Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while imprisoned in Rome, guarded by the praetorian guard - the elite soldiers who protected the emperor. By any ordinary reckoning, imprisonment should have silenced him.

In this sermon from Philippians 1:12-18, continuing the series Light in the Darkness, Revd. Mark Fletcher traces the opposite: Paul's chains, far from ending his ministry, became known "throughout the whole imperial guard," and other believers grew bolder in proclaiming the gospel because of them. Why does good news provoke such fierce resistance - and why did that resistance backfire?

We know something of that tension too. Naming our faith openly can feel risky, and negative reactions from people can be quite disproportionate to anything we have actually said or done. It is tempting to keep it quiet.

Mark's challenge is direct: "do not be ashamed of the gospel." However people respond to your faith, meet it with patience and love rather than retreat.

Are you willing to let your faith be seen, whatever it costs?

Full transcript and video: https://stpeters.ch/sermons/what-does-philippians-1-12-mean/