Episode 3: Boldly Proclaiming Christ (1:12-26)
What does it look like to exalt Christ in both life and death? Paul both models it, and encourages the Philippians to that end in our next section of our Philippians Bible study.
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What most strikes you about Paul's attitude to the circumstances mentioned?
How do these verses help shape our own attitude towards hard circumstances?
What does it look like to grow in exalting Christ in every part of life at the moment?
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The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy.
Sarah: You're listening to the Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea podcast, a 20 minutes burst of Bible chat over a cup of tea and an English style biscuit as we make our way through a Bible book over the course of the season and drive it to our hearts. Whether you've been listening for a while or have just found us, we are so pleased you're here. Before we get into today's passage in Philippians, we want
to tell you about another Christian Focus Publication, Jesus Strong and Kind, written by Sinclair Ferguson and illustrated by Angela Ruth, is a beautiful book that expands the well known song by Colin Buchanan and City Alight. Ferguson walks his readers through the song using four stories from the Gospels, ultimately enabling children and us to grow both in understanding and awe for the one
who is truly both strong and kind. It's a beautiful book and would make a lovely gift. For more information, head to christianfocus.com
Felicity: Welcome to two sisters and a cup of tea. My name is Felicity and I'm here in the States. I'm here with my sister Sarah. She's in the UK, and we are excited to be getting into the second half of chapter one of Philippians. I've got my cup of Yorkshire tea to hand. Sarah, anything in your cup?
Sarah: Lemon and ginger this morning.
Felicity: Classic. I feel that has become your classic, actually.
Sarah: You think it has. I get through quite a lot of the lemon and ginger these days when.
Felicity: I was in your house recently and you actually have a whole tin for lemon and ginger. I feel so that is significant.
Sarah: Yes. And it's the most used tin. You really migrated.
Felicity: You've migrated into the herbal tea realms, like, for sure, very healthy. Well, alongside our cup of tea. Let's talk about this thing that we were talking about last week, of praying for one another. We were in the prayer in Philippians in this first half and we talked about how we were resolved, or I was particularly resolved. I feel like you've been doing this a bit more of telling people that you're praying for them, which implies at the start that you are actually praying for them.
Sarah: Yes.
Felicity: I feel like in the Christian world we say this quite I'm praying for you, but how do we actually follow through on that? On praying? What's your kind of experience of that? Top tips as to how we actually make sure we do do what we say there, because we see it's important. Any wisdom.
Sarah: I think experience tells me that if I don't pray right there and then with that person, I am more likely to forget to pray. So if I say, I'll pray for you about that, or whatever it is. I do try and pray with them and just say, let's pray right now, whether that's after church on a Sunday, whether that's during the week or on the phone, whatever it is. Just trying to be immediate about that. I think I like rhythm. I like routine. And so trying to partner who I pray for with different habits, kind of regular rhythms and
habits of the day, that helps me. I've also found prayer mates, it's a prayer app to be really helpful, and I've kind of reinvigorated my use of that over the last couple of months, really, since kind of walking through Philippians a bit more. And that just pops up every day with different people in
different kind of categories of my life to be praying for regularly. And then you can jot notes down of how you. How you know what prayers you've been using to pray for those people, that kind of thing. So I think that's kind of. It probably sounds quite disciplined that it's not. But also, I know that if I. I don't have various disciplines in place, I don't pray enough, basically.
Felicity: How about you? Really helpful. I think there's an intentionality there which just really helps with everything, doesn't it? Just actually ending and acting on it. Yeah, I find. I find stopping and praying if I'm on my own, if someone comes to mind that I know I've said that I will pray for or I'm
burdened to pray for, I stop and just pray whatever I'm doing. And I think you're right. And the thing about praying with someone right there and then, which can sometimes feel a bit socially awkward, but actually no one regrets it at the end.
Sarah: You never regret it, do you?
Felicity: So I think that's. Yeah, I've been challenged, and we've had a prayer series at church on kind of how to pray, and that's kind of challenged me on that as well. Just making it a part of normal life to just stop and pray with people. Yeah. Really helpful. Well, Sarah, you're going to read as we get
back into Philippians.
Sarah: We are, yes, I am. So I'm going to read from chapter one, verse twelve to 26 today. Let me read for us now. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I'm in chains for Christmas. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former preach Christ out
of selfish ambition, not sincerely supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. And yes, I will continue to rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and gods provision of the spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I'm to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know. I'm torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this I know that I will remain and I'll continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again, your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
Felicity: Thank you, Sarah. Let's just note to start, I mean, the surprise of what Paul is saying because it all looks like it's gone to pot, really gospel wise, because he's in prison. And you'd think if you're just thinking kind of from a world's perspective, well, that's that then. The main guy's in prison, so it's all over. And in fact he says the exact opposite in verse twelve there. What has happened to me is actually served to advance the gospel. I think you've got two things there. Like the surprise that that is the case, that even though he's in prison, advance of the gospel is happening because you think you need sort of like freedom to get that to happen. But also his perspective on that, like his mindset, is that whatever the circumstances, the main deal is whether the gospel is advancing or is
not, whether Jesus name is being proclaimed.
