Philippians 1:16 Meaning: When Preaching Christ Adds to Our Pain
The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;
The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel;
the one, indeed, of rivalry the Christ do proclaim, not purely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds,
These indeed out of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the glad tidings;
Meaning in one sentence
Paul describes preachers who proclaim Christ insincerely, hoping to increase his suffering in chains. Yet he rejoices because Christ is still proclaimed.
Context
Paul writes this letter from a Roman prison. He is under guard, chained to soldiers day and night. But something unexpected has happened. His chains have actually helped the gospel spread. The palace guards have heard about Christ, and many other believers in the city have become brave enough to speak openly about Jesus. But not all of them have good hearts. Some preach out of envy and rivalry. They see Paul’s imprisonment as a chance to promote themselves. This verse describes those people. They do not preach with pure motives. They want to add trouble to Paul’s suffering. They think their preaching will make his chains even harder to bear. That is the situation Paul is writing about.
Key Words
The word behind “insincerely” is hagnōs. It means purely, like clean water with nothing mixed in. These preachers were not pure in heart. Their motives were divided. The word for “selfish ambition” is eritheia. It used to mean working for pay. Then it came to mean a party spirit, someone who tries to build their own group. They were not serving Christ. They were serving themselves. And then there is “affliction.” The Greek word is thlipsis. It means pressure, a weight pressing down. Some early manuscripts say these preachers wanted to “raise up” affliction for Paul. Like lifting a heavy stone and dropping it on his chains to make them cut deeper. They meant to hurt him. But Paul saw through it all. He did not let their motives define his joy.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse with different emphases. Some focus on Paul’s extraordinary freedom. He could see beyond the preachers’ bad hearts to the good news being spoken. Others note that Paul does not accuse them of false doctrine. Their teaching about Christ was correct, even if their motives were not. John Calvin wrote that the impurity was in their minds, not in what they taught. Matthew Henry highlighted that Paul’s joy came from knowing the gospel was advancing. Across traditions, believers have seen this passage as a call to keep Christ central. Even when people disappoint us, even when ministry is messy, Christ can still be honored.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is thinking Paul did not care about sincerity. Some read his joy in verse 18 and assume he thinks motives do not matter. In fact, Paul cares deeply about pure hearts. He prays for the Philippians to be “sincere and blameless” (1:10). He also warns against those who peddle God’s word for profit (2 Corinthians 2:17). Here, he is not excusing insincerity. He is choosing not to let it steal his joy. He is distinguishing between the message and the messenger. The gospel is true even when the preacher’s heart is not.
Living This Out
Think of a time when someone did something good but for the wrong reason. Maybe a coworker helped you so they could take credit. Maybe a friend was kind but later used it against you. It stings. Paul knows that sting. But he refuses to let it control him. This week, if you see mixed motives in others, you have a choice. You can dwell on the hurt. Or you can look past the person to the God who still works. Ask for eyes like Paul’s. Eyes that see Christ being named, even through cracked vessels. Your joy is too precious to let someone else’s bad heart take it away.
Main takeaway: God can use even flawed messengers to make Christ known, and that is reason to rejoice.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some people told others about Jesus, but they were not being kind. They wanted to make Paul sad in prison. But Paul was happy anyway because people were hearing about Jesus.
For ages 9, 12
Paul was in chains, but some preachers were jealous. They thought if they preached loudly, Paul would feel worse. But Paul surprised them. He rejoiced. He didn’t stop caring that their motives were wrong, but he chose to focus on the good news getting out. Sometimes people do the right thing for the wrong reason. You can still be glad that God’s work is being done, even if the worker is not perfect. Paul shows us a bigger joy.
Questions People Ask
Why would people preach Christ insincerely?
The commentaries suggest that some Jewish-Christian teachers wanted to promote their own status while Paul was in prison. They may have opposed Paul's teaching on circumcision and wanted to show that they were not suffering like he was. By preaching boldly, they hoped to increase Paul's distress or make his imprisonment look like punishment from God.
What does 'add affliction to my chains' mean?
The Greek word for affliction (thlipsis) means pressure or a pressing weight. Paul was already bound by chains. These preachers wanted to add more weight, more trouble, grief, or discouragement, to his situation. They thought their success would make his chains feel heavier. But Paul refused to let that happen.
How can Paul rejoice if their motives are wrong?
Paul does not approve of their motives. He calls them insincere. But he looks at the result: Christ is being proclaimed. He chooses to focus on that bigger reality instead of on his own pain. His joy is not in their sin but in God's ability to work through imperfect circumstances. This is a radical trust in God's sovereignty.
Does Paul think it's okay to have wrong motives as long as you preach Christ?
No. In other letters, Paul strongly warns against false teachers and impure hearts (2 Corinthians 2:17, 4:2). He also prays for the Philippians to be 'sincere and without offense' (Philippians 1:10). Here, he is not excusing wrong motives; he is refusing to let them rob him of joy. He distinguishes between the message and the messenger.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study