Taking Philippians to heart

Over the past two months, I have been engaged in an activity that I hadn’t planned initially on doing when I began this journey into the depths of Philippians.  It was shortly after hearing John Piper quote Philippians from memory at the THINK  2014 conference that I decided that my initial plan on memorizing 20+ verses was too small a goal.  I decided that I should take the whole book to heart.

So it turns out that memorizing an entire book of the bible isn’t as difficult as I first imagined, and last week I finished memorizing the last verses of chapter 4 and now I am beginning a period where daily I recite the book from memory.  The technique I used for this endeavour was a resource that John Piper recommended and I found it to be very helpful.  Here is the article.

But why do this?  Why memorize?  I encourage you to read the article, because it does a better job at answering this question than I will ever do.  The only thing I will add is that the argument that really hit home for me is the reason John Piper gave during the Q&A session.

For John, his father had dementia in his later years and during that time things would come out of his mouth that shocked people.  John goes on to say that in 10-20 years in all likelihood that would be him, and it frankly scares him to think that in a similar state shocking words might come out of his mouth.  Scripture memorization in part is an effort for him to fill his mind with truth to the degree that it will still be a comfort and blessing to him in his final days, pushing out any sinful thoughts and memories, that may be locked up in his mind even since childhood and that may come out in a state of dementia.

As I pondered this I realized that for the good of my own soul, I needed to start memorizing scripture.  I need God’s word inside of me.  I think of how much ‘sin’ I see in life, whether in the media I watch or just around me in my daily life, and I think of how those images and those words I hear constantly are being impressed on my mind and I ask myself what am I doing to push back?  What am I doing to actively fight for purity and truth?  Well scripture memorization is one of the most powerful weapons in this regard and to ignore it is to hinder my progress and joy in the faith. 

I have discovered joy in this spiritual discipline and I pray that going forward it will become a faithful friend to me and not that long lost companion it was.

To all the saints in Christ Jesus

Why does Paul address his letter to ‘all the saints in Christ Jesus’?  Considering he just finished calling himself a slave, it seems quite a jump to then refer to his audience as saints.

The greek word used here is ‘hagiois’, which means ‘holy ones’.  Its root word is ‘hagios’.  Doing a search for other uses of this root it is interesting to see how it is used.  In Rom 1:2 Paul writes “the holy scriptures”, in Rom 5:5 Paul writes “the Holy Sprit”, in Rom 7:12 he writes “the law is holy” and in Rom 12:1 he writes “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God”.

It seems to me that when Paul calls the members of the Philippian church saints he is really saying that they are holy.  Just as the scriptures and the law are holy and just as the very Spirit of God is holy, so too Christians are holy.

But on what basis does Paul say this.  What evidence does he have to say this?  Is it because of how well the church in Philippi is doing?  If you have read the entire letter, you know that there weren’t many problems with this church.  Compared to Paul’s other letters, this letter reveals that this church is probably the closest of all the churches to Paul’s ideal church.

Having a quick look at the other letters of Paul, we discover that this can’t be the case since he uses the term ‘saints’ frequently in those letters too.  In fact the name ‘saint’ is Paul’s favourite word to use when describing believers.  He uses it 39 times in his letters.

So why does Paul use the term?  And is it a term that I should identify with?

The answer is in verse 11,  “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.”

So the righteousness that is the basis for me being holy comes through Jesus.

Again in Philippians 3:9 Paul states, “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”.

What an amazing truth, it is not on any basis of what I have done, but it is based on the righteousness of Christ that I am called a saint.

Being an engineer though, I like to understand more fully how these things work.  Let’s look at some more scriptures.

In Jeremiah 23:5-6, the prophet writes the following:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

It is that last part that I want to highlight.  Jeremiah is referring to the future days of the new covenant that was inaugurated by Jesus.  And under that new covenant he says we will refer to God as “The LORD is our righteousness”

Next let’s travel to the Jordon river and jump forward to the baptism of Christ.  In Matthew 3, we have Jesus coming to John to be baptised and initially John refuses, saying that Jesus should be baptizing him.  How does Jesus respond?  He says, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

Why was Christ baptised?  Remember the baptism of John was a baptism of repentance and Christ didn’t need to repent of anything.

According to his own words Christ was baptised so that he might fulfill all righteousness.  Said another way he was baptised so that he might identify fully with the people whom he had come to save and to obey the law completely on their behalf.

Jesus addresses this again in Matthew 5:17 where he says something similar.  He says "do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Jesus lived a life of 33 years in complete obedience to the law of God, without sin.  He fulfilled the law.  So completely that when he died, he died as the perfect lamb of God.  Jesus’ work on the cross was only possible because Jesus had first lived a perfect, sinless existence.

And what does that have to do with me?  Everything!

2 Corinthians 5:21 - For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Romans 5:19 - For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Because of Christ’s fulfilling of the law on my behalf, when I put my faith in Christ two things take place.  One, my sin's are put on Christ, who takes my punishment, and two, Christ’s righteousness is put on me.

This is why I can call myself a saint.  Because I have the righteousness of Christ applied to me.  My sin debt has been paid, my slate has been wiped clean, but equally amazing is that my slate has been filled by Christ’s righteous works and I truly am holy.  God sees me though the lens of Christ’s righteousness.

This is the incredible work of Christ on my behalf, and to him be all glory and honour and praise!

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus

And so begins the letter to the Philippians.  One of the questions that I had early on, was how Timothy participated in the writing of the letter. 

Digging deeper there are three clues to indicate that he did not participate in the writing of the letter. 

First there are 69 references to the word ‘I’ in the letter, while there are only 3 references to the word ‘we’ and 3 references to the word ‘us’ in the letter.  Of those 6 instances, 5 of them clearly are inclusive of the entire Philippian church and don’t mean Paul and Timothy in particular.  The verses where these instances are found are 3:3, 3:15, 3:16 and 3:20.  The only verse where ‘us’ is used and seems to particularly mean Paul and Timothy is 3:17, where Paul states:

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

Paul seems to include Timothy here as an example to keep your eyes on, but there is no indication that Timothy participated in writing the letter.

Secondly we have the section from 2:19-2:24.  In this passage Paul is commending Timothy to them and describes how Timothy has been like a son to him.

Third is the passage 3:2-3:16.  Here Paul argues based on his own life that we should put no confidence in the flesh.  He provides a ‘resume’ of sorts to back up his claim that if anyone could put confidence in the flesh it was him.

