Prologue
1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Greetings and doxology
4John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
Dig Deeper
"You’d better hide." Why?, asked the girl’s younger brother. "Because the sky is falling and it’s about to land on your head," she replied. What she meant was that their father had just found out that the young man had created a new work of art on the beautiful, light yellow dining room wall that had just been freshly painted. Simply saying dad’s mad and he’s coming your way wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t convey the severity and intensity that she believed was about to come down on this boy, or at least that should come down on him. Sometimes, when a situation is so intense, normal language simply won’t work. It needs to be conveyed through bigger, earth-shattering type language.
This is exactly what John tells us from the very beginning is going to happen in the book of revelation. The things that he is about to relate were related to him, and they are so big, so monumental, that they go beyond normal human words. Only symbolic and deeply metaphorical language can truly do justice to the magnitude of the situation at hand.
1:1 - From the opening words, John makes it clear that this is to be a revealing or revelation of and by Jesus Christ. It is not intended to be a mystery. It is written about things that would soon take place. It was not written about the end of the world or something in the distant future for John’s first readers. The Revelation is a covenant lawsuit, prophesying the outpouring of God’s wrath on Jerusalem. It would be the culmination of the "last days;" the time between the ascension of Christ and the last days of the covenant with Jerusalem which would end with its destruction. The NIV translation drops the fact that the original text says that the angel "did signify" the revelation. This shows from the beginning that the Revelation was written in signs; it was "sign-ified." The servant John is almost assuredly none other than the beloved apostle who wrote the gospel of John and the three letters of John.
1:2 - The first verse says that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. John now reminds readers that He vouches for the reliability of Christ because he saw and knew Him. Thus, we see a pattern of Christ and His servants bearing dual witnesses that will be carried on throughout the book (and will be important in understanding 11:4-12).
1:3 - This is the first beatitude (blessing) of seven in the revelation (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20;6; 22:7; 22:14). The blessing is pronounced for those who remain faithful to the message. John blesses those who read and hear. This indicates that the book was meant to be read in liturgy (public worship). Revelation is greatly concerned with public worship; it is a central theme of the book. By showing heavenly worship, John reveals how the Church is to perform God’s will through earthly worship. We are to respond to the truth in special worship and then respond in general worship throughout every area of our life. This is why the blessing is limited to those who take to heart what is written. John again warns that the time described in this prophecy is near. The events described are contemporary and are soon to happen. The end of the world was approaching. Not in the physical sense, but the passing away of the old world order and the Old Covenant.
1:4-5a - John addresses the prophecy to seven actual churches. But it is also true that seven is a symbolic number in the Scriptures. It represents a fullness of quantity (going back to the seven days of creation) which means here that it likely represents the fact that the Revelation is intended for the whole Church in every age as well as the specific seven churches. John gives characteristic blessing of the apostles, bestowing among the churches, sending Grace and peace equally from all three members of the Godhood. The greeting here is a clear expression of Trinitarian faith. The Father is the One is who, was, and is to come. He is eternal and unchangeable (Mal. 3:6).
The word ‘come’ here also indicates the idea of judgment. When God comes He comes in judgment. He comes not just one time at the end of the world, though, it also refers to His unceasing rule over history. Since grace and peace can only originate from God, the seven spirits are a reference to the Holy Spirit. The person spoken of here is clearly equal with the Father and Son. The picture of the seven spirits is taken from Zechariah 4, in which the prophet sees the Church as a lampstand with seven lamps. The Holy Spirit’s empowering work is described in terms of seven, symbolizing fullness and completeness. Just as there are seven churches, there are seven spirits or to better capture the concept in English, the seven-fold Spirit. The Spirit is before the throne of God indicating that the Revelation is a book about rule. "Throne" occurs 46 times throughout the Revelation. God’s throne is a reference to God’s official court where He receives official worship. John is again stressing worship. The entire vision of the Revelation was seen on the Lord’s Day (1:10), the Christian day of official worship. All the action in this book centers on the worship around the throne of God.
The final member of the Godhood is Jesus Christ, described as faithful witness, firstborn, and the king of the earth. In the Bible, the witness was one who enforced the law and assisted in its execution, including the death penalty if necessary. The significance of Jesus as the faithful witness is that He witnesses against those who are at war against God, and He will execute them if need be. John refers to Him as the firstborn, showing that He fulfilled the prophecy in Ps. 89:27. Jesus is also the current ruler of the earth, He is not waiting for some future event. The clear message is that Jesus is Lord, Caesar is not.
Devotional Thought
One of the main themes of the revelation is the importance and primacy of worship in the life of the church. When you go to church, is the corporate, public, and official worship of God your primary concern? (Notice the primacy that John places on group worship in the rest of the book.) What are some things that you can do to gain the proper perspective on the importance of worshipping God?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Philippians 4:14-23
14Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
20To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
21Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. 22All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household.
23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Dig Deeper
We have always tried to teach our sons to be responsible and to serve other people whenever they could. Sometimes this can seem like a long and fruitless task, but we are confident that it will bear fruit in the long run. Every now and then, though, there is an amazing breakthrough, an instance where they really do seem to get it. Recently, my wife was gone for the day and we had a bunch of people coming over to our house later that night. I was talking on the phone to my wife and mentioned that I needed to vacuum the floor and pick up a few things before people started coming over but I had so many other things to do that it was going to be a chore to get to it all. A few minutes later, I was in my room looking for a book when I suddenly heard the vacuum cleaner running, which was weird because the only other person in the house was our then four-year old. I walked out into the living room and there he was, vacuuming the floor. When he saw me, he looked up and said, "Daddy, I know you're busy and I want to help you." He did a great job vacuuming, and in fact he went on to dust the entire downstairs as well. I was grateful and praised him greatly for helping me out. The fact is, it did help me quite a bit, but my real joy came from the fact that he was learning to serve and think of others.
