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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
1:23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
Paul now admits to being caged in, restricted, press together between these two option, that of living for the brethren and dying to be with Christ. Paul’s confession of his desire to be with Christ must surely have had a profound effect on his church in Philippi, for they knew of his love for them, and yet Christ was the priority, the lynchpin of Paul’s life, the very goal. This must have translated to the individuals of the tiny church he speaks to, for they must also focus on the Lord, as we in the modern church need to realize.
Paul’s desire is to depart (note that he doesn’t day die) and to be with Christ.
As the apostle often taught of resurrections, he must mean the departure from this existence, not necessarily from his body, for he surely expected a resurrected body to be granted to him. Resurrection day is approaching my friends.
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.
1:22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
If. What a huge word. The unknown “if”, of course, implies choice, options, possibilities. Some options are out of our reach, only to be completed by the One who has the power to direct our lives. Some options are open to us, and yet knowing the Lord’s will, may become untenable though possible.
Paul speaks of choosing in this passage, and it seems he is considering the desires of his heart, not the actual decision to live or die – No that is beyond him. Authorities above him will determine his time of death. I speak as a fool here, for we know the Authority Who determines our time of release.
It is the desire of living for Christ or dying that he is hashing out in his mind. He is looking at two options, both of which a good options in his mind. This is instructive to consider.
When you approach a fork in the road, do you consider one way to be wrong and one way to be right? Surely this may occur, yet I would suggest that forks in the road of your life may both be beneficial. The decision may be difficult only in that you seek God’s will, but that either path will be of good effect on your life.
This is the conundrum Paul faces. Are you in the midst of a conundrum? Work it out, looking to the Lord for resolution, or to find peace in the matter.
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.
1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
One of my first memory verses, primarily due to its shortness. Yet it packs a tremendous truth.
Life and death. How does a Christian view death? Is it the enemy? Yes. Yet Jesus conquered the effects of death on our lives. We still have to pass through death’s door, and it is important to realize that the enemy (death) is not to be entered on a whim. It is a great reality!
What are you speaking of Carl?
Consider the Lord’s entrance to the experience of death. He sought the Father’s will, and yet asked for “this cup” to be removed from Him. Death was staring Him in the face, and He sought God’s will above succumbing to the very real presence and fear of death.
Paul was also looking death in the face, and realized that without Christ, He may succumb to fear and shame. Yet His hope was in Christ, who entered death and rose the victor.
Death will come knocking my friend, either through natural causes or other means. Look to the One who has supplied all your needs for the strength and courage to avoid a shameful death.
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.
1:20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
From the previous verse Paul stated he expected deliverance. He now speaks of his expectations and hope of not being ashamed. Might the deliverance Paul speaks of in the previous verse be a deliverance from shame?
The next phrase seems to clear up the issue of Paul’s expectation of physical deliverance, since he is suggesting this deliverance may be accomplished by death.
Paul seeks to honor Christ in his body.
If I am reading this passage correctly, he is more concerned of experiencing shame than death. This is enlightening to me, since shame is not a topic we speak of in the modern church to often. Shame and courage are directly linked in this verse, and associated with the Messiah. To be courageous is to relegate shame to the rear. We all have areas of our lives that we have experienced shame, those times when we performed deeds we want no one to know of. Yet the Lord knows and forgives.
Paul is looking to avoid the need for forgiveness, through faith and courage. As death approaches Paul, he resolved to look to the Master for his strength.
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.
1:19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,
Paul is here speaking of the divine human cooperative. The prayers of the saints, and the work of the Spirit of Jesus Christ will cooperate with each other in the deliverance of the apostle. Paul knows this will produce a deliverance for him, he is confident in this. He does allow for some leeway in the type of deliverance, allowing God’s will to be done. This is acceptable to Paul, since he seeks to be under the will of God, and realizes the promise of God, when saints join together in prayer, God listens and acts.
Paul ties these two parties (man and God) together in expecting his deliverance, although he has yet to define the deliverance. This generality in Paul describing his delieverance, especially in the next verse, allows freedom to recieve God’s will in his life.
I have often heard the statement, “Be specific in prayer, in order for God to specifically answer” Many times the Lord has answered specific prayers in our lives, and yet there is wisdom in allowing God’s will to play a part of the answer.
Paul was general in his expectation, and yet had confidence in the working of both the prayers of the saints and of the Spirit of Jesus.
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.
1:18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
Paul comes to a conclusion, that admittedly, I do not understand. It must be a deliberate decision on his part, that given the circumstances, he has concluded he has nothing he can do at this time but to rely on the Lord for working in the brothers of rivalry, and to give thanks for those who are preaching Christ out of good will.
In both cases, he rejoices in that Christ is proclaimed. The name of Christ is published amongst folk that need to hear of Him, and Paul realizes this is God’s work, and God’s will is being accomplished, even in the midst of bad relations and wrong motivations.
This is somewhat relieving/encouraging for myself, for this exhibition of the greatness of God in working with the less than perfect seems to fit in with my situation. In case you may not know, I am less (far less) than perfect. And although I do not knowingly harbor any rivalry with Paul, I am sure my motivations are not always of the highest good will. Nevertheless, God is good and he works with both donkeys and prophets.
How about you? Do you seek to take another’s place in the kingdom, seek to have power over someone, or simply an ambitious Christian, looking for status amongst the brothers and sisters of the Lord?
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.
1:17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.
Paul returns to the brothers who were preaching out of envy and rivalry (vs 15). As mentioned earlier, these brothers were fueled by selfish ambition.
In our modern church, I fear we are witness to the same two types of brothers. Those that preach out of good will include many godly, humble men who serve silently and without fanfare. Thiers is a life of servanthood and quiet periods of prayer, visiting with those who are hurting, and seeking to encourage those who are downtrodden.
There also are those who, by Paul’s own description, see the ministry as a career, an opportunity to have influence over others, to chase after the larger congregation, the larger church, a TV / Internet ministry, to be n the spotlight, and to draw attention to themselves, (for the sake of Christ of course!)
At this point in my Christian walk, I am somewhat jaded toward these so called ministers. I understand that the prevailing winds of Christianity almost require this conformity to seeing the church as a corporation, a business venture, or a organization. I get that, but I can’t seem to give up on the idea that the church is a living organism, and that those who preach for selfish ambition are not the highest example of Christianity.
I need some of Paul’s vision, (see vs 18) in understanding the will of God, even amongst brothers who base thier ministry on rivalry with their brothers, even seeking to afflict their leader for their own benefit.
To afflict the apostle? What is going on with these guys?
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.
1:16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
The brothers who found confidence in the life of Paul during his imprisonment, preaching Christ with boldness and of good will, were doing this service out of love. Love was the root of this service, and the fruit of righteousness was developing in these brothers!
As we have spoken of love in this epistle, note the number of times this topic repeats itself, over and over again as Paul shares his heart with the Philippians. These brothers were preaching Christ, in part due to the life of Paul in prison and their devotion to him and the Savior.
Paul could not have been happier, or to put it in the language Paul preferred, he could not have had greater joy.
Considering the Bible 