Overall the tone of Philippians is very personal.  Paul clearly loves this church and he pours himself into this letter.  He includes Timothy in his opening salutation perhaps because he happens to be with him and Timothy shares deeply the love for this church.  In addition this is not the only time Paul does this, in several of his letters Paul includes others in the salutation.  In 1 Corinthians we have Sosthenes, in 2 Corinthians and Colossians we have Timothy again, and in 1 and 2 Thessalonians we have Silas and Timothy mentioned.

Moving on in verse 1 we read that Paul calls himself a ‘servant’ of Christ Jesus.  The Greek word used here is ‘doulos’ which is the same word used for ‘slave’.  Other translations use ‘bondservant’ or ‘slave’ here instead of servant. 

John Piper makes a couple of good points on this term.  In his first session he said that it is right for Christians to view themselves as a slave in the following two ways.

1 – we are owned by God
2 – God as our Master gives the orders and we obey

However there is a danger in taking this too far and viewing our relationship to the Father and our identity in Christ as that of a slave.  This is wrong, considering the following verses.

John 15:15 – No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Galations 4:7 – So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Interestingly within Philippians there is only one other place this word is used and it is used in reference to Christ.

(Philippians 2:5-7, ESV)  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.

Ultimately the reason we serve Christ is because he first served us.

Finally one last observation on this first verse.  Paul does not call himself an apostle.  Most of his other letters he starts out by identifying himself as an apostle.  A possible reason, is that it is another indication of the warm relationship that he had with the church in Philippi.  Paul didn’t need to appeal to his apostolic authority, this church had partnered with him time and time again and looked up to him as their own.

Another great resource

It never ceases to amaze me how God brings things into our lives at the perfect time.  I have now been reading and studying the book of Philippians for two months and honestly I feel like I am just getting started.

Last Friday I read a tweet from John Piper that he was about to teach the book of Philippians at a conference starting that evening.  I checked out the link and it turns out that he was planning on teaching through the entire book of Philippians verse by verse over the course of 5 sessions.  So this past weekend I watched some of the sessions and they fired up my desire to stay in this book. 

In the first session John Piper starts off the evening by quoting the entire book from memory, and the passion and emotion in his voice, inspired me to really double up my efforts at memorization.  So far I have half of the verses I had planned to memorize committed to memory, so I still have a ways to go in this regard.

Here is the link to the conference audio, it is well worth the time to take a listen.

THINK14

Time for context

So what is the historical context that should augment our understanding of the epistle to the Philippians?  For this we need to look at the book of Acts, together with outside historical sources to understand the city and the events that transpired there.

The city of Philippi was named after the father of Alexander the Great, Philip of Macedonia. Founded in the fourth century B.C. it was located on an important road between Rome and Asia the “Via Egnatia”. The population was no more than 10 000 and the city had special privileges within the Roman world as it was designated a Roman Colony in 42 B.C. This meant that citizens had preferential tax treatment as well as other privileges conferred by holding Roman citizenship.

As for the founding of the church, in Acts 16 we have the story.  Paul and Silas having been directed by the Holy Spirit to leave Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and go into Europe, cross the Aegean Sea and arrive at Philippi which was located nine miles from the coast.

Paul’s habit upon entering a new city was to go to the local synagogue, but that didn’t happen at Philippi.  Apparently there wasn’t a large enough contingent of Jews to support one.  Philippi was a predominately gentile city.  There is subtle evidence for this in the letter of Philippians where every name mentioned is a gentile name.

There were ‘God fearers’ in Philippi however as Paul soon discovers a group of women who met at the local river to pray.  There among those women Paul has his first European converts.  Lydia a merchant of purple cloth is specifically mentioned as one of those first converts since she opened her home to Paul and Silas to stay with her.

Paul soon gets into trouble with the locals after he commands a demon to leave a slave girl.  The girls owners are unhappy that they are no longer able to gain money from the girl as a fortune teller and they subsequently stir up the city against Paul and Silas.  The magistrates order them to be beaten and thrown in prison.

It is in prison, where we read the wonderful story of Paul and Silas singing in prison at midnight when suddenly there is an earthquake that causes the doors to be opened and everyone’s bonds to be unfastened.  The Philippian jailer assuming that the prisoners had escaped is about to kill himself, but Paul assures him everyone is still present.  This leads the jailer to utter those famous words, “what must I do to be saved?”.

Paul’s response is “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”, and jailer comes to know about Christ and is converted both him and his whole family.

The next day the magistrates are about to let Paul go, when he lets them know that their treatment of Silas and him was unlawful.  Since Paul and Silas were Roman citizens themselves, being thrown in jail without a trial was a grievous offence.  You can see this in the fact that the magistrates were afraid and apologized to them once they learned this fact.

Shortly after this episode Paul and Silas leave the city, however based on the letter Paul later writes to them, the church in Philippi is near and dear to his heart.  It is unknown whether or not Paul ever returned to Philippi, but his connection to the church was strong.

As for the church left behind, it seems to have thrived and based on the tone of the letter Philippi seems to be a healthy congregation with few problems.

The letter was most likely written from Rome.  There are allusions to this in the letter.  In 1:13, Paul mentions the imperial guard and in 4:22 Paul refers to those of Caesar’s household.  Also the fact that Paul is anticipating that he might soon die seems to point to the letter being written when Paul was in prison in Rome.

The occasion for the letter is the fact that Epaphroditus a member of the church has recently brought a gift to Paul.  Paul is writing to thank the church as well as let them know that Epaphroditus almost died.  Epaphroditus did recover and it is believed that he carried the letter back home to Philippi with him.

The date for the letter is sometime between 60 and 62 A.D.

Do not be anxious about anything

Here is another frequently quoted passage found in Philippians.

Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

What I find especially helpful with this passage is that the apostle not only gives us a very practical command to follow but he also prescribes the means to obey it.  The solution to anxiety and worry is peace. 

Where does peace come from?  It comes from God.  What is the nature of this peace?  It is a supernatural peace that is beyond our human understanding.  How do we get this peace?  We ask God for it.  In what attitude should we approach God in order to receive it?  In an attitude of thanksgiving.  What will this peace do for us?  It will guard our hearts and minds.  What is the prerequisite for all of this?  That we are ‘in Christ Jesus’, that we are members of his body, that we belong to him.

Here are a few other translations of this verse.

(NKJV)  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

(NASB)  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(HCSB) Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

(Expanded Bible) Do not worry [be anxious] about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need [or make your requests known to God], always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it [transcends/surpasses all comprehension], will keep [guard] your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

(NLT)  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

(The Voice Bible) Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come.  And know that the peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.

Here are some cross references listed in the treasury of scripture knowledge.

Psalm 34:4 (ESV)  I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 119:165 (ESV)  Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.

