Philippians 3:1-7

 Philippians 3:1-7

The church has always had and always will have opposition. Paul is about to confront a heresy that was based on rule-keeping religion. It is no accident that as he prepares to address rule keepers, he begins by calling the disciples to joy. There is a fundamental conflict between joy and rule keeping. The most joyless people you'll ever meet will be those who are attempting to live by keeping rules. Rule keeping can keep you out of trouble, but it will never make you righteous before God. It will never give life. It can never bring joy. 

Paul uses the most aggressive Jewish insults to describe those who are propagating a rules-based religion. First he calls them “dogs.” Second, he also says that rather than doing good by their rule-keeping religion, they are actually “evil worker’s”. He calls them the “false circumcision.” This is not the typical word for circumcision. Rather, it literally means mutilation. Circumcision is a compound word the two parts of which mean “cut” and “around.” The word Paul uses here is a compound word that means “cut” and “down.” It would be hard to imagine three more insulting descriptions of a Jewish religious leader. In contrast to these three insults, Paul says that Christians are the “true covenant people of God,” “worshipers in Spirit and Glory,” and “put no confidence” in what they can accomplish in themselves.

Next, Paul beats them at their own game. The Judaizers were acquainted with and students of the Law, but Paul had mastered it. Paul gives seven examples of how, if someone wanted to boast in the law, he would be their superior. Four of these characteristics were inherited, and three were chosen. In verses 4-5 he demonstrates that he was no Johnny-come-lately. His Jewish pedigree was as good as anyone's. The three aspects of Jewishness that he chose were of the most committed form. He was part of the strictest sect of Judaism; he was a Pharisee. His passion was such that he became a zealot. The word zeal was related to boiling water, always agitated, always rolling. And perhaps most importantly, he kept himself perfect regarding the rules of behavior. 

But whatever the advantages there may have been to all these qualifications in verse 7, Paul describes it as “loss.” The word means damaged goods. If you purchase a product and open the package to find that it is broken or it is inherently unable to deliver what was promised, it is damaged goods. The word also refers to a business deal gone bad. The negotiations are complete, but the goods or services turn out to be below what is described. And you know the money is wasted and lost. That is a description of life based on rules; it is never better than damaged goods.

“Lord, give me the joy that comes from grace, not the grief from keeping rules. AMEN

Philippians 2:19-30

Philippians 2:19-30

Paul singles out two teammates for special praise and does so in the context of a longer discourse on unity. In this discourse Paul has said little to nothing about the “feelings of unity” or the “causes of unity.” He has instead talked about the “right thinking for unity,” and now he shows how humbleness of mind looks in two remarkable men.

First is Timothy, Paul's right-hand man. Timothy will be sent when there is a definitive word on Paul's legal case. Paul says Timothy was his “kindred spirit” (NASB); most English translations fail to catch the unity in that word. The word is a compound word; the first meaning “identical” or “equal,” the second word is “soul,” which can also mean “breath of life” or even “human distinction.” Timothy shared the equal passion and concern for the church at Philippi. That is expressed in his life as in verse 21. Timothy seeks the interest of Christ above his own. The only way to have the unity of a kindred spirit is when we set the interest of Christ first and above our own interest.

The second person identified is Epaphroditus. He came to Paul, bringing the mission support from Philippi. He had served above and beyond expectations. Having faithfully delivered the support, he continued on serving. Paul identifies five roles he filled: brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, messenger, and minister. Each of these roles could fill pages, but the last one is the only one we will take a glance at. The word is ‘leitourgos,’ from which we get the English word ‘liturgy. Originally the word meant “the official who works for the good of the people at his own expense.” In the Greek city-states, authorities were not paid, but rather they paid their own way. The word was an apt description of Christian ministers who, at their own expense, led the churches in their works of service and later in worship. Paul is saying, “Epaphroditus is my pastor,” serving me as we serve together. This wasn't a hollow, throwaway compliment, but Paul expressing in a subtle way how, in mutual submission, he was both led by and served by Epaphroditus. Paul concludes with a pun or a joke that we don't notice. Epaphroditus means favored of Aphrodite; she was the patron goddess of gamblers. When a gambler would throw the dice, they would say, “Epaphroditus,” trying to invoke good luck. In verse 30 Paul said, “Epaphroditus has risked his life.” He, true to his name, gambled his life for Christ in a way that, even by Paul's standards, was adventurous and risky. But it was Christ, and not Aphrodite, that blessed that risk.

