Philippians 1:15

15. Some indeed preach The next three verses show a painful contrast between two classes of Christian preachers at Rome. Both preached Christ; but one class, different from those just mentioned, are moved by envy toward the apostle; the other by love for him. The latter, the brethren described in Philippians 1:14, work under the conviction that he is divinely set for the defence of the gospel; the former are animated by party spirit, here called contention, as against the apostle.

Not sincerely Their intentions were not pure, as the next words show. Respecting this anti-Pauline faction at Rome we are largely left to conjecture. They were not Jews, or Judaizers, for Paul held and denounced them as subverting the gospel, which he does not do here. On the other hand, he rejoices in the result of their work

Christ is preached while he complains of their self-seeking spirit and improper motives. On the whole, we think the key is supplied by the epistle to this same Roman Church, (Romans 14:0, where see notes,) written five years earlier, where we learn of the existence among them of an Oriental asceticism, enjoining abstinence from animal food and wine, and imposing its injunctions as laws of Christian piety. Still adhering to their petty heresy, and magnifying it to a test of what they think orthodoxy, notwithstanding its pointed condemnation by the apostle, its advocates now in their turn refuse to recognise him as God’s appointed defender of the gospel. They would propagate their mongrel system with personal detractions of the apostle, but still calling themselves Christians, and as such preaching Christ, though in pretence and insincerity.