Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 7
Identified by Our Location
“ 12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, 14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.”( Phil. 1:12-14)
Reading scripture with fresh eyes impacts you in a greater way than you could have ever imagined. I’ ve read through Philippians many times over the years, even taken tests and written papers on the text, but it is so easy to miss the deeper truth that is embedded in the text.
To understand Paul’ s letter to the Philippians is to understand two things: The first is that Paul is in a Roman prison for the cause of the gospel, and the second is that he dearly loves the believers in Philippi. He makes his love known all throughout this letter.
Jonathan Venable Vestavia Hills, Alabama jonathanbvenable @ gmail. com
It’ s amazing to read this letter and see Paul’ s optimism. It would be easy for him to fall into a state of depression; at one time he was revered as a great religious leader and had everything going for him, but the moment he decided to follow this man named Jesus, he lost it all. Because of his allegiance to Jesus, Paul finds himself in prison. I’ m sure that prison for Paul is way different than the type of prison that we see here in America. I’ m sure Paul was given some food to eat, but his prison was more like what we would see as a torture camp. Rats and other rodents were running around, disease was rampant, and the water was polluted. On top of that, you know it had to be torturing him that he was not able to be out on the streets advancing cause of the gospel. Would the spreading of the good news slow down while he was locked in a cell?
“ We must not be identified by our condition, but by our location in Christ.”
His fear turns into joy when he realizes that his misfortune has really turned into greater success. He notes that his imprisonment for the gospel has become well known and is serving as courage for the believers to speak the Word of God without fear. What could have been a bad situation actually is turning out to be better than Paul could have ever imagined.
I’ m reminded of something that one of my seminary professors once said:“ Don’ t be identified by your condition; be identified by your location.” If we are located in Christ, then we have nothing to fear. So often we let our circumstances and our condition cripple us. I know I’ m guilty of this and have in some ways been battling it over the last few months. I was on track to become a pastor when, in the very last step before going before the leadership board, another pastor slung my name through the mud, calling me unfit not because of anything I had done, but because of my reserved personality. This completely halted the process and prevented me from living into what I Story continued on pg. 8