We know, as has been apparent, throughout this letter, that Paul is greatly encouraged by the Philippians and loves them deeply. Now we see that it has to do with the fact that they have helped Paul out before. This was not a one-time gift, rather they have served and helped Paul repeatedly, especially when others wouldn't or couldn't. Yet, Paul is not like a young lady who likes one boy in particular because he keeps giving her gifts. Paul isn't filled with joy for himself because they have supported him. His real sense of joy comes from the understanding that when they support him it is because of their love and devotion to God. Paul's true satisfaction comes more from knowing that the Philippians are embracing the true mature life of Christ that puts the interests of others above their own, than it does because they have made his life a little easier.
Paul continues to walk the fine line here between seeming ungrateful and seeming over-dependent on monetary gifts and support. It was good of them to share in his troubles. Paul was quite willing to suffer and struggle in the life of Christ as he spread the gospel, but as anyone would be, was encouraged by the fact that they had not left Paul on his own but had constantly and consistently partnered with him by supporting him. It was a habit of theirs and Paul was deeply appreciative. From the very beginning of their life in Christ they had shown the spiritual maturity and sacrificial heart to support Paul in the spread of the gospel. The Philippians were one of the first churches planted on Greek soil, and was apparently the only church that was in a position to support Paul as he continued on to Thessonica (Acts 17:1-9). Paul continued to travel and spread the gospel and it wasn't until he arrived in Corinth for a while that he settled in and set up shop as a tentmaker to help support himself, but even there they continued to help him. This was something that caused some grief and had upset some of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 11:7-11). Paul had felt that the Corinthians were not spiritually mature enough yet to be able to handle supporting him without doing so from a worldly perspective, but not the Philippians. They had been ready, willing, and able from the very beginning.
Yet, Paul knows that it was quite common in his day for roaming teachers and philosophers to go from town to town teaching their particular brand of beliefs and to charge people for the pleasure of listening to them. They would basically sell their teachings and the more you wanted to hear, the more you had to pay. Many people in the ancient world came to the perception that these men were crooks and charlatans. Paul is very aware of the surface similarities between what he does and these men and wants to avoid any appearance of actually being like them. So, he goes carefully about saying "thank you" while clearly expressing that what really matters is their support and partnership that are expressed by the gift, not the gift itself. He's grateful for the gift, but wasn't really looking for that. What he did want to see from them was their commitment to him and the spread of the gospel, though, and their continued gifts spoke that message loud and clear.
Paul uses two different metaphors in verse 18. He begins with language from the accounting world, saying that they have more than settled their account with him. He then switches to the language of worship and sacrifice from the Old Testament. Their gifts were like a pleasing sacrifice to God on the altar of the Temple. Paul knows that God isn't pleased by people who simply go through the motions (Ps. 50:7-15). What God really desires, and so then does Paul, is the heart and genuine love that flows from a heart truly committed to God.
Paul assures them that those who trust in God and are committed to His will, the way the Philippians have demonstrated themselves to be, will have all their needs met by God Himself according to the glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Many have taken verse 19 out of context to support their belief in the so-called prosperity gospel, as though if you simply give to a certain ministry and 'plant a seed' that God will give back to you and make you rich. This is not at all what Paul is talking about here. He has been, throughout the whole passage, playing down the role of money in all of this, it would make no sense if he was suddenly telling them that because of their gift, God would now make them monetarily wealthy. This would be a proposition that anyone, whether truly dedicated to the gospel or not, might sign up for. But Paul precisely doesn't want them to think about worldly wealth. The key to this verse is the last three words. The glorious riches come in the life of Christ not from worldly wealth. That is why Paul knows that they will be blessed by God in Christ, because they have sacrificed worldly wealth, not to gain more back, but to experience the full life of Christ.
Paul ends by urging them to greet all the saints in Philippi. He also sends greetings from the brother who are with him. Being that Philippi was such a Roman town, one where Caesar was held in particularly high regard, it may have been especially encouraging for them to hear that the gospel had reached into Caesar's own household. Truly the gospel to which they committed was spreading everywhere. His final wish is that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with them. In other words, that they might continue to live the life of Christ available to their spirits through the moving of the Holy Spirit.
Devotional Throught
Do you truly believe that God will meet all of your needs in the life of Christ Jesus? That means that sometimes, the way your needs will be met might actually come through the suffering or difficult circumstances that come as a result of your life in Christ rather than worldly comfort and wealth? Spend some time meditating on what that might mean on a daily basis.
20To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
21Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. 22All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household.
23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Dig Deeper
We have always tried to teach our sons to be responsible and to serve other people whenever they could. Sometimes this can seem like a long and fruitless task, but we are confident that it will bear fruit in the long run. Every now and then, though, there is an amazing breakthrough, an instance where they really do seem to get it. Recently, my wife was gone for the day and we had a bunch of people coming over to our house later that night. I was talking on the phone to my wife and mentioned that I needed to vacuum the floor and pick up a few things before people started coming over but I had so many other things to do that it was going to be a chore to get to it all. A few minutes later, I was in my room looking for a book when I suddenly heard the vacuum cleaner running, which was weird because the only other person in the house was our then four-year old. I walked out into the living room and there he was, vacuuming the floor. When he saw me, he looked up and said, "Daddy, I know you're busy and I want to help you." He did a great job vacuuming, and in fact he went on to dust the entire downstairs as well. I was grateful and praised him greatly for helping me out. The fact is, it did help me quite a bit, but my real joy came from the fact that he was learning to serve and think of others.
We know, as has been apparent, throughout this letter, that Paul is greatly encouraged by the Philippians and loves them deeply. Now we see that it has to do with the fact that they have helped Paul out before. This was not a one-time gift, rather they have served and helped Paul repeatedly, especially when others wouldn't or couldn't. Yet, Paul is not like a young lady who likes one boy in particular because he keeps giving her gifts. Paul isn't filled with joy for himself because they have supported him. His real sense of joy comes from the understanding that when they support him it is because of their love and devotion to God. Paul's true satisfaction comes more from knowing that the Philippians are embracing the true mature life of Christ that puts the interests of others above their own, than it does because they have made his life a little easier.
