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1. LifeOfApostlePaul-DT-Mar14-Mar19

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List all the things that made Apostle Paul joyful.

• The Philippians partnership in the gospel with Apostle Paul from the first days till now.  Apostle Paul found joy when praying for the Philippians, knowing that they continued to remain faithful to the gospel work.
• That Christ was being preached, regardless of false motives or true. It didn’t matter that some were preaching Christ out of envy, rivalry, selfish ambition or any other form of insincerity.  The main issue was that Christ was being preached to those who needed to hear.
• He had a confidence that all that happened to him would all result in his deliverance.   He didn’t just mean his freedom from prison, but as he stated in vs.20-21, he seemed to also imply the deliverance that came from dying for Christ.

What is the secret to Apostle Paul’s ability to be undaunted by difficulties and setbacks?

Apostle Paul’s ability to be undaunted by difficulties and setbacks was due to him being a Gospel-centered person.  So central to his life was the Gospel, that when he faced difficulties and setbacks, he was able to rejoice that through them, the Gospel advanced. This just goes to show Apostle Paul’s level of selflessness, and Gospel-centeredness.  His life really wasn’t about the drama of his own life, but about how God was using him to advance the Gospel, even through hardships.
When he was in prison, he was able to rejoice that his testimony of being in chains for Christ had spread throughout the entire palace.  This kind of mindset is entirely different than the typical person’s mindset.   A person in jail would normally be filled with worry, grief, anxiety and/or anger.  But we don’t see these attitudes present in Apostle Paul’s life at all.  For him, being in prison was an opportunity to spread the Gospel in that place where God had placed him.

Another reason why Apostle Paul was undaunted by difficulties and setbacks is simply because he expected them.  In v.29, he tells the Philippians that it has been granted unto them to not just believe in Christ, but to also suffer for him.  In Apostle Paul’s mind, suffering was simply a part of the calling to servanthood.  So many Christians today are burdened when things don’t go their way and when certain hardships arise, because they didn’t expect such things to happen.  When a person asks for help, when there are roadblocks in ministry, when there are personal difficulties…these all have a way of burdening believers.  The reason for this is because following Christ has taken on this flowery notion of niceness and ease that was never meant to be.  The call to serve Christ is as Apostle Paul says a call to suffer.

As I look at Apostle Paul’s life, I am challenged and inspired to become like him – a person who is totally selfless and focused on the Gospel.  I don’t face anything near the hardships that he faced, such as imprisonments from enemies and threats on his life.  But the posture of being centered on the Gospel is the same posture to which God calls me to.  I must expect it. It’s so difficult to get out of myself because that has been an engrained part of my character for so many years.  Yet there is hope to change, and the hope is in God’s transforming power to change this heart as I become consumed with channeling God’s love to all those around me, in the way that Apostle Paul was.  One of the privileges God has given me has been to teach course 101 to the students here in Austin.  There are over 30 students regularly attending the lectures, and the fact that each of these students have the need to hear about the basic Gospel really compels me to do my best to communicate this good news to each and every one of them.  Spending the time to prepare for the lectures and even staying up late to do so can hardly be called suffering in light of Apostle Paul’s suffering, but it is through these small steps of letting go of my agenda and my time for the sake of the Gospel advancing in others, that I can be hopeful that God would change my heart more and more.

Submitted by David Lee, Gracepoint Austin

List all the things that made Apostle Paul joyful.

1. Partnership in the gospel with all the saints at Philippi (vv. 4-5)
2. Christ being preached (v. 18)
3. Receiving prayers from the Philippian church and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ (vv. 18-19)

What is the secret to Apostle Paul’s ability to be undaunted by difficulties and setbacks? The secret to Apostle Paul’s ability to be undaunted by difficulties and setbacks is the strength of his conviction in the gospel and also the love he has for many of the churches.

Reflect on vss. 20-25.  What does this passage show about the strength and beauty of a Christ-centered life? The passage shows that a Christ-centered life is full of strength and beauty because as evidenced through Apostle Paul, love is the motivating factor that drives such a life to “die to self” so that others may live.  Apostle Paul is a clear example of a life that was completely devoid of self, and sold out for Christ.  In vv. 20-21 he indicates his desire to exalt Christ in his body “whether by life or by death” and that “to live is Christ and to die is gain”.  With this kind of clear purpose and motivation for his life, Apostle Paul was on an unstoppable mission to spread the good news of the gospel despite the many setbacks he faced.

A Christ-centered life also gives such person courage to stand for what they believe in, even in the face of persecution, suffering, and death.  Additionally, a Christ-centered life provides purpose, meaning, and “fruitful labor” (v.22) in fulfilling God’s work of salvation in the lives of those He places within our sphere of concern.  Apostle Paul was ultimately not afraid of death because he lived for his eternal reward, which was secure in heaven.

I am personally challenged once again to live a Christ-centered life that Apostle Paul lived out so fervently and courageously until the very end of his life.  Paul’s life in the world’s eyes could be labeled as reckless, irrational, unbalanced, foolish, or as a waste.  However, for believers, his life is upheld as beautiful life that was poured out and sacrificed like a mustard seed (Matt. 13:31-32) so that others could live.

Living in American I find it hard to use the same word “suffering” as Apostle Apostle, given the kind of luxury and comfort I live in today.  However, I know that there are ways for me to “die to myself” and live a surrendered life for the benefit of others by being generous with my time, my money, and possessions.  Also, another way is to really invest in my relationships by trying to love people as Paul so passionately demonstrated; getting into their lives, noticing and meeting needs, praying for them, anguishing over the sins that plague them, and rejoicing when they are growing in their faith and love for God.  I can also welcome more interruptions to my schedule, even if it means allowing things to get backed up, so that I can help others who may be in need of assistance or just being there to lend a listening ear to someone going through some personal struggles.

Personally, as I am about to hit the ripe age of 30, I know that many people around my age start to assess their worth in the world’s eyes through their career achievements.  However, when I look at Apostle Paul’s life and how in the world’s eyes all he has to show for is being a tent-maker, I would consider it an honor to imitate his life of making an eternal impact in the lives of many people who are in need of the gospel.

What is the relationship between “being anxious” and “prayer”?  Why is it important to present our requests to God with thanksgiving?

On the surface, it seems like my anxieties have to do with the high stakes involved in what we do in our service for God.  When other people are counting on me to be faithful to my responsibility, I don’t want my negligence or carelessness to dampen the atmosphere, or cause people to miss out on something important that God wants to communicate to them.  However, I notice that often anxiety causes me to have little room in my heart for people.

