‘Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also of good will. The one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel, but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds.'
He then brings out two approaches being taken by different people according to their particular attitude towards him, for he does not want to deceive the Philippian church into thinking that all at Rome was necessarily harmonious. Some were preaching Christ out of ‘envy and strife'. In other words they were doing it as rivals of Paul with a view to outdoing him. Their message was right but their motive was wrong. Perhaps they were secretly gloating over the fact that Paul was in bonds, and may well have thought that it served him right because he was not as ‘sound' in his teaching as he might be. And they seemingly hoped that, when he heard what they were doing and how successful they were being, he would be grieved at heart, in the same way as they were envious of him. But others were doing it out of goodwill, because of their love for Christ and for Paul. These last did it as co-operators with Paul, knowing that his whole life was set on the defence of the Gospel. But the former were doing it thinking that by their so doing Paul would be chagrined and upset. They did not understand the spirit of Paul.