Paul continues to walk the fine line here between seeming ungrateful and seeming over-dependent on monetary gifts and support. It was good of them to share in his troubles. Paul was quite willing to suffer and struggle in the life of Christ as he spread the gospel, but as anyone would be, was encouraged by the fact that they had not left Paul on his own but had constantly and consistently partnered with him by supporting him. It was a habit of theirs and Paul was deeply appreciative. From the very beginning of their life in Christ they had shown the spiritual maturity and sacrificial heart to support Paul in the spread of the gospel. The Philippians were one of the first churches planted on Greek soil, and was apparently the only church that was in a position to support Paul as he continued on to Thessonica (Acts 17:1-9). Paul continued to travel and spread the gospel and it wasn't until he arrived in Corinth for a while that he settled in and set up shop as a tentmaker to help support himself, but even there they continued to help him. This was something that caused some grief and had upset some of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 11:7-11). Paul had felt that the Corinthians were not spiritually mature enough yet to be able to handle supporting him without doing so from a worldly perspective, but not the Philippians. They had been ready, willing, and able from the very beginning.
Yet, Paul knows that it was quite common in his day for roaming teachers and philosophers to go from town to town teaching their particular brand of beliefs and to charge people for the pleasure of listening to them. They would basically sell their teachings and the more you wanted to hear, the more you had to pay. Many people in the ancient world came to the perception that these men were crooks and charlatans. Paul is very aware of the surface similarities between what he does and these men and wants to avoid any appearance of actually being like them. So, he goes carefully about saying "thank you" while clearly expressing that what really matters is their support and partnership that are expressed by the gift, not the gift itself. He's grateful for the gift, but wasn't really looking for that. What he did want to see from them was their commitment to him and the spread of the gospel, though, and their continued gifts spoke that message loud and clear.
Paul uses two different metaphors in verse 18. He begins with language from the accounting world, saying that they have more than settled their account with him. He then switches to the language of worship and sacrifice from the Old Testament. Their gifts were like a pleasing sacrifice to God on the altar of the Temple. Paul knows that God isn't pleased by people who simply go through the motions (Ps. 50:7-15). What God really desires, and so then does Paul, is the heart and genuine love that flows from a heart truly committed to God.
Paul assures them that those who trust in God and are committed to His will, the way the Philippians have demonstrated themselves to be, will have all their needs met by God Himself according to the glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Many have taken verse 19 out of context to support their belief in the so-called prosperity gospel, as though if you simply give to a certain ministry and 'plant a seed' that God will give back to you and make you rich. This is not at all what Paul is talking about here. He has been, throughout the whole passage, playing down the role of money in all of this, it would make no sense if he was suddenly telling them that because of their gift, God would now make them monetarily wealthy. This would be a proposition that anyone, whether truly dedicated to the gospel or not, might sign up for. But Paul precisely doesn't want them to think about worldly wealth. The key to this verse is the last three words. The glorious riches come in the life of Christ not from worldly wealth. That is why Paul knows that they will be blessed by God in Christ, because they have sacrificed worldly wealth, not to gain more back, but to experience the full life of Christ.
Paul ends by urging them to greet all the saints in Philippi. He also sends greetings from the brother who are with him. Being that Philippi was such a Roman town, one where Caesar was held in particularly high regard, it may have been especially encouraging for them to hear that the gospel had reached into Caesar's own household. Truly the gospel to which they committed was spreading everywhere. His final wish is that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with them. In other words, that they might continue to live the life of Christ available to their spirits through the moving of the Holy Spirit.
Devotional Throught
Do you truly believe that God will meet all of your needs in the life of Christ Jesus? That means that sometimes, the way your needs will be met might actually come through the suffering or difficult circumstances that come as a result of your life in Christ rather than worldly comfort and wealth? Spend some time meditating on what that might mean on a daily basis.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Philippians 4:10-13
Thanks for Their Gifts
10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Dig Deeper
Philippians 4:13 has become one of those transcendent Bible verses in our culture. In fact, you can see it all over the place. It would be no problem to go online right now and find a T-shirt that has the verse emblazoned on the back. I have seen it three places in particular over the past few years that are special favorites of mine. Former Heavyweight boxing champion, Evander Holyfied, used to wear a black robe as he would come down for bouts that had "Philippians 4:13" imprinted on his hood. Mixed Martial Arts fighter Ron Waterman has made somewhat of a cottage industry of the verse. It is all over his website, his warm-ups, and he even sells Ron Waterman T-shirts with the verse on it. Finally, WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels has gone to wearing that verse on his warm-up T-shirts that he wears before ripping it off quite stylishly preceding a match. Yes, the verse truly has become transcendent. So transcendent, in fact, that our culture has done what it usually does to verses that become transcendent, they have ripped it clean away from any actual context of what Paul was saying.
Paul is not offering a timeless slogan for those who want to go beat up other men in competition, nor is this a life verse for those who want to take some great business risk or do well on a test for which they haven’t really studied. No, this section and this verse don’t offer any such platitudes. Paul is in the midst of thanking the Philippians for their generous gift but he has to walk a fine line between gratitude and making it seem as though he relies inappropriately on material gifts and wealth. He has just finished, in the previous passage, encouraging them to rejoice whatever difficult circumstances or persecution they may face. Paul lets them know that he is not calling them to do something that he knows nothing of. He has learned to rejoice in just such situations. The most important thing that he learned, however, and the inspiration for the now-famous verse 13 is the true source of the strength to meet the temptations, trials, and persecutions.
