Things Which Happened

A Block at Alcatraz

The thing is, when I’m writing about a scripture, I tend to read verses and/or chapters around it.  Partly to be certain I’m understanding the context and that I’m seeing what God has in mind for me at the time. Some time back I included Philippians 1:15-18, about Christ being preached – even though the messages appear different.

Back up a few verses, though, and there’s an entirely new thought, though part of the same letter and tied to where Paul was going in this first part of his epistle.

But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; [Philippians 1:12 KJV]

The “things which happened” included being imprisoned in Rome.  How could that apply to “furtherance of the gospel”?

How many prisoners do you listen to?  What message comes from a man who openly stated for years that God chose him to spread the gospel, and that action brought him to chains in Rome?  If such a man wrote to your church, would you believe him?  Or might it be decided that if God wanted Paul out preaching His word, then God should free him.  God did it before, why not now?

By what rationalization did Paul reach the conclusion that God had not abandoned him?  How about the firm believe in God’s ability to provide a peace that really does pass all understanding – until we are in the midst of it and feel His presence.  Paul’s prayer for those at Philippi included that same grace and peace:

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. [Philippians 1:2 KJV]

Philippians is a rather short book, but it contains God’s message through Paul from beginning to end.  It is here we read that Paul wished the church to work together:

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. [Philippians 2:2 KJV]

That love is the commandment that rings through Christ’s message, the love I wrote about the Church.  Decisions to make changes regarding the physical plant that contains the church brings minor disputes.  Those should be cleared simply and easily giving head to Paul’s instructions:

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; [Philippians 2:14-15 KJV]

All things? That’s where we usually run into trouble, being certain there are sides to issues and those must be defined and followed by everyone.  If there are biblical differences, cite chapter and verse for study and discussion.  Our reason for doing so should fall under the desire to be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke.  Isn’t that the reason we chose to follow Jesus as God’s Messiah, our Savior?

Paul looked upon his imprisonment as being a furtherance of the gospel.  We can, too, when Christ is the center of our lives.