Sarah: And I think that's what's so clever about this part of the letter and what Paul is trying to do, or what he does do, is that he's telling them about his circumstances, but he's teaching them through it, and he's modelling through it what it looks like to actually put Christ first in all of these different
circumstances. So if we kind of talk through what the different circumstances are, we've got the fact
that we've got to kind of direct hostility to the gospel. He's in prison and it's not good. And that is a direct consequence of preaching the gospel and living for Christ in the way that he has been doing. We've then got rivalry. So if you've got kind of external hostility, you then got kind of inward internal hostility, you've got some rivalry going on. We don't quite know the details, but we know that there's
people who are preaching Christ for different motives. And again, that doesn't look good, does it? Or, yeah, that he's a bit tense. And then we've got from verses 19 to 26, we've got him more explicitly talking about death and the fact that he might not come out alive of prison. He might be sentenced to death here. That is a very real threat and a very real circumstance that he's facing. But as you're saying, in each of these situations, there's no hint of wallowing or self pity. And he drives us forward to think about how. How his mindset focused on Christ actually really changes how he views each of those different circumstances.
Felicity: Yeah, I think that's right. It's literally his prayer outworked, isn't it? So that you may be like, his love for Christ is such. And is abounding in such a way that he has the knowledge and depth of insight to discern that the best way is not dependent upon his circumstances, but dependent upon where the name of Christ is being proclaimed and exalted. And so it's really so challenging. Let's just get it out there. Like you read this and you're like, okay, Paul, I get it, kind of. But it's really intense. Like, how could anyone really say this and really believe it? And this is one of those passages that's got those Philippians verses that get kind of plucked out and put on postcards and things. And I always think when I see that, well, I don't know whether that's really the postcard kind of sentiment, like, to live is Christ is gay. And you just bring.
Sarah: But notice how he does it in verse 19 through their prayers and God's provision of the spirit of Jesus Christ. Like, that's. That's the enabling. So actually, through their partnership of prayer in the gospel, knowing that people are praying for him, and through the spirit, he's able to stand firm and he's able to confidently declare that actually I can exalt Christ in my body in the hard circumstances here or in my body if I die, it is possible to do that. There is a way to live that I can actually say with integrity that I will rejoice in these circumstances. And that is amazing, isn't it, to be able to read that? But it's not just Paul being a superhero Christian, it's people praying for him and the spirit of Christ enabling him to be that way.
Felicity: No, I think that's right. And, you know, if you got out your trusty highlighter and highlighted the repeated words, then you do have Christ, Christ. And rejoice all the way through. And that Christ at the centre of it, Jesus himself, is the means by which the more he beholds Christ, it seems, the more that he is able to. To say this and mean this. And it is the way in which he's describing it.
Everything hangs on knowing Christ.
Sarah: Yeah, I think everything hangs on knowing Christ. But then out of that, he's able to hold everything else a bit more loosely, isn't he? So he's able to hold the fact that he's in prison. He's just like, well, it's all right. Do you know what? Actually, now everyone knows I'm a Christian and I'm actually able to preach to Christ in a bigger way. And people have been given more confidence, or everything's about Christ, knowing Christ. So what does it matter why people are preaching Christ? The fact is they are. And so I'm going to rejoice because Christ is being exalted in that moment as people do that. And so I think I've been struck by he holds fast to Christ, but holds loosely to everything that flows out of that, because it doesn't really matter in that sense.
Felicity: I love that. That's such a good way of thinking about it, and I love that. Then he is free to then be really concerned for the Philippians so that as he holds to Christ, you know, it's amazing what he says, that in verse 25, convinced of this, so convinced that he knows Christ is all about Jesus and his name being exalted. I know that I will remain and I will continue with all of you for your progress
and joy in the faith and that which we've talked about before, this love and affection he has for the Philippians, which is Christ like again, in the way that he is caring for them. He's happy to be poured out for the sake of the Philippians progress and joy in Jesus. And that whole way of thinking, I think that's so helpful, what you're saying, that as we know Christ, then there's freedom then to hold loosely to the circumstance. So as you hold to Christ as we hold fast to him, I don't need to think about myself. I actually can think about others. It's not about selfish ambition, but it's actually about the name of Christ. And so then what does it look like to then outwork that? And, like Jesus, love others sacrificially as a part of that?
Sarah: Yeah, but it's a challenge, isn't it, on our hearts to do that? And just, I think just that kind of the notion of actually, there's different circumstances here, but in each of them, he's boasting in Christ and just kind of as we can, as we try and press that home for ourselves, whatever the circumstances. Can I say that? Can I say that I'm wanting to boast in Christ above all else and that I hold fast to him and not something else as tightly, if that makes sense?
