For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

In the previous posts, I have suggested that Paul is reintroducing Timothy to the Philippians, speaking of Timothy as a mature servant of Christ, genuinely caring for the interests of others. In this post we are going to consider Timothy’s gained worth to Paul!

2:22   But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.

Paul speaks of Timothy’s proven worth. The Greek word for proven is the root word for first word I ever did a study on a hundred years ago. It is the Greek word δοκιμή (dokimē) and it speaks of a specimen (Timothy in this case) going through a trial and coming through the affliction with gained experience and faith intact. The term refers to a test that was given and that Timothy overcame. Out of this test, Timothy increased in worth to Paul.

Increased in worth?

Whoa Carl, you need to put the brakes on here! Are we not worth so much greater than we can imagine, based not on our works, but on our being made in the image of God? How can our worth increase if it is based on our being made in the image of God?

The inherent worth of a person, based on his being made in the image of God is a very popular teaching nowadays, and there is much truth in it. We are a marred image, but an image of God none the less!

For our topic today, we also need to consider how we may find increased worth in front of God. And that is where trials and testing comes to the rescue! As believers we are either entering a test, currently in a test or coming out of a test, hopefully overcoming the challenge. God provides testing for believers in order for us to mature, to become in our experience what He seeks for us in our destiny. With every test we face, we are given the opportunity to acquire increased worth in the eyes of man and God.

To be faithful to God in our testing will provide greater opportunities in our future. Later in Paul’s ministry, he wrote to Timothy, exhorting him to do his best, to make every effort to be before God as one approved (tested and accepted), with no need to be ashamed. I have much to say about my understanding of this verse, but for the sake of brevity, will address it in an alternate post!

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

The inherent worth of the believer, based on his being made in the image of God is not the idea in this teaching, precious as it is. It is what the faith of the believer produces through the Spirit of God in their character through trials. There is an old Dutch reformed saying that at one time I considered heresy, yet as I study, am finding there may be valuable truth found in it.

It goes something like this…

What we are is God’s gift to us, what we become is our gift to God.

What think thee? Have you an understanding of the various ways our worth is “calculated” in our lives? Even as I type this, I wish to remind the reader (and myself), that this understanding of gained “worth” is to be held with kid gloves, and that we are to understand this teaching in a spirit of humility. He is the One who provides the strength, endurance and encouragement we require to pass through tests, and out of this testing to increase in our worth to man and God.

He is worth it, for He is good and He is good all the time!

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

Our topic today is the continuation of Paul’s introduction of Timothy to the Philippian church. As mentioned earlier, the Philippians had met Timothy very early in their lives as a body of believers. He was with Paul and Silas at the very birth of the church, albeit not one who was recognized as a leader. The leaders (Paul and Silas) were hauled off to prison, but Timothy was left behind, supposedly of no threat to the municipal government.

Paul is reintroducing Timothy to his church because he had matured greatly and become a trusted confidant to the apostle, not simply a warm body occupying space!

2:21   For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

Adding others

Let’s get some context to this short statement from Paul. Earlier in the chapter, Paul has admonished the church to show concern for others interests

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Paul is informing the Philippians of the natural tendency of all to seek their own interests, or their own concerns. We all seek our own interests! But in this verse, he is admonishing the believers to add to their concerns, the concerns of others. This is beyond the self care that we all tend to cherish. Admit it – we like taking care of ourselves! But Paul is telling the believers to reach out to others, invest time in their lives, find out what is of concern in their lives and get involved in those interests.

What might some of the interests be of others? Health issues springs to mind, or financial concerns. But it might start out by finding someone in the body of Christ (or outside of the body of Christ) and asking what type of motorcycle they like, or if they are coffee drinkers, or maybe something else that seems insignificant, but informs them that you are interested in them, and not simply using them to speak of yourself and your interests. After all, we do tend to like taking care of our interests!

Seeking Christ

Paul speaks of “all seeking their own interests” not those of Jesus Christ. Ok Paul – now it seems you have changed subject matter. Is it others or Christ that we are to seek the interests of?

Is there a difference? If we genuinely care for others welfare, are we not also seeking the interests of the Lord Jesus? Yet Paul provides focus for the believer, by redirecting our sights to Christ, and not to others. If we focus properly on Him, (and not get lost in some side interest), our nature will change into one that is genuinely concerned for others.

But beware! If I understand my nature correctly, there is a danger that some who are reading this may come away from this discussion, thinking that if they care for others, that is the same as seeking the interests of Christ. Is that correct? Could some think this way, and actually work themselves into a state of pride? Look at how much I care for others! Wow – Carl you care a whole lot!

I am thinking this may be getting the cart before the horse, as my momma used to say. The order is critical and Paul reminds us of this when he redirects us to the source of true humility, of true deference to others. Jesus is the only true source of humility and by focusing on His sacrifice for us, on His character and teachings, we can be transformed into one who genuinely cares for others.

Seek the interests of Jesus and as you do, you will become one who genuinely cares for the interests of others.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:20   For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

Our current topic is the young man Timothy, and his character as described by no less than the apostle Paul. The Philippians had encountered Timothy a number of times and yet Paul describes him to them as if they had never met.

Of had they? Timothy had been a young convert when he had joined Paul in Lystra, and one of the first stops on Paul’s journeys with Timothy was the city of Philippi. This Philippian church was a sort of baptism of ministry for Timothy, and his youthfulness in the Lord may have been evident. Note that Timothy was not in the prison with Paul and Silas, possibly implying that Timothy may have been more of an observer than active minister/leader amongst the apostles.

Since that initial contact with the church, Timothy had continued with Paul and Silas through Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth and back to Antioch. Missionary journeys had come and gone. Years passed and Timothy stuck it out with Paul, being sent to Corinth as Paul languished in prison, visiting the church and reporting back. Even early on, Timothy was gaining gracious reviews from Paul.

1 Corinthians 4:17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

By the time Timothy was being sent to the first church plant he had experienced, Timothy had become a very trusted disciple. Some suggest Timothy may have been with Paul for close to twelve years by the time he is sent back to Philippi. Twelve years under the tutelage of the apostle Paul. Obviously Timothy was not the same man. The Philippians may remember a young “wet behind the ears” convert, but the believer Paul was sending had matured and become a cherished helper of Paul, often being sent out in Paul’s absence.

Timothy was not the same man. Paul may have provided this description of Timothy to reintroduce him to the Philippians. Paul was not sending an inexperienced disciple from the fringes of his associates , but a man who had proven himself in the trenches of ministry.

Timothy had proven himself to be a man who naturally cared for the church, for those individuals in the church, and that gave of himself for the church. To care for believers was not in his job description, nor was it a task that had been assigned to him. His activities did not include among many items caring for believers as one of his responsibilities. Timothy cared for them in the same way he breathed. It was natural, involuntary, and consistent. It was natural for him to care. Paul was sending a man to the Philippians that he trusted and had blossomed as a disciple in front of Paul’s eyes.

A rare man!

Time with the apostle, meant time with a man of influence, under the Kingship of Jesus. Change had occurred, and Timothy had entered the life of change into the image of Christ.

Let me ask a question – If you met an old friend you hadn’t seen for a decade, would they meet a different person, a person influenced by the Christ, naturally caring for others?

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

The letter takes a turn for us transitioning from the humility of Christ and his apostle, to describing two additional followers of Christ that impact the lives of the Philippians.

