Welcome to the first part of our series, "Piece of Work."
Here is today's text:

(Philippians 1:12-30) And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me. Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

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The Bible Breakdown: Philippians 01.

Overall Commentary: 🌎

The book of Philippians is a joyful letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Philippi, written while he was in prison. It encourages believers to live with humility, unity, and joy in Christ, regardless of circumstances. Paul highlights Jesus as the ultimate example of selfless service and reminds readers that true contentment comes from knowing Him.

There are so many things to enjoy about this book. Here are a few to give context:

The people of Philippi were very loyal to the Roman Empire. Most of the inhabitants were retired military. This is why Paul mentions the courts of Caesar and the military guard.
Paul teaches about joy, contentment, and God doing a work in their lives while sitting in jail.
Philippi was the first church Paul planted in Europe.
The city was named after Alexander the Great's father.
The city's ruins are still available today.

Commentary.

Verse 12-19. He turns our troubles into testimonies.

Verse 12.

"Everything that has happened to me."- Paul is talking about the last half of what eventually became the book of Acts. Paul's arrest, trials, and eventual imprisonment in Rome.

Verse 13-14.

"Palace Guard."- Also known as the Praetorium. These were elite guards who protected Caesar and kept any standing army from invading Italy. They were considered the best of the best.
Paul was chained to a guard every day, with a chain roughly 18 inches long. They were continually traded out.
It's important to realize that confidence in God is contagious. When the people realized that Paul was there for no crime, but for sharing the Gospel, it emboldened the believers to speak out for Jesus.

Verse 15-19.

Paul speaks about people using his circumstances for their gain. For some, it was a chance to find boldness. For others, it was a chance to grab fame. Paul does not care. He cares about the Gospel getting more and more attention.
False teachers- This is very different from what he says in Galatians. In Galatians, there were false teachers spreading a false Gospel. This situation appears to be people preaching sound doctrine, but with bad motivations. While both are regrettable, Paul is willing to allow correct doctrine to come from insincere people.
"Spirit of Jesus Christ"- another name for the Holy Spirit.
"Deliverance"- This likely means his physical deliverance, and it happened. According to history, Paul was released for a short time. However, after the burning of Rome, he was arrested again.

Verse 20-26. He turns our fear into unshakable foundations.

Verse 20.

"Fully expect and hope."- The Greek phrase is something closer to anticipating. It is like someone straining their neck to see something. He says he is excited and expectant to continue his journey of spreading the Gospel.

Verse 21-22.

In this passage, Paul is not saying he has a fatalistic worldview. He is saying the fear of death no longer holds any power over him. He sees life and death as a continual opportunity to be with God. Therefore, there is no fear of what the future holds, because he knows all of life is in God's hands.

Verse 23-26.

"torn between."- The Greek phrase used gives the mental picture of two walls on either side of a road, and you are walking down the middle. Paul is saying both are equal and desirable. He is trying to walk the balance between both.

Verse 27-30. He turns our isolation into harmony.

Verse 27.

"Citizens of Heaven."- The people of Philippi were proud of their Roman citizenship. They would have understood that Paul is saying a citizen must live up to the name they represent. Romans had special rights and privileges as Romans. This also meant they were acting like "Romans." Paul is saying the same thing about Christianity. We have the right to be called Children of God. We must live up to it by following Him.
"Fighting Together."- This would have resonated with the people because the city of Philippi was filled with those who had retired from Roman military service.

Verse 28.

Paul is saying that when people live for something higher, struggle together, and see the world differently, it reminds others what Christianity is truly about.

Verse 29-30.

"The honor of suffering."- This is a hard concept for many because of the aberrant theology that says Christians should not suffer. However, Paul had previously mentioned we are identified with Christ. Suffering is also part of it. We suffer because He did, but never without hope. We know that God uses all things for His glory and our good. Therefore, we suffer with hope.