Matthew 6:25–33 (ESV)  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

John 14:27 (ESV)  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Colossians 3:15 (ESV)   And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)   casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Joy from a prison cell

One of the themes many commentators have highlighted from the book of Philippians is that of joy.  Over a dozen times in the four short chapters of his letter, Paul either expresses joy, or instructs the church to rejoice.  I think it is incredible that Paul would feel this way, especially considering his circumstances in a Roman prison.  Consider these verses.

Philippians 1:3–5 (ESV)  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Philippians 1:18–19 (ESV)  What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

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

Philippians 2:17–18 (ESV)  Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.  Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Philippians 2:28–29 (ESV)  I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.  So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honour such men,

Philippians 3:1 (ESV)  Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

Philippians 4:1 (ESV)  Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Philippians 4:4 (ESV)  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Philippians 4:10 (ESV)  I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

So let’s summarize, Paul is joyful for the following reasons.

- for the faithful partnership in the gospel of the church in Philippi, which also includes financial support as we learn in chapter four
- that Christ is being proclaimed
- for the prayers of the Philippians and its effectual power to bring about his deliverance
- for the expectation that the Philippians will be in united in mind and love
- for the privilege of suffering and perhaps even dying for the church in Philippi
- for the Philippian people themselves
- for the concern that the church in Philippi had for him

Secondly, Paul exhorts the Philippians to  be joyful for the following reasons.

- to rejoice with Paul (or presumably any brother) in his rejoicing
- to rejoice at seeing Epaphroditus again
- rejoicing should be a trait of all Christians
- rejoicing should be independent of circumstance
- rejoicing should be a continual

So I ask myself the question, what things do I rejoice at.   Here is a short list.

- any accomplishment by my child
- recognition at work
- my country doing well at the Olympics
- unexpected blessings
- the beauty of creation
- hearing my child pray
- being told of the work of the church around the world

What I notice about my list is that they are ‘event’ driven.  I rejoice when something happens, or experience something specific.  I think what I need to work on is capturing the spirit of Philippians 4:4 and “Rejoice in the Lord always”. 

After more than a month of reading Philippians over and over again, I am beginning to understand what this means and hopefully soon, my life will begin to express this radiant joy that I can picture being true of Paul.

A life worthy of the gospel

Philippians 1:27 (ESV)  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ

Oh how I want to obey this verse.  For wouldn’t it be tragic to meet Christ and realize that our conduct on earth did not measure up to the worth of the gospel?  I know that I cannot earn salvation through my good works, but now that I am a Christian I have the Spirit of Christ abiding in me (Rom 8).  Now that I am a disciple of Jesus, I have the Word to equip me for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17).  Now that I have placed my faith in the finished work of the cross, I find that I have been created in Christ Jesus for good works. (Eph 2:8-10).  And when it all comes down to it, good works are the evidence that I am a Christian in the first place (James 2:17). 

But what does a life worthy of the gospel look like?  Here are some cross references to show what the bible identifies the Christian life to look like.

Philippians 2:14–15 (ESV)  Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

2 Peter 1:5–11 (ESV)  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 6:10–11 (ESV)  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

For to me to live is Christ

So here we have verse 21 of chapter 1.

Philippians 1:21 (ESV) — For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

This is one of the more recognizable verses from Philippians, but what does it mean?  The second phrase is straightforward enough, I understand the concept that compared to the world I will inherit when I die, this world is a garbage dump.  There is no comparison and in every sense dying is gain for the Christian, but what does the first phrase mean, and what is it telling me about this life.

Let’s look at some other translations.

(ESV, NASB, NKJV, NIV)  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

(HCSB)  For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.   

(NET)  For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

(NLT)  For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.

(Expanded Bible)  [For] To me the only important thing about living [to live] is Christ, and dying would be profit for me [to die is gain/profit].

(The Voice Bible)  For my life is about the Anointed and Him alone. And my death, when that comes, will mean great gain for me.

This is an excellent verse to show the value of reading multiple versions.  The literal reading is not clear in my mind as to what Paul is attempting to say but the thought for thought translations give more clarity at the expense of giving the reader the interpretation.  As seen previously, the danger is that the verse is interpreted to mean more (or less) than what it actually does.  However I don’t think this is happening here especially considering the context of verse 20.

Philippians 1:20 (ESV) — as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death.

So based on these translations, it seems that the phrase “for to me to live is Christ”, means that while living on this earth, Paul’s utmost joy is in living for Christ.  Everything he does is for him and he recognizes the privilege of serving God in the here and now.  It begs the question then to me.  Is living for Christ the central purpose of my life on earth?

Here are some cross references to bring further clarity.

From later in the letter, Paul mentions unfaithful workers in contrast to the faithful Timothy.  He writes, “for they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. (2:21)”  I get from this that as faithful workers we should always be working for the interests of Christ.

From other letter’s Paul wrote.

1 Corinthians 1:30 (ESV)  And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 6:14 (ESV)  But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Colossians 3:3 (ESV)  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

These verses expound on our verse under examination by expressing the idea that in a very real sense our old life has died and we are now alive “in Christ”.  This takes me back to the concept of God’s sovereignty and our responsibility.  I am to make Christ my chief purpose in life, but God is the one who now lives in me to make it a reality.  How awesome is that!

For his good pleasure

The final phrase of Philippians 2:13 addresses the the purpose for God’s active work in the Christian’s life.

(ESV, NKJV, NASB) for his good pleasure.

(NET Bible) for the sake of his good pleasure

(NLT, Expanded Bible)  what pleases him.

(Voice Bible) what always pleases Him.

(HCSB) His good purpose.

Again it is interesting to note that the thought for thought translations miss a subtle point.  They state that God works in the believer to do what pleases him, which is the end result, but they miss the fact that God has a purpose for working in the believers life and it is to bring himself pleasure.

This concept that God works ultimately for his own pleasure is captured beautifully in Psalm 115:3.

Psalm 115:3 (ESV) — Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

This understanding was first introduced to me in the early 1990’s when my dad gave me my first book by John Piper called “The Pleasures of God”, subtitled “Meditations On God’s Delight In Being God”.  I highly recommend the book, if you want to understand what brings God pleasure.

Here are some other verses that speak to God doing what he pleases or purposes.

Psalm 135:6 (ESV) — Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

Exodus 33:19b (ESV) — And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Job 42:2 (ESV) — “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Isaiah 14:24 (ESV) — The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand,

Isaiah 46:9–10 (ESV) — remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

In summary here is the entire passage again.

Philippians 2:12b–13 (ESV) — 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.