Paul is genuinely grateful for the generous support that the Philippians have sent to him via Epaphroditus. We can assume that it was a fairly substantial amount or it would have unnecessary to send a special messenger with the money. His comments that they at last, have renewed their concerns for him, should not be taken as a jab implying that they shouldn’t have taken so long. Paul is not trying to criticize them at all, because he is confident that they wanted to support him, but this is the first opportunity they have had to send it to him. The gratitude that he felt when Epaphroditus arrived probably made him realize just how long it had been since he had heard from them. Without methods of modern communication, Paul would have had no idea if the saints in Philippi still stood behind him in every way or if the difficult circumstances he found himself in or if the persecution that they had faced had caused them to drift towards other spiritual leaders and wane in their support for Paul.
Paul is incredibly grateful for this support both emotionally and financially. The word he uses that is translated "renewed" literally means "sprouted up" or "flowered." Thus, his point is that the gift was like a spring flower bursting out on a cold and otherwise barren spring day. Yet, Paul faces a difficult task here. He wants to show genuine appreciation for their support, but he also wants to ensure that they don’t think that his work is dependent on or motivated by that support. So, he walks the tightrope between allowing them to serve and greatly appreciating it, while clearly expressing that he would carry on whether or not he was comfortable, and that their gift in no way influences the love that he already has for them.
If we look carefully at what Paul is saying, we realize that he is not saying what many might think at first glance. Paul is not telling them, "hey, I know what it’s like to be happy and have everything I need, and I know what it’s like to be miserable and have nothing." Rather, his point is that he has faced the tribulations and temptations of being in need, but he has also faced the special temptations and traps of having more than enough. Both situations offer opportunities to rely on self and get bogged down in sin and temptation.
Paul, however, has learned the key. It is to be content in every situation. The term "content" (autarkes) was commonly used by the philosophers of Paul’s time. When they used this term and concept they referred to the idea of being self-sufficient. In fact, they considered this to be the most valuable attribute and characteristic of a wise individual. Their point was that you found the necessary resources within yourself so that you could flick off whatever dire circumstances might come your way, and could keep a smile on your face the whole time. It might have seemed to the Philippians that this is precisely what Paul was saying, if it wasn’t for verse 13, which is central to his whole idea.
Paul’s point in verse 13 is not that whatever you would like to engage in, go ahead because God will see you through it. His point is specifically about standing up to trials, persecution, and various temptations that have come as a result of his ministry. Through every situation, he has learned to be content, but not the kind of self-sufficiency that the Stoic philosophers valued so highly. This strength of character did not, and Paul wanted to be very clear on this, come from him or his own strength. It doesn’t even come from them or their support. He appreciated their gift and generosity but that did not increase his ability to cope with the difficulties at hand. That’s not what gave him the strength to stand up to every situation. The strength and power came from God alone. So here we see another example of a very human Paul dealing with difficult situations in a very authentic manner. He doesn’t offer up and platitudes or easy do-it-yourself type solutions. Nor does he simply say, "It’s all in God’s hands." Paul’s principle comes from someone who has wrestled with difficult situations and learned that he could make it through and be content, but that it would come from his life in Christ which gave him access to the very strength and power of God.
Devotional Thought
How do you get through difficult situations that have come about as part of your life in Christ? Do you truly turn to God for strength and contentment or do you seek out other things?
10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Dig Deeper
Philippians 4:13 has become one of those transcendent Bible verses in our culture. In fact, you can see it all over the place. It would be no problem to go online right now and find a T-shirt that has the verse emblazoned on the back. I have seen it three places in particular over the past few years that are special favorites of mine. Former Heavyweight boxing champion, Evander Holyfied, used to wear a black robe as he would come down for bouts that had "Philippians 4:13" imprinted on his hood. Mixed Martial Arts fighter Ron Waterman has made somewhat of a cottage industry of the verse. It is all over his website, his warm-ups, and he even sells Ron Waterman T-shirts with the verse on it. Finally, WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels has gone to wearing that verse on his warm-up T-shirts that he wears before ripping it off quite stylishly preceding a match. Yes, the verse truly has become transcendent. So transcendent, in fact, that our culture has done what it usually does to verses that become transcendent, they have ripped it clean away from any actual context of what Paul was saying.
Paul is not offering a timeless slogan for those who want to go beat up other men in competition, nor is this a life verse for those who want to take some great business risk or do well on a test for which they haven’t really studied. No, this section and this verse don’t offer any such platitudes. Paul is in the midst of thanking the Philippians for their generous gift but he has to walk a fine line between gratitude and making it seem as though he relies inappropriately on material gifts and wealth. He has just finished, in the previous passage, encouraging them to rejoice whatever difficult circumstances or persecution they may face. Paul lets them know that he is not calling them to do something that he knows nothing of. He has learned to rejoice in just such situations. The most important thing that he learned, however, and the inspiration for the now-famous verse 13 is the true source of the strength to meet the temptations, trials, and persecutions.
Paul is genuinely grateful for the generous support that the Philippians have sent to him via Epaphroditus. We can assume that it was a fairly substantial amount or it would have unnecessary to send a special messenger with the money. His comments that they at last, have renewed their concerns for him, should not be taken as a jab implying that they shouldn’t have taken so long. Paul is not trying to criticize them at all, because he is confident that they wanted to support him, but this is the first opportunity they have had to send it to him. The gratitude that he felt when Epaphroditus arrived probably made him realize just how long it had been since he had heard from them. Without methods of modern communication, Paul would have had no idea if the saints in Philippi still stood behind him in every way or if the difficult circumstances he found himself in or if the persecution that they had faced had caused them to drift towards other spiritual leaders and wane in their support for Paul.
Paul is incredibly grateful for this support both emotionally and financially. The word he uses that is translated "renewed" literally means "sprouted up" or "flowered." Thus, his point is that the gift was like a spring flower bursting out on a cold and otherwise barren spring day. Yet, Paul faces a difficult task here. He wants to show genuine appreciation for their support, but he also wants to ensure that they don’t think that his work is dependent on or motivated by that support. So, he walks the tightrope between allowing them to serve and greatly appreciating it, while clearly expressing that he would carry on whether or not he was comfortable, and that their gift in no way influences the love that he already has for them.
