Envy and Rivalry

[Foundthelight]

This was posted elsewhere on the Board.



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Philippians 1:12-21
1:12 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel:

1:13 the whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ,

1:14 and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly.

1:15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.

1:16 The latter do so from love because they know that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel.

1:17 The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment.

1:18 What is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
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1:19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

1:20 My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die.

1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.



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What is your take on Philippians 1-12-21 (in context)? Philippians 15-18 in particular (indented and in italics).

Do you take it to mean that God takes all types of clergy and ministries (both sincere and insincere) and makes some good of them-- even if there doctrines aren't in agreement with His teachings?

Do you take it as a verse that shows God's grace toward us in our inadequate understanding of the Bible as we follow these "other" doctrines and fall hook-line-and-sinker for impressive, convincing, magnetizing (seemingly credible) preachers and their ministries?

What are your views on this/these scripture/s

Paul does not say that these others are preaching a different Gospel or even putting their own spin on the Gospel. He is saying that they are preaching Truth in a spirit of envy and rivalry.



So long as they are teaching the Truth, who cares why they are teaching?

It is when the Gospel is changed to suit the preacher's beliefs that we fall into the realm of falsehood and heresy.</B>

 

[Andrew]

So long as they are teaching the Truth, who cares why they are teaching?
It is when the Gospel is changed to suit the preacher's beliefs that we fall into the realm of falsehood and heresy.

The problem with this argument is that what is truth to me may be heresy to you, and vice-versa. What is truth to the Calvinist (eg Jesus did not die for all) may be heresy to another denomination. What is truth to the RC (eg Mary was born without sin and lived a sin-free life) may be heresy to another denom. What is truth to a WOFer (eg Jesus bore our sicknesses and carried our pains) may be heresy to another denom. And the list goes on...

So, the question really is: how do you 'detect' truth or lie by the annointing within you?