be a witness for Christ. Like Paul, finding joy in our situations begins by pursuing the advancement of the Gospel, not the advancement of ourselves. Pursue the proclamation of Christ, not the promotion of yourself.
Fortunately, Paul focuses on those preachers who proclaimed the gospel out of love (1:16).
It’s the type of believer that can recognize that Paul was where God wanted him.
The word translated “appointed” (keimai) was a military term indicating a military assignment or orders. In other words, God had assigned Paul to his chains to witness to the guards and eventually to a courtroom appearance before Caesar; God had ordered him there to share the gospel at the highest level in the Roman Empire.
In 1:18a, he closes with some astonishing words: “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.”
The phrase “What then?” means, “What do I say about that?” or even, “So what?” This question refers back to 1:15–17. Paul is essentially saying, “All that I know is the gospel is being proclaimed…it is advancing! And I rejoice!”
His sentiments are that it is better for people with impure motives to preach Christ than they not preach Him at all. After all, “He who is not against you is for you” -Luke 9:50.
Ultimately, he is not concerned with his own reputation, ministry, or situation. Rather, Paul wants the success of the gospel—he longs for it to advance.
Today there are all kinds of issues that can hold us back. The great danger is that we become so passionate or concerned about these issues, we become distracted from the telling and sharing the gospel. But when the gospel is preached, God transforms the culture.
What can we learn about this moment in Paul’s life that applies to us today? Our priority is “to keep the main thing the main thing.” Life does not revolve around just having a happy marriage, or raising the perfect family, making money, or being successful in your job. Life revolves around the gospel of Jesus Christ. For Paul, the “main thing” is the gospel. And in the gospel, Paul will rejoice!
A second priority is to follow Paul’s example and not get caught up criticizing the methods and motives of other ministries. This is counterproductive for several reasons:
(1) Criticism is addictive, because it can turn you away from your own faults and breeds a spirit of self-righteousness and intolerance. I don’t know about you, but I have enough sins and weaknesses to worry about in my own life and ministry.
(2) Criticism diverts an extraordinary amount of time and energy away from the positive proclamation of Christ. There are many Christians who are known for who and what they are against. We ought to be known for Christ and His gospels message of forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
(3) Criticism stirs up divisiveness and disunity before the world. This leads unbelievers to say, “I’d rather be at the bar or the country club where people love me. The church shoots its own wounded and is full of backbiting.” We must be sensitive to this objection and change the world’s perspective. Let us begin by contending for the faith and not with others who are a part of the faith.
As you contend for the faith and proclaim Christ, you can experience joy. It’s been said, “If we see Jesus in our circumstances, then we will see our circumstances in Jesus.”
Paul lived this! Remember, Paul is writing this letter from a Roman prison. Remember, four of Paul’s thirteen letters were written from Rome. Paul would not let himself give way to self-pity. He knows that to have joy in the midst of adversity he must see adversity from an eternal perspective.
So, as we leave today and head into another week of COVID-19 and any other adversity we might face, here is our challenge.
Let’s see adversity as an opportunity to advance the gospel.
Let’s look to how our adversity reveals our priorities in life.
Let the challenge of adversity make us be bold and without fear, to live for Christ.
Let’s rejoice when Christ is preached, here, there or anywhere.
Let’s pray.