I understand this passage to teach that I need to actively participate with God in the process of being saved (also called sanctification).  This does not speak against that fact that I am in one sense already saved (justification), or that one day I will be saved (glorification), but while on this earth I need to take very seriously the call to work with God to transform my life into the likeness of Christ.  I need to do this with a proper understanding of who God is in contrast with who I am, an understanding that will instil holy fear and trembling.  At the same time I approach God with the view that apart from him I can do nothing to accomplish this, but I have the wonderful assurance that God wants to work in me to accomplish my sanctification since it is ultimately for his own pleasure.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to work

Moving on to verse 13 of Philippians we see a sudden transition from an emphasis on the responsibility of man to the sovereignty of God.  Let’s see how other translations have tackled this passage.

(ESV)  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work

(NASB) for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work

(NKJV)  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do

(NIV) for it is God who works in you to will and to act

(NLT)  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do

(HCSB) For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out

(Expanded Bible)  because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do [both to will/desire and to work]

(The Voice Bible)  because God is energizing you so that you will desire and do

(NET Bible)  for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort … is God

What I notice immediately is that according to the more literal translations the verse seems to indicate that God produces the will and the work in the believer’s life.  If we look at the translations that are more thought-for-thought translations the emphasis is subtly different.  In the NLT, Expanded Bible, Voice Bible or HCSB, the emphasis seems to be that God is helping / enabling / energizing us to will and do.

This is a great verse to show how with thought for thought translations the translator is doing more to interpret the verse for the reader.  It may well be that God enabling vs doing is what Paul meant, but it doesn’t seem that is was that clear in the original.

Let’s look at some other verses that touch on this aspect of God being the one who does the work in the believer’s life.

Jeremiah 31:33 - For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

John 3:27 - John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.

John 6:65 - And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

1 Corinthians 3:6 - I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

1 Corinthians 12:6 - and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

1 Corinthians 15:10 - But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Here are some additional insights from several study bibles.

ESV Study Bible:  But as verse 13 demonstrates, these works are the result of God’s work within his people. both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Even the desire (“to will”) to do what is good comes from God; but he also works in the believer to generate actual choices of the good, so that the desires result in actions.

Sprit Filled Life Study Bible:  Without denying man’s freedom, Paul stresses God’s part in man’s salvation, both in its initial resolution and in its subsequent progress.

Reformation Study Bible:  The use of human effort (v. 12), far from violating God’s will, is just what He commands for achieving His saving purpose (Eph. 2:8–10). Having invoked the example of Christ, Paul reassures the Philippians that they do not will and work on their own, but their wills and their actions are the very arenas where God’s own power is working (4:13; 1 Thess. 2:13).

Believer’s Study Bible:  Verse 13 reminds us again that the entire salvation process is the work of a sovereign God and the result of His grace. “For it is God who works in you” is the ultimate ground and basis for our salvation.

In summary, I find this study of the contrast betweens man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty both in salvation and sanctification absolutely fascinating.  There is an aspect of mystery about it, such that I don’t believe you can ever fully understand it.  However just like the concept of the trinity, or of the hypostatic union, I don’t think I need to understand it, I just have to believe it and through faith God will accomplish the work.

With fear and trembling

Now let’s tackle the next portion of Philippians 2:12.  Here is the portion as translated by several of the most popular versions.

(ESV, NKJV, NASB, HCSB, NIV, KJV) with fear and trembling

(The Voice Bible) with great fear and trembling

(NLT) obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

(Expanded Bible) with·fear [awe; reverence] and trembling,

What I immediately notice is that there is near universal agreement about this portion of scripture.  Every version talks about us working out our salvation with fear.

Here is the Geek Dictionary entry for the word translated fear. (strongs number 5401, ‘phobos) –

fear, dread, terror
that which strikes terror
reverence for one's husband

Here is the Greek Dictionary entry for the word translated trembling. (strongs number 5156, ‘tromos) –

trembling or quaking with fear
with fear and trembling, used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty

This topic of the fear of the Lord is of particular interest to me, since in my adult Sunday School class we are listening to the DVD series BASIC from Francis Chan, and the first lesson was about the fear of the Lord.  Francis’ point is that the church has watered down the concept of the fear of the Lord to simply respect but that a proper understanding of God should originate and be rooted in actual fear and trembling, as per Isaiah in Isaiah 6 and John in Rev 1.

Let’s now look at some cross references to see how the scriptures portray this idea.

Psalm 2:11 (ESV) — Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psalm 119:120 (ESV) — My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.

Isaiah 66:2 (ESV) — All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

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

1 Peter 1:17 (ESV) — And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

Acts 9:31 (ESV) — So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

2 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV) — Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (ESV) — Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Ephesians 5:21 (ESV) — submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Hebrews 12:28-29 (ESV) — Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus l,et us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

1 Peter 4:17–18 (ESV) — For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

It seems to me that in the majority of passages actual fear is the emotion is being described and it seems that fear is highlighted as a motivator for obedient living and for spreading the gospel.  The clincher for me is the verse in Luke 12:5 when Jesus says the following, “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

So what does that look like practically.  I think it goes back to how we view God.  As Christians, we tend to view God through the lens of the suffering Christ of Calvary, which obviously isn’t a wrong way to view God, but it isn’t the whole picture. 

In the book of revelation we have a picture of Christ that would strike fear into the heart of anyone, and as demonstrated in the scriptures above, primarily we are to taught to approach the face of God, with an attitude of fear, reverence and trembling.

Here is an interesting point to end on.  Francis points out in his teaching that fear is the place from where we all need to start as we approach the omnipotent God.  The beauty however is that to the believer, once we approach him the first words out of the Father’s mouth is usually “do not fear”.

Working out my salvation

The first interesting passage that I want to dive into is in chapter 2.  Starting at the second part of verse 12 and continuing into verse 13 we have Paul writing the following,

“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.”

The reason I want to start here is that there is so much packed into this one passage.  I see at least four significant teachings I need to digest.

1. I am told to work out my own salvation

2. I am to work it out with fear and trembling

3. I am to work it out because It is God who works in me, both to will and to work

4. God is working in me ultimately for his good pleasure.

Today I am only going to concentrate on the first teaching, that of my responsibility to work out my salvation.

First of all lets look at how other translations put it.

(ESV, NKJV, HCSB)  work out your own salvation

(NLT)  Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God

(NIV, The Voice Bible) continue to work out your salvation

(Expanded Bible)  Keep on working to complete [Continue working out] your salvation

From this comparison I see that working out my salvation takes actual effort on my part, it is not just a mental exercise.  Also it is not a one time event, but a continual process through the demonstration of our obedience to God

From the “Treasure of Scripture Knowledge”, I have found the following other verses to be helpful to my understanding of what it means to work out my salvation.