If we look carefully at what Paul is saying, we realize that he is not saying what many might think at first glance. Paul is not telling them, "hey, I know what it’s like to be happy and have everything I need, and I know what it’s like to be miserable and have nothing." Rather, his point is that he has faced the tribulations and temptations of being in need, but he has also faced the special temptations and traps of having more than enough. Both situations offer opportunities to rely on self and get bogged down in sin and temptation.
Paul, however, has learned the key. It is to be content in every situation. The term "content" (autarkes) was commonly used by the philosophers of Paul’s time. When they used this term and concept they referred to the idea of being self-sufficient. In fact, they considered this to be the most valuable attribute and characteristic of a wise individual. Their point was that you found the necessary resources within yourself so that you could flick off whatever dire circumstances might come your way, and could keep a smile on your face the whole time. It might have seemed to the Philippians that this is precisely what Paul was saying, if it wasn’t for verse 13, which is central to his whole idea.
Paul’s point in verse 13 is not that whatever you would like to engage in, go ahead because God will see you through it. His point is specifically about standing up to trials, persecution, and various temptations that have come as a result of his ministry. Through every situation, he has learned to be content, but not the kind of self-sufficiency that the Stoic philosophers valued so highly. This strength of character did not, and Paul wanted to be very clear on this, come from him or his own strength. It doesn’t even come from them or their support. He appreciated their gift and generosity but that did not increase his ability to cope with the difficulties at hand. That’s not what gave him the strength to stand up to every situation. The strength and power came from God alone. So here we see another example of a very human Paul dealing with difficult situations in a very authentic manner. He doesn’t offer up and platitudes or easy do-it-yourself type solutions. Nor does he simply say, "It’s all in God’s hands." Paul’s principle comes from someone who has wrestled with difficult situations and learned that he could make it through and be content, but that it would come from his life in Christ which gave him access to the very strength and power of God.
Devotional Thought
How do you get through difficult situations that have come about as part of your life in Christ? Do you truly turn to God for strength and contentment or do you seek out other things?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Philippians 4:2-9
Exhortations
2I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Dig Deeper
When I was teaching, I used to try to get my students to focus on things that were positive and that would drive them along to success rather than the many things that might draw them into negativity and failure. I would tell them we were going to do an exercise, then I would say, "Don't think about red fire engines. Okay, whatever you do, do not think about red fire engines for the next minute. Just stop thinking about red fire engines." Of course, what happened? They all thought about red fire engines. What I wanted them to see was if they focused on the negativity in their lives and the obstacles they had coming up against them, those things would no doubt seem much bigger than they had to be. Whatever our thoughts dwell on will tend to manifest in our lives. If we constantly think about the things that make us anxious, or worry, or the negative things, or the sins that we struggle with, those things will tend to dominate our lives. Instead, we need to train ourselves to focus on the things that will lead us in the positive direction, things that are worth thinking about. This doesn't mean that we stick our head in the sand and ignore our problems but that we focus on solutions and the positive aspects of the situation rather than the problems and all of the negatives.
In this section, Paul encourages the Philippians to learn to rejoice despite the many difficult situations they may face that could easily cause them anxiety. If they fret and worry and obsess about those things, that's all they'll likely think about and they'll become virtually paralyzed in their own web of negativity and self-focus. Rather than doing that, they should learn to think differently. To control their thought life, which in turn, will lead their entire lives in the right direction. In fact, in many ways, one of the most important aspects of the Christian life is to learn to transform our minds away from the thought patterns of our old selves and towards those of the life of Christ.
Paul has mentioned, throughout this letter, the need for the Philippians to be like-minded and to put the interests and needs of others above their own. Now, we see that there may have been a specific situation which instigated his emphasis on those subjects. Two women whom Paul greatly admired were evidently mired in conflict. The specific mention of Euodia and Syntche by name indicate that they were important members of this community and that their disagreement had the potential of doing damage to the entire church. So, Paul mentions them by name in a public letter, something that horrifies our modern western sensibilities and sense of privacy. We simply do not know the nature of this disagreement, but we do know that Paul has great faith in these women. They have contended at his side in the cause of the gospel, a phrase that has the strong force of a fierce athletic competition. They are also fellow workers of the likes of Clement, someone who has been lost to history but was clearly a well known and highly respected worker in the gospel in Philippi. Finally, he says that their names are in the book of life., an honor usually bestowed in Jewish literature on those who had remained faithful despite persecution (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 3:5; cf. Isa. 4:3; Luke 10:20).
Because of his great faith in their dedication to the Lord, Paul appeals to them with the realization that this disagreement probably won't be worked out by any normal human means or attitudes. Instead, he urges them to agree with each other in the Lord. In other words, this disagreement will only be resolved if they both realize the call to live the life of putting the interests of others ahead of their own, the life of Christ. To facilitate this reconciliation, Paul calls on his loyal yokefellow, to mediate the situation. Evidently, it would have been obvious to the Philippian community and to the unnamed worker. Speculation has led to people surmising that Paul may have been referring to Epaphroditus or even Luke, who may have been in Philippi at the time, but ultimately we will never be sure who he was addressing.
Instead of becoming a community bogged down in internal strife, they should realize that they are in a constant battle against evil and persecution and focus on dealing with that in a godly manner. Understanding the terms that Paul uses here allows us to gain clearer insight as to what Paul is addressing in this situation. "Rejoice" was a term that meant having a public celebration so that others could see that you had a cause to rejoice over. When he says to let your gentleness be evident to all, he uses a term that was used of displaying an attitude of kindness where the normal response would have been expected to have been retaliation. He also urges them to not be anxious about anything. This term was often used in the context of not worrying about persecution because they know that God will vindicate them one day. When we add this all together we realize that Paul is telling them to be the type of community that joyfully and jubilantly celebrates the life of the gospel despite persecution and hardships. Whatever trials they may face, whether the difficulty comes internally or externally, he calls them to display the life of Christ.
