Paul raises a subject which is as relevant today as it has ever been. He was in jail, awaiting trial for doing something with which society disagreed – preaching the Gospel. Not only was he incarcerated, but he was vilified. He was called things like – “the filth of the world” and the “offscouring of all things” – I Corinthians 4:12. At one point he counted and described how often he was beaten and jailed for preaching Christ.
My question for you is this: “What would it take for YOU to willingly go to jail or to risk your life?” Some people would be willingly to be arrested to keep illegal immigrants from being deported? The total number of arrests for protesting ICE is not available, but there have been hundreds. And how many have been arrested for protesting the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine? I remember in Canada when it was a question about saving baby seals. And some of you can remember people being arrest for trying to save the poor Spotted Owl.
Amplifying that question: “For what would you be willing to risk – or to give – your life?” Your family? Of course. But what if you don’t have a family, as it may have been with Paul? Others? Down through history millions of people have given their lives for their country. What about wealth? If ten million dollars were at stake would you risk your life? Or you are driving the down the road when a cat, or someone’s dog, or a deer runs out in front of you. Would you risk your life to avoid killing an animal.
Would you give your life for freedom or liberty? Paul didn’t. In fact, he willingly sacrificed his liberty for a higher purpose. He made that choice based upon an even more extreme example. Paul’s Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, put it this way, speaking of Himself. “Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” – John 15:13. Christ “GAVE HIMSELF FOR US (and for our sins) that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purity unto himself a peculiar people” – Titus 2:4 and Galatians 1:4. Christ willingly laid down His life to save people’s souls – it was not for His friends, but for His enemies. Romans 5 – “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us… When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son…” Christ was the pattern Paul was following, and it is never wrong to follow the example of the Lord Jesus.
Before I diverge from our scripture, getting into my primary theme this morning…
Let’s analyze what it is that Paul says in these verses.
He has completed his salutation, saying “hello” to his friends back in the city of Philippi, Macedonia. He acknowledged that they had acknowledged he was in Rome awaiting trial before Emperor Nero. This was something which, under the leadership of God, Paul himself had created. He was in Rome willingly. And as far as he was concerned, his arrest was a good thing – because it lead to something special.
Verse 12 – “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.” He says, “Please understand – all that has come on me has been used for the propagation of the gospel.” The theme of these seven verses is not Paul’s arrest; it is the furtherance of the good news of Christ. Paul was willing to go to jail in order that the gospel might be spread. And as he says elsewhere, he would be willing to die, if that would promote the name of the Lord Jesus. Would you be willing to go to jail for blocking Trump’s troops in Portland or protesting them in Chicago? Would you be willing to be arrested for owning what the government calls an “illegal weapon?” Well then how about this: Would you be willing to be beheaded for sharing the good news of Christ in Iraq?
In verse 13 Paul explains what he means. “The things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the FURTHERANCE of the GOSPEL. So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places.” “Because of Christ’s chains around my feet, the name of Christ is being mentioned in the royal palace. And not there only, but throughout the capital city the gospel is being spread.” Perhaps, Paul was even referring to throughout the Roman Empire.
“And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” Was Paul specifically thinking about timid Timothy, or was his vision more broad. Whichever – other evangelists, in hearing about Paul’s willingness to suffer, were becoming more bold in their witness of Christ. Paul wasn’t afraid of jail, or even of death, and others were becoming less afraid to follow his example.
“Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.” It had been reported to Paul that Christians were splitting into two parties when it came to him. Some loved Paul, preaching the way of salvation from sin, exactly as he had been doing. But others didn’t like everything that he taught, and taking advantage of his confinement, they had been preaching their own form of the gospel. They preached out of envy of Paul, striving or debating with his friends about certain points of doctrine. But Paul was simply happy to have others preaching Christ, no matter what the reason might have been.
Some Bible commentators think that those who contended with Paul’s friends were what we call “Judaisers.” The “Judaisers” insisted that converts to Christ had to become Jews to benefit from the Messiah’s sacrifice. But I don’t think so. I don’t think for a moment Paul would have put up with those people. He certainly didn’t in the Book of Galatians. He condemned those Jews who demanded that the Gentiles be circumcised in order to be saved. No, I think it is probably more like the modern squabbles between those who believe in the sovereignty of God versus those who stress the free will of man. I, personally, believe God sovereignly gives certain people repentance and faith to believe on Christ. And I believe that regeneration – spiritual life – precedes peoples’ faith in the Lord. But I was raised among people who taught that spiritually-dead sinners can muster up in themselves the faith necessary to become children of God. One is definitely the Biblical doctrine and the other is not. And, or course, the truth needs to be taught and defended in the appropriate circumstances. But I also believe that if a sinner is urged to repent and trust in the death and blood of the Saviour, then the Lord is glorified, no matter what the preacher believes about sovereign grace.