“Lord, help me to risk all for Jesus. AMEN”

Philippians: 2:12-18

Philippians: 2:12-18

Based on the doctrine or theology of who Jesus was, there needs to be practical application in our lives. Paul gives us that application in verses 12 through 18. But we often misunderstand what Paul is saying. In verses 12 and 13 we come to that passage where we are told to “work out our salvation” and that “God is to will and to work.” This by no means indicates we earn our salvation but that God is the one working in cooperation with us to accomplish His will. Here is where we often miss the point Paul was making. “Work out your salvation” and “God is working” are primarily not about individual or personal behavior. Notice the context. This chapter begins with a call to unity. Paul refers to having the “same mind, “same love,” being “united in spirit,” and having “one purpose.” Following this passage in verses 14 and 15, Paul warns against those things that disrupt unity, “grumbling and complaining.” It would seem unlikely that in the conversation about the cooperative unity of the body that Paul would suddenly slip in a couple of verses about personal development. No, this passage is about working out our salvation in cooperation with God and doing so by sorting out what we are to be and do as and in the community of faith. 

In so many ways we miss the reshaping ministry and growth that God wants to bring about when we are not being shaped by a close contact community. God's will for us is to work toward humility and unity in the context of community. As a community we approach the matter of unity with “fear and trembling.” This is not the paralyzing fear that produces a deer in the headlights effect, but the wholesome, serious caution that is careful to get it right. It is what we see in the motorcyclist approaching a sharp curve, the skydiver packing his parachute, and the pilot approaching a landing in windy conditions. For this work of unity, God is the energy and the One who energizes, and we are the power tools working on unity.

Two final brief thoughts: when we see gross disunity and refusal to allow the frictions of faith and life to shape us, we are seeing some level of disconnect from God. We cannot look at church splits and fights with an ‘Oh well’ attitude. It is more serious than that. We should also note the contrast between “fear and trembling” and “grumbling and complaining.” The former pair will prevent the latter pair. The presence of a latter pair will indicate that we did not take the matter of unity seriously enough.

“Lord, help me to work out my place in your community of faith with holy fear and trembling. AMEN”

Philippians 2:1-11

Philippians 2:1-11

The life of holy living Paul describes in 1:27-30 is more than our personal piety. It impacts the lives of those around us in the faith and often those who are not even close to us. The Philippians will impact Paul all the way over in Rome. This powerful passage presents a powerful effect of unity (v. 1-2), how to protect it (v. 3-4), and the reason we do so (v. 5-11).

Perhaps the most effective tool that Satan has in his toolbox is the disunity of the church. From individual congregational splits to denominations warring against each other, when our focus becomes conflict, we are utterly ineffective at being all the things that the Lord wants us to be. We cannot, in the midst of such conflict, exalt the Lord in our worship, make disciples of all nations, or serve the body of Christ. Compared to the damage caused by disunity, all the scandals of theft, drunkenness, addiction, or immorality among church leaders are minor. Satan, however, will often mix a cocktail of vice with disunity to wreck congregations. Paul describes unity in verse two with mind, love, spirit, and purpose. These terms, including love, are not terms of emotion or feeling. Unity in the church doesn't happen because of an emotional or sentimental rush. Certainly there can and will be an emotional connection within the church, but it is not the foundation for unity; it is a by-product. These four descriptions are choices of the will, the deepest decision-making facility in our person. This is demonstrated in verse 3 when Paul dictates for us specific prohibited behaviors. We make the choice either to or not to do things from motives that are selfish or proud. Unity is a decision that we make out of our will by denying ourselves and following and obeying Christ. This is not easy. In fact, it is profoundly difficult! To look to the interest of others is essential for unity but personally challenging.

But Paul is not calling for compromise to satisfy an ungodly person. In fact he takes the whole matter away from us and turns it to Christ. How do we deny ourselves? The incarnation of Christ is the example Paul uses. Verses 5-11 may have been the first doctrinal statement of the church or creed to recite. In it we see Jesus was fully God but set aside all the advantages of being God to accomplish the purpose. Follow that example, and the church will be united.

“Lord, help me to set aside my rights, my will, and my control, in order to accomplish what You want. AMEN”

Philippians 1:27-30

Philippians 1:27-30

We have to a great degree lost, in our churches and in our lives, the concept of holy living. We have often reduced it to a form of legalism. In this way of thinking, we believe we are living holy if we avoid the gross sin from a bad sin list we made up. And we have ways to let people know we are avoiding these sins. We can take an empty-headed stand on certain social justice or political issues that have social popularity, by which we can demonstrate our virtue. If we do these things, we imagine that we are okay.

Paul uses language that describes a different kind of life. Paul says, “Live a life worthy.” The Greek word is the root of our English word “axiomatic,” meaning self-evident. Let your life be self-evident as worthy of the Gospel. He includes in this verse a great word translated as “conduct” or “live.” It was not alive in the sense of biology. Rather, it was the word of being a proud citizen of a city-state. Originally it meant to be a good citizen-leader of the community to be able to promote the laws and well-being of that community. Being a disciple is to promote the kingdom! How do we do that? We do that by unity of spirit and mind or soul. This is a challenging passage to live up to. The unity here is not doctrinal. ‘Spirit’ may be the Holy Spirit or maybe our attitude. ‘Mind’ can mean the soul or life. By both the inner and the outer being, we are to be united within ourselves and with others for the purpose of contending for the faith. The words Paul uses are fascinating. We are to strive together, literally vigorously cooperate, to advance the gospel. The Christian faith expressed in the church is perhaps the ultimate team sport. One person or a very small group of people can ruin the local faith community when they would rather wreck the church than lose their power.

