如果要为腓立比书下一个标题，「苦难中的喜乐」这几个字再适合不过了。保罗写信给腓立比教会时，面临了内忧与外患的苦楚。他这时人在罗马被监禁，并且有人「企图要加增我捆锁的苦楚」（1:17），并且这样的人是来自教会内部。即使在如此的景况中，保罗仍然流露出极大的喜乐，他在腓立比书中提到「喜乐」多达17次。

为什么保罗能够在苦难中喜乐呢？有两个主要的原因，第一，他活着是为传福音。保罗说：「只要基督被传开了，为此我就欢喜。」（1:18）保罗被监禁在罗马城，看守他的是从御营派来的军人。保罗善用这个机会传福音给看守他的军人，他说：「我所遭遇的事反而使福音更兴旺。」（1:12）

有两年之久，当军人轮班看守的时候，保罗就抓紧机会一个一个向他们传福音，「以致御营全军和其余的人都知道我是为基督的缘故受捆锁的。」（1:13）保罗应该是那些军人遇过的囚犯中最奇妙的一位，福音就这样奇妙地传到罗马帝国重要的武力核心。

保罗喜乐的第二个原因是，他靠基督而活。在短短的腓立比书中提到38次「耶稣基督」。保罗面对苦难的态度是：「我活着就是基督，死了就有益处。」（1:21）他的意思是，「如果你是为基督而活，你就不会怕死！」

面临牢狱之灾有谁不害怕？但保罗说他不害怕，不但不害怕，还有满足的喜乐。保罗写信给腓立比教会说：「你们在为我担心，其实刚好相反，是我在担心你们。我自己的事我一点都不担心！」

我们的信仰不是享乐的信仰，而是受苦的信仰，「因为你们蒙恩，不但得以信服基督，而且要为他受苦。」（1:29）但是，在受苦中一定是哀愁的吗？不， 如果我们「同心合意兴旺福音」（1:5），如果我们「活着就是基督」（1:21），就会有喜乐！

在这个越来越靠近耶稣再来的时刻，这个世界将如圣经所预言的，变得越来越混乱。我们何等需要从腓立比书中学习喜乐的功课，好让我们能预备好自己，用正确的态度面对末世的苦难。

简体圣经 | https://www.bible.com/bible/140/PHP.1.RCUVSS

繁體聖經 | https://www.bible.com/bible/139/PHP.1.RCUV

If we were to give a title to the book of Philippians, "Joy in Suffering" would be the most fitting. When Paul wrote this letter to the church in Philippi, he was facing many troubles. He was imprisoned in Rome and someone was trying to increase his suffering (1:17), and this person was from within the church. Despite such circumstances, Paul still expressed great joy, mentioning the word "joy" 17 times in the book of Philippians.

Why was Paul able to find joy in suffering? There are two main reasons. First, he was alive to preach the gospel. Paul said, "Only that in every way… Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice." (1:18). While being imprisoned in Rome, Paul took the opportunity to preach the gospel to the soldiers who were guarding him. He said, " I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." (1:12)

For two whole years, whenever the soldiers changed shifts, Paul seized the opportunity to preach the gospel to each one of them, "so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ." (1:13) Paul must have been the most remarkable prisoner those soldiers had ever encountered, and the gospel was wonderfully spread to the important military centre of the Roman Empire.

The second reason Paul found joy in suffering was that he lived by Christ. In the short book of Philippians, the name "Jesus Christ" is mentioned 38 times. Paul's attitude towards suffering was, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (1:21) He was trying to tell us, "If you live for Christ, you will not be afraid of death!"

Who wouldn't be afraid when facing imprisonment? But Paul said he was not afraid, and not only that, he had the fullness of joy. He wrote to the church in Philippi, “You are concerned about me, but in reality, it is the other way around. I am concerned about you, and not at all about my own situation!”

Our faith is not a faith of pleasure, but a faith of suffering, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake." (1:29) However, is there necessarily sadness in suffering? No, if we "standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (1:27), if we "to live is Christ" (1:21), there will be joy!

At this moment that is getting closer and closer to the second coming of Jesus, the world will become increasingly chaotic as prophesied in the Bible. We greatly need to learn the lesson of joy from the book of Philippians, so that we can prepare ourselves and face the tribulations of the end times with the right attitude.

Reading the Bible | https://www.bible.com/bible/59/PHP.1.ESV