2. The Gospel Advances outside Prison — despite Ill-will (l:15-18a)
2. The Gospel Advances outside Prison — despite Ill-will (l:15-18a)
15It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of good will. leThe latter1 do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. nThe former preach Christ2 out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up3 trouble for me while I am in chains. I &But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And4 because of this I rejoice.
Most of us know this material so well that we tend to overlook how surprising it is. The preceding sentence gave no inkling whatever of these tensions;5 it simply explained to his friends that his imprisonment has continued the progress of the gospel, both inside and outside the context of his "chains." And they surely know him well enough to appreciate what sheer joy that would be for Paul. But now we discover that this progress has not been without its personal drawbacks. Some who have been emboldened by his imprisonment have become more aggressive in their evangelism precisely because they hope to add to Paul's "affliction" (v. 17). The surprise comes in his large-heartedness about this — not that he could be large-hearted, but that he could be so toward people of a kind whom he elsewhere seems to inveigh so strongly against.6
The paragraph is in two parts: in vv. 15-17 Paul describes, in terms of their motivation, two kinds of evangelism taking place in Rome in response to his imprisonment; in v. 18a he offers his response to all this, namely "joy over the advance of the gospel." The description itself is set forth in a nearly perfect chiasmus:7
A Some preach Christ because of envy and rivalry (v. 15)
Β Others because of good will (v. 15)
B' The latter do so out of love because they know my imprisonment is in behalf of the gospel (v. 16)
A' The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing they are causing affliction in my bonds (v. 17)
The emphasis in this sentence lies with the A-A' clauses, that is, with those who are trying to inflict suffering.8 But even though it smarts personally, Paul will have none of it — the supposed affliction, that is. Rather (v. 18), he rejoices because Christ is proclaimed; for him, "to live is Christ" (v. 21), hence his ability to rejoice. Our dilemma is how to square Paul's attitude toward these people with what he says elsewhere about those who oppose him and his gospel.
15 Paul thus follows the encouraging word of v. 14 with this unexpected note: "It is true that9 some preach Christ10 out of envy and rivalry." Here we face our first difficulty, since these two words11 occur together elsewhere in the vice lists of Gal 5:20-21 and Rom 1:29,12 where Paul describes the behavior of those "who will not inherit the kingdom of God." In 1 Tim 6:4, they appear together again to describe the false teachers, who were probably elders, and therefore former friends:13 their "morbid craving" for controversy stems from "envy and strife." In our text these words express the underlying reason for the newfound boldness of some, which, of course, can only have been directed at Paul personally.14 Jealousy is one of the basest expressions of human fallenness. Out of envy toward Paul, perhaps with a kind of unsavory delight that enjoys kicking an opponent who is down, they now view Paul's imprisonment (evidence of God's judgment?) as their chance to preach Christ "correctly."
On the other hand, there are the others, those whose pure motive is "goodwill."15 They see that Paul can no longer be involved in preaching Christ publicly, so they have stepped in to pick up the slack. Among these we should probably number those whom Paul greets in Rom 16:3-16, many of whom he there applauds for their "hard work in the Lord."
16-17 These two sentences elaborate on v. 15 as to how each group relates to Paul's "chains." Taking them in reverse order, he begins with his friends, those whose motivation16 is "love," in this context referring to love for Paul. Along with the apostle, they understand17 Paul's imprisonment to be appointed by God: "I am put here18 for the defense of the gospel," words that echo v. 7 and anticipate the (apparent) tribunal referred to in vv. 19-20. While those around him are free to "advance the gospel" by preaching Christ, his present role also includes "the defense of the gospel." Thus, these friends among the Roman house churches see their role as filling the gap — with regard to evangelism — for a wounded comrade in arms, as it were, who has been divinely appointed to defend the gospel at the highest level of the empire. It takes the love of Christ, it should be noted further, for one to see another's circumstances through such a prism.
