The one preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
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Gaius Marius Victorinus
AD 400
Some preach Christ “from envy” because of their malice and contentiousness. What they feel is simply envy. They do not preach Christ in a holy and decent manner but merely in order to heap up grief upon me and increase my trial and sorrow. They want to flaunt their delight in my bondage…. Others preach not with the motive of adding further grief to my bonds but to claim the glory of preaching for themselves. Meanwhile the faithful preach Christ “through good will” in sincere belief, not out of envy but because what they believe is good. It is the gospel. So while some are preaching Christ in insolence, to bring punishment and tribulation on me, others are preaching from love. They remain dear to me. They do not insult me because I am in this state for the defense of the gospel.
What does he mean by saying “I am put here for the defense of the gospel?” “Even those who preach out of envy are helping me prepare for the account I must give to God. How so? Having been appointed to preach,” he says, “I am going to submit a reckoning and defend the work that I was appointed to do. My vindication will be easy because there are many who have been rightly instructed and have faith. But even those who preach out of envy inadvertently demonstrate how it is possible to do a good work even when one’s motive is not good.” .
That is, not with pure motives, nor from regard to the matter itself; but why? thinking to add affliction to my bonds. As they think that I shall thus fall into greater peril, they add affliction to affliction. O cruelty! O devilish instigation! They saw him in bonds, and cast into prison, and still they envied him. They would increase his calamities, and render him subject to greater anger: well said he, thinking, for it did not so turn out. They thought indeed to grieve me by this; but I rejoiced that the Gospel was furthered.
