Paul Declares for him Life is Christ Part 1
Philippians
1:19-20 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer,
and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 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. KJVNot only did this great Apostle have exceeding joy that the name of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ was preached (even by those who wanted to hurt him), he now declares to these Philippian believers and we believers today that his entire life was Jesus Christ. First, Paul says to them that, “I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:19), that is, the boldness that these Philippian brethren demonstrated in preaching Christ out of love to Him and love for the Apostle Paul seeing that he was confined under Roman guard. The Apostle Paul is certain that their individual and collective prayers for him as a Church would reach the Throne of Grace where our Lord Jesus Christ sits at the Right Hand of God the Father (Colossians 3:1). Paul was equally certain that their prayers would turn to his salvation. This English word salvation Paul uses in his letter here is translated by the Greek word soteria which is used here as a noun meaning rescue or safety (physically or morally): - deliver, health, salvation, save, saving. The context or setting or the way in which Paul uses this word suggest that he was aware of the Church at Philippi praying for his release from Roman captivity. Therefore, Paul knowing the character of the brethren in this Church was confident that he would be one day released from prison, so that he could spend more time with these fellow believers whom he loved dearly as he already had written to them at the beginning of this letter with these words, “For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:8).
Paul was never unaware, uncertain, or unsure of his eternal salvation “in Christ” for this is the man that wrote these words, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39). However, on the other hand Paul knew that this might be his last time in prison before he would be executed and go to be with our Lord Jesus Christ face to face forever (as we will hear him affirm in the next study), therefore, he knows that their prayers will furnish him with a fresh filling of the “Spirit of Jesus Christ” and this happens to be the one and only time anyone uses the words “Spirit of Jesus Christ” altogether. Paul uses the English word “supply” which is translated by the Greek word epichoregia which means to furnish beside, figuratively to aid or contribute, or to minister nourishment unto someone. Paul knew that even if he were not released from the Roman prison, that he would be nourished by a fresh infilling of the “Spirit of Jesus Christ” in him enabling, empowering, and ensuring him of grace and strength to endure whatever harsh treatment in his house, tent, or body would be required for the remainder of his sojourn here on the earth in his current captivity.
Even though we see Paul throughout all of his letters as a mighty man of faith “in Christ”, we also see him as a weak soldier who needed the prayers of other brethren to strengthen him in the battle as we hear him petition the Body of Christ for him with these words, “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.” (Romans 15:30-32). Paul’s assurance of comfort, care, and companionship imparted to him by the supply of the “Spirit of Jesus Christ” was thoroughly as he put it here, “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” (Philippians 1:20). The English phrase “earnest expectation” Paul uses here is translated by one Greek word apokaradokia which is only used twice (2) in the entire New Testament; the other time being Romans 8:19, it means an intense anticipation or an inner groaning waiting for a certain event. The idea Paul has in mind here can picture the pregnancy of a women eagerly and earnestly waiting and anticipating the arrival of the child that has been nourished in her womb for 9 months to be born. Paul has the same intense anticipation that the fresh filling of the “Spirit of Jesus Christ” will furnish him with everything he needs to endure all of his sufferings with patience, persistence, and power to overcome them all. The English phrase Paul uses here referring to Christ in his body “shall be magnified” is translated by one Greek word megaluno meaning to make (or declare) great, that is, increase or (figuratively) extol: - enlarge, magnify, shew great. In other words, Paul saw Christ Jesus our Lord exalted in him if it was Christ will to release him from prison in answer to his prayers and the prayers of the Philippian believers or whether it was Christ will for his house, tent, or body be executed by the Roman Emperor Nero in order that he would come to Heaven with Christ, either case Christ would be enlarged or shown to be great in his body.
My own Personal Note: “Just as the man Saul was so very zealous and eager to persecute Christians during his ignorance or spiritual blindness to Christ being the Messiah during his days as a religious Jew being a ruling member of the Sanhedrin, this new man or new creation Paul is even more zealous for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he could say these words spoken by Job and mean them when he said, ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.’ (Job 13:15), I agree with them both and say the same thing.”
“He had the most confident expectation that God would stand by him, so that he should be enabled, with the utmost liberty of speech, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God; and, should he have the liberty of doing so, he was utterly regardless what the issue might be relative to himself. Whether life or death, was to him perfectly equal, and perfectly indifferent, providing Christ were magnified - His person, nature, doctrine, etc., shown to be, what they really are, most noble, most excellent, most necessary, and most glorious.” Adam Clarke
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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