In any case, this surely reflects the heart of Paul's understanding of his ordeal. From the Roman point of view, Paul is on trial over a matter of religio licita — or perhaps of maiestas.19 From his point of view, the gospel itself is on trial, and his imprisonment is a divinely appointed "defense of the gospel" at the highest echelons. And that is exactly where the others have got it wrong. Their "proclaiming20 Christ" is predicated on "selfish ambition,"21 aiming at gain for themselves in a personal battle against Paul; they are therefore preaching Christ, but not "from pure motives." They suppose, incorrectly, that they will "raise up affliction in my bonds." Thus they think in terms of Paul, his imprisonment, and his affliction; he thinks in terms of the gospel, for whose defense he has been appointed. Hence, although they are probably something of an annoyance, they cannot really get at Paul; even their "impurity," Paul recognizes, still advances the gospel!22
But who are these people, or at least, what kind of people are they? Do they relate in any way to the other alleged "opponents" in this letter, especially people mentioned in 1:28-30; 2:21; 3:2; and 3:18-19?23 And how do we reconcile Paul's attitude here with what we find elsewhere? Since nothing in the text directly helps us with these questions, we are left to our own devices — and the suggestions have been many.24 On two matters we can be relatively certain. First, as noted above (on v. 14), they are surely members of the Christian community in the city where Paul is imprisoned.25 Second, and related to the first, they cannot, therefore, be related — in any direct sense, at least — to the other alleged "opponents" who surface in this letter. These people are in Rome (as are those in 2:21); those in 1:27-28 are in Philippi; others are merely warned against (3:2) or wept over (3:18), but are not located geographically.
Of the various answers to the questions of "Who?" or "What kind of?" the best guess is that which takes seriously that this letter comes from Rome, and that Paul has therefore reached his desired goal expressed in a letter to this church some five or more years earlier (Rom 1:13; 15:23) — although under considerably different conditions than he had hoped for! In that letter he addressed some of the internal struggles, most likely related to the existence of several house churches,26 which he knew existed even then in the church in Rome. At issue was Jew and Gentile acceptance of one another in the same body of Christ. His letter to them in effect tried to do two things: to get Jewish Christians to see how Christ brought an end to Torah as a means of relating to God; and to get the Gentiles to moderate their behavior toward the Jewish believers on matters that did not count. Hence most of the letter is written from the perspective of the apostle to the Gentiles, trying to persuade that Christ and the Spirit have brought an end to the significance of Jewish identity markers; yet the paraenetic sections, especially 14:1-15:13, are written from the perspective of the Gentiles with regard to their acceptance of Jews.27
One can make a great deal of sense of this present material, if on arriving in Rome he found that his letter had not been totally successful. The Jewish Christian element, glad for concessions about food, are less convinced that food (and circumcision) have nothing to do with the kingdom of God (Rom 14:17). Since this is not Paul's church (as one he founded), they owe him nothing, as it were. His presence in Rome under house arrest has given them new energy for evangelism, in part at least over against Paul's understanding of the gospel.28 Nonetheless, Paul recognizes that they are indeed preaching Christ, but out of jealousy and partisanship. While this obviously disappoints him, it still causes rejoicing because the gospel is being preached.
This would also explain the more difficult — and tenuous — question as to how he can rejoice in their preaching when he so roundly scores "opponents" in other contexts. All of Paul's strong language against "opponents," it should be noted, including 3:2 in this letter, is directed toward those who invade his Gentile churches and insist on their conforming to basic Jewish identity markers (circumcision, food laws, observance of days). But not all who might oppose Paul on the matter of Gentiles' not keeping Torah should be thought of as "Judaizers" in this sense (of invading Paul's churches to make "converts"); nor should one think that just because some who strongly disagree with him have not invaded his churches with their point of view that they thereby would consider themselves as his friends. Such people, especially in a city where Paul is well known but not by face, could easily be stirred up by Paul's present imprisonment to preach Christ — from their point of view, of course — out of envy and selfish ambition over against Paul.
Toward such people29 Paul could easily take a more moderate stance.