Timothy and Epaphroditus are two men who will minister to the Philippians. Timothy, Paul’s very own disciple would be offered to the Philippians in service to their needs, and Epaphroditus would return to them, after having travelled to the apostle in order to provide a gift to him from his beloved church. But let us not get head of ourselves, for we are set to get a glimpse of how Paul considered his young Timothy in this letter to his friends. Our first verse in this description starts with hope, and of course includes cheer, a close relative to the ever present joy we find in the book.

2:19   I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.

Since we will be spending a few verses looking at Timothy, a quick reminder of the caliber of man this young believer was may be in order.

Paul described this young man as a fellow co-worker, his beloved and faithful child, his brother, a servant of Christ Jesus, and his true child in the faith. I can not think of another character that Paul refers to as much as Timothy in his writings. This short portion we enter into may be Paul’s deepest expression and estimation of Timothy’s value to him in his ministry.

How did Paul express his trust in this young man? He often sent Timothy ahead, to churches that he couldn’t get to, or that caused him immediate concerns. Paul placed tremendous faith in Timothy’s ability to represent him, even in the midst of a very troubled and rebellious church as the Corinthians.

Consider that many scholars think of Timothy meeting Paul around 50 AD, during his second missionary trip, and that Timothy was 16 when he first met Paul. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in 54 AD, which would make Timothy a young man of 20, having been under Pauls influence for roughly 4 years. Imagine sending a relatively young convert into the moral confusion of the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 4:17

That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

Timothy also was sent to a very young church, experiencing some troubling teaching, in order to establish the Thessalonians, to encourage them in the faith and to relieve the apostle of his concerns over the fledgling church

1 Thessalonians 3:1,2,6

Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone,
and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you–

Timothy was a man that voluntarily entered into circumcision to be an example of self sacrifice for the sake of others.

Acts 16:3

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

I met a man once who experienced this “pain” later in life, and he informed me that it caused him great discomfort. Very great discomfort!

We have seen that Timothy was a man of character, willing to enter into difficult situations, endure pain for the sake of ministry, and to represent Paul faithfully in his ministry to churches he had planted. Philippians 2:19 speaks of Paul sending Timothy to the Philippians to be encouraged. For his own encouragement.

But notice that Paul assumes that this church is moving forward in thier faith, that they will naturally be an encouragement to Paul, not only in thier support of him, as he has recieved a gift from them by Epaphroditus visit, but that thier general condition will be encouraging to him.

And to send Timothy to the Philippians, at least in part for his own encouragement, speaks of the apostles humanity, of his admission of weakness in his ministry. “Strong” leaders would not admit to the need for encourement, for that may show weakness. This is not Paul’s stance, for he freely admits his weakness through many of his letters.

He admits his weakness, his need of encouragement in front of those he is leading. Such a strange, upside down way of looking at leadership. Maybe I have witnessed too much of another kind of leadership in the church. Yes – maybe that is the problem.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:18   Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

When I first considered writing my thoughts on each verse in the book of Philippians, my intent was to limit my rambling and create a short, succinct, to the point post. This post may be the “succinctest” (Is that a word?)

What more can be said about this verse? We have considered Paul’s witness of rejoicing in the previous post. We have seen the humility and self sacrifice of his life for others. What else but to simply follow Paul’s admonition and …

Be glad and rejoice.

It is a choice for the believer.

Choose well my friends!

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:17   Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

A drink offering on a sacrificial offering?

In the Old Testament, God required a number of different offerings in the sacrificial system. The main offerings are of course

• The Burnt Offering – generally an offering for atonement of sine and an expression of devotion to God, and could be a bull, sheep, goat, dove or pigeon, and the animal, with the skin removed was completely consumed in the fires of the sacrifice.

• The Grain Offering – generally used as a voluntary offering of gratefulness, and an expression of devotion to God. As the name states, this sacrifice was bread based, and was only partially consumed, that is a part of the bread was sacrificed, with the priest retaining some for their own consumption.

• The Peace Offering – generally was used to consecrate a meal between two or more parties before God. This offering included both animal and grain in the sacrifice, with portions retained for the priest.

• The Sin Offering – occasionally seen as an offering to atone for unintentional sins, or for the removal of guilt from the offending party. Some of the sins atoned for were of ritual impurity, but primarily is used to purify the offering party to enter into God’s presence. This offering was not to be shared with anyone.

• The Guilt Offering – sometimes called the trespass offering, was not to clear the conscious of the offeror, but to restore, or make restitutions or reparations to the one offended. This offering usually ended up being a provided in cold hard cash, or some monetary offering to settle a debt.

Notice that in all the offerings, not once was a drink offering described. Each of these five offering hearken to the Lord Jesus, and in my “Jesus in the Old Testament” series we will enter into each of offerings a bit deeper, seeing how they speak of the Messiah. For now, let us understand that the drink offering Paul describes himself as is that which supplements the sacrificial offering of the Philippians faith.

In the Old Testament, the drink offering was associated with the peace, burnt and grain offerings. In Paul’s mind, I want to think that he is referring to the Philippians faith as a burnt offering, that offering which signifies complete dedication to God. Paul, in his life as the apostle, is simply describing himself as an “add on” to the Philippians faith, a supplemental drink offering to their sacrificial lives.

What a wonderful way to consider his life, a humble man that sees his own existence as only supplementing someone else in their effort to please God. Again, we see the humility of the Lord Jesus being expressed in a side comment from the apostle Paul. He is simply speaking of his desire to assist the Philippians in their faith, for them to understand his deep love and devotion not only to God but to them.

Humility of service shines forth from the apostle, and the theme of humility continues through this short passage, starting back in the first few verses of Chapter 2. Humility is a characteristic of the Lord, a characteristic of the apostle Paul and a characteristic of the faithful believer.

Humility. Are you proud of your humility? Boast in the Lord and humility will be a fruit that grows without noticing!

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:16   holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

Holding fast to the word of life is the anchor out of which we can endure in the correct path. The previous verse speaks of the church as lights in the world, and to be light is what we have been called to. This light we are called to shine is the light of God’s truth, love and ways.

If we go about imagining God’s ways, we simply become darkness, assimilating into the ignorance of God that the world lives in. We need to be in the Word if we are to know reflect the truth.

We need to hold the Word in the conventional sense, that is to not let go, to possess the Word, to hang on to the promises, and bend our wills to its teachings. Yet there are shades of meaning that the Greek word ἐπέχω epéchō (“hold fast”) may provide us additional truths for our lives.

Noticing

To hold fast in the ancient world also spoke of actively noticing, being alert to a situation, as Luke uses in his gospel.

Luke 14:7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,

Jesus noticed, perceived, caught sight of His surroundings. He was taking it all in, understanding the environment. He was not passively existing, simply existing, but absorbing the situation He was in. May this word also be informing us to be active in our understanding in the Word of Life and not simply be a passive reader, one who has heard and walked away?

Concentrating

Acts 3:4-5 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

When Peter and John were entering the Beautiful Gate, Peter and John looked at a cripple begging for alms. When Peter told the beggar to look at them, the beggar “fixed his attention” on the apostles. This speaks of focus, of concentration. He was single minded in looking at Peter and John. Of course he did not know what he would end up receiving, but that is immaterial to our topic at hand. He concentrated on the apostles.

May this word also be informing us that we are to concentrate on the principles and truth of the Word of God. Paul, when speaking of holding fast the Word of Life is also exhorting us to concentrate on the truth of the Word. Surely this is a responsibility and the desire of the believer that always needs to be refreshed!

Watching

1 Timothy 4:16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Although Paul is speaking to Timothy in this verse, the Greek word ἐπέχω epéchō exhibits one additional facet of meaning for the believer. Paul uses the term in an application to Timothy to watch, or even guard his life and teaching. Back in Philippians 2:16, we might apply it to our own guarding of the Word in our own lives. As we grow in the Word we need to be careful (diligent) to maintain that which we have already learned. A relearning of principles and truths in the Word is an ongoing practice of the believer, and builds the spiritual fencing we need in guarding or protecting the Word in our own lives.