Holy living is not avoiding items on our personal sin list. Nor is it the virtue signaling of a few social justice issues. Holy living is dying to self and living for Christ in vigorously contending or cooperating for the faith. The vigorous struggle for the good news will produce confidence in us and will invite us to share in the sufferings of Christ. Often we are not really interested in suffering for or with Jesus. We want to make sure that our consumer-oriented faith is only a small slice of our life, and we don't want it messing with the rest of life and making us uncomfortable. Paul sees it differently. He sees the sharing of suffering as something that is “granted.” That is the same root word as grace, the gift that makes glad. We are gifted the suffering with Christ, which is not a common thought today.

“Lord, help me to vigorously join with other disciples to contend for the Gospel. AMEN”

Philippians 1:21-26

Philippians 1:21-26

Life without Christ is a horrible prospect. We would exist in lives of quiet desperation. Our goal might be to have enough wealth, power, and resources to ensure that these short years are filled with as much pleasure as possible, which itself is often disappointing and empty. We desperately fight a losing battle to extend our existence by weeks, or days, or hours, or minutes, a struggle in which we are doomed to fail. After death we go into something much worse than non-existence. All our lives would be as insignificant as a single grain of sand as others drive by on their way to the beach. Without Christ, this life means nothing, and what comes after death means even less.

But with Christ we are in the condition of Paul. “To live is Christ; to die is gain.” If we are in Christ, then our lives, ideally, are like the life of Christ. We desperately need to rethink our understanding of the life of Christ on Earth. Our mental picture of Jesus is far too shallow, two-dimensional, and negative. We have a picture of a poor traveling preacher who went around doing His thing and wanting to get His job done and get it over with. Our perception and values make it difficult for us to see Jesus properly. We see holiness as not doing stuff, especially the fun stuff. We see poverty as grinding, fearful hardship. We see unpopularity as the direst crisis. We see talking about God as something that has to be endured. We look at the life of Jesus as a hard, laborious, dull, drab life, and who wants that? 

The problem is not the life of Jesus but our poor understanding. Never in the entire universe was there a life of greater love, hope, joy, peace, and delight than the life of Jesus. When He talked about God, He was telling exciting good news. When He was unpopular, it was a reminder of the Father's love. Poverty was an opportunity to see God the Father's care. When He served or did miracles, it was giving a gift better than any Christmas gift possible. Prayer was a loving conversation with the beloved one. Never was there a more full, complete, spectacular life lived. 

As Christians, we enter into that life. The only thing that could be better would be to leave this earthly life behind, because it limits how much we experience living with Christ. So to live in this life that becomes the life of Christ, but to die is gain. The reason the Christian life is hard is because we have so little of Christ in it.

“Lord, help me to live the life of Christ.  Now and forever. AMEN”

Philippians 1:12-21

 Philippians 1:12-21

To have a life worth living, we must have something worth living for. Paul is not looking at life with the eyes of denial, nor is he wearing rose-colored glasses. He is not offering the “glass half-full” positive mental attitude as an escape from the brutal reality that he is facing. Paul is being profoundly realistic. He described how the purpose of his life, the reason for his existence, is being advanced. His circumstances result in God's will being accomplished. 

The circumstance is being a prisoner; the result is that the whole praetorian guard and everyone else knows about Christ. 

The circumstance is imprisonment; the result is that the believers become bold. 

The circumstance is false brothers talk about Christ to make life difficult for Paul; the result is Christ becomes the talk of the town. 

Paul sees every circumstance in terms of, ‘How will this advance the gospel?’ In verse 18 we see the words “what then.” This is a phrase of almost defiant tone. It is as if Paul says to circumstances, to the world, and to the powers of darkness, “You have thrown your best shot at the gospel, and it advances anyway.” Paul's personal circumstances, agenda, will, or comfort have most emphatically not been advanced. Paul has lost himself so completely in the cause of Christ that he doesn't consider his agenda worth a hill of beans, so long as he sees the gospel advance. Almost all, if not all, the circumstances of Paul's life were negative, but Paul hardly mentioned them. If we look at the events of Paul's life in Acts or 2 Corinthians 11, we see hardship, suffering, and trial. But Paul would only see that the gospel advanced and Christ was being exalted in his body. (v 20) Too often we think of our body in reference to the Gospel as making sure we don't use our body to do bad things. A thoroughly biblical understanding of the relationship between our body and the gospel is much broader. God is glorified in our body by acts of service, by teaching and proclaiming, by giving a cup of cold water, or feeding the hungry. This is how the temple, that is our body, exalts Christ. It is also why any circumstance, even martyrdom, can be the circumstance that results in the good news being known. That is how Paul could say, “To live is Christ; to die is gain.”

“Lord, help me to live for Jesus in ever circumstance and moment. AMEN”