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12 friends have opened a study shared with them.
Elisabeth Scott Stam, February 22, 1906 / "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21. It's a short, stark tombstone, placed in the Wuhu Foreign Cemetery in China. Betty was a missionary there, beheaded along with her husband, John, by Communist forces. When the local missionaries received her body, they etched in stone a public witness to the benefits of her death.
Read Philippians 1:18b-21
Yes, and I will keep on rejoicing, for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance, through your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is my eager expectation and hope that I will in no way be put to shame, but that with full boldness, now as always, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
In the previous section, Paul explained how his chains are for Christ. What was intended to restrict the gospel had multiplied it, both inside and outside his prison cell. Now, Paul explains that not just his chains but his body is for Christ: because he is imprisoned for Christ, his imprisonment glorifies Christ. His life is for Christ, so his location doesn't matter. If Paul were half-hearted about his faith, prison would be a nightmare. On the one hand, he would be plagued by doubts about God's care for him, and on the other, anxious to secure better circumstances for himself. Bitterness and discouragement would dominate his heart. But Paul has decided to see all of his circumstances as a creative opportunity for God to be glorified. I wonder if Martin Luther King Jr. read these verses when he was imprisoned. In the letter he wrote from a Birmingham jail, he took the forced solitude as an opportunity to write to the Christian leaders of the city. He critiques their resistance to God's justice, and expresses a desire that one day "the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation" (see Philippians 2:15). It seems to me that Dr. King reasoned like Paul: because his body had been placed in jail, he had a new opportunity to glorify God. Paul's logic continues: if his chains glorify God, and if his imprisoned body glorifies God, then what will his death communicate? Paul reasons that if he dies a martyr, then he will instantly gain by entering into God's presence. Second, by willingly dying for his commitment to Jesus, Paul will demonstrate that Jesus is worthy of our total devotion. Since Paul only wants to glorify Jesus, it follows that being killed will help him accomplish his goals. No matter how he looks at his circumstances, Paul only sees good news. If he lives, he's with Christ. But if he dies, he's even more with Christ. If he's alive, he can speak the gospel. But if he dies, his martyrdom will shout the gospel. So, there is no way for God—or Paul—to not reach his goals. Seeing the futility of every attempt to stop God, Paul keeps rejoicing. After their martyrdom, memorial services were held to honor John and Betty Stam's sacrifice. Hundreds of students committed themselves to missionary service. Their deaths multiplied the gospel's reach. Rome is no more. But Paul's body still magnifies Christ.
What has to be true about Jesus for Paul's joy to make sense?
"For to me, to live is ____." How would you honestly complete this sentence?
What is your backup plan in case Jesus doesn't save you?
Think of one person you know who is glorifying God in a costly way. Just as the Philippians reached out to support Paul in jail, send this person a message. "Your life is showing me that Jesus is worth it. Thank you. How can I help?"
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