Presenting

Finally, Paul’s use of the term in Philippians 2:16 may also have the meaning of presenting, holding forth (as is translated in my old KJV) or displaying. After Paul speaks of the church as shining as lights in the world, he exhorts them to present, or display the Word of Life to those outside of the church, as light shines from it’s source. If the world is watching (and they are!), they should see the truths of the Word in the life of the believer.

The picture in this verse is of gospel truths being clearly presented to the world by redeemed sinners, for the world to see in those who claim the name of Jesus to actually recognize Jesus (in some manner) as we walk about in the darkness of this world.

Be in the Word in the morning, evening or afternoon. Consider the truths you have learned and walk in them. Notice the Word, concentrate on the Word, watch over the Word and finally present the Word to those around you. And if necessary, use words!

Remember God is good, all the time!

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:15   that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

In our last post we began this challenging verse and discussed the first two descriptions of the believer when Paul used the concepts of blameless and innocence.

Lets continue with the apostle Paul’s teaching for the believer.

Without Blemish

Can anyone hear the book of Leviticus when this phrase is written. That particular English phrase is used 17 times in the book of Leviticus (and an additional 17 times in the book of Numbers), always speaking of the quality of a sacrifice for the Lord. A good example is in Number 6:14, where Moses is trying to make a point!

Numbers 6:14 and he shall bring his gift to the LORD, one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as a peace offering,

Obviously, Paul is not speaking of lambs or rams without blemish in our passage today. The thought has morphed into a characteristic of the believer, an outgrowth of the thought life described in the passages previously. Some passages translate the greek word ἄμωμος (amōmos) as above reproach, as in Colossians 1:22.

Colossians 1:22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

To be without blemish (above reproach) speaks of a life lived that no one may find opportunity of criticism, no reason for someone to bring a just complaint against the believer. It is to be without fault, which begs the question of our being weak and frail in our lives. We sometimes fall, and we may find mercy from the Lord, yet in this description of the believer, we must admit that to be above reproach in this world requires humilty in front of those who may be against us, of our admission of sin in front of those who know not the Lord.

Is there no limit to the topic on humilty in Pauls message in this chapter? Yet we need to keep short accounts of our failings with Him, as we often speak, and of our failings with those who are watching us, those who are in the Lord and those who are not!

Shine as Lights in the World

Lights in the world.

Let’s consider the effect of light for a moment. Paul speaks to one effect of light in Ephesians 5:13

Ephesians 5:13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible

Light is that which reveals. But, at the risk of being picky, I want to remind my reader that Paul uses the term in the plural, not the individual. Of couse the individual is required to be a light in this world, but Paul is going “congregational” here. He is looking for the body of Christ to be as lights in this world, a unified humble presence that as we interact with our neighbors, our combined character and presence would be that which reveals the unrighteous and evil nature of the culture we walk in. A counter culture, fueled by the love of God, not motivated by some impending judgement from God, living to His glory, rejecting the self glorification that is so pernicious in this old world.

My friends, take note of Paul’s admonition in this verse to maintain a singular thought life, of keeping or repairing relationships with our neigbor, and of living together with our brothers and sisiters in unity, humbly considering others better than ourselves. (See Philippian Bits – 2:3). For this we desperately need the Lord’s Spirit to be active and obeyed as we seek His kingdom.

Be blessed my friend. May the Lord be working in our lives to produce that which is pleasing in His sight!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:15   that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

In our last post we reviewed a most difficult verse, that is for those who want to hear the Word for their lives and tend to be complainers, grumblers, and murmurers. We saw that Paul was addressing our thought life, and the general attitude the believer is to maintain.

He has recently deisplayed the humility of the Lord in previous verses and our need to mimic Him, and then speaks of our thought life as being positive, loving kind and “not grumbly”. Heart issues are the topic, not our actions, yet with a correct heart attitude comes the proper fruit. This packed passage speaks of the our internal ruminations, resulting in proper fruit, the natural fruit of the believer who do all things without grumbling and murmuring!

Let’s consider the passage, that we may check our lives against the wishes of the apostle.

Four characteristics of the believer are described in this verse

Blameless

Paul has spoke of the blamelessness of the believer earlier in this wonderful book, back in verse 10 of the first chapter (See Philippian Bits – 1:10). To be blameless is not to be perfect in all of our actions, though that should be our goal. No, Paul is addressing our desires that if we do fall into an imperfection (some may want to insert the word “sin” here) with another soul, we need to request forgiveness, to take away the blameworthiness of that imperfection, to reestablish relationship with those who may have something against us.

We are to live in peace with all men, as much as possible. Our neighbor may love to hang on to unforgiveness though we seek it humbly. Their response is out of our hands but we need to be are honest and humble with ourselves and with our neighbor, seeking to maintain/repair relationships.

We can’t do that if we are grumbly!

Innocent

Paul continues with the description of the believers thoughts. He is not describing a verdict being handed down by some human judge in a court hearing, but of the single minded life of the believer. Let me try to explain.

The term innocent is from the greek word ἀκέραιος (akeraios). Notice the leading letter “a”, which in the greek is the same as our “not”. The root word is κεράννυμι (kerannymi), which simple speaks of mixing or mingling, even pouring in some instances. Paul is looking for disciples of Jesus to be “unmixed” in our thoughts, to be of “one mind.”

The term is only used three times in the New Testament, our verse today and the following two.

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Note that Jesus speaks of the wisdom of a serpent, and links it with the innocence of doves. This innocence isn’t speaking of a verdict in a court case, (as I so often associate with this word), but of a source of thinking for our actions.

Romans 16:19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.

Paul, as the Lord above in the previous verse, links wisdom with innocence. Wisdom is sourced from the Lord and is a mental / internal condition for the believer to request of the Lord and to live in. Such also is the innocence the believer is to live in. Let’s remind our selves of the original meaning of this term, in that it refers to being not mixed. Paul is speaking of our minds to being single minded, unmixed of that which is evil.

These two desciptions of the believers thought life, which produce fruit in our day to day life, is extemely challenging. With the culture we live in, we are bombarded with evil, and we find it easy to slip into a callousness, not concerned about either our relationships with our neighbor or our unmixed thought life. Paul is calling us to a greater calling, a higher life, and that is to follow the Master in the minute by minute challenges we find as we swim through this evil culture.

Let’s continue this wonderful, challenging verse in our next post, for I fear this one is becoming less “succinct” than I originally planned.

Be blessed this day as you seek to honor His word by maintianing(or repairing a relationship) and by having a single unmixed thoughtlife.

God is good, all the time!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:14   Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

Ok – who wants to be a hypocrite? An actor, a thespian. One who puts on a face and presents themselves as something they are not. Does anyone see my hand up?

As believers, one of the “simple” commands we are to obey is our subject text, and that is to do all things without grumbling or disputing.

Both of these terms relate to our inner thoughts. Of course when I hear the term grumbling, I always picture an old man, stooped over and following his wife, complaining under his breathe about all the mistreatment he has endured through life. Grumble grumble grumble. This grumbling is often an overflow of the negative complaining thoughts that erupt out of us, in that quiet, sometime passive aggressive monologue some of us like to live in.