Rather than focusing on the negative, Paul calls them to three positive actions. The first is to go to God in prayer and petition. They should present their requests to God, with positive thanksgiving in their hearts, not negative defeatism. When they do that they will find that rather than being gripped by fear and anxiety, they will find that the peace of God will guard their hearts against these sorts of worries. They needn't dwell on or become obsessed with what is going wrong or what could go wrong. Instead they should come to God in a fashion of celebratory thanksgiving, not to pretend like everything is okay, but they can come to God in prayer realizing that He will give them the peace of knowing that He is in control. This kind of peace cannot be attained through normal human efforts, this is why it is a peace that transcends all understanding.
The second positive action is to allow the peace of God to guard their minds as well as their hearts. The word rendered "finally" in the NIV, would better be understood to read "in addition to." Thus Paul continues the thought of guarding their minds with the peace of God. The method of engaging in that process is to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. The key here is to realize that a proper thought for the people of God needs to meet all eight criterion. It is quite possible for something to be "true," for instance, but not meet any of the other eight standards. How could they possibly celebrate and announce the new world of the creator if they only fed their minds on things that were false, trashy, unjust, impure, ugly, or shameful. The only way to truly demonstrate the life of Christ to the world around us is to first learn the discipline of guarding our thoughts and filling our minds with things that please God.
The final positive action that Paul mentions here is to put into practice the things that they have learned, received, or heard from him. This is an incredibly demanding request, but one that is more so on Paul than on the Philippians. Can you imagine making this request of a group of Christians? It probably sends a few shivers up our spines to imagine making such a statement concerning our own lives, yet Paul was able to write this without hesitation, so committed was he to the genuine life of Christ. This is a standard that truly calls us higher in the way we live and challenges us to live lives worthy of imitation.
Devotional Thought
How well do you control your thought life? Do you truly apply Paul's standard here to every single thought that goes through your mind, or do you often allow yourself to focus on negative or anxiety-inducing situations? How can you let the peace of God dwell in your heart and mind?
2I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Dig Deeper
When I was teaching, I used to try to get my students to focus on things that were positive and that would drive them along to success rather than the many things that might draw them into negativity and failure. I would tell them we were going to do an exercise, then I would say, "Don't think about red fire engines. Okay, whatever you do, do not think about red fire engines for the next minute. Just stop thinking about red fire engines." Of course, what happened? They all thought about red fire engines. What I wanted them to see was if they focused on the negativity in their lives and the obstacles they had coming up against them, those things would no doubt seem much bigger than they had to be. Whatever our thoughts dwell on will tend to manifest in our lives. If we constantly think about the things that make us anxious, or worry, or the negative things, or the sins that we struggle with, those things will tend to dominate our lives. Instead, we need to train ourselves to focus on the things that will lead us in the positive direction, things that are worth thinking about. This doesn't mean that we stick our head in the sand and ignore our problems but that we focus on solutions and the positive aspects of the situation rather than the problems and all of the negatives.
In this section, Paul encourages the Philippians to learn to rejoice despite the many difficult situations they may face that could easily cause them anxiety. If they fret and worry and obsess about those things, that's all they'll likely think about and they'll become virtually paralyzed in their own web of negativity and self-focus. Rather than doing that, they should learn to think differently. To control their thought life, which in turn, will lead their entire lives in the right direction. In fact, in many ways, one of the most important aspects of the Christian life is to learn to transform our minds away from the thought patterns of our old selves and towards those of the life of Christ.
Paul has mentioned, throughout this letter, the need for the Philippians to be like-minded and to put the interests and needs of others above their own. Now, we see that there may have been a specific situation which instigated his emphasis on those subjects. Two women whom Paul greatly admired were evidently mired in conflict. The specific mention of Euodia and Syntche by name indicate that they were important members of this community and that their disagreement had the potential of doing damage to the entire church. So, Paul mentions them by name in a public letter, something that horrifies our modern western sensibilities and sense of privacy. We simply do not know the nature of this disagreement, but we do know that Paul has great faith in these women. They have contended at his side in the cause of the gospel, a phrase that has the strong force of a fierce athletic competition. They are also fellow workers of the likes of Clement, someone who has been lost to history but was clearly a well known and highly respected worker in the gospel in Philippi. Finally, he says that their names are in the book of life., an honor usually bestowed in Jewish literature on those who had remained faithful despite persecution (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 3:5; cf. Isa. 4:3; Luke 10:20).
Because of his great faith in their dedication to the Lord, Paul appeals to them with the realization that this disagreement probably won't be worked out by any normal human means or attitudes. Instead, he urges them to agree with each other in the Lord. In other words, this disagreement will only be resolved if they both realize the call to live the life of putting the interests of others ahead of their own, the life of Christ. To facilitate this reconciliation, Paul calls on his loyal yokefellow, to mediate the situation. Evidently, it would have been obvious to the Philippian community and to the unnamed worker. Speculation has led to people surmising that Paul may have been referring to Epaphroditus or even Luke, who may have been in Philippi at the time, but ultimately we will never be sure who he was addressing.
Instead of becoming a community bogged down in internal strife, they should realize that they are in a constant battle against evil and persecution and focus on dealing with that in a godly manner. Understanding the terms that Paul uses here allows us to gain clearer insight as to what Paul is addressing in this situation. "Rejoice" was a term that meant having a public celebration so that others could see that you had a cause to rejoice over. When he says to let your gentleness be evident to all, he uses a term that was used of displaying an attitude of kindness where the normal response would have been expected to have been retaliation. He also urges them to not be anxious about anything. This term was often used in the context of not worrying about persecution because they know that God will vindicate them one day. When we add this all together we realize that Paul is telling them to be the type of community that joyfully and jubilantly celebrates the life of the gospel despite persecution and hardships. Whatever trials they may face, whether the difficulty comes internally or externally, he calls them to display the life of Christ.
