Reckless Abandon
RECKLESS ABANDON
PHILIPPIANS 1:19-26
Even in the midst of difficulty, to Paul life means Christ.
Paul’s thought reverts to the anxious concern of the Philippians as they contemplate what it means for him to stand before Caesar’s tribunal. What if the verdict should be the sentence of death? Paul answers directly, “I shall rejoice” (1:19). With a supreme confidence in God he affirms his trial will result in his vindication (see also Job 13:18).
It was natural for Paul to think of vindication at this time. He had exercised his right as a citizen to have his case heard in Rome and for two years had undergone house arrest while waiting for his trial (Acts 25:9-12; 26:32; 28:16-19,30f.). Nero’s tribunal could exonerate him, confirming that Paul had not offended the temple or Caesar (Acts 25:8). Paul’s confidence did not rest in the wisdom or the mercy of the emperor, but in God. For this reason he can speak of vindication (1:19) even when contemplating a sentence of death.
The faithful intercession of his friends and the unfailing presence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ assure the apostle that he will face the court unashamed and present his witness for God with all openness (see also 1:7). Paul has no way of knowing how his trial will turn out (see 2:23). His one concern is that Christ shall be magnified through his bodily life (1:20). Paul is convinced that whether he is acquitted and enters on a new phase of ministry (1:22,25f.), or falls prey to the executioner’s ax, there will be a new advance of the gospel.
The ground of such apparent “reckless abandon” is expressed in Paul’s triumphant affirmation that he lives his life only in Christ (see also Galatians 2:20). When seen in the perspective of union with Christ, death can only mean the gain of a life of completed fellowship with him (1:21). Paul was a profound thinker, whose thought provides the foundation for much Christian theology. But in this context he appears primarily as the fervent disciple of the crucified and risen Christ. For Paul, as for the Philippians, Christ is the giver and sustainer of life and the object of all his hopes. If he were given his own preference, he would collapse his earthly tent and seek the immediate presence of Christ (1:23). However, the fact that he was still alive was sufficient indication that his apostolic work was not yet complete. Paul, therefore, anticipates a reunion with the church which shall give them ample cause “to glory in Christ Jesus” (1:26). Then, too, Christ shall be magnified.