1:15
Paul did not see the world through rose-tinted spectacles. Instead, he was utterly realistic. He knew that some did indeed preach the gospel out of envy and rivalry. Later we read that these people wanted to afflict Paul. Some have suggested that these people were Judaisers, but this doesn’t make sense. If they were Judaisers then they would not be preaching the same gospel as Paul. It seems more likely that it was simply out of impure human motives. They wanted to be seen as key preachers and were envious of Paul’s success. People can do “good” things for all the wrong reasons.
1:16
Paul now explains the two sets of motives of those who preach the gospel. Those who do it out of good will know that Paul lived in order to preach the gospel (Acts 20:24). They know that Paul is in prison for the sake of the gospel. So they seek to help Paul in that work, making known the good news of Christ. And they know that this will delight Paul and help to encourage him.
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