Study on the Book of Philippians
Reverend Michael Mwangi
Senior Pastor, Fedha Church, Kenya Assemblies of God
Philippians 1:19-20 Paul’s confidence in his present circumstances
For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
a) I know that this will turn out for my deliverance: Paul knew that the Lord was in control of all events, even though his imprisonment and impending trial before Caesar and Nero made the situation look pretty dark.
b) Through your prayer: Paul was so confident because he knew that the Philippians prayed for him.
His deliverance in the present situation was connected to the prayer of the Philippians
i. We can hypothetically say that if the Philippians didn’t pray for Paul, then God’s deliverance for Paul would be hindered. It certainly seems that Paul thought this way, and it shows what a serious matter prayer is.
Acts 12:5-12 New International Version (NIV)So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.
John 21:18:23 Peter's death foretold
c) Through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ: However, it was not the prayer of the Philippians in and of itself that would meet Paul’s need. It was the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ that came to Paul through the prayer of the Philippians. Paul’s needs were met by the Spirit of God, but this provision to Paul was brought about by the prayers of the Philippians.
d) My earnest expectation and hope: These are words of faith. Paul mightily trusted God here, and Paul first trusted God that in nothing I shall be ashamed. He believed that God would not cause him to be ashamed or that God would not turn against him in the matter.
i. Though he was in prison and awaiting trial before Caesar, Paul had the confidence that he was in the centre of God’s will. He knew God was not punishing him through the adversity he experienced at the time.
e) Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death: Paul also had this trust and admitted to the Philippians that he might not be released from this present imprisonment, but it might instead result in his martyrdom.
i. Paul lived his life not to preserve and promote himself, but to glorify Jesus Christ. If Jesus should one day decide that Paul could best glorify Him through laying down his life, then Paul would be well pleased by the opportunity.
ii. Even so, this must have hit hard on the Philippians who saw God do so many remarkable miracles of deliverance in Paul’s life among them in Philippi (Acts 16:11-40). It would have been easy for the Philippians to associate God’s glory only with being delivered from one’s problems, not in being delivered amid one’s problems.
iii. It is easy for us to dictate to God how He can and cannot glorify Himself in our lives. Paul wisely left all that up to God
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