But what surprised me was the Greek term for disputing. It is the Greek word διαλογισμός dialogismós, and is translated as

• thought (9x)
• reasoning (1x)
• imagination (1x)
• doubtful (1x)
• disputing (1x)
• doubting (1x)

Taking a quick look at the above list helps me understand that Paul is speaking of what goes on in our heads with no one watching. It is that inward reasoning, or deliberation that we all experience. It is that thought process we roll around in our head, not allowing any external argument to enter, for we know that we have no defensible argument!

My goodness, how I have to admit to being an actor in the Christian life, even in my quiet thoughts, in my internal reasonings, in my thought life.

I will admit it, but I will also, from this point on see this verse as a much greater challenge to my Christian faith, a challenge that I fear will get the better of me if I don’t trust His provision and exercise a grateful heart.

Join me this day in thanking God for the many ways He has provided His grace and mercy to you. Thank Him not only in the words that come out of your mouth, but per the verse of the day, also in your thought life!

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:13   for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

The believer works (vs 12) and God works.

We work with fear and trembling, and God works in us, both to want and work for His good pleasure. A lot of work is being discussed here!

A few posts back, I mentioned the Divine Human Cooperative. Of course this concept is not original with me, for I was introduced to it decades ago, and though I have lost some memory as I am aging, this phrase stuck with me. The idea that Jesus works with me, or maybe better said, that I am to work with Jesus in appealing for others to receive the grace of God, this concept or teaching simply amazes me.

The typical believer, (for I consider myself almost typical) looks to the Lord as the Master, the Lord, the Supreme Authority, and this is correct. This is the gospel, to know and understand that He is God and the Lord, and to bring our lives into conformance with His character and will.

But understand that the Word speaks of us as participating in the relationship with God, that we have a part to play in His drama, that we are not alone in this struggle, and not simply passive participants in the life He has for us.

As many who follow this blog know I am an engineer, and as a lead engineer on a project, I am responsible to get plan packages out to my clients on time and under budget. Today was a deadline and as I loaded up my designers with final edits, I was informed of a set of standards that had not been updated. With previous tasks already handed out, it was impossible for my folks to get the additional task done. So for a couple hours, I reverted back to a draftsman (albeit on the computer) and worked the standards to the present need.

Could I have derided my team, forced them to stay, caused them unnecessary stress? I could have and been strictly within my position within the firm. Instead I worked with my team to get a product out. And had a few laughs!

God has a plan that He will deliver and we are His “team”, albeit with inabilities, inhibitions, and insecurities, we work to please Him, and yet we fall behind, fail Him and fumble the ball on the one yard line. Brothers and sisters, do not think it all depends on you, for He is a loving God, that works in you and with you in getting us across the finish line.

He works with us by not only working in us, giving us the desire and will to work with Him, but also outside of us, in orchestrating our circumstances, bringing people into our lives, providing safety from evils, and granting us the strength to bless others, and not simply ourselves.

He is a big God, and worthy to follow, and as we follow, we are never alone, never abandoned, never forsaken.

Praise Him name for He is good!

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:12   Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

What a church, for Paul to tell them that they have always obeyed. Amazing! He was able to say that without fear of pride swelling up in them, speaking of the very humility we just worked through in the retelling of the humiliation of the Christ! These saints were truly catching them message, and Paul’s love for these gentle souls spoke volumes of the work of Christ in their lives. He was seeking their continued obedience even as he is in a prison far away.

This obedience consisted of work. But Carl – Christianity of a relationship, a matter of the heart towards God, a faith based connection with God. Why are you bringing up “work?”

Let me tell you a bit of a story. I was in Sunday School a few days back and we were chatting about a topic, and a question came up about Christians being judged by their works. This immediately brought about “corrections”, and concerns that Christianity is all about the heart condition. One young lady was quite shocked that this was even mentioned in the class, that our works would be judged.

It is somewhat funny that the very passage we were studying moments before was in Jeremiah 17, speaking of the deceitfulness of the heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:10 “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Might that be one reason Paul indicated the motivation for a believers work as being with “fear and trembling”? Not only does this verse speak of “work”, but also of fear and of trembling. That is somewhat surprising since the book of Philippians is often considered the letter of joy, and rightly so, for joy is a predominant theme. So why bring up these two “downers” Paul?

I would suggest that the Christian life is a life lived in tension with multiple truths. Paradox’s are abundant within the Word, and it is for the believer to understand and live within these paradox’s through study, discernment, and faith. Consider the following paradox.

Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

For me, at first glance, the mention of “fear and trembling” is a paradox within this letter to the Philippians. Yet after a bit of considering and thinking on it, if understood properly, is actually a foundation for a deep seated joy in our discipleship. A mindset of seriousness, a determination, a focus on completing your course before God, only adds to the joy that is available for the believer.

As an aside, fear and trembling occurs in two additional passages in the New Testament.

2 Corinthians 7:15 ESV – And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.

Ephesians 6:5 ESV – Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. There is joy in Jesus.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:11   and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In our last post we discussed the free and willing “knee bowing” of all creation, suggesting that Paul may be including the motivation of all of creation bowing the knee, and not simply the act of bowing the knee.

Philippians 2:11 may provide additional considerations supporting this thinking. In this passage, the verb for confess halted me. A short time back, I reviewed a book called “Jesus Undefeated” by Keith Giles and he brought to my attention the Greek term for confess in this passage. I will not regurgitate my findings in this post (See Book Look – Jesus Undefeated – Passage 6 for discussion) other than that term used for confess in this verse includes the idea of joy. The term implies a joyful confession, even a celebration of confession.

This strikes at the heart of my original thinking regarding the eventual confession of those in punishment! This passage does not seem to allow for a begrudging reluctant confession, a confession of requirement and obligation. Not only does He deserve the confession of, and bowing to His identity, He shall receive this to the glory of God.

Yet the rebels confession, if from a thankful heart, would it not provide greater glory than a reluctant and forced confession?

Don’t get me wrong. I understand punishment will be dealt out, and judgment will be just for all. Although Philippians does not address the punishment aspect of those who are in rebellion against the Savior, many may think this teaching of worship after death removes all punishment. I am not suggesting that, but only that I don’t understand the passage describing any punishment, but addressing the eventual (after punishment?) submission and confession of His Person by all.

Is this difficult to consider?

Is the possibility of Jesus bringing together both those who followed and those who rebelled into one “group” distressing for you? Consider some in the early church, and their reluctance to accept those sinners, those dirty Gentiles, into the Body of Christ. I think they were continually surprised by the working of God in the Body of Christ!

As I consider the Word as I get older, I am becoming more and more convinced that God is bigger than I imagine, that His grace is much greater than I can grasp, and that maybe, just maybe, He will surprise us all!

No matter – It is up to God to perform His will, and we are to be thankful participants in this ride we call Christianity!

Thank Him for the adventure, for He is looking for those who will have thankful hearts in worship!

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:10   so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

This verse (along with the next verse) brings to mind the eventual destiny of all of creation!

Prior to delving into this verse, I would be remiss to not discuss my understanding of the Christian faith in a general manner. It is important to remember that you own your faith and that the Christian faith is an amazingly broad and wonderous faith. Based on an faith that the Savior is the Second Person of the God head, and that the Bible is the revelation of the only true God, the Christian faith allows for many diverse points of view in various secondary teachings. Teachings such as the end times for example, vary in approach and in details, but all who take the Word seriously believe in a judgement/punishment period in the end.

In understanding this verse, I would like to consider not only the action but the motivation of all of creation in the bowing of the knee to Jesus as Lord. As 99% of modern day Christianity sees this verse, the action of bowing and confessing is what Paul is addressing and not necessarily the motivation. I too have understood that those who do not worship willingly while on earth, will worship after death, and that this post death “adoration” of the Son will be reluctant, forced and demanded.

