Reflecting on Philippians - Philippians 1:19-20

Paul here expresses confidence that God can and will work through him in a good way. Paul knows all too well how fallible and unreliable he is. However, through Christ, Paul is a transformed being. The key elements in the working of this change are prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. There is a link with the early part of the chapter (verse 4) where Paul references his praying for the Philippian Christians. Here he mentions the value and power of their prayers for him. I wonder if we take the power of prayer sufficiently seriously. Paul is excited about the possibilities of God’s working through him. I wonder how excited we are about what we might see God doing in and through our lives. Paul is confident about the future and for someone in prison, as he is at this point, that is a big ask. However, the point is that his confidence lies in its being God’s future. Paul here contrasts hope and shame. His hope is in the gospel; and that gives him confidence that he will avoid any sense of shame. F.F. Bruce (Philippians) makes the point clearly: “Personal humiliation is not what Paul fears; he had endured plenty of that already in the service of Christ and was likely to endure more. But he knows that he will in no way be ashamed if Christ be exalted through him …. To proclaim the gospel courageously is the antithesis of being ashamed of it.” I wonder if there are things which bring us shame when that ought not to be the case. I wonder how we deal with being humiliated. I wonder – and this is different – if we are humble at times that call for that approach. Paul lived in a complicated world, as do we. For him, as for us, I am sure that it was frequently difficult to give Gospel priorities (the priorities of God’s Kingdom) the place that they deserved. But to that end he strived.