To use the vernacular, it is the difference between genuine evangelism and "sheep stealing." Gal 2:6-10 makes clear that Paul recognizes, and accepts, differences of opinion within the larger circle of Christian faith. The agreement hammered out there finally took the form of "spheres of influence." Not for a moment, therefore, would Paul reject circumcision for boys born into Jewish Christian homes. He was, after all, "to the Jew as a Jew." What he finds intolerable are those who enter his turf (the Gentile mission) and insist on Gentile submission to Jewish ways.30 Thus, from his perspective what is currently taking place in Rome is not the same as what "the mutilators of the flesh" (3:2) have been about in Galatia and elsewhere. The latter are "sheep stealers," pure and simple; they are not trying to make converts to Christ, but to make "Jews" out of Gentiles who are already believers in Christ. Those to whom Paul is here referring are involved in evangelism, as the language of the present passage verifies.31 If that means they see themselves as being in the right over against Paul, that matters little to him, because he really believes, in ways sometimes difficult for us to comprehend, that "neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only the new creation" (Gal 6:15). In any case, whether this is the correct reconstruction or not, these sentences together make it clear that Paul can distance himself personally from the pain some would inflict on him and that, despite their motivation, he can rejoice because the gospel is advancing — evangelism is taking place in Rome as the direct result of his incarceration.
A final contextual word. Very likely the reason for Paul's including these words here is for the most part related to the situation in Philippi, where they too are undergoing some internal unrest. Thus, as Paul now writes to Philippi, he does so in light of the local situation in Rome.32 In 1:27 he exhorts them to "contend for the gospel in one Spirit as one person"; in 2:3 he urges that they "do nothing from selfish ambition"; in 2:13 he reminds them that God is at work in you "both to will and to act according to his 'goodwill' "; and in 2:21 he remembers again that some "look out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." It seems reasonable to suppose that some strife on the local scene has heightened his concern for the situation in Philippi. Thus with vv. 15-17 Paul anticipates the exhortations of 1:27-2:16 and 4:2-3.
18 Here is the evidence that vv. 15-17 in some ways have been something of an aside for (probably) paradigmatic reasons. Paul began this paragraph by explaining that the net fallout of his imprisonment has been to advance the gospel. That, and that alone, is the cause of his joy:33 "Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice." His joy is not over his imprisonment as such; that kind of morbid "thanking God for all things" lies outside Paul's own theological perspective. No, the pain is there, and some are indeed preaching Christ "from false motives."34 Paul's joy lies with his perspective— his ability to see every pirouette both for its own beauty and for its place in the whole dance. He had long desired to come to Rome, so that he might share with the Roman believers his understanding of the gospel and proclaim Christ to those who do not know him (Rom 1:11-14; cf. 15:23). Now he is there, although in circumstances not of his own choosing. But even so, neither are these circumstances a cause for complaint, but for joy, because God in his own wisdom is carrying out his purposes, even through Paul's imprisonment.
But to get to this expression of joy, which could easily have followed v. 14, he instead goes by way of vv. 15-17. Without doubt the newly emboldened, fearless preaching of the gospel by his friends was cause for joy under any circumstances. What he wants the Philippians to hear is that the preaching which intended as one of its side affects to afflict him is also a cause for joy. Thus, "but35 what does it matter?" What counts36 "is that in every way" — and now he inserts by way of vv. 15-17, "whether from false motive or true"— "Christ is proclaimed." Once again, Paul's focus is on evangelism — on Christ as God's good news for all, and therefore to be proclaimed to all. That people are hearing the good news about Christ is also good news for Paul, hence he concludes, "and in this I rejoice."