First up let’s look at the recommended verse from Philippians, since it would seem reasonable that passages from the same letter should perhaps be given more weight than other verses scattered throughout the bible.

Philippians 3:13b–14 (ESV)  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The words ‘straining forward’ and ‘press on toward’ really give the impression that Paul is using great effort in his pursuit of the call of God

Here are some other verses I found helpful, emphasis mine.

Luke 13:23–24 (ESV)  And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.

Galatians 6:9 (ESV)  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Hebrews 4:11 (ESV)  Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Turning now to some study notes, here is what I have found useful.

Faithlife Study Bible:  work out Implies that obedience is intentional and purposeful. In this context, “working out your salvation” means assuming Christ’s mindset (see verses 6-11).

Believer’s Study Bible: Work out your own salvation” means to “work out,” not “work for.” A “works salvation” is not being taught. The idea is to progress to the finish or completion in spiritual growth and maturity. This process is what the Bible calls “sanctification.” It should be noted that v. 12 makes it clear we are to be active, not passive, in this process.

Sprit Filled Life Study Bible:  In view of the obedience of Christ and His lordship, the Philippians should show a like obedience. Paul does not teach that salvation is dependent on one’s continued works, but that salvation must express itself in progressive Christian living and upright character, not only individually, but through obedient participation in God’s corporate call to a local church.

King James Study Bible:  Work out your own salvation does not mean that you should work for salvation in order to obtain it. The Greek phrase “work out” denotes the expression, manifestation, or actualization of something one already possesses. The Philippians are to “work out” the salvation God has already wrought  in them (v. 13), carrying it to its logical conclusion. God has granted them salvation not just for their own profit, but for the good of others as well. If they work out and manifest the new life divinely worked in them, they will live lives worthy of the gospel (1:27), in harmony with each other (v. 2), seeking the progress of the gospel. They will also regard one another as more important than themselves (v. 3), be concerned with the needs of their fellows (v. 4), and make the appropriate sacrifices in obedience to God, as did Jesus. In doing all this they will work out or express the new life they have through Christ.

Finally, here is the Greek Dictionary entry for the word translated work. (strongs number 2716, ‘katergazomai’) –

to perform, accomplish, achieve
to work out i.e. to do that from which something results
of things: bring about, result in
to fashion i.e. render one fit for a thing

Tools in my tool chest

Now that I am starting to explore a bit deeper the meaning of certain passages it is a good time to review the tools that I will be using for this purpose.

Tool #1:  multiple translations

Since I don’t read Greek, I have to read the bible from an English translation.  My translation of choice is the English Standard Version (ESV).  I have chosen this version for two reasons.  Primarily I chose it because almost universally the teachers and scholars that I read and listen to recommend it.  Secondly and in all likely the reason why they recommend it, is because it is a word for word translation of the Bible. 

A word for word translation is also referred to as a functional equivalence translation.  In other words the translation strives to be as faithful to the original with respect to ensuring every word is translated, resulting in a translation that is very literal.  There are other word for word translations, most notably the King James Version (KJV), the New King James Version (NKJV) and the New American Standard Bible (NASB) which are all very popular, however the ESV seems to be gaining considerable traction among evangelicals. 

There is another methodology used by translators which is to translate thought for thought instead of word for word.  This methodology is also called dynamic equivalence, and the translators of the New Living Translation (NLT) the New International Version (NIV) and The Voice Bible among others have used it.

Another newer translation is called the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) and it purports to use what they refer to as the optimal equivalence model of Bible translation, taking the best of both worlds.  Sometimes it is leans more towards the word-for-word end of the spectrum and other times it leans more towards the thought-for-though end of the spectrum.

Finally there are some specialized translations that attempt to give insight into the original languages by expounding on the text.  The Amplified Bible and the Expanded Bible are examples of this specialized translation.

The downside to using multiple translations however is that it is easy to pick and choose whatever translations suits my own preconceived notions, without considering how the translators methodology or even bias might play into the equation.  Nevertheless for comparison purposes multiple translations can provide significant insights, and with the internet today, there is no need to actually own bibles in each translation, since they are all available to be read for free online.  Here and here are good places to start.

Tool #2: cross references

I have heard it said many times that the bible interprets the bible, and this is the reason behind the cross references found in many bibles.  Typically found in a centre column between the columns of text these cross references are links to other passages in the bible that can help shed additional insights.  As nice as these are there is an even better tool, “The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge”.  This book is like those centre column cross references on steroids.  It contains a list of cross references for every verse in the bible.  As an example Philippians 1:6 has 36 cross references listed just for that verse.  It may take some time to look up all those verses but it will provide incredible insights that I wouldn’t find on my own, and the beauty is that they are all verses from the bible and not someone else's interpretation.  This is my preferred tool to use when trying to understand a passage.  Again this resource is available online for free and can be found here.

Tool #3: study bible notes

There is a reason that I don’t use a study bible for my personal reading.  It is just too distracting to have the notes so easily accessible.  This accessibility tends to make me lazy about figuring out the difficult passages on my own.  Nevertheless at some point it is good to see what others have said about the passage of scripture and a study bible is excellent for that.  My main study bible is the ESV Study Bible, but I also have the KJV Study Bible, the Reformation Study Bible, The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible and the Faithlife Study Bible that provide differing perspectives.  The ESV study bible is available online here and is free for 30 days.  The Faithlife Study Bible is currently free online and is available here.

Tool #4: commentaries

When the study bible notes just aren’t detailed enough a commentary will provide a much deeper study of the passage.  I don’t own many commentaries, but there are several free ones that are available on-line.  Matthew Henry’s commentary is a classic, but a more modern scholar with free commentaries available for each book of the bible is Thomas Constable.

Tool #5: Key-word Study Bible

This last tool is a gift that I received for Christmas and I look forward to using it this year.  The uniqueness of this bible is that there is both a Hebrew and a Greek dictionary at the back of the bible.  Additionally in the text of the bible every key word has a number associated with it.  These numbers are then used to look up in the dictionary the Greek or Hebrew word that was translated.  The dictionary then provides deeper insights (in English) into the meaning and nuances of the word.  This bible is a tool that allows students without any knowledge of the original languages to gain insights otherwise unavailable to them.

The downside of this tool is that it provides the user with just enough information to be dangerous, it provides details of the word itself, but not the particulars of how it is used in each individual situation.

So there you have it, the main 5 tools I will be using, in my ongoing study of Philippians.

Questions for Paul

Having now read through the book of Philippians move than 15 times, I think it is time to move past simple observation of the text and time to start looking into answering some of the questions that the text has stirred up in my mind. Before I do that however let me present those questions here.