"Anxiety"

It causes me to become blind to others’ needs because though seeing, I really don’t see since there is little room in my heart and mind to notice the importance of what I am seeing.  If that is so, then is that anxiety really coming from desire to serve people in ways that would benefit them?  Upon honest examination, I know that usually it comes from concerns about myself.  What I am really anxious about is, how will I look when I fail? How am I going to look when something I am working on turns disastrous?  This kind of anxiety comes because  in some ways, I’ve drifted away from God.  I’ve forgotten that I am God’s servant, his mere instrument.  I’ve forgotten that He is the one who provides the resources and enables me to do anything.  As a result, I’ve let selfish ambition drive me.  I’ve also let myself be controlled by the attitude that says, “I am the one entirely responsible for making sure this goes well.”  Prayer helps me to restore my identity as God’s servant and His instrument.  Prayer helps me to see the inappropriateness of doing anything for myself, and to repent for this sin.  Prayer also helps me to depend on Him and find my confidence in him.  One aspect of prayer time that I get excited about is when God gives some thought or idea regarding an issue that had been a burden in my heart.  I know it’s from God because I am certain that I would not have thought of it on my own.  Such moments help me to experience the joy of depending on God and receiving from Him.  Along with it, there comes a sense of confidence that if I humbly depend on him and obey what He tells me, everything will be ok.  Even when God does not speak in such a way, through thanksgiving, He reminds me that indeed I can bring everything to Him in prayer.  When I begin to look for reasons to give thanks to Him, at the outset, sometimes I can’t think of many.  However, as I keep thinking about what’s been happening around me and in our church, I am surprised by the number of reasons I can come up with to thank God.  He had been working in our midst, but I had not noticed many of His activities until I intentionally made the effort to give Him thanks.  It’s a constant battle to discipline myself in this area, but when I am able to see more clearly the unchanging character of God through thanksgiving, I am enabled to have greater assurance that God can and will do His work through us.

—————————————————-

Submitted by Kevin Han, Gracepoint Davis

v. 6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Being Anxious:
It seems to me that one of the biggest characteristics and the outcome of a life attempted to live without God is anxiety.  The flavor and the color of anxiety are the sentiments of “Oh no, what is going to happen (to me)”, or “please don’t let that happen.”  At the very foundation, it’s the self-perspective driven fear against the bad outcome/result, some negative circumstance or the undesirable consequence or sorts.  All of those fears really testify to the very basic fact that we do not have control over everything, and in fact, only over a very few things.  Things happen beyond our predictions or desires.  Despite our very best efforts, we can’t completely shape the outcome.  There are infinite number of ways in which something can go wrong, while we can only control very finite number of things.  A lot of life seems to be left to chance, to things beyond us.  On top of all that, if you throw in our self-centered desires of how we like things to turn out for our own liking (greed), anxiety becomes the only certain outcome.

When we think about those realities, for anyone to say “Do not be anxious about anything” seems incredibly absurd.  In fact, anxiety seems to be the only sensible reaction even though it does not help the situation at all.  But Apostle Paul was able to confidently command this, not because he’s telling us to be delusional about the situation and ourselves, but because of this very important fact about life:  There is God.  And that simple fact alone, changes everything.  And what’s even more important, is the fact that God is Good and very Loving.

When it comes to anxiety, the very attribute of God that makes anxiety absurd, is the fact that we have a God who is very very involved and engaged to the very detailed lives of everyone.  If we look carefully at what Apostle Paul tells us to do, this loving character of God becomes obvious.

“In everything,” God wants to hear about everything.  “Everything” is a love word, because when we love someone, we become interested in about everything about the person.  The professors only want to hear about your research or the term paper or what you are learning about that particular subject.  The managers only want to hear about productivity, and sometimes about your personal life to the degree of how much it may affect your performance in most cases.  But God wants to be attuned to everything, all aspects.  One reason for it is because when He reigns over every aspect of our lives, that is the best for us.

Personally, I think the most important aspect of all of this, is that God is Good in the sense that He is Sovereign.  It’s a bit more difficult concept to grasp, but I believe it is a lesson that God is showing me more and more.  In my personal life, I was able to witness the Good that God made out of even the most tragic incident of death of someone that I dearly loved.  It took some time to see it all unfold, but it is undoubted now.  So the “everything” even includes the most tragic or the darkest events in our lives.  Our sense and understanding of “Good” is ultimately limited and relative, but God’s Good is absolute.  So we can trust in that.  As Apostle Paul said, the peace that comes from recognizing God in all situations indeed “surpasses all understanding.”  That only further proves our own limited knowledge and perspective, but really testifies to God’s Sovereign Goodness that is far beyond what I can understand.

Even as a Christian, I often live forgetting God’s existence, or forgetting His Goodness, or ignoring His sovereignty.  And it is those times that I get overwhelmed with anxiety.  I think it is a good way to check my heart, to see if I am living in trust, living in constant connection with God through prayer and obeying His word.  Anxiety and God are totally exclusive.  As Apostle Paul commanded, I need to constantly go back to the foundational fact of God and His grace as clearly demonstrated on the Cross, that when I look out into the world, I can rise above the anxieties of living in a chaotic life out of control trying to just survive, to a see a place where God is actively working and causing Good out of every situation through His Sovereignty, that very Good work that I can be freed up from my anxieties to participate in loving in Christ’s name.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

vv. 2-3 “This passage iden­tifies two women as important participants in the life of the Philippian church, as fellow contenders with Paul in the cause of the gospel, and as fel­low workers with Paul. These are impressive credentials. Paul’s only other use of the verb ‘contend together with’ appears in 1:27, where he tells the entire congregation that they should be ‘contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.’ Since Paul is speaking of steadfastness in the face of persecution in 1:27, there is no reason to think that he refers to anything else in 4:2. Euodia and Syntyche, then, have bravely withstood persecution alongside Paul, perhaps during the time when he originally preached the gospel in Philippi.

“Paul mentions these two in a letter to be read to the church […] Notice that Paul does not, as some pastors do, regard matters such as this as private, to be settled outside the church lest anyone be disturbed. No, in Paul’s view, this is precisely the nature and function of the congregation as a partnership. Being members of one another means laying before each other joys, sorrows, and burdens, but also issues to be settled (1 Cor. 6:1-6).”[2]

v. 2 “The common ‘mind’ they are to share, in reconciliation and mutual love, is one which sets the good of the church above personal interest, and finds its inspiration in the lowliness of the incarnate Lord and the standard he expects of his people (2:3, 5). The reason for their quarrel is not given but it is clear from the wording that it was more than a personal disagree­ment; their quarrel had ecclesiastical repercussions.”[3]

v. 3 “Paul provides an example to his readers of how to work for the unity with which he has been so concerned throughout the letter and with which he is especially concerned here. Such disputes are not the private concern of those quarreling, but of the entire church. It is appropriate, then, for the church to seek to arbitrate such disputes through the mediation of a believer who is gifted with the ability to help people overcome their dif­ferences.”[4]

“‘are in the book of life,’ a traditional title of honor frequently used in Jewish literature for the people of God who have suffered persecution but have nevertheless remained faithful (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 3:5; cf. Isa. 4:3; Luke 10:20).”[5]

“How could a loyal yokefellow help feuding women? No one knows for sure who this loyal yokefellow was.  Apparently he (the noun is masculine) was a mature Christian whom Paul could trust to help mediate the dispute, perhaps by bringing them together to reconcile their differences.”[6]

v. 4 “The appeal to constant rejoicing (cf. 1 Thes. 5:16) is no empty phrase. To a company of Christ’s people, who were in doubt and fear (1:28) and set in the midst of a hostile world (2:15), this assurance rings out like a clarion call, and is repeated so that its message may not be misunderstood. Paul has the supreme qualification to issue the call, for he himself is engrossed in ‘the same struggle’ (1:30) as that which the Philippians are facing; […] In the Lord is the governing factor in the exhorta­tion. It is the Philippians’ faith in the Lord which makes rejoicing in the throes of opposition a glorious possibility, as Bonnard finely comments: ‘The Pauline appeals to joy are never simply encouragements; they throw back the distressed churches on their Lord; they are, above all, appeals to faith.’