In 2:17-18 Paul will encourage the Philippians to rejoice with him, even if it means that his present circumstances are a form of "libation," a sacrifice poured out to God on their behalf. Here he anticipates that exhortation by offering himself as a pattern for them to follow.37
It would be easy to dismiss this passage (vv. 12-18a) either as anecdotal narrative or as Paul's simply putting the best possible face on a bad situation. But that would be to miss too much. Paul can write things like this because, first, his theology is in good order. He has learned by the grace of God to see everything from the divine perspective. This is not wishfulness, but deep conviction — that God had worked out his own divine intentions through the death and resurrection of Christ, and that by his Spirit he is carrying them out in the world through the church, and therefore through both himself and others. It is not that Paul is too heavenly minded to be in touch with reality, or that he sees things through rosy-tinted glasses. Rather, he sees everything in light of the bigger picture; and in that bigger picture, fully emblazoned on our screen at Calvary, there is nothing that does not fit, even if it means suffering and death on the way to resurrection. Such theology dominates this letter in every part; we should not be surprised that it surfaces at the outset, even in this brief narrative.
Second, and related to the first, Paul is a man of a single passion: Christ and the gospel. Everything is to be seen and done in light of Christ. For him both life and death mean Christ. His is the passion of the single-minded person who has been "apprehended by Christ," as he will tell the Philippians in 3:12-14.
Third, Paul's passion for Christ led him to an understanding of dis-cipleship in which the disciple took up a cross to follow his Lord. Discipleship, therefore, meant "to participate in the sufferings of Christ" (3:10-11), to be ready to be poured out as a drink offering in ministry for the sake of others (2:17). His imprisonment belongs to those trials for which "we were destined" (1 Thess 3:3), and thus come as no surprise.
Interestingly, these three theological realities are what also make for Paul's largeness of heart. True, he lacks the kind of "largeness" for which religious pluraliste contend. Is that because such pluraliste have not been apprehended by Christ and the gospel, as God's thing — his only thing — on behalf of our fallen world? Unfortunately, such pluralism often has very little tolerance for the Pauls of this world. Tolerance seems easier to one's left than to one's right! But in Paul's case it is his theological convictions that lead both to his theological narrowness, on the one hand, and to his large-hearted-ness within those convictions, on the other — precisely because he recognizes the gospel for what it is: God's thing, not his own. And that, it should be added, also stands quite over against many others who think of themselves as in Paul's train, but whose passion for the gospel seems all too often a passion for their own "correct" view of things.
At stake for the Philippians — and for us, I would venture — is the admonition finally made explicit in 4:9: to put into practice for ourselves what we hear and see in Paul, as well as what we have learned and have received by way of his teaching.
1. Against all the early evidence (Ρ46 Ν A Β D* F G Ρ 33 81 365 1175 1739 1881 latt co), the later MajT (including Ψ syh) has transposed vv. 16-17, so that the two follow-up sentences to v. 15 follow the same order as they appear there. There is nothing inherently better, or "more difficult," about one reading or the other — although the secondary text climaxes both sentences on the positive note of good will and love, while the original text appears as a form of chiasmus (see p. 118 below). This is one of the few major transpositions of this kind in the textual transmission of the Pauline corpus.
2. There is textual variation between τον Χριστόν ("the Christ" [Ρ46 Κ A D Maj]) and simply Χριστόν ("Christ" [B F G Ψ 1739 1881 pc]). The omission is probably secondary; in any case, the articular usage in v. 15 (where Christ is the object, as here) and the nonarticular usage in v. 18 (where Christ is the subject) indicate that the presence or absence of the article carries no significance.
3. In place of the original έγείρειν ("raise up, lift up, erect, stir up" [one of the verbs for resurrection in the NT]), read by the earliest and best evidence (Χ A Β D* F G Ρ 33 1739 1881 pc latt co), the later MajT reads έπιφέρειν ("bring upon, inflict"). This is secondary by the very fact that had such an appropriate verb as έπιφερειν been in the text originally, one cannot imagine the circumstances whereby it would have been changed (so early and so often) to a verb like έγείρειν, which would scarcely be the first to come to a copyist's mind under any circumstances.
4. The earliest witness to the Pauline corpus, P46, supported by some MSS of the Bohairic version, insert an άλλά ("but") before the και, with which this clause begins. This is secondary on all counts, and probably is a simple error of sight, where the scribe's eye picked up the beginning of the next sentence (v. 18c) when copying this one.