Rather than focusing on the negative, Paul calls them to three positive actions. The first is to go to God in prayer and petition. They should present their requests to God, with positive thanksgiving in their hearts, not negative defeatism. When they do that they will find that rather than being gripped by fear and anxiety, they will find that the peace of God will guard their hearts against these sorts of worries. They needn't dwell on or become obsessed with what is going wrong or what could go wrong. Instead they should come to God in a fashion of celebratory thanksgiving, not to pretend like everything is okay, but they can come to God in prayer realizing that He will give them the peace of knowing that He is in control. This kind of peace cannot be attained through normal human efforts, this is why it is a peace that transcends all understanding.
The second positive action is to allow the peace of God to guard their minds as well as their hearts. The word rendered "finally" in the NIV, would better be understood to read "in addition to." Thus Paul continues the thought of guarding their minds with the peace of God. The method of engaging in that process is to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. The key here is to realize that a proper thought for the people of God needs to meet all eight criterion. It is quite possible for something to be "true," for instance, but not meet any of the other eight standards. How could they possibly celebrate and announce the new world of the creator if they only fed their minds on things that were false, trashy, unjust, impure, ugly, or shameful. The only way to truly demonstrate the life of Christ to the world around us is to first learn the discipline of guarding our thoughts and filling our minds with things that please God.
The final positive action that Paul mentions here is to put into practice the things that they have learned, received, or heard from him. This is an incredibly demanding request, but one that is more so on Paul than on the Philippians. Can you imagine making this request of a group of Christians? It probably sends a few shivers up our spines to imagine making such a statement concerning our own lives, yet Paul was able to write this without hesitation, so committed was he to the genuine life of Christ. This is a standard that truly calls us higher in the way we live and challenges us to live lives worthy of imitation.
Devotional Thought
How well do you control your thought life? Do you truly apply Paul's standard here to every single thought that goes through your mind, or do you often allow yourself to focus on negative or anxiety-inducing situations? How can you let the peace of God dwell in your heart and mind?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Philippians 3:17-4:1
17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Philippians 4
1Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
Dig Deeper
Throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth, and even eighteenth centuries, there were an incredible amount of colonies planted in the new world of America. These colonies came in all different shapes and sizes and there were many different reasons that colonies were planted. Although there were a few colonies that were planted so that its inhabitants could simply escape from life in their old country, most of them were planted to be outposts. They were places where people who were seeking adventure, fortune, or a new start could do so while still staying connected to their home country. The point of most colonies, though, is not for the people to go and then quickly come back, that’s called a vacation. People came to the new world to establish permanent colonies. They were still usually loyal to the country of their citizenship, but they came to these colonies to benefit their mother country and to spread the life, culture, and economy of their homeland to the new world. In doing so, they expanded the territory, rule, and influence of their home country.
The Roman world of Paul’s day was no stranger to colonies either. In fact Philippi was a Roman colony that was planted in the decades before Christ was born. It was originally planted by former Roman soldiers. Philippi was a fiercely Roman city that was proud of their Roman heritage. The point of planting this colony of these Roman citizens, though, was not for them to return to Rome. Caesar certainly did not want a bunch of former soldiers hanging around Rome, that could be dangerous. No, instead the whole point was for them to spread the language, culture, values, and influence of Rome to this new place. So, they were not Rome but would spread the life of Rome, and if they ever got into any kind of trouble, they could be sure, because they were citizens of Rome, that Caesar would come with his powerful army and set things right.
This is precisely Paul’s point in this passage. Christians are not to live their lives avoiding trouble and looking at the world around them as a necessary evil that must be endured until we can escape and go off to heaven. Rather, Christians are citizens of heaven, living in this present age. We are to live as citizens of heaven in an evil culture around us, spreading the territory, rule, and influence of of heaven, the place of our citizenship. As in the previous passage, Paul’s point is not that Christians are waiting to go to heaven (although we certainly will until the time of resurrection and renewal of God’s creation), the point has everything to do with how Christians are living right now. The great Christian hope that Paul describes is not to leave the world forever and float off to heaven, the great hope is for our King, the only true King of the world to return and set things right.
Paul begins this passage by calling those in Philippi to follow his example, something Paul called young Christians to do frequently. It’s not that Paul wanted people to mimic him or even become like him by following his mannerisms, his manner of speaking or any other trivial things like that. When Paul calls for imitation of him or anyone else, it has everything to do with living the life of Christ. This is what Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians 4:16-17 when he called them to imitate him, and then said he would send Timothy so that they could do that because Timothy’s life would remind them of his life in Christ Jesus. He wanted them to consider the example of how he went about living Christ in the real world and to apply that example to the difficult situations of their own life. We certainly don’t have Paul or anyone who knew Paul around today to imitate, but surely there are others in our lives who live the sacrificial, loving lives of Christ in the real world and that provide wonderful principles which we can watch and institute in our own lives.
Just as they should draw near to and be like those who are truly living the life of Christ, they should keep on the watch and beware of those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Although this certainly would include followers of pagan religions, Paul is likely thinking more of those who live counterfeit versions of Christianity. If he is writing this letter from a prison in Ephesus, then it is likely that he had just finished writing 1 Corinthians and had the issues that they were dealing with fresh on his mind. The Corinthians had become obsessed with the knowledge, power, and values of the world as was evidenced, among other things, by their indulging their appetites at the Lord’s Supper and ignoring the needs of the poorer members of the community. If people continue to seek after the things of the present age then truly their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach (literally "appetite" which can refer to many things beyond just food), and their glory is in their shame.