v. 5 “Christians should be known for a quality that is rendered in both the NIV and the NRSV as ‘gentleness.’ The Greek term epieikes is more positive than that. It denotes generosity toward others and is a characteristic of Christ himself (cf. 2 Cor. 10:1); the NEB’s ‘magnanimity’ and the REB’s ‘consideration of others’ catch its meaning.”[7]

“In 4:2-3, Paul is concerned with relations within the Christian community, but in 4:5 he turns to the church’s dealings with those outside. Consideration of others is to be shown to everyone, not just to fellow Christians. Since this attitude, too, is a reflection of that seen in Christ, Paul is in effect urging the Philippians to let their lives be a proclamation of the gospel.”[8]

v. 6 “The possibility and reality of prayer give the rationale of the first words of the sentence which, by themselves, seem so impossible to obey. We may be freed from all fretful care and feverish anxiety because we may refer all our distresses and problems to God in prayer. […]  anxiety and prayer are more opposed to each other than fire and water.”[9]

“Alert, yes; anxious, no. ‘Have no anxiety about anything’ (Matt. 6:25-34,) here applies to nervous, doubt-filled concern for their own well being and is not to be taken as a blanket endorsement of total indifference to the conditions of others. In other words, this is no scriptural warrant for not caring.”[10]

“All prayer and supplication are to be accompanied by thanksgiving, something that has characterized the whole of this letter. The result will be that the peace of God will guard their hearts and minds ‘in Christ Jesus.’ The peace promised here is far more than an absence of conflict. Rather, it is total well-being, and it comes from God—once again, to those who are in Christ Jesus and who share his attitude, so that his ‘heart and mind’ become theirs.[11]

v. 8 “The virtues mentioned in 4:8 were among those that were honored in the pagan world, a fact that reminds us that we should not be afraid to take over the best in our secular world and claim it for Christ. In a sense, of course, this is but a recognition that everything that is true and pure comes from God.”[12]

“How can we think lovely thoughts? Paul is not talking about fleeting impressions that invade our thinking.  Thoughts of temptation or discouragement can come unannounced.  But we can discipline ourselves, making conscious choices to contemplate good things.”[13]

vv.8-9 “Paul belies any attempt to separate thought from deed in verse 8-9 when he uses the term ‘think’ in verse 8 and the expression ‘put into practice’ in verse 9.  Since the Philippians must think about his teaching and example in order to put them into practice, and since Paul will not believe that the Philippians have obeyed his command to think about the virtues he lists if they have not also acted on them, the two words have much the same meaning.  Our thinking and our actions, then, are closely bound together.  Indulging in evil thought and tolerating sloppy thinking can have terrible consequences.  Thus, if instead of loving my enemy I indulge the temptation to resent him, resentment turns to anger, anger to hatred, and the link between hatred and murder, as Jesus saw, is close (Matt. 5:21-22).”[14]

v. 9 “Once again, therefore, they are urged to imitate Paul, who embodies for them the gospel message. The verse reminds us yet again of the close link between the proclamation of the gospel and the moral demand to be like Christ, which rests on those who respond.”[15]

“His expression ‘learned and received’ refers to passing along a tradition. There is a body of teaching giving identity and continuity to the Christian community.”[16]

vv. 10-20 “Paul faces the difficult task of showing the Philippians his genuine appreciation for their financial support, both past and present, but of also showing that his work is neither dependent on nor motivated by this support. He does this through combining expressions of gratitude with qualifications designed to prevent misunderstanding.”[17]

v. 10 “Perhaps because of their poverty (2 Cor. 8:1-2), however, they had not been able to help Paul in this way recently. Thus Paul rejoices ‘greatly’ that the opportunity to show their concern for him has returned.”[18]

“At last suggests a harsh and sinister implication as though Paul were chiding the Philippians for forgetfulness or dilatoriness in sending the money to him. But this idea is absent from the Greek, and the following sentence gives the reason for the unavoidable delay in the arrival of the church’s gift.”[19]

v. 11 “Content […] As a moral term it plays an important part in the stoic outlook upon life. Socrates, for instance, is held up by Diogenes Laertius in the third century AD as an example of a ‘self-sufficient’ man who faced, with equanimity and resolution, all that life brought to him. Paul’s use of the term is, however, quite distinct from the stoic ideal as verse 13 shows (cf 2 Cor. 9:8). A stoic term may be used; but it is Christ who is the secret of Paul’s serenity (1:21).”[20]

v.13 “What does God give us strength to do? Everything means all that God desires us to do – not absurd, selfish or evil things.  In Paul’s own example, it meant that God had given him the ability to be content whether he had plenty or overwhelming need.  God’s grace will sustain us not matter where he leads – even when we lack material things.”[21]

v. 14 “The verb sygkoinoneo [to share] is a com­pound of the verb also translated ‘shared’ in v. 15; equivalent nouns are used in 1:5 and 7 (‘partnership’ and, lit., ‘fellow participants’). The fel­lowship of those in Christ involves sharing with one another at all levels: The Philippians have shared Paul’s distress, just as they shared with him ‘in the matter of giving and receiving’ (v. 15). This does not mean that the Philippians gave and Paul received. On the contrary, the giving and receiving were mutual, since he goes on to say that he has been paid in full.”[22]

v. 15 “The fact that the Philippians were the only Christians who supported Paul is significant, since it suggests that the bond between him and them was particularly strong.”[23]

vv. 17-18 “Paul has returned once again to the meta­phor of the financial ledger, which he used in 3:7-8, and he hastens to assure them that the books have been balanced. ‘I have been paid in full,’ he declares; the Greek word […] which he uses here, is the word that would have been used on a receipt. Thus Paul has been paid more than enough. The implication seems to be that the Philippians had once been in his debt; what they owed him, of course, was the fact that he had brought them the gospel. Now Paul changes the metaphor again. The gifts brought by Epaphroditus were ‘a fragrant offering, an accept­able sacrifice, pleasing to God.’ Though the gifts were offered to Paul, they have in effect been offered to God, since they are being used for ‘the defense and confirmation of the gospel’ (1:7). It seems, then, that the account is being held with God and that the Philippians are storing up trea­sure in heaven (cf. Matt 6:20; 19:21).”[24]

v. 18 “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice.  The OT background is the sacrifice, not of atonement for sin, but of thanksgiving and praise (cf. Lev 7:12-15; Ro 12:1; Eph 5:2; Heb 13:15-16).”[25]

“Paul then […] begins to speak in language that the Old Testament uses to describe the sacrifices of God’s people. In Israel’s history these sacrifices were often corrupted by the people’s idolatrous practices or social injustices. But Isaiah looks forward to a time when God’s people will once again offer ‘acceptable’ sacrifices to the Lord (Isa. 56:7; 60:7). Perhaps Paul understands the generous commitment the Philippians have shown to the gospel to be a partial fulfillment of these prophecies within the new Israel.”[26]

v. 19 “Certainly, verse 19 allows for the possibility that God will supply the phys­ical needs of his people, but this is not the primary concern of the verse. […] If we take Jesus and Paul as examples, it becomes apparent that sometimes obedience to the will of God requires physical deprivation to the point of death.