5. Indeed, some earlier interpreters (e.g., Ellicott, Meyer, Kennedy, Vincent) argue that people who preach out of "envy and strife" could not possibly be included by Paul among "most of the brothers and sisters" in v. 14. But that is an altogether unnatural reading of the Greek. It would take an extraordinary display of contextual evidence to the contrary for the combination τους πλείονας ("the majority"), followed by τινές μεν . . . τινές δε ("some . . . others"), not to mean: "Most . . . , some of whom . . . , others of whom" (cf. Michael, 37). For the latter to be "set over against the πλείονας," as Vincent asserts, would seem to require a differentiating word like άλλος μεν. Moreover, one is thus put in the awkward situation of detaching the second group (τινές δε) from v. 14 as well. This view has nothing to commend it, and clearly arose to defend Paul from including as "brothers and sisters" those whom he also accuses of preaching from a motive of jealousy.
6. The operative word here is "seems to." The common — almost certainly misguided — assumption is that these people are of a kind with his "opponents" in Galatians,2 Cor 10-13 (and Phil 3:2); see on vv. 16-17.
7. On the textual question see η. 1 above.
8. So also Silva, 72.
9. Which rather nicely captures Paul's τινές μέν xαί: the xαί in this case is ascensive (= some, on the one hand, indeed . . .).
10. Gk. τον Χριστόν κηρύσσουσιν. Again, this is the language of evangelism (see above on v. 5 [n. 51] and v. 12). On the textual question regarding the definite article (and its apparent lack of significance) see n. 2.
11. Gk. φθόνος ("envy, jealousy"); ερις ("strife, discord, contention"). The "rivalry" of the NIV nicely captures this sense, as long as it is understood to be carried out contentiously.
12. By "together" I do not mean next to each other, but in the same list. In Galatians they appear in reverse order as the 7th and 13th items on that list; in Romans in the second grouping, "full of envy, murder, strife."
13. For this view of things, see Fee, 1 Timothy, on 1 Tim 6:3-5. That the desertions took place among some of the leadership is what makes 2 Tim 1:15 so poignant: "All in Asia have deserted me."
14. Otherwise, Schütz (Paul, 162), who makes the surprising assertion that "they
. . . are directed toward the entire community, or at least are not directed toward Paul as an individual." This appears to be based on a prior analysis of the words in Galatians, where the community is in view; but to think so here seems to disregard the chiastic structure of these verses and thus of the relationship of vv. 16-17 to v. 15 (those who preach out of "envy" [v. 15] are the same who do so in order to afflict Paul [v. 17]). Jewett ("Conflicting Movements," 364-65; following O. Linton, "Situation") mirror reads the passage to reflect a division in the (he thinks Ephesian) community over Paul's imprisonment, i.e., whether his imprisonment for a private "crime" is jeopardizing "his role as an advocate of the gospel." But that is to find far more than is in the text, or even hinted at.
15. Gk. εΰδοκίαν; cf. 2:13. Here it can only mean "good will toward Paul" (so most commentaries).
16. The preposition έξ in both cases offers the "grounds," hence the motivation, for the respective reasons for preaching Christ.
17. Indeed, there is very likely a deliberate contrast between those who know (εϊδότες) in v. 17 and those who suppose (οίόμενοι) in v. 16. The one group "know" the apostle and the others do not; so also Collange, 57; O'Brien, 101.
18. Gk. κεΐμαι ("lie, recline"), but which in figurative uses can mean, as it almost certainly does here, "appointed, or destined for" something; cf. 1 Thess 3:3; Luke 2:34. See BAGD 2.a.
19. That is, whether or not Christianity, no longer clearly attached to Judaism in its Greco-Roman settings, should receive the same status as its parent religion (as a religio licita, "approved religion"); or perhaps the whole issue of whether those who claim "Jesus is Lord" can also recognize Caesar as "lord." If not, it would amount to treason (niaiestas).
20. Gk. καταγγέλλουσιν, used 6x by Paul for "proclaiming Christ" (here, v. 18;1 Cor 2:1; 9:14; 11:26; Col 1:28), as a synonym for κηρύσσω (used in v. 15).