Should or Shall?

Our passage speaks of bowing the knee in homage to the Christ, and that all creatures should bow, those in heaven, those on earth and those under the earth. When Paul says “should”, does he mean “ought to” but may not, or “shall bow” – it is inevitable! Consider the passage Paul is quoting from.

Isaiah 45:23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

It seems clear that the action of bowing the knee shall/will occur, if I understand Isaiah. All of creation shall bend the knee to the name of Jesus, and this should not be a surprising statement for believers to accept, since our faith declares that He is Lord of all.

All of creation will bow the knee!

So let’s consider what it means to “bow”. The verb for bow is κάμπτω kámptō, and has the primary meaning of worship, being found in the New Testament four times. Besides the verse we are considering, and Romans 14:11, which is as repetition of Isaiah 45:23, both of the remaining times this verb is used, it refers to willing worship.

Romans 11:4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Romans 14:11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

Might Paul be speaking of a time when all of creation freely and willingly worships the Son? I readily admit that the previous consideration is not convincing on it’s own, and for additional support we will address this theme in the next verse, yet is it not an interesting thought that all of creation would freely and willingly worship the Savior, not due to an eternal punishment received from the Savior, but due to His overflowing grace, kindness and forgiveness from the cross? How could we not rejoice if this is a possible outcome for all of creation?

Of course this impacts the teaching of man’s free will. How can we maintain man’s free will and yet have some freely and willingly bend the knee to the Master, even after death? If Paul is referring to bowing the knee due to the passing of punishment on the soul, this implies a forced submission, and that the suffering soul admits (reluctantly?) to the truth of the Saviors existence and dominance. This forced action, in my opinion, seems somewhat hollow and empty, somewhat unexpected if we only consider the Savior we find in the gospels. Yet there are passages that may support this forced submission.

But I have to ask – Does not the action of worship include the free will offering of oneself to the One worshipped, not out of compulsion or threatening, but out of love?

No matter how you slice it, this passage and the next impacts our thinking on free will, and of the final destiny of all souls.

How do you understand it my friend? Are you convinced of a forced submission of multitudes after judgement as the answer to our verse we are looking at today? Will this forced submission of multitudes of suffering souls satisfy the character of the Messiah, or may He be seeking the free and willing worship of all of creation?

However you see it, nothing stands in the way of freely and willingly worshipping Him today. He is worthy, He is mighty, He is wise and loving!

And He may be doing greater works than you or I could even imagine!

Worship Him today.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:9   Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

In our previous post on verse 8, we saw that Jesus went beyond the ordinary existence of a man on this fallen planet, that we are all destined for. He entered into death, though not deserving of the judgement, and beyond that, choose the type of death He would experience. A death that would be through extreme suffering, shame, humiliation, and terror. His death on the cross was a form of extreme cruelty, yet He directed the course of events to experience this horror!

Out of this complete and utter self humiliation, the Father has highly exalted Him.

Consider – He is the Son of God, who abandoned His glory for the sake of His mission. Was this abandonment of His glory a permanent abandonment, not of His person, but of His glory prior to entering the human race? Is the exaltation Paul speaks of regarding Jesus the attainment of a glory that was not His previously in His co-existence with the Father and Spirit.

I am treading on issues I freely admit my ignorance of, but the exaltation of Jesus is being addressed in this verse and it causes me to consider what Paul is revealing to us.

His self humiliation has provided the opportunity for God to declare Him as the One whose name is above every other name. The acts of the Son are being rewarded here, and not His character. The act of the Savior in His “stooping down” to our level, and continuing into even deeper humiliation that are on display here, and for which He has been exalted. These acts of humiliation are sourced out of His character, His spotless being.

But Paul is associating this exaltation with actions. In other words, He is exalted for what He did, not who He is.

Paul is looking for similar acts from us. And so is God. Acts of stooping down to others, to provide assistance to others for their sake.

Will you follow Jesus?

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:8   And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

In our last post, we struggled with the term “emptied Himself”, and found some resolve in Paul’s description of Jesus taking the form of a servant in order to appear to His creation in the manner He sought, that is, in the “shape” or form of a servant. Yet He did not simply stop with this level of self humiliation, but continued in His self humbling and was found in the form of a human.

The form of a servant, and then the form of a man, a human. Though we often think of ourselves as those who have no limits, (we can be whatever our little hearts desire), this is simply untrue. Our “form” is quite limited!

Even as compared with other created beings, our limitations are quite startling. No ability to fly, or swim underwater like the fish. We can’t change how time effects us or that we age and die. We can’t change our history, our past mistakes or victories. We can’t naturally change other people, except in a bad way by harming them. We can’t go without sleep, food, water… We can’t “do as we please” for we set restrictions on ourselves for the sake of living in a civilized manner. We can’t change our gender, height or nose size without some violence to our body. We can’t grow another limb, increase our IQ, or change the length of our lower intestine. So many limitations!

And we have become accustomed to these limitations, since we exist in them and have learned to be content in them. At least if we are to have peace in our life, we are to be content with the limitations our created form lives under. Some, sadly to report, have not accepted these limitations and are in constant warfare within themselves, tearing away at thier own bodies!

Limitations gladly taken on by the eternal creator God. He was found in human form, accepted the limitations though He was without limitations previously. How to comprehend this? Another limitation!

But though He took on the limitations of a human, this step down in His humiliation was not His last. He did not stop “stooping down” to reach us. Paul reminds us that He humbled Himself to death! He decided to accept death, to humble Himself to experience death. Remember, though it is my logical extension of the fact of a sinless life, death was not a required destination for the Son of God, for He had no “wages” to recieve. (See Romans 6:23)

His choice of death was an act of humiliation, and Paul continues that the choice of going through the gates of death was not the only choice He made, but that the type of death He chose was specific. I want to die in my sleep. He wanted to die on a cross! No – that phrase expresses a desire only, whereas Paul tells me that He decided on His final act of humiliation through the type of death He experienced. (For an expansion on this thought, see Let Me Tell You a Story – Stoned?)

Could there be any other act that brought Him lower, that would better express His desire to “connect” with us, to provide for us, to guide us, to teach us of what true life consists of? Not of the boasting and self aggrandizement of the world, constantly telling us to look down on others, that we are the great ones, that we are in control. We are not, and to be honest, it is a fools errand to chase after a life of pride.

This passage in consistently painting a picture of the Lord as the One who stepped down, stooping down to His creation, going beyond the “normal” human existance of accepting our state and pushing the envelope to a life of sacrifice and self humiliation that we have never witnessed in any other.

He is the One we are to follow, and He is certainly worthy of all praise and honor, for He is the Lord.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:7   but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Emptied Himself. I confess this phrase regarding the Son has always been a bit difficult for me to understand. Not the motivation to empty Himself, for this severe act of self humiliation can only be explained by a severe love for the one He humbled Himself for.

No – the motive, though extreme, and logically speaking unbelievable, can be on the surface somewhat taken in. The bigger problem I have, and it is only due to my incessant analyzing of matters that really should not be analyzed, is not the “why”, but the “what” of the text. What does it mean to empty Himself?

Looking at the Greek, the term is κενόω (kenoō) and is defined as “to make empty”. When I read that, it just doesn’t help.

Looking at a list of other translations though, and I get a sense that He “emptied” Himself by doing something. This helps, and let me explain why.

During our child raising years, I would often tell my children “no”, but provide no positive or alternative action to follow. Of course this would be a frustration to them, for it was only the removal or restriction of an action that was “demanded”. Creating a vacuum of ideas by saying no only, did not rest well within the family, and eventually the children sought other avenues without allowing the parents to comment.