“The promise of verse 19 must instead be linked with verse 13, and both verses must be read in light of verses 11-12: God supplies the needs of his people by giving them the resources to cope with hardship. Hardship tempts us to think that God is unmoved by our plight or is against us, and so we despair. Thus, when we experience difficult times, we need the moderating presence of God, who shows us by the cross of Christ that he is for us, not against us, and that he was so filled with love for us that he sent his Son to die on our behalf.”[27]

[2] Fred B. Craddock, “Philippians,” Interpretation (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1985) 69-70.

[3] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 168.

[4] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 223.

[5] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 217.

[6] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1634.

[7] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 540.

[8] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 547.

[9] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 171.

[10] Fred B. Craddock, Philippians, Interpretation (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1985)) 72.

[11] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 541.

[12] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 548.

[13] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1634.

[14] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 231-232.

[15] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 541.

[16] Fred B. Craddock, Philippians, Interpretation (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1985)) 74.

[17] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 235.

[18] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 235-236.

[19] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 176.

[20] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 178.

[21] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1634.

[22] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 544.

[23] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 544.

[24] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 545

[25] The NIV Study Bible, study notes  (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985)  1809.

[26] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 237.

[27] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 241.

Here is the recommended personal devotions schedule.

What are the characteristics of  “those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ”?  What are the characteristics of those whose “citizenship is in heaven”?  Which group do I belong to and how does my life show this?

The characteristics of those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ are that they live for their appetites (“their god is their stomach”), they take pride in dishonorable things (“their glory is in their shame”), and they live for the rewards of this world (“their mind is on earthly things”). These are what it means to live as an enemy of the cross of Christ, because Jesus on the cross is the exact opposite of these things. It’s Jesus denying and emptying Himself of all His own rights for the sake of saving others. It’s Jesus denying his own appetites and physical desires; it’s Jesus choosing the honorable values of sacrifice and humble obedience to God whereas an enemy of the cross would take pride in stepping on others to push himself to the top, or would take pride in using others to satisfy his own desires; it’s Jesus becoming obedient even to death on a cross because of the “joy set before him” – choosing the eternal rewards of heaven knowing the true joy that awaited him over the fleeting and temporary counterfeit rewards of earth.

Apostle Paul is also an example of one whose citizenship is in heaven. He says that he “presses on” to fulfill the purpose for which Christ redeemed him. He says that he forgets what is behind and strains toward what is ahead – “to win the prize for which God has called him heavenward in Christ Jesus”. Apostle Paul is all about citizenship in heaven. Through all of his imprisonments, floggings, shipwrecks, labor, toil, going without food, water and sleep, and the daily pressure of his concern for all the churches – he said, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace,” (Acts 20:24), and he was able to indeed say at the end of his earthly life: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing,” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

We don’t have many of these kinds of persecutions that Apostle Paul faced, in these times and in this country. But we do have the gods of this age that seek to blind us to the reality of heaven and lull us into living for this earthly life alone – for the comfort-seeking, pleasure-seeking, self-aggrandizement and self-centered life that is lifted up as glorious, when really in light of heaven and in light of the cross of Jesus, this is shameful. That’s the kind of life that would stand in stark opposition to the cross of Christ. But how often and how prone I am to actually live as an enemy of the cross many moments throughout the day, when I give into my self-centered perspectives or emotions about something, instead of submitting them under God’s perspective and God’s Word. One aspect in which this plays out is that as Apostle Paul thinks about his citizenship in heaven, he does all he can to take hold of the purpose God has for him. I imagine that he often thought about seeing his Lord face to face on that day, and longed to say that he lived his life for the purpose Jesus had for him, the purpose for which Jesus took up the cross. I long for this; this is what I strive for and strain toward. But how many times am I tempted to think thoughts like, who am I kidding, how can I live this kind of life of love and joyful sacrifice which is His purpose for me when I am just full of my own sins and insecurities and fears; or I need to go through a shaping and pruning process in terms of my character flaws and sins, and I feel hopeless that I will ever change and be able to fulfill God’s purpose for my life. But those are the times that I can actively choose to say I will look ahead to my citizenship in heaven, where there will be no more sin, where I will finally experience God having completed His work in me, instead of throwing in the towel, following an earthly perspective that says I should not need to struggle with myself in this life but be physically and emotionally comfortable. That kind of thinking is still centered around me – what I can and cannot do; what I can and cannot have; how I can or cannot change; instead of a surrender and obedience to a life of denying myself, a life of the cross. As I push through these kinds of doubts and fears, daily I am committed and challenged by the example of Apostle Paul to strain toward what is ahead – my citizenship in heaven.

What are the things in my life which causes me to put my “confidence in the flesh”?  How does this negatively affect my ability to know God?
 
What is “confidence in the flesh”?  It is having confidence about myself (abilities/talents, experiences, achievements, family background, possessions, etc.) outside of Christ.  One of the perennial issues of my spiritual journey has been finding confidence in my achievements/successes rather than in my identity and in my relationship with Christ Jesus.   Being an achievement-oriented person (as far as I can remember), my confidence level goes up or down depending on what I produce or what I had failed to produce.  Going through Philippians 1 and 2 in our daily devotions, one theme that impacted me greatly is “God the Initiator and Completer.”  God is the One who began a good work in me.  He is the One who is going to complete it because He is faithful and He is able.   God is the One who exalted Christ to the highest place and gave Jesus the name that is above every name.  It is God who initiated the work of redemption in my life and it is He who is going to complete it.  I know this in my head, yet I sometimes lose confidence when I look within myself to carry out the work that God has started.  When I look inwardly and see all these things that I do not have,  my natural default mode is to work extra hard to make up for my deficiencies rather than relying on God’s strength and God’s power to carry me.  Recently I have been repenting of my sin of borrowing on my health to make up for things rather than entrusting each day’s work to God.  When my confidence is not on my identity as a child of God and when I do not relate to God as my Heavenly Father, I distort God into a Big Boss that I need to prove my worth and I end up striving to earn my keep.  One of my commitments since we started daily devotions in Philippians is to pause throughout the day to remember that it is God who initiates, sustains, and carries out the good work that He has graciously started in me and in everyone else.  I do this by lifting up a short prayer of praise/thanksgiving, by focusing on God when I journal rather than focusing on my failures, and by singing a hymn/praise pointing to God as the Enabler and Provider.  This has helped me to shift my focus from having confidence in my flesh to having confidence in God that He will carry out the good work that He has started in me, despite who I am with all of my lack. 

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Submitted by Bo Chen, Gracepoint Davis

What are the things in my life which causes me to put my “confidence in the flesh”?  How does this negatively affect my ability to know God?

