Reflecting on Philippians - Philippians 1:15-18

Paul is very sure that all that matters is the proclamation of Christ. That has become the very grounds of all that he does. Like Jesus himself before him, Paul is not over-concerned about motive, so long as the Good News of God’s Kingdom is getting out there and that can only be done by telling the story of Jesus. He rejoices even when folk are telling about Jesus for the wrong reasons. The clear implication is that God can work through even that. What Paul says here echoes the little incident recorded in Luke 9:49-50 (and also Mark 9:38-40). There the disciples complained to Jesus that someone was doing ‘stuff’ and attributing it to him, suggesting that this person should be stopped, but Jesus rebuts the suggestion. Do not try to stop him …. because whoever is not against you is for you. I wonder if there is something here to remind us of the value of unexpected allies, something to encourage us to work with all people of goodwill, even if we are not quite sure about the origin of their ideas and actions. As Fred B Craddock (Philippians) points out: “the power of the gospel is not contingent upon the motives or feelings of the one preaching. For all the dangers of opening the doors of ministry to charlatans, it must be affirmed that the gospel has its own life and efficacy whether or not there is visceral authentication in the preacher.” Paul thus recognises just how powerful the Gospel is and the fact that it is not dependent upon us, regardless as to how good (or bad) we are in working for God’s Kingdom. The awesome thing is that God chooses to use us, and manages to do so despite our faltering and failing. The crucial thing is simply that Jesus is proclaimed – and the Gospel message will find its way out, regardless of the limitations of the proclaimer.