Verse 20
Paul did not want to feel ashamed when he stood before the Lord at His judgment seat (cf. 1 John 2:28). The phrase "my earnest expectation and hope" is probably a hendiadys meaning "my hope-filled eager expectation" (NEB). Moreover he was confident that with the prayer support of the Philippians and the Holy Spirit’s enablement he would not. Nevertheless he felt the need for courage. After all, he still had to stand before Caesar and undergo a Roman trial. His greatest desire, however, was that he would continue to exalt Jesus Christ whether that meant that he live or die.
"The believer’s body is a ’lens’ that makes a ’little Christ’ look very big, and a ’distant Christ’ come very close." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:69.]
The use of the passive "be exalted" rather than the active "I exalt Christ" is unusual. It reflects Paul’s conviction that essentially the Christian life involves following the leading of God’s indwelling Spirit rather than seizing the initiative and doing things for God (cf. Galatians 5:18).
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