Devotions - Tuesday, Sept 29

I continue my reading from Philippians. Today I read 1:12-30. I found verses there which interested me greatly.

Paul writes: “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here fro the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice.”

Granted, Paul wrote in a time that differs greatly from our own. In his day, few knew the name of Jesus, few had heard of the Resurrection. The stories of Christ’s birth and death are so common among us that the depravity of the manger or the hopelessness of the tomb are lost. We know where the story will lead, so we are not moved by these powerful symbols of scripture. In Paul’s day, any mention of the name of Jesus was a spreading of a previously untold story.

Even so, I think Paul needs to be heard when he “rejoices” that Christ is proclaimed.

Hating to continue on an old theme, but this relates back to the Gospel lesson on Sunday. We find ourselves engaged in a debate over who speaks the word of God and who speaks heresy. I wonder is we might listen to these words of scripture and find it possible to set such territorial disagreements aside?

“What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice.”

Pastor Chris