After sharing with the
Philippian church concerning those who were preaching the gospel with
various motives while he was in prison, Paul the apostle told those
within the church that he knew their spreading of the good news of
Jesus Christ would lead to his personal salvation through their
prayers and “the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ”. In
chapter one and verse nineteen of the letter to the Philippians, Paul
wrote more about his desire for Christ to be magnified. We read:
According
to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in
nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all
boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be
magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by
death.
The verse begins, “According
to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in
nothing I shall be ashamed,...” Paul
employed the term “earnest expectation”
which means “anxious and persistent expectation” to
describe the manner in which he looked for his salvation. The idea of
“earnest expectation” is like unto one who cranes or lifts
his or her neck in hopes to see someone coming. It was the “hope”,
the expectant “hope” that Paul relied upon, and he stated
that “in nothing I shall be ashamed” which literally means
“to disfigure,to dishonor, to suffuse with shame, make ashamed, or
be ashamed” when it came to Jesus Christ.
The verse goes on to say, “...but
that with all boldness, as always, so
now also Christ shall be magnified in my body,” Paul
desired “all boldness, as always”
or “freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech,openly,
frankly, i.e without concealment, without ambiguity or
circumlocution, without the use of figures and comparisons, free and
fearless confidence, cheerful courage, and assurance” when he spoke
of the hope that may be known in Jesus Christ. Paul stated his desire
when he declared “so now also Christ be magnified in my body”.
Paul did not desire that he
personally be “magnified” which
means “to make great, magnify, to make conspicuous, to deem
or declare great, to esteem highly, to extol, laud, celebrate, to get
glory and praise” but rather that all the glory and honor go to
Jesus Christ.
The
verse continues, “whether it be by life, or by
death.” Paul's level and depth of commitment was shown in this
portion of the verse. Paul knew there was the possibility that he
would live, but it also might be that he would die for the gospel of
Jesus Christ. In either case, “whether it be by life, or by
death” he desired that “Christ be magnified”.
What is
our personal commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are we known
for sharing the gospel “with all boldness, as always”, or
do we shy away from declaring the good news of Jesus? If our lives
were examined would people be able to say “Christ is magnified”
in their lives? As we ponder these words of Paul, perhaps it would
benefit us to examine ourselves to determine “whether it be by
life, or death” that we would share the gospel with a lost and
dying world. May the Lord lead us to boldly proclaim His wonderful
gospel wherever we may be, and may all glory and honor go to Him for
helping us to do so.
Next
time Paul writes one of the greatest verses in the Bible, so read
ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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