Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Philippians 1:18

"What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." — Philippians 1:18 (ASV)

Paul’s conclusion, “But what does it matter?” reveals his sense of values. The importance of the Gospel and its proclamation so outweighed any personal considerations that he would not cloud the issue by insisting on settling personal grievances. He was convinced that “Christ is preached” even by these preachers whose motives were suspect. To preach Christ meant to proclaim the good news of salvation provided freely by God’s grace through the redemptive work of Christ and received by faith.

As long as the antagonism was only personal, Paul could rejoice that the greater purpose of disseminating the Gospel was being served. Even when some of the preaching arose out of “false motives,” utilized to camouflage attacks on Paul, the apostle took the magnanimous view that affronts to himself could be ignored, and he could rejoice in the advance of the Gospel.