And most of the brothers, confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more greatly to speak the word without fear.
14 Many of the brethren. By this instance we are taught that the tortures of the saints, endured by them in behalf of the gospel, are a ground of confidence “Confiance et asseurance;” — “Confidence and assurance.” to us. It were indeed a dreadful spectacle, and such as might tend rather to dishearten us, did we see nothing but the cruelty and rage of the persecutors.
You might stumble thinking that if this doctrine were truly of God, He would not cast His instrument aside like a broken vessel. But a strange chemistry of Providence extracts great good from great evil: the gospel advances though I am confined, for the word of God cannot be imprisoned as my body is.
AI summary
Commenting on Philippians 1:12-20
And many of the brethren in the Lord,.... This is another instance of the usefulness of the apostle's sufferings, and another proof of their being for the furtherance of the Gospel; they were not only the means of the conversion of many that were without, but were very encouraging and strengthening to them that were within the church, and to many that were in the...