Philippians 1:15-17 15Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but some from good will. 16The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.
As Paul reflects on his ministry and how God has been using him in spite of being imprisoned, he looks at the ministry of others. The purpose for this appears to be to challenge the Philippians to consider their own motives in ministry. He highlights two different motives for the ministry of preaching. The key action in these verses in preaching. This should be interpreted more than what modern people might thing of a Sunday morning sermon. Preaching in the early church was done anytime and anywhere and was simply sharing the gospel with people. There was not a special class of professional Christians called “preachers,” although some may have been gifted in this in a special way. The focus of early Christian preaching was clearly the gospel and what Jesus Christ has accomplished through his death and resurrection. Anything that is to be labeled as “Christian” preaching must focus in some way on the richness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the center and key topic of any Christian preaching.
Paul uses a generic term translated as some (tines) for two types of people. There is no indicator of who these people were but only what they were doing; we only get a glimpse at their motives. This offers the readers a moment to look at their own motives and see what inspires them for sharing the gospel in their contexts. The grammatical structure of these verses also highlights the difference between these two types of people.
The first group preaches Christ from envy and rivalry. Envy (phthonon) can also mean jealousy. It is one of the outcomes of living by the flesh (Galatians 5:21). This type of preaching elevates the speaker and can lead to boasting in self. This motive can be a temptation especially for those who are good communicators. They begin to think of themselves more highly than they ought. Their speaking may become what people like to hear and not what they need to hear. There is nothing wrong with studying how to become a better speaker, but the danger is when we think that preaching is about our ability and not God’s anointing.
Rivalry (eris) is a form of competition driven by selfishness and that often leads to fighting. Bitterness can result because when a person approaches life this way, there is always a winner and loser. The one who preaches the gospel to be the best around may see other preachers as inferior. This rivalry can be a seed that will grow and produce the rotten fruit of a bad example of what it means to live as a Christian. This is another result of sin and self (Romans 1:29). The solution to this type of preaching is to look at the humility of Jesus, which Paul will highlight in 2:5-11. Those who preach this way must consecrate themselves, laying their selfish ambitions and goals on the altar of transformation. They must seek God’s forgiveness and cleansing. God’s response will be a fresh perspective on the gospel and a new urgency to preach it.
Paul makes it clear in verse 17 that both of these motives in preaching are driven by selfish ambition, which is another manifestation of fleshly living (Galatians 5:20). In fact, those who preach this way were actually doing it on purpose to make his life miserable while in prison. Seeing people abuse the gospel for selfish reasons must have been discouraging for Paul. He was giving his life for what others were using to benefit themselves.
The second group helped balance the bad motives of the first group. These people preached Christ out of good will and love. These people wanted to see good things accomplished through their message. This is the attitude of those who stand behind the cross so that people see Jesus and not themselves. They are driven by the burden of love for the lost. They want to make a difference in people’s lives, not to make themselves look good but to lift high Jesus Christ for all to see. These people see the real situation for Paul’s imprisonment because they share the same motive as him. If called upon, they would also willingly suffer for the sake of the gospel. They are motivated by a passion to know Christ and the power of his resurrection (3:10). Nothing can stop this preaching, not even prison or death.
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