The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 37

epcnk of him to their companions, so that it wonld become litcr,dly trnc thflt his bonds wero manifest throughout the whole Prretorian Guard. And not only were they mani- fest, but thoy were mnnifest in Christ, i.e. as endured in the service of Christ, who thus becamo known to the soldiers, in the way set forth by Paul in his teaching, as the Son of God who died for the salvation of all men, and rose from the dead to sit at the right hand of God, and to be the future Judge of all men. And not only were his bonds manifest in Christ throughout the whole Prretorian Guard, but it is ad<lerl, indefinitely, "and to all tbo rest." 'l'hat is to say, through Prretorians and others, many were induced to pay a visit to Paul, and to hear from him an exposition of gospel ,loctrine, according to the concluding wonls of the Acts of the Apostles, "And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him, preach- ing the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him.'' Thus, while Paul's enemies got his mouth stopped in Judroa, they unwittingly became the occasion of his mouth being opened in the city that commanded the world. (2) Increased cowrage in his companions. "And tha~ most of the brethren in the Lord, being c.onfident through my bonds, are more abun- dantly bold to speak the word of God without fear." The sphere of Paul's personal activity was very large, considering that he was a prisoner. It was circumscribed in so far as he was not free to go from place to place throughout the city. His companions made up for this by being feet for him to places where he could not go. They fulfilled for him the word, "How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!" This was true of most of the brethren in the Lord. He excepts a few who, from their general character, were entitled to be called brethren in the Lord, but who had apparently yieldtd to the influence of fear. Of the most of ihose to whom he could hold out the hand of brotherhood, he could say, to their honour, that they got con- fidence through his bonds. The natural effect of these boa.Is was to terrify them, as showing them what they might meet in the service of Christ. But Divine grace malle them to act contrary to their nature, and to be rather the means of imparting courage. 'rhere ie an accumulation of language pointing to imparted courage. They were "more abundantly bold to speak the word of God," i.e. than if Paul had not been in bonds. When their leader was bound they felt that more devolved upon them. They were "more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear." They were raised above thinking of their own safety ; they thought only of the word of God being, in all iUitable places and in all suitable forma, proclaimed. Thus, directly and indirectly, was the apostle's imprisonment, against the intentions of his enemies, a powerful instrument fo the hand of God in advancing Christianity in Rome. 3. More detailed statement in con- nection ..W. the second particular. "Some indeed preach Christ even of envy ancl strife; and eocie also of good will: the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for tbe c?cfence of tJ;e gospel: but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up ~:til.iction for me in my bonds." The first-mentioned class here is not to be identified with the minority of the verse just considered. For they could not be characterized as brethren in the Lord, and then as insincere. But the general class of those who spoke the word being suggested, we are told of some of them that they were actuated with unfriendly feelings towards Paul, and of others of them that they were actuated with friendly feelings. It showed the strength of the gospel movement in Rome, that it drew into it even those who were not friendly to Paul. Their first feeling was that of envy. Who would have thought of Paul becoming an object of envy in his bonds? Yet so it was, to the praise of nn all-wise God, he conducted a movement in Rome from his ".ery prison, personally and by his agents, with so much success that some were drawn rnto the movement from very envy toward him. •rheir further feeling was that of mischief. As Satan, envious of our first parents, desired to destroy their bliss by introducing sin, so they, filled with envy because of the good movement carried on by Paul, desired to destroy it by introducing division. To this badness of motive they did not _add ~adne~s of d-Octrine. If they were Judaists at heart, they did not pui forward Judaism m their teaching. That would have been to have defeated their ends, )n vie,~ of the str_ong Christian charncter of the movement. No, they were more cunnmg. '1 hC:y were talse prophets, inwardly ravening wolves, but they knew to appear in s~eep'_s clot~ing. 'They preached Christ, as the others preached Christ. They wero Pauline m their doctrme; but it was to gain influence, in order to use it for the subvertiug of Paul. The other  32 THE EPISTLE 1'0 1'IiE PHILlPPIANS. [ell. I. 1-30,