Php 1:20-According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Paul expresses his faith and hope that in answer to their prayers he will be able to glorify God. We will break this verse down into two parts. First-According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed... The term earnest expectation and hope... speaks of looking toward the future. You cannot expect or hope for something that is already past. The Christian life is always moving forward and toward the future. Of earnest expectation... Albert Barnes adds-...The word used here occurs but in one other place in the New Testament...in Rom_8:19...The earnest desire and hope which Paul had was not, primarily, that he might be released; but it was that, in all circumstances, he might be able to honor the gospel, living or dying. To that he looked as a much more important matter than to save his life. Life with him was the secondary consideration; the main thing was, to stand up everywhere as the advocate of the gospel, to maintain its truth, and to exhibit its spirit... His hope was to always be true to the Gospel for sure. He then moves to -...that in nothing I shall be ashamed... Paul wanted to never deny the essence of Jesus. John Gill adds-...not of his hope, neither the grace of hope, which makes not ashamed; nor the object of hope, Christ Jesus; nor the thing hoped for, eternal life and happiness, or any of the above things about which this grace was conversant; nor of his reproaches and sufferings for the sake of Christ and his Gospel, which he esteemed as an honour to him, as jewels in his crown, as chains of gold about his neck, and as great riches; nor of the Gospel which he preached, so as to retract and deny it, drop the whole, or conceal any part of it, lay down his profession of it... Wow! God help us to never lay down our profession... of the Gospel. Are we ashamed of Jesus? Ashamed of the Gospel? May we always be found faithful to Jesus and the Gospel. Lord, grant it! Hallelujah!
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 10:26:47 +0000
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