Section 7
Paul declares, "For I know that for me this shall turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:19). Salvation here means to magnify Christ by living Him. Thus, Paul says, "According to my earnest expectation and hope that in noth ing I shall be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death" (v. 20). Paul did not expect to be put to shame in anything.
Suppose one of Paul's co-workers visited him in prison and found him anxious, sorrowful, and full of worry. No doubt the one visiting him would have said, "What a shame to see the very apostle who ministered Christ to us so sorrow ful and anxious!" If this had been Paul's situa tion, he would have been put to shame. But Paul magnified Christ. No matter how difficult his circumstances were, he did not have any anxiety. Because Paul was not anxious in anything, he was not put to shame in anything. Instead, Christ was magnified in him.
Paul could magnify Christ because he had forbearance. Even during his imprisonment, Paul had a great deal of forbearance. He considered the churches, he had a proper understanding of