In Paul’s wonderful letter to the Philippians we find so
many rich and powerful things. Part of this is because of Paul’s long, deep and
very personal relationship with the church at Philippi. It was this church that
was founded after Paul and his companions were diverted by the Holy Spirit to
the region of Macedonia (Acts 16:6-40). This change of plans appears to be the
Holy Spirit pushing them out further in the Great Commission (Acts 1:8). The
early disciples of Jesus Christ were obedient to preach the Gospel in Jerusalem
and Judea and they were persecuted for that. That persecution pushed them
further away from Jerusalem and Judea and into the uttermost parts of the
earth. What if they had been too afraid to answer God’s call to those
regions? That is a question that probably
has many answers. But what we can answer, in a great note of thanksgiving, is
that they did indeed follow that call and the Gospel began its powerful spread
around the world. As the persecutions became more intense, the Holy Spirit taught
the followers of the risen Christ to never waste a crisis by pressing out
further and further.
This is precisely what the Apostle Paul had learned once he
became a believer in Jesus Christ. After his confrontation on the road to
Damascus (Acts 9) by the person of Jesus Christ, he turned wholeheartedly to
preaching and teaching the Gospel. And that led to many instances of persecution,
beatings and multiple imprisonments. By the time he wrote the letter to the
Philippian church, he had experienced so many crises. When he wrote this letter
he was in yet another crisis. He was in prison again—innocent, having appealed his case
to the highest of courts because of his Roman citizenship. But that did not
deter Paul. In many of his prison epistles he identifies himself as a servant
and prisoner of Jesus Christ. Paul learned that every opposition to his
preaching and teaching was because of Jesus—not because Paul was wrong, or
because he was mean, or because he was greedy. Because of what Christ had done
for him, Paul saw himself first as a disciple. His identity was deeply rooted
in his very personal, lively and on-going relationship with his Lord and
Savior. All other identities—preacher, teacher, Roman citizen,
tent-maker—always played second fiddle to his primary identity. That in turn
gave him the ability to reframe any crisis into an opportunity.
Read Philippians
1:1-14.
Paul’s first words to the Philippians are that he was a
servant of Christ. His second word was that his addressees were also part of
that deep and sure identity. They were saints of Jesus Christ covered his God’s
grace and peace.
Since that was settled, he made sure that they were not
wasting their crises. Indeed, they were also experiencing crises. Nero, the
chief persecutor of Christians, was in the peak of his efforts to annihilate
them. Trouble was on every side. Martyrdom was commonplace. And yet, these
saints had kept the faith. They gave to the work of the Gospel. They prayed and
continued to do what Christ had asked of them. And Paul commended them for it
and encouraged them to keep seeing crises as opportunities. There love should
abound more and more! Their discernment should deepen and broaden. Their purity
should continue to be their priority. And they should not be discouraged by
what they saw happening to their beloved leader.
Instead of looking at the prison bars, Paul looked through
them! When we take account of everyone represented in this short letter, we see
a myriad of people that even include the Christians who belong to Caesar’s
household! (4:2-3, 21-22) It can be a very unmindful thing to miss the lists of
people in any New Testament letter. See how he confirms the reach of the Gospel
by simply stating that there are believers now in Caesar’s household? When Paul
was in prison he was under the jurisdiction of the Praetorian Guard. This was
the Roman’s most elite branch of the military. Some believe that there were up
to 6,000 soldiers who did rotations of prison watch. That means, quite
possibly, that during Paul’s multiple years as a prisoner, he most likely
shared the Gospel with many in that mighty military cadre. Certainly, some of
them were converted and then shared that same experience of a relationship with
Jesus Christ with their family and friends. That crisis was not wasted and, indeed,
it was serving to advance the Gospel into the uttermost parts of the
earth.
Then what about servants and workers in those prisons and in
the court systems? Do you think that Paul ignored them? As we read the account
of Paul’s encounters with the Roman legal system (and you are challenged right
now to do so in Acts 16-28), we see that he never wasted an opportunity to
share the Gospel and even all the way up to the highest branches of the
government. What a witness and encouragement to all of the Christian churches
who heard about Paul!
Read Philippians
1:12-26.
Chains that chaffed and cut Paul were not a physical crisis
for him either. That rattling and clanging sound every time he moved was
transformed into joy bells of opportunity. His innocence had become clear to
everyone around him. And beyond that, those Christians who heard his story were
encouraged and emboldened!
Not even internal church strife of jealous preachers could
deter Paul. While he languished in prison, other ministers were poking at his
character, deriding his ministry and trying to garner cults of personality.
Paul’s incredible response comes directly from his personal relationship with
the One who saved him from his sin. It did not matter what other ministers did,
as long as Christ was preached. People seeing the falsehood and opportunistic
nature of some ministers did not destroy the Church! Paul taught the
Philippians that false motives are not a deterrent to people finding Christ. That
crisis was not wasted either!
Verse 18b-26 are some of the most honest, gut-wrenching and
hopeful verses in this letter. Paul was so open and vulnerable. Although the
Holy Spirit continually helped him to transform his apparent crises into opportunities,
we see him wrestle with the weariness of the struggle. After many years of trouble,
it appears that he was weary. It was indeed a struggle and he shared this with
them, which served as an example of how to overcome and be obedient to the Holy
Spirit. Oh, to be with Jesus! And yet, those beloved disciples were still there—younger,
vibrant, willing and able. God taught Paul that they needed encouragement and
guidance. So, he submitted to the perfect will of God and continued to
minister.
We choose joy, as Paul teaches us. We choose to rejoice. We
choose to see the glass half full. We choose, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
not to be deterred by opposition. We see through the prison bars to the far
reaches of the Gospel which sets all people free. This choice comes from one
very clear source—our saving relationship with Jesus Christ. This Person was
Paul’s preeminent reason for everything. To live is Christ and to die is gain!
It is a win-win either way. Every one of our crises can be turned into an
opportunity. Take courage, friends, Christ is the Victor and the sure
foundation. You, too, can never waste a crisis!
M.R. Hyde
Copyright 2019