My point is that vacuums are not meant to remain. In the act of emptying Himself, the vacuum created had to be replaced. Or maybe in a better sense, the emptying was caused by some other action. Some action He decided upon, caused the required “emptying” of the Son. What action might that be? Hummmmm.

The text speaks of “taking the form of a servant” Maybe that is what I have been missing. The “form” of the Son, not necessarily the identity. He took the form of a servant, though He was in the form of God (verse 6). Form is the greek word μορφή (morphē), and has to do with appearance, or shape. He took the appearance of a servant, and lived in that appearance, relecting to His creation the character of the Godhead.

The greek word is used only one other place in the gospels, and that is in Mark 16:12.

Mark 16:12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.

After His resurection, He appeared in another form, and was unrecognizable to two men. (The parallel passage my be found in Luke 24:13 – 35) His identity had not varied, He is the Son, though a crucified Savior, yet His companions did not recognise Him for who He is.

He took on the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. His glory was left behind and He stepped down into His creation appearing as a servant, expressing God’s character in a way that would be understood by the creature. In one aspect of His self humiliation, His intent was to be understood, to identify with His creation, to live with them.

The passage speaks nothing of His not being God, but communicates the extent of His self humiliation, and His effort to communicate with His creation, with those who would understand (somewhat!) and those who would not understand (sadly).

In your day today, take the form of a servant. Humble yourself for the sake of the other. Any step down is a miniscule act in comparison to His act of love, but it is still a valid act of following Him.

Humble yourself, not only in thought and speech, but also in act and deed. We need to take this form of a servant, even though He has granted us the identity of children of God.

As children of God, act like the Son of God. Any other way of life gives the appearance we are not His children.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:6   who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

This verse is pregnant with truth, with mystery, and as we have been considering in this portion of Philippians, the humility of the Lord Jesus. Every time I try to understand the depths He plummeted to simply become one of us, a created being, to walk in a sinful, fallen world, to identify with those who have rebelled against His goodness, I come away from my time of meditating with two outcomes.

Confusion

How can I relate to One who is willing to “come down”, to self humble to such a degree. Rarely have I had the internal desire to humble myself amongst my equals, since I prefer to walk in a show of ability, of noble character, but in reality in an inflated ego and deluded in my pride.

And yet I know our next verse is going to describe even further self humiliation of the One who made me, but we need to consider this initial step of becoming a man for today.

To step away, or better yet, to step down from the eternal position, honor, glory and authority of the Godhead and plunge to the earth as a blood and flesh creature, dependent on fallen man, and in the midst of a subjugated people that have rebelled against your will is not only incomprehensible, but completely without precedent.

No one does this! NO ONE!

When I think of the term “holy”, I typically consider the concept of sinlessness, of sanctification, of being set apart, and all of this is true. Yet tucked away in this term is the concept of “otherness”. He is holy, we are not. He is of an “other” nature. Separate from us, and yet seeking us out. He is of the character that is not restricted, affected or limited by ego and pride, for He is everything we like to think we are, and yet much more.

• He is in control – We are not
• He understands the situation – We do not
• He has the knowledge to make informed decisions – We do not
• He has the wisdom to undertake the actions required to fulfill His will – We do not

I say much more, for with our existence, and our desire to be considered more than we are by rights, we tend to boast of abilities and character that is not in the realm of truth. Out of this comes a severe insecurity, and a haunting realization that we are much less than what we try to display to others who are struggling with the same debilitating condition. But with Him, all of His perfections must also provide absolutely no insecurities, no need of boasting or requiring commitments from others to maintain a position out of fear of losing the right. He is stable, without any “shadow of turning”.

And He came down to live with us, a man that describes Himself as “gentle and lowly”.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

The term gentle is interesting, and provides one additional slant to our discussion this morning. Meek is defined in BDAG as “not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance, gentle, humble, considerate, meek“

In His short time on this earth below, as He described Himself as gentle, this descriptor becomes so beneficial to my thoughts this morning. He walked amongst us, and was not overly impressed by a sense of one’s self importance. This is an act of divine decision, for He is of GREAT importance, the greatest of importance to all on this blue ball. And yet He did not dwell on this truth, but thought of Himself to be equal with us.

Who does this? NO ONE!

Thankfulness

A sense of awe and thankfulness attends my thinking, no matter how my comprehension settles on this truth. In this middle of my ruminations, I ask Why? Why do that which is beyond our comprehension? This is the out flowing of a character that is holy, He is not of our ilk, but a loving, kind and gentle God who seeks out those who would crucify Him. He is beyond our comprehension, and His love for each of us is beyond our understanding.

Consider the One who stepped down from a position we cannot imagine, practiced a mindset of humility, and do likewise!

He is good, and His life amongst us, when considered, is a tremendously great challenge. And this great challenge includes our willingness to die to our lies, die to our self importance, die to our pride, die to our self. Die to self so I can live unto God. Humility, a sense of gentleness and a consideration for others will be the fruits that will naturally blossom from this death.

Follow Him, for He is the perfect example!

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:5   Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

I spent years reading this verse, thinking that I needed the mind of Christ, ie the thoughts, knowledge, logic, reason, memory, perception and mental ability of the Messiah. This is not what Paul has in mind here – (hope you don’t mind the pun!)

When Paul speaks of mind in this passage, he is speaking of attitude, not knowledge. When you think of the Lord Jesus, with His disciples, what attitude jumps out at you? Anger with their slowness of faith? Impatience with the infighting, personal quarrels and bickering? What about His attitude regarding those who were religious and stood in the way to the kingdom? Same attitude?

My friends, as I have been studied the parables in past posts, (Parable Surprises – Introduction) and currently the miracles of the Messiah, (Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction) I have found a man, fully cognizant of His identity and mission, yet who exhibited patience beyond human reason, an attitude of submission to the Father’s will, and of a willingness to suffer for those who fought against Him, whether they be Pharisees, the disciples, or myself.

His attitude is one of humility, a meek and gentle man, that exhibited power through love, authority through submission, and Lordship through service. His only self description of His character actually referred to His humility.

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

His kingdom is an upside down kingdom, and drinking at the well of worldly opinion, always consuming the me me me life, will never provide the peace that we desperately seek.

Look to Him, see a Messiah who is gentle and lowly in heart, and mimic Him.

For He is good

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:4   Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Paul, in describing the humility of a Christian witness, seeks to instruct his friends of their responsibility to their neighbors. He doesn’t separate himself from the real vagaries of life on this earth, where we have to provide for those we love, care for those of our family, and support those we are closest to. These interests we naturally have are not to e ignored in order to give to others, and to be seen as super spiritual, (thereby exposing a pride that is so antithetical to Paul’s direction!)

Our neighbor, in his need, according to the way I understand Paul, is also our need and it is the wise man who can discern a proper response to the neighbor. Is it right to take from our own interest, our own family, our own loved ones, in order to provide for “others”. Yes. Yet I have somewhat of a qualifier, based on life experience, for you to consider. For you see, in my past, I would see someone in need, and simply go to fulfill that need. Without any discussion on the impact towards those I love. Looking back, this action seems to be fueled by some sense of being seen by strangers as a true Christian (?) and ignored those who were witnessing my life closest! (i.e. my fam!)

Since then, unless an emergency forces an instant decision and action, I tend to take a few minutes to discuss with those who will be impacted by the sacrifice/gift/time spent to help my neighbor, just to get buy in, to give them the respect they deserve and to simply honor those around me.

