Philippians 1:18
What then? notwithstanding, every way, fwhether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
τί γάρ; πλὴν παντὶ τρόπῳ, εἴτε προφάσει εἴτε ἀληθείᾳ, Χριστὸς καταγγέλλεται· καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαίρω, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαρήσομαι.
Textual key: no entry
f:
Philippians 1:14-1:17 14. And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16. The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: 17. But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
Matthew 21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
q.d. It doth not follow, that these different intentions of the preachers should hinder the spreading of the gospel, and therefore it should not abate either your confidence or mine in the cause of Christ, since, by the overruling providence of God, that is carried on, both by the one and the other; not only by those who in truth preach the word faithfully, Jer 23:28 Mat 22:16, from a principle of love, (as before), to the same good intent with myself; but also by those who, though they act (as in Php 1:15) out of envy and ill will to me, for base ends under a fair show, 1Th 2:5, yet they occasionally and accidentally, not by any direct causality, do promote the interest of Christ.
and upon this account, that there is so good an effect, as the making known of Christ for the salvation of sinners, I have matter of present joy.
yea, and hereupon for the future, though some should continue to do that in itself which might aggravate his affliction, yet it should not take his joy from him eventually; however directly and of itself it tend to it, yet indirectly and by accident, God disposing, it should issue well for the furtherance of the gospel.