Book of Philippians – Day 7

₁₂I want you to know, my brothers and sisters, that the things that have happened to me have really helped the progress of the gospel. ₁₃As a result, the whole palace guard and all the others here know that I am in prison because I am a servant of Christ. ₁₄And my being in prison has given most of the brothers and sisters more confidence in the Lord, so that they grow bolder all the time to preach the message fearlessly.

₁₅Of course some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine goodwill. ₁₆These do so from love, because they know that God has given me the work of defending the gospel. ₁₇The others do not proclaim Christ sincerely, but from a spirit of selfish ambition; they think that they will make more trouble for me while I am in prison.

₁₈It does not matter! I am happy about it — so long as Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy, ₁₉because I know that by means of your prayers and the help which comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be set free.