“For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ.”

Now Paul turned to the subject of his attitude toward imprisonment and death. He viewed everything from the viewpoint of his purpose on earth according to God’s Word.  That gave him stability and strength. When a person has composure, he has courage and confidence.

Paul was about to face trial.  If he found guilty, he would face death. Yet in the face of such ominous circumstances, he was calm. Verse 19 gives three reasons for Paul’s confidence in his deliverance from prison.

“For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance”

The “this” refers to the preceding section: “Christ is preached.” “Deliverance” means, in this context, deliverance from prison, not the salvation of the soul. The preaching of the gospel with new intensity both by him and the Romans would contribute to his release from prison. This is the best way to conquer social problems—win people to Christ.

“through your prayer”

This is the second reason for Paul’s confidence that he would be released from prison.

Prayer from the Philippian church was one thing upon which Paul could rest. Can our Christian leaders count on us to pray for them? If you are a leader, can you lean on the prayers of people in your organization? Do people think enough of you to pray for you? It is a beautiful thing to trust people enough to pray for us.

It was evident that the Philippians loved Paul. They cared enough for him to send Epaphroditus over hundreds of hazardous miles. He almost lost his life in the process.

“and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ”

This is the third reason why Paul felt God would deliver him from prison. The “supply of the Spirit” means the Holy Spirit. This is a functional title for the Holy Spirit (what He does). The Holy Spirit would move providentially upon the authorities in Rome so that they would be disposed to release Paul.

The word “supply” was used for a wealthy person who bore the expenses of a city-state drama choir. These productions were costly. It took someone very wealthy to pick up the tab. God, who is incalculably wealthy, provided the “supply” of the Spirit so that Paul could continue living.

PRINCIPLE:

Paul was a person of confidence because he placed that confidence in something substantial—truth.

APPLICATION:

Do you place your confidence in truth? Adversity is where we find whether we have that confidence in God’s truth. Poise in setback has its roots in the Word.