New Testament and Paul

Reflection Paper
Philippians
I chose to write my reflection paper on the book of Philippians. Before writing this paper I was not entirely familiar with the life of Paul or his teachings. It was an interesting book once I understood the background and reasoning for Paul’s writings. Paul wrote Philippians while in prison. His priority was always on the advancement of Christ. He was completely unconcerned about his lack of comfort or the situation he was in while in prison. His thoughts were solely on the cause of Christ and encouraging the Philippians to continue their mission regardless of the persecution they were facing. He expressed that he was not held captive by literal chains but by the chains for Christ. His captivity would serve as encouragement to others who were spreading the gospel. Paul wrote of how some people preach out of envy and rivalry. They have selfish ambitions and are not pure. They do not want to stir up trouble so light is not shed on their motives. I would think that this would trouble Paul because some people were preaching without considering the true meaning of the message. Surprisingly, Paul did not see this as a problem. He was more concerned with the message than the messenger. He felt that although these men may be corrupt, the cause of Christ was still being voiced to those who would otherwise never

have heard it. Learning of Paul’s reasoning behind this theory made me examine the way I feel about hypocrisy and dishonesty. I have always felt that the person preaching should be living what they are proclaiming. At this point in history, Paul would accept any means by which the gospel could be spread to the largest number of people. I can’t say that I agree with Paul on this issue, but do understand his reasoning. The new knowledge that I obtained through reading the book of Philippians showed me the selflessness of a man who had nothing materially to gain by following Christ. He always saw the bigger