Paul concludes his thought in this paragraph: “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” If someone preaches the death of Christ as the only atonement for sin, then Paul willingly rejoiced. It doesn’t matter who might say it, but if it is said that the blood which the Son of God shed while hanging on the cross is the only way to be reconciled to God, then we should rejoice that it is being said. Even if the traitor Judas Iscariot had been preaching salvation by grace through faith, then Paul was happy.
Even though Paul is talking about his imprisonment, his real theme is the preaching of Christ’s good news. Verse 12 refers to “the furtherance of the gospel.” Verse 14 – people are “speaking the word without fear.” Verses 15 and 16 – they are “preaching Christ.” Verse 17 – even if he had to spend time in chains, Paul was “set for the defense of the gospel.” And verse 18 – “Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”
Now, taking my cue from Paul, let’s talk about the FURTHERANCE of the GOSPEL.
I’ll define that gospel in a moment, but first… The FURTHERANCE of the gospel is more important than any single individual. It doesn’t matter how eminent that person is; it doesn’t matter if he is the leading evangelist in the world. I’m not going to say it too loudly, but Paul may have been the most important person on earth in 61 AD. He was more important than the most powerful man on earth – Nero, the Roman Emperor. There were no scholars or philosophers at the time who were more critical to humanity than Paul.
But still, the gospel which Paul preached was more important than he was. Because Paul, Nero and every other human being at the time were sinners in the sight of God. And as the Bible clearly declares, “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” – Ezekiel 18. “The wages of sin is death,” and “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” – Romans 3 and 6. The revelation of God tells me that I was born a sinner, and it says the same about you. Because of the sin nature in which were born, we commit sins – some of us more than others. And because we are sinners, we all deserve the eternal judgment of God.
For that same reason – no amount of SUFFERING on Paul’s part was beyond the importance of the gospel. I referred to II Corinthians 11 a few minutes ago. Paul begins in verse 23 saying – “Some people consider themselves ministers of Christ…” Was he thinking about those people who preached Christ out of envy and strife? “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness… If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things concern mind infirmities.” Why Paul? Why would you even bring these things up? If he could talk to us, he’d say, “because, as a minister of Christ, it is my job to endure such things in order to give to Nero, and people of his household – and you – the gospel of God’s saving grace.”
WHAT is that GOSPEL which Paul wanted so much to further?
Here in this letter he doesn’t define it, probably because he was writing to people who knew it quite well. There are dozens of places in the New Testament which we can use to define the gospel. But this morning, I’d like to use just one of them – I Peter 2:21-25. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
The gospel – the good news – begins with very bad news – dark news – terrible news. Peter describes Christ Jesus as being “reviled.” That means people verbally abused Him, calling Him names and ascribing to Him things which were not true. But Peter tells us that but Jesus reviled not again; He didn’t retaliate. That went on throughout His earthly life and even up onto the cross. Matthew tells us that while Christ was crucified, “They that passed by reviled him…” And Mark describes the same scene, saying that the passersby “railed” on Him. They blasphemed Him. This was prophesied 700 years earlier by the prophet Isaiah. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouths, he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers I dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” The context of that verse in Isaiah is clearly talking about Christ’s crucifixion.
Peter says in verse 24 that Jesus’ sufferings were not confined to VERBAL abuse and blasphemy. “Who his own self bare our sins in his OWN BODY on the tree.” His body became a receptacle for pain. Have you ever been severely burned? If you have, then obviously it was your body which felt it. Have you ever had your flesh ripped open by a jagged piece of glass or a dull knife? Have you ever had one of the major bones in your body violently broken? The pain was felt in your body – throughout your entire body. You know what bodily pain is. We know a bit about pain, but none of us have ever experienced the physical agony which Jesus endured. His exceeded ours, because for one reason, it was one thing after – and upon – another.
Isaiah adds some of the details of Jesus’ pain. “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.” To be “wounded” is to have something driven into the flesh; to be gouged or drilled through the skin and into the flesh and muscle. The Lord Jesus had thorns pressed down through the skin on his scalp, stabbing a multitude of nerves. And He had nails bored into his hands and feet. When the second nail was driven into His opposite hand, the pain probably felt twice as bad as the first. But then came the third and possibly a fourth nail. And “He was bruised for our iniquities – our sins.” We have all been bruised at one time or other. A bruise is caused by the breaking, or crushing, of blood vessels underneath the skin. Usually it is little more than a mild irritation and discoloration, but when there is a great deal of blood involved, it causes swelling which intensifies the pain. The more misplaced blood the more pain. Beyond subcutaneous bruises just below the skin, there are second and third degree bruises. These are caused by blood filling muscle tissue or even more deeply around bone. These are far more painful than a slight bruise on the surface of the skin. I am sure that the bruises which my Saviour received were deep and painful.