My list of things that I can feel confident by can’t even compare to what Paul listed here.  That’s why he said, even he…with all these accomplishments, consider them all rubbish compared to knowing Christ. Many times, I put confidence in my competence and past experiences.  Though they are not super great or impressive, they are enough to get me by and causing me not to rely on Christ and His power.  I rely a lot on my ability to do something about certain situations or gain a sense of control to change things, and this becomes my false source of confidence. Another source of confidence in the flesh is my past Bible knowledge, messages and many insights I’ve heard from the years I’ve been at this church and the years of training I’ve received.  It’s easy to put confidence in these that I am able to say the right thing or make the right realization, but the real test is “how are these truths transforming my life again and again?” Another source of confidence in the flesh is my health, my youth and things I possess in life which could easily make me feel like life is pretty much in control and things aren’t bad.  It could be subtle things like a stable job, financial stability, stable marriage, and good relationships overall.  These are good things and blessings from God, but when they become my source of confidence, it’s easy for me feel less needy and desperate in life and less urgency to grow deeper in my knowledge of God and heart for people.
 
This negatively affects my ability to know God in that when I rely only on myself, I don’t turn to Him.  By nature I am proud and want to be self-sufficient and self-reliant, and I easily forget how much I need God’s grace and mercy every hour.  When I turn these things to become my confidence in the flesh, I don’t struggle to seek Him, His will, His peace and His guidance as much.
What are the things I have deliberately “lost” for the sake of Christ since becoming Christian?  What does this reveal about who Christ is in my life?- One thing I have deliberately “lost” for the sake of Christ was my pursuit for people’s approval, esp. the approval of the world such as recognition and promotion from work, praises from the family members and acceptance from old friends.  Those used to matter a lot to me because it made me feel good about myself and gave me the drive to do more and gain more.  I’ve deliberately lost them because they are meaningless pursuit. Another thing I have deliberately “lost” more and more is the claim of ownership over my life and my schedule.  Though this area of my life is work in progress, God has been at work to loosen the grip I have to control my life and my schedule (to use it only for myself and my interest, and little for others). But since becoming a Christian and a minister, like Dr. Ajith put it, my schedule at times is at the mercy of those I’m ministering to and the different needs that come up.  Though I had thought it would have been more frustrating to somewhat lose control in this way, it’s been actually more freeing as my options for life becomes “narrowly” focused to loving God and loving people. I have also deliberately “lost” the control over my possessions as well, giving what I can and have to meet the needs around me.  I have deliberately “lost” or surrendered the people in my life – those whom I wanted to control or wanted for my personal gain or for a source of security.  This was approval of my parents, the nature of relationship with my husband, the result-oriented way of relating to those I’m ministering to.  I have learned to surrender them to Christ because He is in control and they belong to Him. There are many more areas that I need to “lose” for the sake of Christ.  In doing so, I am living out the fact that Jesus is my Master and Lord in all areas, not just in the areas that I’m comfortable in letting go.  And in doing so, it reveals that I trust in Jesus.  Through it, I also give the same confession that though these things used to matter a lot to me, now they’re pale in comparison to doing what Jesus tells me and growing closer in my intimate fellowship with Him.

vv. 2-3 “It was the teaching of Paul that we are saved by grace alone, that salvation is the free gift of God, that we can never earn it but can only humbly and adoringly accept what God has offered to us; and, further, that the offer of God is to all men of all nations and that none is excluded.  It was the teaching of these Jews that, if a man wished to be saved, he must earn credit in the sight of God by countless deeds of the law; and, further that salvation belonged to the Jews and to no one else”[2]

“Physical circumcision was a visible mark that identified those who bore it as members of Israel, God’s chosen people (Gen 17).  At times, however, the Israelites placed such confidence in possession of the physical mark itself that they felt their election was secure even if their hearts strayed after other gods.  In these instances, the writers of the Old Testament reminded them that the physical rite should be symbolic of a deeper commitment.”[3]

vv. 4-6 “So Paul sets out his credentials, not in order to boast but to show that he had enjoyed every privilege which a Jew could enjoy and had risen to every attainment to which a Jew could rise.  He knew what it was to be a Jew in the highest sense of the term, and had deliberately abandoned it all for the sake of Jesus Christ.”[4]

vv. 7-9 “The great basic problem of life is to find fellowship with God and to be at peace and in friendship with him.  The way to that fellowship is through righteousness, through the kind of life and spirit and attitude to himself which God desires.  Because of that, righteousness nearly always for Paul has the meaning of a right relationship with God […] So, then, Paul is saying, ‘I found the Law and all its ways of no more use than the refuse thrown on the garbage heap to help me to get into a right relationship with God…’  Paul had discovered that a right relationship with God is based not on Law but on faith in Jesus Christ.  It is not achieved by any man but given by God; not won by works but accepted in trust.”[5]

“By saying that he considers everything to be a loss, Paul does not mean that his Jewish upbringing, the law, and ‘everything’ else were evil, but that his attitude toward them was evil.  At his conversion, he had to drop the notion that he and God were partners in the project of justification and to accept the means for righteousness that God alone provided”[6]

vv. 10-11 “It is important to note the verb which [Paul] uses for to know.  It is part of the verb ginoskein, which almost always indicated personal knowledge.  It is not simply intellectual knowledge, the knowledge of certain facts or even principles.  It is the personal experience of another person […] This verb indicates the most intimate knowledge of another person.  It is not Paul’s aim to know about Christ, but personally to know him.”[7]

vv. 12-14 “When Paul uses the word [‘perfect’] in verse 12, he is saying that he is not by any means a complete Christian but is forever pressing on.  Then he uses two vivid pictures.  He says that he is trying to grasp that for which he has been grasped by Christ […] Every man is grasped by Christ for some purpose; and therefore, every man should all his life press on so that he may grasp that purpose for which Christ grasped him.

To that end Paul says two things.  He is forgetting the things which are behind.  That is to say, he will never glory in any of his achievements or use them as an excuse for relaxation.  In effect Paul is saying that the Christian must forget all that he has done and remember only what he has still to do.  In the Christian life there is no room for a person who desires to rest upon his laurels.  He is also reaching out for the things which are in front.  The word he uses for reaching out (epekteinomenos) is very vivid and is used of a racer going hard for the tape.  It describes him with eyes for nothing but the goal.  It describes him with eyes flat out for the finish.”[8]

vv. 15-16 “In Philippians 3:15, then, maturity is a matter of refusing to focus on the spiritual attainments of the past and of realizing how much effort must be expended on the course that lies ahead.”[9]

vv. 17-21 “Whoever they were, Paul reminds them of one great truth; ‘Our citizenship,’ he says, ‘is in heaven.’  Here was a picture the Philippians could understand.  Philippi was a Roman colony […] the great characteristic of these colonies was that, wherever they were, they remained fragments of Rome […] Paul says to the Philippians, ‘Just as Roman colonists never forget that they belong to Rome, you must never forget that you are citizens of heaven; and your conduct must match your citizenship.’”[10]

“As we are just now, our bodies are subject to change and decay, illness and death, the bodies of a state of humiliation compared with the glorious state of the Risen Christ; but the day will come when we will lay aside this mortal body which we now possess and become like Jesus Christ himself.  The hope of the Christian is that the day will come when his humanity will be changed into nothing less that the divinity of Christ, and when the necessary lowliness of mortality will be changed into the essential splendor of deathless life.”[11]

[2] Ibid., 53.

