In the 2 weeks since the assassin’s bullet of September 10, I think I’ve heard the name of Jesus Christ proclaimed more boldly and more often than in all the prior 35 weeks of 2025 combined. Also boldly proclaimed have been words like “repentance” and “sin” and “forgiveness” and “salvation.”

Some Christians are thrilled. Others are skeptical, perhaps understandably.

But my mind is drawn to a striking parallel in the words penned by the Apostle. I have taken the liberty to underscore the most salient points of similarity:

Now I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. *

And I, too, rejoice over the proclamation of Christ! And the confidence and fearlessness of the proclaimers! And the spread of the Good News! No matter the motive!

To the praise of His glorious grace!