Felicity: No, I think that's exactly it. And as you ask that question, then it begs for me the question, have I seen Christ to be worth all of this? Like, is my view of Jesus right, that I would see that he is worth exalting above all else? And I think then sometimes when applying it to the heart, it's helpful to kind of ask the opposite question, isn't it? So what have I missed about Christ? Which means that I struggle to say that to live is Christ and to die is gain. That's just been a really. That's deeply challenging to consider that, but helpful to then just almost have Christ as a foil. So what is it that is nudging him out of top spot, out of that exaltation spot?
Sarah: Yeah, but I wonder, in the crucible of suffering, that it's distilled all the more clearly, isn't it, when we're going through tough times? You see all the more with clarity, don't you, as to why Christ and the hope of him, knowing him in life, but also after death, is so precious, don't you? And so everything else kind of does begin to fade away and come out of focus in that sense. And I think when life's going well, we often can't see it with such clarity. And I wonder whether Paul's in this situation where from every angle it's not looking great, is it? And so his focus, his lens is sharply focused on the one who gives him joy in the now and joy forevermore in eternity. And so what's to lose? As he then looks around at the triangle of different situations going on, I think when we're in the crucible of suffering, that's where God is at work, isn't it? And that is where he's helping us and refining us and giving us discernment to see that what is best is Christ. And so we can rejoice in him even when
things are really hard.
Felicity: I think that's right. And the suffering and the circumstance and seeing Christ to be exalted above all else then helps us to see, rightly, maybe when we just get a bit tribal about stuff where if people are doing things differently in terms of how they proclaim Christmas and actually that is all that matters. And I think then, as we think how this impacts the way that we pray and the way that we care, I guess, where our hearts are inclined that we would really want to pray for this above all else. I think that's been a heart sort of shift to me, like that. I would really want to pray that Christ's name would be exalted, whatever else is going on.
Sarah: Yeah, big time. And I think also coming back to why Paul is including this here, he's including it to encourage this church family, isn't he? He's including it so that they will remember that it's worth keeping going in the face of opposition. It's worth keeping going if there's disagreements. It's worth keeping going even when death comes. And just that kind of the thread of encouragement and just thinking, actually, yeah. How do we encourage others to that end? How can we encourage others with testimony and with others examples and just kind of even just trying to see where a friend has stood firm through suffering and has kind of held fast to Christ and then being able to say that back to them.
Like, this is how I've seen the Lord at work in you through this season. I don't know whether you've seen all that he's been doing, but let me tell you what an encouragement it's been to me to keep going. Do you know, it's that kind of teaching and modelling with the example, isn't it? That I think is
just really helpful. And Paul's really intentional about doing that here in this part of the letter.
Felicity: I love that. Yeah. Just articulating back to someone the way in which they are partnering with us encouraging.
Sarah: Yeah, that's.
Felicity: That's a really helpful thing to even, just, even just begin to think about how we might. How we might do that with others and even just stopping and thanking God for the ways in which others are encouraging us, even if they don't realize they are, but just simply by keeping going. Yeah. Yeah.
Sarah: Why don't you pray to that end for listing?
Felicity: Yeah. Father God, we thank you so much for the name of Jesus. Thank you that he is worth exalting above all else. Thank you for the way in which Paul shows us that clarity of thinking here, that whatever the circumstances, whatever is going on, even in the midst of suffering, as the name of Jesus is exalted, and that is the right and the good and the best thing. And Father, we long that we
would think this way more. Please encourage us in that. Thank you for the example of others who stand firm in Christ. We pray that we would be having the same mindset, the same perspective as Paul here, whatever our circumstances. And we pray that you'd help us to encourage others in that as well. Please give us just a perspective that overflows, that we would speak this to others, that we
would all be eager to proclaim Christ and to exalt in him above all else. And we pray this in your name. Amen.
Sarah: Amen. Thank you, Felicity. It's really good to get into it, isn't it? I feel like there's a lot. There's a lot here to grapple with. And as ever, this is just the start of a conversation. We are well aware that 20 minutes is just the starter. But who can you get this book, Paul's letter to this church in Philippi
open with? Who can you get Philippians open with? We'd love people to be reading it with friends,
with other women in their church, family, maybe a group of women you get together, or maybe over a kind of WhatsApp text group you can be talking through. What's encouraging you do have a think about that and do share this podcast with anyone you think who would appreciate walking through the book of Philippines together. We look forward to seeing you next Friday for our next episode, where we'll be at the end of chapter one and into chapter two as well. We can't wait to crack on with it, and
we look forward to seeing you then. Bye bye.
Felicity: Bye bye.
Sarah: This episode has been sponsored by Christian Focus.
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