[3] Frank E. Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 167.

[4] William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, The Daily Bible Study Series (Louisville, KY: The Westminster Press, 1975) 57.

[5] Ibid., 62-63.

[6] Frank E. Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 170.

[7] William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, The Daily Bible Study Series (Louisville, KY: The Westminster Press, 1975) 63.

[8] Ibid., 66.

[9] Frank E. Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 197.

[10] William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, The Daily Bible Study Series (Louisville, KY: The Westminster Press, 1975) 69.

[11] Ibid.

What kind of man would risk his life for the work of Christ?  Why is it appropriate to honor such a person? Who are the people in my life I ought to honor for their labor for the Lord?

The kind of person who would risk his/her life for the work of Christ is someone who:  1) Is not afraid of death itself (Rom. 14:8 “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”); 2) Has already died to his/her own individual life (Col. 3:3 “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”); 3) Is now living that life for Christ (Gal. 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”).

As this passage tells us, Epaphroditus was sent to take care of Paul’s needs as he was engaged in the gospel work.  Epaphroditus’ journey and ministry was certainly not for his own benefit.  His plans and schedules were surrendered and radically changed because of the needs of Kingdom work.  His life was all about how to further the work and ministry of Christ.  Indeed, his life is an example of Ephesians 5:1-2 that we recently went over, as he was a clear imitator of God, living a life of love, just as Christ loved us.

It is entirely appropriate to honor such a person since it is not that necessarily that individual who is honored, but rather, Christ is ultimately honored as people take notice of Jesus Christ who is reigning as Lord over that person.  That kind of life honors the life of Christ by giving faithful testimony to Him.  Other passages calling for such honor include: 1 Cor. 16:18 “For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition” and 1 Tim. 5:17 “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”

There are many people in my life I ought to honor for their labor for the Lord.  There is Pastor Ed and Kelly Kang who spoke God’s truth to my wayward life from back in 1988 all the way to this present moment.  They endured through the many difficulties for the work of Christ, and is daily “in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed” in me (and hundreds of others who are directly impacted through Gracepoint Ministries).  There are many others who are co-laboring for the Lord such as my friends Tony and Michelle who have been pouring their lives to touch many children with the love of Christ, planting seeds of the Gospel; and I’m still so grateful for their personal financial sacrifice for our family when we first moved to Davis.  There are the church plant leads (and team members) who packed up, moved, and are now on a very different campus sharing the same vision to see an Acts 2 church in that college town.  And I can’t forget my wife Susanna who continues to challenge me with her selfless and diligent labor in the Lord.  Further beyond, there are many “cloud of witnesses” like Chuck Colson who even though is nearly double my age, is still going strong in transforming this world with a Biblical worldview.  And there are dear missionaries half way around the world who are risking their lives so that they might bring a smile to a face that had only known sorrow.

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Submitted by Jay Park, Gracepoint Davis

What kind of man would risk his life for the work of Christ?  Why is it appropriate to honor such a person? Who are the people in my life I ought to honor for their labor for the Lord?
 
Many people risk their lives for people or things they love.  For example, many Americans join the military and risk their lives on the battlefield because they love their nation and the freedom they enjoy, and we honor such men and women.  Some risk their lives climbing Mt. Everest or going rock climbing or skydiving because they love the challenge and the exhilarating sensation from the thrills.  So, the kind of person who would risk his life for the work of Christ would be someone who is in love with Jesus.  Paul says that we should honor men like Epaphroditus, who almost died for the work of Christ.  We normally honor those who give up their lives for the sake of others.  Epaphroditus was so others-centered that he was worried that people would find out about his sickness and worry about him.  He didn’t want to put burden on people, probably not because he was too proud to receive help but because he didn’t want to put emotional burden on them so they can worry about others they are ministering to rather than his own needs.  That’s others-centeredness at another level. Unfortunately, today, there are many who honor those who are just good in sports, popular, rich, or famous.  I remember the day when Mother Theresa and Princess Diana passed away on the same day. There was a very little media coverage on Mother Theresa but so much on Diana for days just because she was a lot more attractive and popular.  However, all genuine Christians, I’m sure, would know who is more worthy of honor.  Epaphroditus should be honored because he served hard for the King of kings, who deserves the greatest honor, respect, love and devotion.  He lived to help fulfill God’s plan of salvation through his service.  There are thankfully many around me who also serve hard the King of kings/the King of Love and many who selflessly love others to help fulfill God’s salvation plan.   I think about Pastor Ed and Kelly who lead retreat after retreat, messages and prayer meetings week in and week out.  I see Pastor Jonathan and Susanna who are so busy everyday engaged in ministry in similar fashion and living an optionless life.  There are so many directors and friends and fellow brothers and sisters who lose sleep over people’s sins, preparing for events and messages, and just trying to love people, including people like me.  I need to honor people like them.  I still lack this kind of a discipline to honor the precious people in my life at the appropriate times and thus miss many opportunities to show my appreciation for them and to encourage them, because I take it for granted that it’s really rare to see people whose lives are wholly given to God.  I really commit to making an effort to encourage those around me who work hard for the Lord and honor them appropriately.

In what ways does “grasping” characterize my life contrast to Jesus?
Jesus is equal with God but he doesn’t consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, takes on the nature of a servant and dies on the cross for sinners.  Jesus knows fully who he is – son of God – and he knows that his identity is secure.  He is freed to let go and descend.  In contrast I am often anxious to prove myself – to be competent enough or smart enough or helpful enough or loving enough – and to deserve the love I receive or to deserve the position that I’m given.  I’m grasping and unwilling to descend because I want to feel important and valued.  I’m greedy for approval and attention and I’m enslaved by envy and insecurity because though I know that I’m forgiven and adopted as God’s child, my identity in Christ has not fully penetrated my thoughts and emotions.  I’m grasping of my time, resources, and emotions, and unwilling to serve, because I have an individualistic and selfish view of life – that I need to have my needs met and at the end of the day no one else besides me will take care of my needs.  But that thinking is far from the reality of what happened to me – the God of the universe loves me, dies for me, saves me, and involves me in his work in spite of the many times that I rejected and grieved him.  Jesus willingly went to the cross out of love for fallen sinners.  Not only am I a child of God, I’m a child of God in a crooked and depraved generation.  I’m given the word of life and the call to shine like stars together with other believers.  When I’m grasping and self-absorbed, the word of life is hidden and dead. I can loosen my grasp when I see the wickedness and inappropriateness of my grasping.  I can loosen my grasp because God has given me all spiritual blessings in Christ and it is God who exalts me and my role is to submit and obey.  
 
