Philippians 1:12-18c - The Advance of the Gospel

In the beginning of Paul's "Missionary Report" section of his letter to the Philippians, he lays out what turns out to be an amazing paradox: his imprisonment has not hindered the gospel but has served to advance it instead.

Persecution won't hinder the gospel. Even the impure motives of other Christians won't chain the gospel message.

We see this truth illustrated in other passages of Scripture, and we also see it illustrated down through the history of the church. As the church father Tertullian wrote about 18 centuries ago: "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."