From 1:1, is Timothy a co-author with Paul?

From 1:6, since God began the good work, what role did I play in coming to God?

From 1:6, 1:10 and 2:16, what is the “day of Christ”?

From 1:9, what is the connection between love abounding and knowledge and discernment?

From 1:15-18, why does Paul not seem to care that people are preaching Christ from selfish ambition, does God not ultimately look at the heart?

From 1:21, what does “For me to live is Christ” mean?

From 1:27, what does a ‘life worthy of the gospel' look like?

From 1:28, what does the phrase ‘and that from God’ refer to?  Is it that their salvation comes from God?  Is it that they are being saved “from God”, in contrast to the opponents who will not be saved from God and his wrath, or does it refer to the sign being from God?

In 2:6 what does ‘being in the form of God” mean?  What does “not counting equality with God a thing to be grasped mean?  What does it mean that Jesus “emptied himself”.?

In 2:10 what is Paul referring to when he says “every knee .. under the earth”?

In 2:11 what is the connection between us working out our salvation and God who works in us to will and to do?

In 2:25, did Epaphroditus carry the letter to the Philippian church?

In 3:2, who are the mutilators of the flesh?

In 3:10 what does “becoming like him in his death” mean?

In 3:16 why the contrast between pressing towards the goal and holding true to what we have already attained?

In 3:21, what does “by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” mean?

In 4:19 what does “according to his riches in Glory in Christ Jesus” mean?

Now I don’t know if I will get to answer all of these questions, but over the coming days I hope to address as many of them as possible. 

One last thought is that even though I have a lot of questions, overall the book of Philippians is a fairly straight forward book.  If you just look at the instructions/commands contained in it for the most part they are pretty black and white and easy to understand.  I frankly don’t have any question about what Paul may mean when he tells us to rejoice, to be content, to not be anxious, to stop grumbling, to think rightly, to stand firm or to speak the word without fear. 

I take that back I have one question, but this is for me and not Paul.  Am I doing it?

The doctrine of suffering in Philippians

In 1:4 we learn that Paul the author is in prison; so from that context we examine the following verses.

I have divided the verses today into two categories, general teachings about suffering and what the Christian attitude should be as they endure suffering

Teachings:

In 1:3-4 we learn that Paul is a receiving grace both in his imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel.

In 1:12 we learn that Paul’s imprisonment serves to advance the gospel

In 1:13 Paul refers to his imprisonment as ‘for Christ’, in other words it is directly connected to Paul’s obedience to God in proclaiming the gospel

In 1:19 we learn that in the midst of suffering, the praying church aided by the Holy Spirit can bring deliverance

In 1:29 we learn that it has been granted to the Philippian church that for the sake of Christ they would not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake

In 2:1 we learn that encouragement in the midst of suffering comes from Christ, comfort can be found in God’s love and the Spirit participates with us as we walk through the suffering.

In 2:27 we learn that it was God who had mercy on Epaphroditus by causing him to recover from a serious illness

In 3:10-11 we learn that we are to share in Christ’s sufferings, becoming like him in his death so that we may attain the resurrection

In 4:7 we learn that we are to take our petitions to the Lord in prayer with thanksgiving

In 4:7 we also learn that if we do the God of Peace will guard our hearts and minds

In 4:19 we learn that it is God who supplies every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus

Attitude:

In 1:14 we learn that Paul being imprisoned should not make the believers fearful, but should fill them with confidence in the Lord to speak the word

In 1:17 we learn that even those seeking to afflict Paul in his imprisonment are a joy to him, in the sense that he can rejoice that Christ is proclaimed regardless of the motives

In 1:21 we learn that even death is not to be feared, but embraced as gain

In 2:5-11 we are told to have the mind of Christ, who was obedient to the Father even unto death

In 2:17 Paul says that even if he is to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of the Philippians' faith, he is glad and rejoices

In 3:8 we learn that Paul counts everything as loss compared to knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord

In 3:8 we also learn that Paul has suffered the loss of all things for the sake of Christ, but Paul considers all those things as garbage in order that he may gain Christ

In 3:13 we learn that Paul forgets what lies behind and strains for what lies ahead

In 3:14 we learn that the Christian is to have the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus

In 3:15 we learn that mature Christians should think the same way as Paul

In 3:19 we learn that we are not to have our mind on earthly things

In 4:6 we are told not to be anxious about anything for the Lord is at hand

In 4:12-13 we learn that we are to be content in any situation and that we are to rely on the Lord who will give us the strength to endure

The doctrine of the end times in Philippians

Today I turn to the latter days.  As I read Philippians, I am looking for insights into what we should believe about the end times.

In 1:6 we learn that God will complete the work that be begins in believers at the “day of Jesus Christ”

In 1:10 Paul exhorts the church to be pure and blameless for the “day of Christ”

From 1:21 we learn that there is something to be gained when believers die

From 1:23 we learn that when Paul dies he has the expectation that he will be with Christ

In 1:28 we learn that the future destruction of all opponents of Christ is assured

In 1:28 we also learn that the future salvation of believers is assured

In 2:10-11 we learn that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

In 2:12 we learn that believers are to work out their salvation with fear and trembling

In 2:15 the Philippian believers are called to be without blemish so that at the “day of Christ” Paul may be proud that he didn’t run in vain

In 3:11 we learn that believers may attain the resurrection from the dead

In 3:12 we can surmise that one day believers will be perfected

In 3:19 we again learn that the enemies of the cross of Christ will receive destruction

In 3:20 we learn that for the believer their citizenship is in heaven that that Jesus is a Saviour

In 3:21 we learn that at the resurrection believers will have their bodies transformed into new glorious bodies like Christ’s

In 3:21 we also learn that Christ will subject all things to himself

In 4:3 we read that fellow labourers have their names in the book of life

The doctrine of the church in Philippians

While looking for teachings regarding the work of the church in the book of Philippians it became evident that there are two sides to this coin.  Since the church is made up of individual Christians, it is difficult to divide instructions into separate categories for whether they apply to the corporate body or to each individual believer.

I think it is the case that for most instructions they can equally fall into both categories, which I find interesting, since I think that most people (at least I do) think ‘How can I apply this as an individual’ when reading Paul’s instructions.  We don’t often ask the question how should I participate with my local congregation to obey and live out these teachings. 

For that reason as I read through Philippians again today I asked myself how is the church to live this out, instead of how am I to live this out? 

In 1:1 we learn that members of the church are ‘saints’

In 1:1 we also learn of two offices within the church, ‘overseers’ and ‘deacons’.