In what specific ways can I “consider others better than [myself]” and “look to the interests of others?”
I can consider others better than myself, knowing that everyone is better than me in some aspects and that that God took me out of isolation and placed me in community for his work.  When I’m tempted to look down on people, instead of focusing on their weakness or flaw, I can focus on their strengths and be willing to learn from them.  When I’m tempted to envy and withdraw, instead of feeling diminished or envy, I should praise God for them for doing things I can’t do for the kingdom of God, pray for them, and get to know them. 
I can look to the interests of others by thinking– who needs an encouraging email?  Who is sick?  Who are the harried moms?  Who is unemployed and has financial need?  Who is moving and needs help settling in?  and concretely making the effort to meet those needs.

vv.2-5 “To be like-minded need not suggest a lock-step, cloned behavior.  This is instead a call to have attitudes like Christ – loving and accepting one another, even when we’re different.  In fact, God delights in our diversity; he made every single person unique.  But we should all be like-minded in our obedience to Christ and in our care for others.”[2]

vv.6-11 “Most scholars believe that verses 6-11 are from a hymn sung by the early Christian church.  Paul was using this hymn to show Jesus as a model of servanthood.  The passage holds many parallels to the prophecy of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53.”[3]

v.6 “…something to be grasped (2:6) God-likeness, contrary to common understanding, did not mean for Christ to be a ‘grasping, seizing’ being, as it would for ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ whom the Philippians had previously known;  it was not ‘something to be seized upon to his own advantage,’ which would be the normal expectation of lordly power – and the nadir of selfishness.  Rather, his ‘equality with God’ found its truest expression when ‘he emptied himself.’”[4]

v.7 “made himself nothing. Lit. ‘emptied himself.’ He did this, not by giving up deity, but by laying aside his glory (see John 17:5) and submitting to the humiliation of becoming man (see 2 Co 8:9).”[5]

v.8 “Christ emptied himself by taking the form of a slave, but he stooped even lower when his human condition and his obedience led him to the cross.  In the world Paul shared with the Philippians, this was the lowest that one could stoop socially.  Crucifixion was the cruelest form of official execution in the Roman empire, and although a Roman citizen might experience it if convicted of high treason, it was commonly reserved for the lower classes, especially slaves.”[6]

vv.9-11 “[Apostle Paul’s] emphasis is not on the name itself but on the status of the name as ‘above every name.’  This can only mean that at Christ’s exaltation the process began by which the equality with God that Jesus always possessed would be acknowledged by all creation.

“Why did God exalt Jesus and grant him the name above every name?  At first glance God seems to have done this as payment for Christ’s obedience […] The key to understanding this sentence, however, lies in noticing that God takes the initiative.  Jesus does not force God’s hand, nor is the exaltation and granting of the name a payment for deeds performed.  Instead God initiated the exaltation of Jesus and ‘freely gave’(echarisato) to him the most superior of names.”[7]

v.11 “Will every person eventually be saved? – Even though God will bring all things… together under…Christ (Eph. 1:10), not all people will be saved.  Some will go away to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46) because they belong to [their] father, the devil (John8:44).  Those who do not obey the gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord (2 Thess. 1:8-9). What this passage teaches is that all will eventually recognize and confess Christ’s lordship.  For many, however, it will be too late for salvation.”[8]

“Does this passage imply that all will confess Christ willingly or only that all will acknowledge him, some willingly and others unwillingly? The key to answering this question lies in realizing that verses 10b-11a refer to Isaiah 45:23-24:

Before me every knee will bow;

by me every tongue will swear.

They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone

are righteousness and strength.’

All who have raged against him

will come to him and be put to shame.

In this passage, some of those who bend the knee and confess the greatness of the Lord are opponents who will now be put to shame.  If this passage informed Paul’s thinking as he penned verses 10-11 – and the clear echoes of Isaiah 45:23 show that it did – then it would be unwise to assume that, according to this passage, all those who will bow before Jesus at the final day and confess his Lordship will do so gladly.”[9]

vv.12-13 “Why does this sound like we have to work to be saved? – Because, even though God planned for and initiated the work of our salvation, he calls us to respond to his grace.  The work of salvation, though finished on the cross, is still being completed in individuals (Philippians 1:6).  God’s grace is fully accomplished in our lives as we learn to follow Christ, acknowledging his call by our surrender and obedience to him.  Because God works within us we are able to work out our salvation.”[10]

“After the great passage of 2:5-11 it would be singularly inappropriate to stress personal salvation; and the following verses are best understood if their reference is to the attitude of the Philippians towards one another in the fellowship of the church.

“The attitude with which they are to face this task is one of humility, with fear and trembling, and complete reliance upon God for his strength in carrying it through (v.13).  The apostle uses the identical phrase in 2 Corinthians 7:15 and Ephesians 6:5, where again it is the attitude to men which is described.  So here it denotes the spirit which should characterize the mutual relationships of the Philippians.”[11]

vv.12-18 “[…] unity is often broken by precisely the verbal kinds of activity that Paul attempts to curb at Philippi:  complaining and arguing.  At the bottom of this flurry of discontented words is nearly always the desire of each side in the dispute to dominate the other, to see that their concerns are addressed even if the interests of others are neglected. […]

“What is the remedy? Paul’s solution is to issue a warning.  Those who belong to God’s people demonstrate their membership by working out their salvation.  Their aim should be to avoid the mistakes of the ancient Israelites, who allowed complaining to stand in the way of their inheritance and whose subsequent historical failure to be a light to the Gentiles meant that God gave this privilege to others.  The Philippians should rejoice in working for the advancement of the gospel and consider the energy expended in that work to be a sacrifice to God. […]  Any good that we as believers accomplish is the result of God’s work in us.  This is a deeply humbling truth, one that should give anyone pause who is bent on having his or her way.  We do not deserve to have our own way.  We deserve hell.  But God in his grace has drawn us to himself by his Holy Spirit and by that same Spirit has worked within us to accomplish his good purpose.  If we have grasped the truth that God justifies the impious – that Jesus came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance – then we will immediately understand how foolhardy it is to break fellowship with others for selfish reasons.  ‘Self-justification and judging belong together,’ said Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ‘as justification by grace and serving belong together.’”[12]

vv.17-18 “Paul’s reference to being poured out like a drink offering was an allegory for martyrdom.  The drink offering was an important part of the Jewish sacrificial system.  It involved wine being poured out on an altar as a sacrifice to God (see Genesis 35:14; Exodus 29:40-41; Numbers 28:24).  Because the Philippian church had little Jewish background, Paul may have been referring to the wine poured out to pagan deities prior to important public events.  Paul regarded his life as a suitable offering to complete the Philippians’ sacrifice of faithful service, and he willingly offered it for the sake of Christ’s gospel and for the many who believe in Christ because of his preaching.

“Yet even through these somber words a ray of light was shining.  If Paul were indeed to die, he would rejoice and desire that they would share his joy.  Paul was content, knowing that he had helped the Philippians live for Christ.  Paul was able to have joy, even though he faced possible execution.”[13]

v.19 “Epaphroditus would leave immediately and deliver Paul’s letter (2:25-30); then Timothy would arrive later after Paul learned the verdict of his trial (2:23).  Paul hoped that in the meantime the Philippians would take to heart his call to unity in their church and would iron out their difficulties.  Timothy would be able to see their progress and then could come back to Rome with news that would bring Paul good cheer.”[14]

v.26 “Communication happens so quickly in our world, but Epaphroditus couldn’t just pick up the phone or send an e-mail saying all was well.  The Philippians had heard that Epaphroditus was ill, and word of their concern about him had gotten back to Rome (again, weeks elapsed as the news traveled the forty-day journey between the two cities).  When he recovered, Epaphroditus was longing to see his friends and family in Philippi so they would know that he was well.  So Paul figured the best way to do that would be to send him home again.”[15]

v.28 “With Epaphroditus’s[sic]  unexpected return, the church might think that his mission to minister to Paul had failed.  They might be concerned that Epaphroditus was leaving Paul alone in Paul’s most desperate time of need.  Instead, Paul took full responsibility for Epaphroditus’s[sic] return to Philippi, and encouraged the believers to rejoice that he had come back to them.  As he planned to do with Timothy (2:19), Paul willingly sent away those closest to him, if their ministry were required elsewhere.  Epaphroditus had certainly been an encouragement to Paul, as Paul’s description of this brother indicates (2:25).  Yet Paul knew that the Philippians needed to see Epaphroditus for themselves.  This would ease Epaphroditus’s[sic] distress (2:26) and lighten Paul’s cares.”[16]

[2] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1685.