I have come to realize that a unified sacrifice is much more satisfying, much more peaceful, and much more worthwhile, for not only can the Spirit’s direction be verified, but the act of submitting to one another’s act of love towards our “neighbor” brings greater blessing to all involved.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:3   Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

As we are venturing through chapter 2, we have come across Paul’s gentle appeal for unity within the church. This unity, in our last post spoke of the inner mind that the believer was to exercise toward others, and that mind, I suggested was found in the Son of God, for His mind is the only mind that is of any pure intent to attain this unity.

In this verse, Paul brings to the surface the characteristics of a believer that will destroy this unity he seeks to guide us into.

Selfish Ambition

We all know what selfishness is, and when coupled with ambition, we find it begins to describe a believer who is putting oneself forward, describing a believer who wants to be in charge, to lead, to be visible, to gain honor. Paul condemns this attitude, for it is the very heart of pride, seeking to elevate oneself over others – for their sake of course! Justifications may be found for each of us in our efforts to be seen, but Paul speaks against this desire. To exhibit selfish desire is to be contentions, spreading strife and competition.

Conceit

This term also speaks of pride, and carries with it the concept of a groundless self esteem. A self esteem teaching ran rampant through the American church a few decades back, and many still find justification in the Word for this self love. I understand this teaching to be destructive for the Body, and flies in the face of Paul’s admonition to exercise a sacrificial self giving love.

Paul touches the heart of this admonition in Philippians when he speaks of humility. This is Paul’s core intent in all of this teaching, in that he seeks the church to exercise humility towards others.

We are actually to consider others more significant than ourselves! (How does that fit with the self esteem teaching?)

Nevertheless, this is a tall order for the believer, impossible for those who do not connect with the One mind in daily prayer, meditation and searching of the Bible, seeking to know His will in specific areas of our lives. We need to understand these guiding principles, such as rejecting selfish ambition and conceit, and to elevate others in our thoughts for the sake of unity. As soon as we consider someone to be less important that us, we can easily dismiss them, and begin to ride the self conceit train to the next contentious argument or debate.

Such a horrible way to live! Humility of mind and heart towards others is the path to peace and unity. If you are experiencing some strife in your relationships, seek to exercise a humility towards them, asking for forgiveness for any real (or perceived) offences they may be harboring.

Be the leader, and humble yourself!

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:2   complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

In our last post, we saw that Paul appealed to the Philippians by way of positive request to encourage each other, to find strength in the Son, Father and Holy Spirit. The verse cut off prior to providing the end result that Paul desires for the Philippian church. I would go so far as to say Paul wants what is contained in this verse for all bodies of believers.

Unity. Such a small word but so divisive, for everyone seems to have a concept of unity that fits into “their” vision, “their” plans, “their” desires. Leaders speak of unity in order to maintain focus and direction of a bodies efforts, and I am sure there are good intentions in implementing a “vision”.

I have experienced this call for unity in my past with a certain church, using the call for unity in forcing the body to study one topic during class time on Sunday. Of course, if the class isn’t presently studying a topic, this would be of no concern. If the class is in the middle of an extended study, in the spirit of unity, discussion on the direction would be beneficial.

An order from on high is not beneficial. An order from on high, that is from appointed church leadership, providing direction by decree for believers, does not exhibit the type of unity that I believer Paul is seeking amongst church folk. I think of this situation as an effort to create uniformity, in place of unity.

Unity is described in a positive sense as

Having the same mind

Mind in this phrase refers to cherishing the same views, or to be harmonious.

Having the same love

This love is the agape love, a self sacrificing love, resident in the believer, needing to be stirred up and exercised in our daily decisions with those who are following the Lord.

Being in full accord

Full accord. United in Spirit. This phrase is not describing a uniformity of schedules or programs, but of souls being knit together in purpose, like minded in their opinions. To strip this one purpose to a basic understanding, lets consider the one opinion a believer needs in order to even be within the Body.

Jesus Christ is Lord. One opinion, that if we understood the implications in relation to authority within the church, may provide a pathway to the elusive unity Paul seeks for the church’s good.

Of one mind

This “one mind” is the same Greek word Paul used when requesting the “same mind”. Is he requesting something different or is he emphasizing the same desire? Personally, I think Paul is emphasizing the same concept as same mind, but let’s consider. The “same mind” speaks of a likeness or similarity of multiple independent “minds”, whereas, “one mind” speaks of a single entity, a single mind. As mentioned above, this single mind must refer to the Lord Jesus. His commands, opinions, exhortations, guidance, example and actions must be the one mind we are encouraged to emulate, to have when we are relating to our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Each of these descriptions of unity come from a positive perspective, speaking of an inner unity, a spirit of harmony and of peace amongst believers. Paul was seeking a foundational unity for all in the church, in order for various ministries and service that may flow from individuals had a basis in unity, and not a forced uniformity.

Of course Paul will have, in our next verse, negative descriptions of working towards this unity he seeks for the church, but for now, let us seek to find the same mind, that One mind we all need.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:1   So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

If if if. The largest word in the English language. It always implies possibility, of success or failure, of obedience or rebellion, of an outcome depending on an action. I have ventured to understand this concept in an earlier blog – see Conditional Security – John 8:31,32, 51.

Nevertheless, Paul seems to be basing his future appeal for unity (our next verse) on four motivations for the Christian. As a general comment, it is interesting that none of these motivators are negative, by that I mean, there is no threatening’s, no appeal to authority (though Paul had authority!) no appeal to competition with a brother, no appeal to the individual’s selfish desire. Each of these appeals were based on the experience the believer had with the Lord Himself and the Lord’s people.

Encouragement in Christ

Exhortation, admonition or consolation may be understood in this first phrase, and speaks of those who want the best for the one receiving the encouragement. When I hear encouragement, I often think of an inner strengthening, of being “couraged up” in a particular endeavor.

Comfort from love

As I mentioned earlier, each appeal is connected with the Lord or His people. Although God the Father is not expressly defined in this text, I always assume Paul refers to the Father in this portion. The Love of the Father is a fitting topic to appeal to for the believer, for our entire existence is based on the love of the Father. He sent His only Son for us, out of love for His creation, out of a self sacrificial love for His people.

Participation in the Spirit

Fellowship or a sharing together in the Spirit. Note that this may not be addressing the participation of the Spirit in our individual lives, that is His ministry in our lives to convict or guide each believer directly. Paul speaks of a fellowship in the Spirit. Might he be speaking of a fellowship amongst other believers, in the body of Christ, through (or in) the Spirit? At the very least!

Any affection and sympathy

Paul loved this church. He had a heart for this group that may not have been his experience with other church plants. This affection and sympathy speaks of his own experience and his desire to have the believers enter into this amongst themselves. True love towards one another is not fostered through judgement, gossip or shame, but through affection and sympathy.

Affection speaks of a tenderness, a kindness and compassion towards others based on our decision and not on their performance.

Sympathy speaks of feelings of goodwill, and is also translated as tender mercies in some translations.

Both of these terms speaks of a vulnerability in relationship, or extending to others the benefit of the doubt, of an ongoing “maintenance” of relationship through humility and forgiveness toward our brother or sister in Christ.

May you find a way today to exercise love towards others, an encouragement to those who are walking the path with you

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1:30   engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Fellowship. A sharing of experience. Paul described his arena of conflict as the same as the Philippians.

Let me explain.

The word conflict is associated with the Greek word for a place of assembly, or a place of contest. This is enlightening, for we, as believers must recognize that we are all on display as we seek to follow Him and battle against those who are our opponents, and more importantly, inlight of the context of this passage, to be unified in our struggle as a body of believers, to be worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phil 1:27)

How often has the contest went sour, when we exercise our rights in order to get our way, simply for prides sake. I may have told the story previously, but it is a clear example of lack of unity in my mind.