21. Gk. έξ έριθείας; a very difficult word to pin down with any precision. Most likely it is a derivative from εριθος, a word denoting "hired laborer," from which it derived a secondary, pejorative sense of "mercenary." BAGD consider its meaning in the NT a "matter of conjecture." The choice seems to be between "rivalry" and "selfish ambition," which in this context come out very nearly at the same place. See further on 2:3 below.
22. In the debate over "integrity" and "opponents" (see the Introduction, pp. 21-
23, 7-10), it is common to refer to Paul's treatment of these people as "mild" in comparison with what he says of the "dogs" in 3:2 (e.g., Rahtjen, "Three Letters," 170, who overstates this matter with considerable rhetoric). But this is a half-truth, perpetuated for the sake of a theory. Despite his rejoicing over the fact that the gospel is still being advanced, the language Paul uses to describe their motivation is that of indictment, not amelioration!. On this whole question, see the Introduction, pp. 7-10.
24. For a helpful overview, see O'Brien, 102-5, which will not be repeated here.
25. Pace Schmithals's assertion to the contrary (Paul, 74 n. 45).
26. See Rom 16:3-15; cf. Bruce, "St. Paul in Macedonia," 266.
27. For a brief overview of this perspective on Romans, see chap. 7 in Fee, Presence.
28. Some have suggested options not involving Jew/Gentile distinctions at all (e.g., Kennedy, 424; Vincent, 19); see the discussion of other options in O'Brien (n. 24).
29. I am not herewith contending that this is in fact who the preachers in v. 17 are, but am trying to offer a reasonable explanation as to how Paul can so violently oppose "Judaizers" but treat others more kindly who might hold a theological point of view similar to the Judaizers. A position similar to that suggested here is also taken by Silva, 73.
30. This is clearly so, e.g., in the case of Galatians (see 5:7-12; 6:11-13); it is very likely so in 2 Corinthians as well (cf. 2:17-3:18 and 11:1-23, esp. v. 22). In our letter see esp. 3:2-9.
31. This distinction is what is missed by those interpreters who think Paul is here referring to "Judaizers" as such, i.e., those who are compelling Gentiles to be circumcised (e.g., Meyer, Lightfoot). There is no hint here that these "preachers of Christ" are trying to make Jewish Christians out of Gentile Christians; indeed Paul's language suggests the opposite, that they are trying to make Christians out of those are not.
32. A point also made by Beare, 60; Melick, 68 (as one reason among several). Barth, Dibelius, Schmithals, Gnilka, et al. see the paragraph as basically an "excursus," a viewpoint that fails to see its interconnectedness with the whole letter.
33. On the theme of "joy" in this letter see the Introduction, pp. 52-53; see also on 1:4; 2:2, 18; and (esp.) 4:4.
34. Gk. προφάσει, having to do with one's ostensible reason, or pretext, for doing something, but not based on truth or reality. Cf. 1 Thess 2:5, where it appears in close connection with hypocrisy.
35. Gk. γάρ ("for"), which never means "but," under any stretch of the polyvalence of words. Paul says simply, τί γάρ ("For what?"). His more usual expression in such moments is τί ούν ("What, then?" cf. Rom 3:9; 6:15; 1 Cor 14:15, 26). The γάρ here is to be understood as tying what is said directly to v. 17 in a sort of "explanatory" way: "For (even in light of those mentioned in v. 17) what does it matter?"
36. Gk. πλήν, an adverb used as an adversative conjunction. Here it stands in contrast to the "for what?" "In any case," he adds, meaning something very close to the NIV's "the important thing is"; cf. on 4:14.
37. Even though that is not said here, it is said twice later on (3:17; 4:9). Here is surely one of the things they are to "practice" which they have "heard and seen in him." All the more so, in light of the close connection between his "rejoicing" over the gospel in the midst of his pain, which he reaffirms in 2:17 and then explicitly urges them to emulate in 2:18.