Book of Philippians Philippians 1:25 2:4 Paul s attitude toward life and death was Christ-centered (1:21). Paul felt hard-pressed to choose life or death. Life was all about Christ knowing Him, loving Him, serving Him, and telling others about Him. This was not an easy life, but it was a fulfilling life. On the other hand, to die was gain. He had a desire to depart and be with Christ, but he felt a duty to stay and serve the Lord and His church. Here was the choice he faced: TO LIVE Christ To be in the flesh To abide (remain) More needful for you REMAINING HERE A temporary dwelling Suffering mixed with joy Temporary suffering Being absent from the Lord Living in a sinful world TO DIE Gain To be with Christ To depart Far better for me DEPARTING TO BE WITH CHRIST A permanent dwelling Joy with no suffering Joy forever Being present with the Lord Living in a perfect world Paul knew what it was to suffer hardship. He looked death in the face many times, but he was ready to die. Someone has said, You re not ready to live until you are ready to die. This section focuses on Paul s concern for the progress of the Gospel. He was in prison for the Gospel. His joy was based on the preaching of the Gospel. His prayers for the church included thanks for their partnership in the Gospel. His concern for the church focused on their conduct and commitment as it related to the Gospel. 1. Paul s confidence about the future of the church (1:25-26) A. His ministry with them would continue B. Their joy in Christ would abound The furtherance (progress, vs. 12) pictures trail blazing so that an army can advance. Paul wanted to cut a faithful path for the Philippians to follow. The increasing of their faith would result in the increasing of their joy. 2. Paul s concern about the conduct of the church (1:27) The focus of the letter now shifts from Paul and his circumstances to the Philippians and their circumstances. Paul was mainly concerned that their conversation (lit., citizenship) would be worthy of the gospel of Christ (see Eph. 4:1). Their conduct should match their calling. Paul calls on them to be consistent with what they believe, teach, and preach. Their conduct should honor the gospel whether Paul was with them or absent from them (Phil. 2:12). Their conduct should exemplify unity. Someone wrote this poem entitled, The Gospel According to You: You are writing a Gospel / A chapter each day / By the deeds that you do / And the
words that you say. / Men read what you write / Whether faithless or true / Just what is the Gospel / According to you? We should realize that our life is the only Bible some people will ever read. A. Standing firm in unity They would not be able to stand the pressures and adversities of life alone. They must stand firm and they must stand together. During the early days of American history Benjamin Franklin famously said: Men, we must hang together or we will all hang separately. B. Striving together for the gospel Paul slightly changed the analogy from soldiers standing firm at their post to a team striving for victory against the enemy. The one thing that binds believers together is the gospel of Christ (1:5). Paul calls on them to cooperate in living and sharing the good news of salvation in Christ. Paul urges these believers not to break under the pressure of opposition, but to exert pressure of their own. This meant proclaiming the gospel they believed and living in a manner worthy of it. 3. Paul s caution about the suffering of the church (1:28-30) Paul calls on them to be courageous. Terrified was a word used to describe horses that were frightened or spooked into a stampede. These believers should expect opposition and not be scared by it. A. Their suffering is a proof of salvation Persecution is promised to those who live for Christ (2 Tim. 3:12). On the other hand, it is a proof that God s enemies will be destroyed and eternally lost (perdition, destruction). B. Their suffering is a privilege of salvation Suffering by itself is not a privilege, but suffering for the sake of Christ is a special honor (Mt. 5:11-12; Acts 5:41; 1 Pet. 3:14). The verb given (granted) is related to the word for grace. Christian suffering is a gift of grace that brings eternal reward (1 Pet. 4:13). They would share in Paul s suffering (Acts 16:19-40). Satan wants believers to think that they are alone in the battle. Be encouraged to know that other believers are suffering for their faith just like you (1 Pet. 5:8-9). William Hendriksen suggests that five blessings come with the privilege of Christian suffering: 1) it brings Christ nearer to the Christian; 2) it brings assurance of salvation; 3) it will be rewarded in the hereafter; 4) it is often a means of winning the lost to Christ; and 5) it leads to the frustration of Satan (Book of Job) and the glorification of God. 4. Paul s call for unity and humility in the church (2:1-4) The theme of chapter 1 is Christian joy in spite of suffering. The theme of chapter 2 is Christian joy in serving. In this chapter we find the reasons for a servant spirit (vs. 1), the requirements for a servant spirit (vs. 2-4), and the role models for a servant spirit (vs. 5-30) A. An appeal for unity (vs. 1-2) The word if in verse 1 is better understood as since. Paul assumes that these things are so
and believers have these things in common. He makes this appeal to them based on the blessings they share in Christ and he also wants them to fulfill his joy (vs. 2, make his joy complete). Since they share such precious blessings, they should be likeminded, love each other, and be united. The words in verse 2 refer to the mind, heart, and soul ( of one accord, lit., united in spirit or soul), but the mind is mentioned twice. Christian unity is different from uniformity. True unity involves a similar way of thinking and similar attitudes, whereas uniformity is a similar appearance or unity in outward things. B. An appeal for humility (vs. 3-4) Paul warns against attitudes that would be divisive (selfish ambition and conceit) and encourages them to a humble way of thinking (lowliness of mind). They need to keep a proper view of God and others. They must not be self-centered, but think about the needs of others. Do we have the spirit of Cain (Gen. 4:9) or Christ (Mt. 11:29; Mk. 10:45)? We are saved to serve, not to be served. Sources: Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. MacArthur, John, ed. The MacArthur Study Bible. Melick, Richard. Unpublished class notes, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible.