One of the first churches I was honored to attend, had a business meeting to discuss the new roofing they needed to have installed. By the end of the meeting, no decision had been made, people were at odds with one another, things were said out of anger or frustration and a gossip mill started.

The color of shingles! This is so insignificant, and yet the church communicated to many, at least to me as a young believer, that unity was not exercised in the body of Christ. Now don’t get me wrong, this church was uniform in their doctrinal beliefs, for sure! But to what gain is that if a stranger comes in and sees animosity, jealousy, self will and gossip? No joy, no unity, no single mind (attitude) of unity!

In that instance, I was saddened to see no fellowship, or sharing of a conflict being experienced by the body.

A few years later, after we moved away, we found that the church had to close it’s doors, and the land is now the extended parking lot of a gas and service repair station. The roof that was so important became a pile of trash for the construction crew to clean up.

So sad. Lets not be petty, but caring for others, giving up our desires for the sake of Christ and his children.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1:29   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,

For the sake of Christ, Paul speaks of two gifts for the believer.

Gifts? Yes – gifts, for that is what is implied when he states “it has been granted”.

Believers have been granted faith and suffering. But before my Calvinist brothers jump on this verse, as I used to, it is important to understand that “grant” may also be understood as allowing or consenting to the fulfillment of something requested.

With belief, this understanding seems to me a basic truth. I sought the Lords deliverance through faith and he provided the request. Asking for faith is not the same as have faith thrust upon a non-believer.

Regarding the suffering aspect, we sometimes consider suffering to be that which leads to or is completed by martyrdom, and well it should, for that may be the end result. But please do not limit suffering to that which leads only to death.

Suffering in a believers life entails many aspects, ranging from loss of friends to loss of employment, loss of loved ones, persecution, and various other trials that come upon a believer due to his allegiance to the Lord.

Suffering may be granted to the believer for many reasons in the will of God. The number one reason I can think of, and that many reading may default to is simply a maturing process for the believer. It has been said that the whisper of God in the face of suffering becomes very recognizable, and is such that the believer will be willing to hear and obey.

The Lord desires a believer to hear at all times, but we know our frailty and understand the need for the Lord to get our attention through various means. In our married life, my favorite and I have went through various suffering and come out of it with a deeper resolve to follow the Messiah, a thankful heart (for the Lord’s care in the midst of loss), and a confidence that future trials will include His mercies and grace. This is the process of growing, of not simply knowing some facts about God, but knowing God, and His mercies, His grace, the patience and perspective only He can provide.

If you are going through any suffering at this time, look to the Lord, especially the cross of our Master to find encouragement, comfort and strength to endure the trial. He is good.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1:28   and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

Courage pops up again in this chapter. Courage and joy seem to be linked in Paul’s mind, and experientially, as I have found courage in Christ, I will readily admit, the sense of joy in my life becomes more evident.

Living in fear is a deadly trap, and is not to be the normal life of the believer. Many may have succumbed to the fear mongering that is of late within the media, and I am convinced will continue. My friends, as Paul noted above, do not be frightened in anything by our opponents.

Rethink the reason for their use of fear in your life, for as Paul notes, as we live our lives courageously, this one response will signal an eventual doom to the opponent.

This perspective is not something that will be provided to you through the message of the world, but through a knowledge of the One who has provided hope and joy to the believer.

Immerse yourself in the message of Christ, for His message is liberating, and will provide truth to live and die by.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1:27   Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

Paul’s seeks one thing from the Philippians. Their manner of life to be worthy of the gospel of Christ. Now my question is – Is Paul talking of an individuals manner of life, or the church body as an organism?

Of course, individual Christians are to have a manner of life that is worthy of the gospel, and we may come back to the concept of worthiness, but for now, let us consider if Paul is referring to the church body life in this verse. Notice that he speaks of unity in this verse.

• Standing firm in one spirit
• With one mind
• Striving side by side for the faith of the gospel

This list on descriptions, detailing Paul’s hope for the church cannot be applied to the individual, for it speaks of the group representing the gospel with a unifying front.

One item that I would like to draw your attention to, and that I find to be a source of division within the modern church (of which there are many sources of division) is the claim for a group of believers to have doctrinal purity. This concept is addressed in Philippians 4:5, where we are instructed to be reasonable.

I have, as many may know, spent much of my Christian life emphasizing hair splitting doctrines in order to cause discussion/debate. Discussion! More like division at times! But that is the result of pride. (Proverbs 11:2)

I must admit, many times it was to simply show others that I had knowledge of the topic – how foolish!

Paul is looking for a church that will present a united front even though there may be some disagreement within the group (Consider Philippians 4:2 – Euodia and Syntyche). He is looking for a church that has one spirit and one mind, striving for the faith of the gospel.

When he speaks of one mind, some may equate that with one set of doctrinal facts, for I know at one time I also did, but I must admit now, that I see the term “one mind” as attitude of mind, an attitude of service as described in a few verses ahead (Philippians 2:5), the mind of Christ being led into greater and greater humiliation and service to us.

There are central tenets of the faith that are non-negotiable, but let us provide space for the negotiable in others lives. Let us center around the person whom we claim to follow, and not a list of doctrines that separate us from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1:26   so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Amazing. Believers may find cause to glory in Christ Jesus through a simple man who is seeking God’s will. And Paul is not shy in stating that his continuing with them in service to them may provide “ample” cause to glory in Christ Jesus.

Ample! Abundant, overfilling, exuberant, plentiful.

If it wasn’t the apostle Paul, I would think this man to be overly arrogant, yet his trust in the Lord, and his desire to serve the brethren yells out humility and meekness. A man that was putty in the hands of the Master and who struggled to know the will of God, eventually realizing to serve the church, his brethren in Christ, was the proper path he was to seek. This man would bring opportunity to the church to glory in Christ.

Out of that decision, or realization, Paul saw multiple fruits, not only of his own joy, and that of the churches continuing joy, but of their potential growth, and an opportunity to glory in Christ through the apostle.

Are there any additional fruits that Paul’s speaks of in this wonderful book? I will leave that for your comments.

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verset, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1:25   Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

Paul has given us a glimpse in his thought patterns, his reasoning and his desires. He was a man who had like passions as we, although focused on the will of God much more intensely than I. His heart is that of a man who has two possibilities in his life and will sacrifice his greatest reward for the sake of his brethren, for a church he rarely sees, but loves.

Two goals are in Paul’s mind for the Philippians.

Progress in the Faith

Growth, maturity, greater understanding of God’s will for your life, increased boldness, courage, self sacrifice for others. Need I go on? We are to grow, and to encourage others to grow. Progress in the faith my friends. Standing still actually equates to slippage, to regression and falling behind, a withering.

Joy in the Faith

In all our maturity, if joy is missing, this should be an alarm going off in our hearts. A deep seated joy is the ever present partner of a living faith, a growing and prospering faith.

Do not hear that I speak of happiness. This is not the message. Joy is that strength of heart that provides encouragement, hope and a knowledge of His goodness in your life that we do not deserve. An ever present resident in our life that addresses the doubts and fears, that we can experience in the midst of trial and trouble, in the midst of grief and sorrow.

A mystery to be clear, and yet the very possession of the believer who is growing in the faith

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For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1:24   But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Given that Paul has considered the resurrection of his own body, and the glory of being with Christ, he turns to the immediate need of others.

Is this not typical of One who follows after the Master. Taking personal desires, and subjugating them to the needs of others. Self sacrifice for the life of another is the hallmark of love that the Lord exhibited on the cross for each of us.

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