In 1:5 we learn that the church was a partner with Paul in the gospel

In 1:7 we learn that the church is a partaker with Paul of grace in imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel

In 1:9 we learn that the church is to abound in love with knowledge and all discernment

In 1:10 we learn that the church is to approve what is excellent and be pure and blameless, filled with the fruit of righteousness

In 1:14 we learn the church is to be confident in the face of opposition

In 1:14 we also learn that the church is to speak the word without fear

In 1:15 we learn that the church is to preach \ proclaim Christ out of love

In 1:19 we learn the church is to pray for the needs of others

In 1:27 we learn that the church is to conduct itself worthy of the gospel of Christ, firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by opponents

In 2:2 we learn the church is to be single minded, full of love and fully united.

In 2:5 we learn that the church should have the same mind as Christ

In 2:11 we learn that the church’s confession should be that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father

In 2:15 we learn that the church is a light to the world

In 2:16 we learn that the church is to hold fast to the word of life

In 2:18 we learn that the church is to be glad and rejoice

In 2:22 we learn how Timothy (a church overseer) proved his worth in contrast to others who sought their own interest and not the interests of Jesus Christ

In 2:29 we learn that the church is to receive fellow workers in the Lord with joy and honour

In 3:2 we learn that the church is to look out for false teachers

In 3:3 we learn that the church is the ‘circumcision’ who worship by the Spirit of God and put no confidence in the flesh

In 3:16 we learn that the church is to hold true to what it has already attained

In 3:17 we lean that the church is to imitate Paul and keep their eyes on those who walk according to his example

In 3:20 we lean that the church has its citizenship in heaven

In 4:1 we learn that the church it to stand firm in the Lord

In 4:6 we learn that the church  is to make prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

In 4:15 we learn that the church is to partner in giving and receiving to the needs of fellow workers

The doctrine of God in Philippians

I am interested in understanding how comprehensively the letter to the Philippians covers Christian doctrine.  Specifically what I have in mind is the following scenario; if the book of Philippians was the only book in the Bible, how would I understand Christian life and doctrine.

Over the next few days I plan on looking at the different doctrines of the Christian faith.  Today I concentrate on the doctrine of God though I will include in that the doctrines of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

From 1:2 we learn that God is our “Father'” and Jesus Christ is our Lord

From 1:19 we learn that God hears and answers prayer with the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ

From 1:29 we learn that God grants belief to his church but surprisingly also grants the opportunity to suffer for the sake of Christ

The passage from 2:5 through 2:11 is perhaps the most detailed description of Jesus’ role that we have in the Bible.  From it we learn the following:
- Jesus was in the form of God
- Jesus did not count equality with God something to be grasped
- Jesus emptied himself by taking the form of a servant
- Jesus was born in the likeness of men
- as a man Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross
- as a result God has exalted Jesus
- God has given Jesus the name that is above every name
- at the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven on earth and beneath the earth
- at the name of Jesus every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
- this is all done to the glory of God the Father

From 2:13 we learn that it is God who works in believers to both will and to work for his good pleasure

In 2:14 we learn that God considers believers to be his children

In 2:27 we learn that mercy is an attribute of God

In 3:3 we learn that the Spirit of God enables believers to worship

In 3:9 we learn that righteousness comes from God

In 3:10 we lean that Christ suffered, died and was resurrected

In 3:12 we learn that Christ Jesus makes us his own

In 3:14 we learn that God calls us in Christ Jesus

In 3:20 we learn that the Lord Jesus Christ is a Saviour from the destruction due the enemies of the cross of Christ

In 3:21 we learn that Jesus has a body presently and that it is a glorious body

In 3:21 we learn as well that Jesus has a power that enables him to subject all things to himself

In 4:5 we learn that the ‘Lord is at hand’

In 4:6 we learn that God desires his people to present their requests to him through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

In 4:7 we learn that God gives peace

In 4:7 we also learn that God guards hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

In 4:9 we learn that God is a God of peace

In 4:9 we also learn that God is present with believers if they practice the things they have leaned

In 4:13 we lean that God strengthens his people and enables them to be content in every situation

In 4:19 we learn that God supplies the needs of his people according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus

In 4:20 we learn that God the Father is to be ascribed glory forever and ever

In 4:23 we learn that Jesus bestows grace

An outline of Philippians

The first thing I notice is that obviously the ‘book’ of Philippians is not a ‘book’ but a letter.  Paul opens this letter with a salutation to the saints at Philippi, with specific mention of the overseers and deacons.  Paul also includes Timothy with his own name at the start of the letter, which begs the question “is Timothy the co-author of this letter?”

Immediately following the salutation, Paul thanks God for the Philippian believers’ partnership in the gospel and he prays that their love would abound to the glory of God.

Following this Paul explains how his imprisonment was for the cause of Christ and that it has not caused fear to grip the local believers, but in fact it has emboldened them.

What Paul says next is quite puzzling and certainly should be examined more thoroughly.  He explains that some are preaching the gospel out of selfish ambition hoping to cause Paul affliction, but incredibly Paul still rejoices that Christ is proclaimed.

The next passage is filled with incredible hope.  It is here that Paul declares “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  He tells the Philippians that he would prefer to die and be united with Christ, but that for the sake of the Philippians it is more necessary that he continues to live, so he believes that he will be reunited with the Philippian church.

Next Paul encourages them to “let their manner of life be worthy of the gospel”, but shortly afterwards he says something interesting.  He says in verse 28 that their salvation is from God that it had been granted to them that they should believe and suffer for the sake of Christ.  Here is the first instance in Philippians where we see the contrast of God’s sovereignty with Man’s responsibility.

Continuing into chapter 2 we have what is perhaps the most beautiful description of the humiliation and exaltation of Christ, with the conclusion being that every tongue will confess Christ as Lord.

We now come to the second section where Paul contrasts God’s sovereignty with Man’s responsibility.  He says “work out you own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”  Fascinating, stuff, but not easy to understand.

Paul paints a beautiful metaphor next where he calls the believers “lights in the world” and that we are to shine without blemish being blameless and innocent.

Next Paul explains that he hopes to send Timothy to the Philippian church soon but in the mean time he has sent Epaphroditus, which seems to imply that perhaps this individual actually delivered the letter to the church in Philippi, I will need to check this out.

The next passage contains a warning from Paul to be on the look out for teachers that would try and bind them with the Jewish custom of circumcision.  Paul explains that those who are truly of the circumcision are the followers of Christ who worship by the Spirit of God and that we should have no confidence in the flesh, specifically the outward act of circumcision.  Paul then presents a case for why our righteousness only comes from faith in Christ and how only that righteousness will lead to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul uses another great metaphor of running a race to describe the Christian life.  Using words like straining forward, pressing on, forgetting what lies behind, he presents the Christian life as one that is seeking to reach the goal. What is puzzling is that immediately after this Paul says that we should “hold true to what we have attained.”  So it seems like he is saying that we have already attained the goal.