Book of Philippians Philippians 1:25 2:4 Paul s attitude toward life and death was Christ-centered (1:21). Paul felt hard-pressed to choose life or death. Life was all about Christ knowing Him, loving Him, serving Him, and telling others about Him. This was not an easy life, but it was a fulfilling life. On the other hand, to die was gain. He had a desire to depart and be with Christ, but he felt a duty to stay and serve the Lord and His church. Here was the choice he faced: TO LIVE Christ To be in the flesh To abide (remain) More needful for you REMAINING HERE A temporary dwelling Suffering mixed with joy Temporary suffering Being absent from the Lord Living in a sinful world TO DIE Gain To be with Christ To depart Far better for me DEPARTING TO BE WITH CHRIST A permanent dwelling Joy with no suffering Joy forever Being present with the Lord Living in a perfect world Paul knew what it was to suffer hardship. He looked death in the face many times, but he was ready to die. Someone has said, You re not ready to live until you are ready to die. This section focuses on Paul s concern for the progress of the Gospel. He was in prison for the Gospel. His joy was based on the preaching of the Gospel. His prayers for the church included thanks for their partnership in the Gospel. His concern for the church focused on their conduct and commitment as it related to the Gospel. 1. Paul s of the church (1:25-26) A. His ministry with them B. Their joy in Christ 2. Paul s of the church (1:27) The focus of the letter now shifts from Paul and his circumstances to the Philippians and their circumstances. Paul was mainly concerned that their conversation (lit., citizenship) would be worthy of the gospel of Christ (see Eph. 4:1). Their conduct should match their calling. Paul calls on them to be consistent with what they believe, teach, and preach. Their conduct should honor the gospel whether Paul was with them or absent from them (Phil. 2:12). A. in unity They would not be able to stand the pressures and adversities of life alone. They must stand firm and they must stand together.
B. for the gospel Paul slightly changed the analogy from soldiers standing firm at their post to a team striving for victory against the enemy. The one thing that binds believers together is the gospel of Christ (1:5). Paul calls on them to cooperate in living and sharing the good news of salvation in Christ. 3. Paul s of the church (1:28-30) Paul calls on them to be courageous. These believers should expect opposition and not be scared by it. A. Their suffering is Persecution is promised to those who live for Christ (2 Tim. 3:12). On the other hand, it is a proof that God s enemies will be destroyed and eternally lost (perdition, destruction). B. Their suffering is Suffering by itself is not a privilege, but suffering for the sake of Christ is a special honor (Mt. 5:11-12; Acts 5:41; 1 Pet. 3:14). The verb given (granted) is related to the word for grace. Christian suffering is a gift of grace that brings eternal reward (1 Pet. 4:13). They would share in Paul s suffering (Acts 16:19-40). Satan wants believers to think that they are alone in the battle. Be encouraged to know that other believers are suffering for their faith just like you (1 Pet. 5:8-9). 4. Paul s in the church (2:1-4) The theme of chapter 1 is Christian joy in spite of suffering. The theme of chapter 2 is Christian joy in serving. In this chapter we find the reasons for a servant spirit (vs. 1), the requirements for a servant spirit (vs. 2-4), and the role models for a servant spirit (vs. 5-30) A. An appeal (vs. 1-2) He makes this appeal to them based on the blessings they share in Christ and he also wants them to fulfill his joy (vs. 2, make his joy complete). Christian unity is different from uniformity. True unity involves a similar way of thinking and similar attitudes, whereas uniformity is a similar appearance or unity in outward things. B. An appeal (vs. 3-4) They need to keep a proper view of God and others. They must not be self-centered, but think about the needs of others. Do we have the spirit of Cain (Gen. 4:9) or Christ (Mt. 11:29; Mk. 10:45)? We are saved to serve, not to be served. Sources: Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. MacArthur, John, ed. The MacArthur Study Bible. Melick, Richard. Unpublished class notes, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible.