Philippians 1:12-18

I – Circumstantial Evidence

12-14 – Paul is telling the Philippians that his imprisonment has been a good thing for the cause of Christ.

Why was it a good thing?-  Because Paul used the opportunity to witness to others

One of my favorite Bible characters is King David. David had a lot of trouble in his life. Based on David’s responses to trials in Psalms, what do you think David would have done in Paul’s circumstances?

Psalm 3:7-8

7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
You  have shattered the teeth of the wicked. ⁸Salvation belongs to the LORD;
Your blessing be upon Your people!

When you face trouble, do you respond more like Paul or more like David?

I think we sometimes put too much emphasis on our circumstances and less focus on the eternal consequences of live events. (this is easy to say when things are going well, harder when we are in a prison of difficult circumstances)

II- Those self serving Preachers!

In verses 15-18 Paul talks about some who were preaching the gospel from less than pure motives.

What happens in a church when people in the congregation begin to question the motives of the Pastor?

Paul was rejoicing in the fact that Christ was preached. Does this tell us anything about how to respond to imperfect people who are sharing the message of the gospel?

"The power of the gospel, therefore, does not depend on the character of the preacher."

Gerald Hawthorne (Commentary)

That is good news – That means that even we can share the gospel with others!