The weekend, August 22 –
We are beginning the next letter
in the New Testament that was also written by Paul while in a Roman prison –
the letter to the Philippians. It is a
short letter but reminds us that the Gospel is our Joy. This weekend we will begin with Philippians
1:1 – 2:18. Read the Scripture first, and then please come back and we’ll take
a second look together.
Philippians is considered to be the most friendly of all of Paul’s letters
(epistles). He had evangelized in
Philippi on his second missionary journey and the Philippian church loved
Paul, supported him, and counted Paul as one of them. The theme of Philippians is Joy. He opens with this word –
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine
for you all making my prayer with joy”(1:3-4).
Paul is in a Roman prison as he writes to them, but he is not
diminished in his praise of what God is doing in and through them, and even
though he knows he may never get out of prison, he makes sure they know how
much they mean to him. For Paul, prison
is where God has put him. He is not there
because of the Jews or the Romans, but because God has used his prison time to
spread the Gospel even further than could ever have been imagined.
Paul’s joy is – “because of
your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am
sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion
at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you
all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of
grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the
gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection
of Christ Jesus” (1:5-8). We find
out later in the letter that Epaphroditus (e-paf-roe-die-tus), had come to
Paul, from Philippi to deliver a gift from the church to him (2:30, 4:18). The trip almost cost Ephaphroditus his life
(2:26-27), and now he was returning to Philippi – thus Paul’s letter in
return. When Paul thinks of the people
in the Philippian church, he “holds them in his heart”. He sees their
loyalty and friendship and from them, he gains spiritual encouragement and
joy.
The church in Philippi and Paul
formed a “partnership in the Gospel” (1:5). There had been opposition to the Gospel when
Paul first proclaimed it, and that opposition remained. Since Paul was in prison for proclaiming the
Gospel (1:13), he knew that they also were going through “the same struggle”
(1:30). In a large section of 1:12-26, Paul responds to the attempts of
those who would try to stop the Gospel message.
First, Paul tells them that because he has been imprisoned in Rome,
under the Imperial Roman guards, the entirety of these guards in the city have
had the Gospel shared with them – “I want you to know, brothers, that what
has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it has
become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my
imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become
confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word
without fear” (1:12-14). The
“imperial guard” was known as the Praetorian guard – and elite group of
soldiers who served the court of the Emperor to both protect him and also guard
his enemies. The estimate was that the
number of Praetorian guards in Rome was between four and five thousand
men! For two years Paul had a rotating
shift of guards whose job was to watch over him. With shifts of guards changing and rotating, sometimes
hourly, it is conceivable that Paul shared the Gospel with so many of them that
he could say “it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to
all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (1:13). It is humbling to realize Paul saw the prison,
not as a place of confinement, but as a place of evangelism.
Second, Paul knew that some were
glad he was in prison, but it made no difference to him since His chief concern
was the Gospel, not their motives and attitudes –
“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.
The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense
of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not
sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 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” (1:15-18).
As far as He is concerned, some are friends who are carrying on the ministry of
the Gospel, and others have ulterior motives and seek to make it more difficult
for him. All that matters to Paul is
that
Christ is proclaimed. As to the future, it
is in God’s hands, and it makes no difference whether he is freed or not –
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in
the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot
tell. I am hard-pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be
with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more
necessary on your account” (1:21-24).
Paul did not believe that circumstances, chance, or fate controlled his
life. He knew that his life was in God’s
hand, and so was the Church in Philippi.
At the end of the first chapter,
and into the first part of chapter 2 (those dreaded chapter divisions), we
realize that Paul is urging the church to deal with some problems that have
created some ill will. He will name two
women in chapter 4, but for now, he deals with this in two ways. First, he reminds them that “they,” as a
community of believers, need to stand together so that the enemies of the
Gospel don’t find a way to squeeze in and create division – “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,
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” (1:27-28).
The common belief that makes the body of Christ unified is the Gospel. Paul reminds them to “strive side by side
for the faith of the Gospel.” He
also tells them to expect opposition, and the very presence of resistance
should remind them that they are on the right path. God is in control, and he will see their way
home in salvation.
Secondly, he admonishes them to
develop attitudes that are Christ-like. Four
specific things were true for all of them – “So if there is any
encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the
Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same
mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (2:1-2).
The encouragement of their faith in Christ, the comfort that comes from knowing
Christ’s love for them, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and the affection
and compassion they had already shown Paul, and to a certain extent, needed to
show each other. These attitudes make
all the difference in the world. When
they occur, they can listen to each other in order to understand and become one
in their thinking. It shouldn’t surprise
us that we don’t automatically comprehend because words are exchanged. We learn to understand by carefully listening
and seek understanding.
To make sure they understand, Paul
reminds them of the kind of attitude, mindset, and devotion Jesus demonstrated
–
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others
more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his
own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among
yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the
form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but
emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of
men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (2:3-8).
Christ modeled humility, no selfish ambition, or looking out for his own
interests. He had us in mind. He ”emptied”
himself – voluntarily, purposefully – by not hanging on to the full measure of
his deity – “though he was in the form of God”. In eternity past, Jesus was in full the same
with the Father and the Holy Spirit – nevertheless, he set aside to take on the
humanity we needed of a substitute for us.
His “emptying” was not of his deity but was of his rights and privileges
of deity. John Calvin wrote – “Christ, indeed could not divest himself of
Godhead; but he kept it concealed for a time ... he laid aside his glory
in the view of men, not by lessening it, but by concealing it.” [1]
When he set aside the glory of his deity, he did not lose it, but merely
submitted himself to be human, and in his humbling “became obedient… to
death on the cross” (2:8).
The Creator became a curse by the
Created. He took on our sin so that we
might receive his perfect obedience and righteousness. This is what Paul means when he states “he
humbled himself” (1:8). Put this section together and we see the
point. Pettiness that causes strife and
division stands in contrast to Jesus’ humbling of self to serve God and our
needs God saw it and approved it as
complete –
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is
above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (2:9-11).
The resurrection and ascension are God’s “amen” to Jesus’ work. Now, it is all different. The humble Son of God is exalted, and his
name is the only means of salvation to all who would come into the family of
God. To what end? That one day, every person will confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God.
Paul concludes 2:12 – 18, with an admonition
that they must learn to do the same. Can
we live “without grumbling, complaining”? (2:14). Yes, but it takes a daily reminder (maybe
hourly) that God is at work in us – “ Therefore, my beloved, as you
have always obeyed…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good
pleasure” (2:12-13). We can live out faith, “blameless and innocent,
children of God…who hold fast to the word of life” (1:15-16).
In a day and time of great turmoil, uncertainty, and divided opinions -
wouldn't it be great if we practiced what Christ lived? Peace
[1]
John Calvin, quoted by Alec Motyer, The Bible Speaks Today, The Message of
Philippians, page 112
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