1:12-14
And now, my dearest sisters and brothers, here's something I want you to sink your teeth into. I want you to know that my imprisonment has had the very opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being chained up, the gospel has actually broken its bonds and prospered. It hasn't in the least stopped advancing! You ask, how do I know this? Well, first of all, the entire palace guard in Rome and all the others here know that I'm in prison, not because I'm a criminal, but because I'm a Christian -- a servant of Christ. And secondly, by the very fact that I'm in prison for Christ's sake, most of the believers here have become more confident in the Lord, so that they grow bolder and bolder to preach the message without fearing the consequences, remembering that "God works all things for good."
1:15-18
Some of them, it's true, are actually preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry toward me, motivated by nothing more than a competitive spirit and misguided ambition. Others, however, are motivated by goodwill and a loyal spirit toward me. They're preaching Christ out of love for me, because they know I've been put here by God on purpose to defend the gospel. The former preach Christ insincerely, motivated only by self-promotion, thinking that they are actually making my imprisonment even more galling than it would be otherwise. But what does it matter? Nothing matters except that, in one way or another, Christ is being proclaimed, whether with honest or dishonest motives. That's what makes me happiest! And it will continue to make me happy!
God bless,
Dave