SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:16
Los unos anuncian al Cristo por contencin, no sinceramente, pensando aadir tribulacin a mis prisiones;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Philippians 1:16
Verse 16. Preach Christ of contention] The Judaizing teachers, they also preach Christ; they acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ or promised Messiah, and preach him as such. Not sincerely] ouc agnwv? Not chastely, garbling the Gospel; not speaking the whole truth, but just what served their purpose; and at the same time they denounced the apostle as an enemy to the Divine institutions, because he spoke against circumcision.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. The one preach Christ of contention , etc.] That is, those that preached of envy and strife, an not of good will to Christ, to the Gospel, to the souls of men, or to the apostle; and though they preached Christ, yet not sincerely or purely; not but that they delivered the sincere milk of the word, and preached the pure Gospel of Christ, without any mixture and adulteration; but then they did not preach it with a sincere heart, and a pure intention; for this respects not the doctrine they preached, but their views in it, which were not honest and upright; they did not preach Christ from a principle of love to his person, and from an inward experience of the power of his Gospel, and a zealous affection for it, and firm attachment to it, and with a view to the glory of God, the honour of Christ, and the good of immortal souls; but were influenced by avarice, ambition, and envy: they had very evil designs upon the apostle, supposing to add affliction to my bonds ; imagining that by their free and bold way of preaching Christ openly in the city without control, and with impunity, it might be thought that the apostle did not lie in bonds for preaching Christ, but for some other crime; or otherwise why were not they laid hold on and put under confinement also? or thinking that by such numbers of them frequently preaching Christ about the city, it would either incense and stir up the Jews, Paul's accusers, to prosecute him more vigorously; or excite Nero to take more cognizance of his case, and either more closely confine him, or hasten the bringing his cause to a hearing, and him to punishment, as the ringleader of this sect, to the terror of others; but this they could not do without exposing themselves to great danger, unless they were determined to recant, as soon as they should be taken up; wherefore it should rather seem that their view was in preaching Christ to carry away the glory of it from the apostle, and take it to themselves; and fancying that he was a man of the same cast with them, desirous of vain glory, they thought it would afflict and distress him, he being in bonds, and not at liberty to exert himself, and make use of his superior gifts and abilities; but in this they were mistaken, he was so far from being made uneasy hereby, that he rejoiced at the preaching of Christ, let their intentions be what they would; and therefore he does not say that they did add affliction to his bonds; but they supposed, or thought, that the method they took would do it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-20 - The apostle was a prisoner at Rome; and to take off the offence of the cross, he shows the wisdom and goodness of God in his sufferings. Thes things made him known, where he would never have otherwise been known and led some to inquire after the gospel. He suffered from fals friends, as well as from enemies. How wretched the temper of those wh preached Christ out of envy and contention, and to add affliction to the bonds that oppressed this best of men! The apostle was easy in the midst of all. Since our troubles may tend to the good of many, we ough to rejoice. Whatever turns to our salvation, is by the Spirit of Christ; and prayer is the appointed means of seeking for it. Ou earnest expectation and hope should not be to be honoured of men, or to escape the cross, but to be upheld amidst temptation, contempt, an affliction. Let us leave it to Christ, which way he will make u serviceable to his glory, whether by labour or suffering, by diligenc or patience, by living to his honour in working for him, or dying to his honour in suffering for him.
Greek Textus Receptus
οι 3588 μεν 3303 εξ 1537 εριθειας 2052 τον 3588 χριστον 5547 καταγγελλουσιν 2605 5719 ουχ 3756 αγνως 55 οιομενοι 3633 5740 θλιψιν 2347 επιφερειν 2018 5721 τοις 3588 δεσμοις 1199 μου 3450
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. The one preach Christ of contention. The order of vers. 16, 17, is reversed in the best texts. Of contentions (ex eriqeiav). See on strife, Jas. iii. 14. Rev., better, faction. Compare Chaucer:
"For mine entente is not but for to winne And nothing for correction of sinne" "Pardouere's Tale," 12337-8.
Sincerely (agnwv). Purely, with unmixed motives. The adjective aJgnov means pure, in the sense of chaste, free from admixture of evil, and is once applied to God, 1 John iii. 3. See on Acts xxvi. 10, foot-note. Not sincerely is explained by in pretense, ver. 18.
To add affliction (qliyin epiferein). Lit., to bring affliction to bear. But the correct reading is ejgeirein to raise up, as Rev.: to waken or stir up affliction. The phrase is striking in the light of the original meaning of qliyiv, namely, pressure. They would make his bonds press more heavily and gall him. See on Matt. xiii. 21.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:16 {Of love} (ex agapes). Out of love to Paul as well as to Christ. Put #1Co 13 here as a flash-light.
