Both Ephesians and Philippians were written about 60 AD when Paul was imprisoned. He was in Rome. He loved the people in Philippi. They loved him and they were praying for his release from prison.

Paul was not so much concerned about his freedom as he was about his boldness.The entire first chapter comes to a focus when he says that his concern was “that I will not be ashamed” “whether I live or die” (see 1:20). His chief concern was not to be ashamed “in the day of Jesus Christ” and to finish well.

Handing off the people in Philippi to other leaders and giving them the duty, the responsibility of living lives that bring honor to God, Paul encourages them by the principle that they are not doing the work of spiritual growth; they are not doing the things that effect change and character in them. It is God who is working in them (1:5).

The principle that God is working in them does not mean that their lives will be easy or pain-free. He begins here with the story of his opportunity with the Praetorian Guard in Rome and that, apparently, ALL of them came to Christ. What an amazing thought! That the entire guard heard the Gospel and came to faith through the imprisonment of Paul. Paul shared with the Philippian church that the Gospel has been advanced in Rome, and that he has been defending it against those who were opponents of it. The promise that God is working in you both to do and to will his good pleasure, is tied to the sobering fact that we are called to do difficult things and to submit to circumstances over which we have no control, but God will use us and empower his Word and spread his Gospel through our faithfulness to him who is working in us. This theme goes through 1:20 where Paul flatly states that believing and suffering go hand in hand.

So Paul calls the people for great boldness in their lives (1:14). In 1:13-18 Paul uses a series of comparitives, The Whole, The Rest, Some, Later, Former, Everyway, Pretense, and then Truth. This is a clear way of showing that not everything goes the way we want them to go. But that God is working everywhere and we should be on the lookout for the things that God is doing, and not be surprised if there is opposition or failure, flattery or poor motivations, all the while lining up against faithful, God-filled, obedience, and fruitful people who are God’s workmanship. But in this world there are always, the rest, some, rivalry, and pretense. Be on guard.

Verse 1:17, Paul shares his chief motivation: That Christ is Proclaimed. What a wonderful statement of purpose! Paul rejoices in the proclamation of the Gospel and in it he rejoices.

The prayers of God’s people work together with the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit of God. “Through your prayers and the help of the Spirit” this “will turn out for my deliverance.” The phrase “for my deliverance” is “ἐν τῷ σώματί μου, “for my salvation.” So the deliverance could be his release from prison, that is a kind of salvation. Or it could be his death and faithful testimony about Christ, and that is also a kind of salvation, the Heavenly kind. He wants to be unafraid and full of courage (1:20) for his day of trial.

Paul’s confession

“To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul understands that the Gospel of God is a life and death, Heaven or Hell proposition. There is nothing more important. Nothing is more urgent. Nothing is more wonderful or hopeful than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He can say, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Christ is his life. If he dies he only gains glorious access to his Savior without the impediments of sin.

Are you torn between wanting to die to be with Jesus and wanting to live so you can work harder and harder doing more and more difficult tasks for God? Paul was (1:23).

Practical exhortation.

“Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27). Paul prays that they would not be frightened by anything or anyone. Paul was certainly not afraid. It is fair to say that if you are afraid of anything, there is a deficiency in your faith.

Your have been graced. It has been given to you by Jesus Christ (ὅτι ὑμῖν ἐχαρίσθη τὸ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ). The word “given” is the verbal form of the word “grace” that is so important for the Christian faith. Paul is saying that “It has been graced to you.” “It is by the working of his grace in you… that you should not only believe in him but to suffer for his sake.” (1:29). Grace becomes the power, the reason, the controlling direction within us that allows us to engage in great faith and to endure terrible suffering.

Grace that comes to you works in you. That grace leads you, protects you and delivers you. But it doesn’t keep you safe from conflict, opponents, or suffering. To think otherwise is to have never have read the New Testament. People who believe pay a dear price to be faithful. And they consider the Gospel to be worth their sacrifice and their lives, if need be.