In version 17 of chapter 3 Paul now exhorts the Philippians to imitate him, and to follow the example of others who walk by Paul’s example.  He further encourages them by emphasising that the believer’s citizenship is in heaven that that one day Jesus will glorify our bodies to be like his.

Next we see that Paul begins to wind down the letter.  He exhorts the church to rejoice, be reasonable and to not be anxious, also to think rightly.  He provides promises of God’s peace and promises that his strength will enable the believer to endure all things.

Finally Paul thanks the church for their provision and support and encourages them by letting them know that God would supply their every need.

The letter closes with a final signoff and the following blessing, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

Scripture memorization from Philippians

One significant advantage of the saturation method of bible reading has been scripture memorization.  I have never been particularly faithful to regularly committing passages to memory since given the time I was already spending in bible reading and prayer, it was difficult to carve out yet more time to tackle yet one more spiritual discipline. 

I have found though that as I read daily through the book of Philippians the passages are becoming more and more familiar and the structure of the book is becoming ingrained in my mind, and memorization is happening to some extent on its own.  Nevertheless I want to take it to the next level, so I have identified the key passages from Philippians that I want to memorize fully.  I present them here.

Philippians 1:6 - 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.

Philippians 1:9–11 - And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:21 - For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:27a - Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

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

Philippians 2:5–11 - 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. 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.

Philippians 2:12b–13 - 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.

Philippians 2:14–15 - Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

Philippians 3:3 - For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.

Philippians 3:8–11 - Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 3:13b –14 - One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:16 - Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Philippians 3:17 - Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

Philippians 3:20–21 - But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Philippians 4:6–7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:9 - What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:11b - I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Philippians 4:12b–13 - In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Warnings from Philippians

Compared to the number of promises in Paul’s letter, the number of warnings is quite small.

In chapter 1 verse 28 Paul refers to the opponents of the church in Philippi and says the manner in which the church stands fearless in the face of opposition is a sign to those opponents of their destruction, in contrast with it being a sign to the church of their salvation.  In other words there is destruction waiting for the opponents of Christ’s church.

In chapter 3 Paul warns the church to look out for the “dogs”, the “evil doers'” the “mutilators of the flesh”, those that put confidence in the flesh.  The entire passage from 3:2-9 leads up to his “mission statement' in verses 10-11 which culminates with the hope of attaining the “resurrection from the dead".  Consequently those evil doers have not and will not attain the resurrection.

Then in verse 18-19 of chapter 3 Paul talks about the enemies of the cross of Christ, and says “their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”  Contrasting this with verses 20-21 we see that these enemies are not citizens of heaven and they will not have their bodies transformed into a glorified body.  In other words they will not partake in the resurrection.

Finally, though not as clearly a warning as a promise, chapter 2 verse 12 bears mention again.  Paul exhorts the Philippians to “work out their own salvation with fear and trembling”.

Promises from Philippians

He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Work out you own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

{Since the Philippians were so willing to supply Paul’s needs, he writes} And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Instructions from Philippians

The first thing that I want to answer is the question, “what specifically is this book telling me to do?”  Here then is a list of all the commands or instructions that we can glean from the book of Philippians.

- Let your love abound with knowledge and discernment
- Be pure and blameless
- Be filled with the fruit of righteousness
- Be confident in the Lord
- Speak the word without fear
- Let your life be worthy of the gospel
- Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit
- In humility count others more significant than yourself
- Look to the interests of others
- Have the same mind as Christ as demonstrated in Phil 2:5-11
- Work out your salvation with fear and trembling
- Do all things without grumbling or disputing
- Be blameless and innocent
- Hold fast to the word of life
- Seek the interests of Jesus Christ
- Receive brothers and sisters (Epaphroditus) in the Lord
- Honour such men (as Epaphroditus) for their sacrifice to the work of Christ
- Rejoice in the Lord always
- Put no confidence in the flesh
- Count everything as loss compared to knowing Christ
- Share in Christ’s sufferings
- Become like Christ in his death
- Press on toward the goal of the call of God
- Hold true to what you have attained
- Imitate those who walk according to Paul’s example
- Stand firm in the Lord
- Let your reasonableness be known to everyone
- Do not be anxious
- With thanksgiving let your requests be known to God by prayer
- Think rightly as shown in Phil 4:8
- Practice what you have learned
- Be content in every situation
- Greet the saints in Christ Jesus

Wow, what would my life look like if faithfully followed all of these instructions!

Spiritual Disciplines Update

I plan on making some changes to my bible reading routine in 2014, but before I lay out my new plan, I want to review what I have done. 

In 1986 my dad gave me a copy of the One Year Bible in the Living Bible paraphrase and since that time during the years when I have maintained the discipline of bible reading I have enjoyed using this reading plan, though I did graduate to the NIV version some time ago.

Since starting this blog in 2010 I have once again resurrected the habit of daily bible reading and with few exceptions I have consistently read every day.  So here is a summary of my bible reading plans over the past three years.

In 2011 I read through the New Living Translation of the One Year Bible.

In 2012 I read through the New King James Translation of the One Year Bible.

In 2013 I started reading the Chronological One Year Bible in the NIV translation, but I switched to the ESV translation in March, though I continued with the chronological reading plan for the year.

In March 2013 I also switched from reading on an e-reader to reading from a physical bible.  I spent a great deal of time and effort researching what version and format I wanted for my daily reading bible and I settled on the ESV single column legacy edition.  This bible has been an absolute joy to me, and I can’t recommend it enough.  It has large margins for notes and there are minimal distractions, just the text.  I have also found that I love the single column format, it presents the text beautifully especially in the Psalms and other poetry books.  I now have a system for marking up my bible and after 9 months of use, it is starting to feel very personal and unique to me.  It is a treasure.

Anyhow, what am I going to do in 2014?  I have decided to use the saturation method of bible reading.  I read the following blog post, a few weeks ago, and its recommendation of saturating yourself in a book for an extended period of time really resonated with me.  The first book I will tackle is Philippians.  I have always loved this book and the passage from Phil 3:8-11 is a passage that I have used as a ‘life-verse’ for many years.  Since it is a short book, I can read it in one sitting, so for at least the next month, I plan on soaking in the truths of this book, I plan on memorizing key passages and I plan on knowing this book inside out and backwards. 

Over the coming days I plan on updating this blog to reflect the things I learn as I take on this endeavour.