[3] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 851.

[4] Gordon D. Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996) 208.

[5] The NIV Study Bible, study notes  (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985)  1805.

[6] Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 119.

[7] Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 120-121.

[8] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1685.

[9] Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 121.

[10] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1685.

[11] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity, 2000) 116.

[12] Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 150-151.

[13] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 853.

[14] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 853.

[15] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 854.

[16] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 854.

Being in prison would be a very frustrating experience for the average person because he wouldn’t be able to come and go as he pleases, doing things that are important to him. His schedule would be strictly defined by his captors  and he wouldn’t be able to do as he wishes. In the case of Apostle Paul, the frustration would also be caused by the fact that he did nothing morally  wrong to “deserve” prison. This unjust punishment, combined with his desire to further the gospel, would have been frustrating to no end. The fact that Apostle Paul was able to rejoice is, then, nothing short of amazing.

In v.12 we find the reason for his joy. He says “…what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” And again in v.14 “…most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” And yet again in v.18 “…whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” Apostle Paul’s source of joy was not based on circumstance, whether he was doing well or not, whether he was being effective or not, productive or not. He derived his joy solely from the fact that Christ was being preached. His joy was determined by something higher than merely the state of his life and what he is doing. He is clearly able to see a larger narrative, in which his own story is just a part. Clearly he believes that this is how to conduct himself “in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (v.27)

vv.3-6 “Paul begins the description of his prayers of thanksgiving in verses 3-4 with the comment that he prays for the Philippians ‘with joy.’ His primary intention for this description is simply to affirm his affection for the Philippians, but it also announces a theme that runs throughout the letter: The believer should be joyful. For Paul, joy is not the result of finding himself in comfortable circumstances, but of seeing the gospel make progress through his circumstances and through the circumstances of the Philippians, whatever they might be (1:18, 2:17). Thus, Paul is joyful when he remembers the Philippians in prayer because God is at work in their midst for the advancement of the gospel.”[2]

v.5 “The term ‘partnership’(koinonia) means more than ‘fellowship’(KJV) or even ‘sharing’(NRSV). It refers to the Philippians’ practical support of Paul’s efforts to proclaim the gospel and meet the needs of other believers. […] The ‘partnership’ of the Philippians for which Paul thanks God in verse 5, therefore, is their practical assistance of his efforts to proclaim the gospel.”[3]

v.6 “What work will God finally complete in us? God will finally complete the work of saving us.  If we trust in Christ, we are already fully saved.  But God’s work in our lives continues until the day of Christ Jesus—the time that he returns, or until the time when we die and stand before him.  Only then shall we be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).”[4]

v.12 “the word translated ‘advance’ was commonly used to refer to removing obstacles, as before an advancing army.”[5] “The purpose of Christ’s suffering was the advancement of God’s redemptive work, and so it was an evil through which God effected great good for humanity (Rom.3:21-26; 5:12-21; 2Cor 5:21). Paul believes that his own suffering, since its origin lies in his efforts to fulfill the ‘ministry of reconciliation’ to which God has called him (2 Cor 5:18), has the same quality. Thus his imprisonment is not simply a result of his Christian commitment, but is the necessary means through which Paul fulfills his calling.”[6]

v.18 “Why did Paul seem to condone insincere preachers? Paul was tolerant toward preachers whose hearts were not entirely pure (v.15) –  but who preached Christ nonetheless.  He was not indifferent toward false teaching, nor was he excusing immoral or hateful behavior.  But he knew that Christ could be preached even out of the mixed motives found in imperfect human beings.  What really mattered, Paul insisted, was that Christ be preached.”[7]

v.19 “The ‘Spirit of Jesus Christ’ is the divine means through which this help will come. The word ‘help’ (epichoregia) in the NIV rendering of verse 19 can also mean ‘supply’ and is closely related to a Greek verb that means to ‘furnish, provide, give, grant.’ […] Paul is suggesting that the presence of the Spirit will be supplied to Paul through the prayers of the Philippians. In some mysterious way, those prayers are linked with God’s furnishing of the Spirit to him, and together they provide the help he needs to face the Roman tribunal with courage.”[8]

“Thus this phrase, ‘the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,’ is not incidental. […]  from such a phrase and its close relationship with the prayer of the believing community, one learns a great deal about Paul’s own spiritual life and his understanding of the role of the Spirit in that life. He simply does not think of Christian life as lived in isolation from others. He may be the one in prison and headed for trial; but the Philippians – and others – are inextricably bound together with him through the Spirit. Therefore, he assumes that their praying, and with that God’s gracious supply of the Spirit of his Son, will be the means God uses yet once more to bring glory to himself through Paul and Paul’s defense of the gospel (vv. 7. 16).”[9]

v.20 “The word [eagerly expect] refers to the intense expectation of something that is sure to happen. It seems unlikely, therefore, that Paul would use this word to refer merely to the hope that he will conduct himself properly during his impending court appearance. Instead, he sees the upcoming test in court as a divinely appointed opportunity to defend the gospel (Phil 1:16) on his way to the final salvation he eagerly awaits.”[10]

vv.21-26 “Paul exhorted the Philippians in a way which would have appealed to them. What he said, literally, was: ‘Exercise your citizenship worthily of the gospel of Christ.’ Philippi was a Roman colony, a title seen as one of the coveted prizes of the Roman empire. ‘Colonial’ status meant that the people of Philippi were reckoned as Roman citizens. Their names were on the rolls at Rome; their legal position and privileges were those of Rome itself. They were a homeland in miniature. But all this is also true of them spiritually as men and women in Christ. Grace has made them citizens of a heavenly city; in their far-off land they are the heavenly homeland in miniature; heaven’s laws are their laws, and their privileges, its privileges. The life worthy of the gospel is an inescapable obligation: it is the essence of the homeland where the Lamb standing, as thought it had been slain, forms the focal point of all life.”[11]

[2] Ibid., 38.

[3] Ibid., 38.

[4] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1621.

[5] Fred B. Craddock, Philippians,  Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching  (Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1995) 25.

[6] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 59.

[7] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1621-1622.

[8] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 76.

[9] Gordon D. Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1995) 135.

[10] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 77.

[11] J.A. Motyer, The Message of Philippians, The Bible Speaks Today Series (Downers Grove, IL:  Inter-Varsity, 1984) 93.