Isaiah 50:6 prophesies that the back of Christ would be given to the smiters – the beaters. The gospels tell us that the men beating Him were professional soldiers. Even if they didn’t use tools like clubs, they were proficient enough to cause considerable damage and bruising with nothing more than their fists. Matthew 26:67 – “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with palms of their hands…” The word root of the word “buffet” is “fist.” Those brutes not only slapped, but they “fisted,” the Saviour.
But they used more than their hands and fists. The word “smite” is sometimes translated “stripe.” I Peter 2:24 – “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” Bruises don’t usually appear as stripes. They look more like blobs. Perhaps a club at the right angle might cause a stripe-looking bruise, but there is something else. That word points to the fulfilment of Jesus’ own prophecy in Mark 10:24 – “they shall mock (me), and shall SCOURGE (me), and shall spit upon (me), and shall kill (me): and the third day (I) shall rise again.” Jesus’ sufferings at some point included the use of whips. He was flogged or flailed.
Two other things which Isaiah 50:6 prophesies is hair pulling and spitting. “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” It makes perfect sense to picture those hate-filled brutes grabbing Jesus by His beard and yanking His face this way and that, to the point of actually pulling out the hair and the skin underneath. Isaiah said, “His visage (appearance) was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” The Lord’s face was so well beaten that it may have been almost unrecognizable. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not.” “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted.” His soul was in as much pain as His body. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief…”
WHY did He suffer? WHY did Christ endure such grief and pain?
Now we come to the good part of the “good news” – the gospel. Peter tells us in verse 24 – “Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree..” In the sight of God the Father, Jesus picked up and carried our sins while on the cross. But the Bible uses that Greek word “bare” in a special way, and in it is sometimes translated differently. Verse 5 says “Ye also, as lively stone, are build up a spiritual house, and holy priesthood, to OFFER UP spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” The word which Peter uses in verse 24, “bare” is translated in verse 5 as “to offer up.” The idea is to carry an offering to the altar for sacrifice. It is used that way in Hebrews 9:28 : “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Jesus endured the crucifixion, so that He could bear the sins of those He intended to save up to the altar – to make an atonement for sin.
In chapter 3, Peter puts Jesus’ sufferings in another context – “For Christ also hath once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might BRING us to God…” Why did Jesus suffer? Because that was the only way for sinners to be reconciled to God. Our sins have separated us from our Creator, the holy God – Isaiah 59:2. There is nothing that you and I can do to fix that. It is only through the sufferings – the shed blood and the death of the Lord Jesus – that we can be reconciled to God.
Paul, the probable writer of Hebrews addresses the purpose of the Lord’s sufferings in another way. In Hebrews 2:9 he says – “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death…” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator of the angels, became incarnate and lived amidst His creation. In becoming the God/man and a little lower than the angels, He became capable of suffering and death. In fact, He came into this world in order to suffer death. It was His plan from eternity. “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Christ became the captain of salvation through His sufferings. It is because He suffered that He can bestow salvation on those who trust Him. Christ suffered, tasting death in order to bring many sons unto glory, sanctifying them for that purpose. Hebrew 13:12 adds, “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate,” referring to Calvary which was just outside the city of Jerusalem.
Why did Christ Jesus willingly suffer such horrendous abuse and death? To provide salvation – deliverance and forgiveness – for sinners like us. To make us the heirs, or recipients, of salvation perfect through His sufferings. To sanctify them, setting apart those many people He intended to save.
And for WHOM did He suffer these terrible things?
Christ tasted death for every one of those people He saves. He literally bore their sins while on God’s altar. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,” speaking of the wooden cross at Calvary. Then Peter adds, “For ye were as sheep going astray.”
John 10 is Jesus’ great exposition on the Shepherd and His sheep. In that chapter, He declares: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” Later He speaks of those sheep as belonging to Him. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish…” By what right can He give to His sheep eternal life? He can do so, because He suffered and died for them. And as is taught here in Peter and elsewhere: He bore their sins to Calvary – God’s altar. Christ specifically died for each and every one of His sheep.
Conclusion:
Paul was willing to suffer, to be jailed, even to die for the furtherance of this gospel message. In fact, Paul’s sufferings reinforced the importance of that gospel. Not only did Jesus die to provide forgiveness or your sin… But Paul was willing to die that you might hear about the sacrifice which Jesus made on the cross.
The people in Philippi had already heard, believed and received that message of Christ’s sacrifice. And now it is your turn. Paul was willing to suffer for the furtherance of the gospel – that you might hear. If you have ears to hear then you have heard the gospel this morning. Now, won’t you respond to that message? The Lord commands you to repent of your sinfulness before God and put your trust in the Saviour who died on the cross to pay for sin. As the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart this morning, won’t you trust Christ as your Lord and Saviour?