In contrast to living like citizens of the world, especially citizens of Rome, Paul wants them to live as citizens of heaven, creating a colony or outpost of heaven in the present age. Paul’s point here is clear. Their primary allegiance is to heaven not Rome, to Jesus not Caesar, and they were to focus on doing the will of God not the will of the Roman Empire.
It is important to note that, once again, as Paul talks of heaven, he is referring to the manner of living while here on earth. That, of course, doesn’t mean that the righteous don’t go into God’s presence in heaven when we die, but Paul knows that that is only a temporary state. He has his eyes on the ultimate prize, that is what he eagerly awaits. He looks forward to the time when the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Savior of the world (as opposed to Caesar, who called himself the savior of the world, but was just a parody of the real thing), comes from heaven.
Paul doesn’t so much look forward to going to heaven as he does to the time when the Messiah will come from heaven, bringing with him the judgment and restoration of the entire world. As he transforms the entire cosmos with the power of heaven, he will also transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (this is the resurrection he hoped to attain in v. 11). Christians don’t look forward to dying and then living on in some sort of alternate state apart from the prison of the body. That’s pure Platonic philosophy. The early Christians didn’t look at the material universe as somehow evil as opposed to the spiritual universe which was good. They were both part of God’s good creation, parts that will be renewed and brought back together when the King returns. When Paul says that our lowly bodies will be transformed, then, he isn’t talking so much of the substance of which the body is made (Jesus’ resurrection body, the prototype for our resurrection bodies, demonstrated that he was raised in the same, yet glorified, body—complete with scars and the empty tomb—that he went to the Cross with. When Paul speaks of transformation, he is primarily referring to what animates the body. In our current state, we have the down payment of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, but when Christ returns our bodies and spirit will be completely transformed and be perfectly animated by God’s own Spirit. This is the incredible hope that Christians have, and to which our lives of being led by the Spirit now, point to and foreshadow.
Devotional Thought
Spend some time today thinking about what it would look like and what it would mean for your Christian community to truly take on the mind set of being a colony of heaven rather than a group of people waiting to go there? How might the life of your community and your own personal Christian life look different?
Philippians 4
1Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
Dig Deeper
Throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth, and even eighteenth centuries, there were an incredible amount of colonies planted in the new world of America. These colonies came in all different shapes and sizes and there were many different reasons that colonies were planted. Although there were a few colonies that were planted so that its inhabitants could simply escape from life in their old country, most of them were planted to be outposts. They were places where people who were seeking adventure, fortune, or a new start could do so while still staying connected to their home country. The point of most colonies, though, is not for the people to go and then quickly come back, that’s called a vacation. People came to the new world to establish permanent colonies. They were still usually loyal to the country of their citizenship, but they came to these colonies to benefit their mother country and to spread the life, culture, and economy of their homeland to the new world. In doing so, they expanded the territory, rule, and influence of their home country.
The Roman world of Paul’s day was no stranger to colonies either. In fact Philippi was a Roman colony that was planted in the decades before Christ was born. It was originally planted by former Roman soldiers. Philippi was a fiercely Roman city that was proud of their Roman heritage. The point of planting this colony of these Roman citizens, though, was not for them to return to Rome. Caesar certainly did not want a bunch of former soldiers hanging around Rome, that could be dangerous. No, instead the whole point was for them to spread the language, culture, values, and influence of Rome to this new place. So, they were not Rome but would spread the life of Rome, and if they ever got into any kind of trouble, they could be sure, because they were citizens of Rome, that Caesar would come with his powerful army and set things right.
This is precisely Paul’s point in this passage. Christians are not to live their lives avoiding trouble and looking at the world around them as a necessary evil that must be endured until we can escape and go off to heaven. Rather, Christians are citizens of heaven, living in this present age. We are to live as citizens of heaven in an evil culture around us, spreading the territory, rule, and influence of of heaven, the place of our citizenship. As in the previous passage, Paul’s point is not that Christians are waiting to go to heaven (although we certainly will until the time of resurrection and renewal of God’s creation), the point has everything to do with how Christians are living right now. The great Christian hope that Paul describes is not to leave the world forever and float off to heaven, the great hope is for our King, the only true King of the world to return and set things right.
Paul begins this passage by calling those in Philippi to follow his example, something Paul called young Christians to do frequently. It’s not that Paul wanted people to mimic him or even become like him by following his mannerisms, his manner of speaking or any other trivial things like that. When Paul calls for imitation of him or anyone else, it has everything to do with living the life of Christ. This is what Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians 4:16-17 when he called them to imitate him, and then said he would send Timothy so that they could do that because Timothy’s life would remind them of his life in Christ Jesus. He wanted them to consider the example of how he went about living Christ in the real world and to apply that example to the difficult situations of their own life. We certainly don’t have Paul or anyone who knew Paul around today to imitate, but surely there are others in our lives who live the sacrificial, loving lives of Christ in the real world and that provide wonderful principles which we can watch and institute in our own lives.
Just as they should draw near to and be like those who are truly living the life of Christ, they should keep on the watch and beware of those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Although this certainly would include followers of pagan religions, Paul is likely thinking more of those who live counterfeit versions of Christianity. If he is writing this letter from a prison in Ephesus, then it is likely that he had just finished writing 1 Corinthians and had the issues that they were dealing with fresh on his mind. The Corinthians had become obsessed with the knowledge, power, and values of the world as was evidenced, among other things, by their indulging their appetites at the Lord’s Supper and ignoring the needs of the poorer members of the community. If people continue to seek after the things of the present age then truly their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach (literally "appetite" which can refer to many things beyond just food), and their glory is in their shame.
In contrast to living like citizens of the world, especially citizens of Rome, Paul wants them to live as citizens of heaven, creating a colony or outpost of heaven in the present age. Paul’s point here is clear. Their primary allegiance is to heaven not Rome, to Jesus not Caesar, and they were to focus on doing the will of God not the will of the Roman Empire.
It is important to note that, once again, as Paul talks of heaven, he is referring to the manner of living while here on earth. That, of course, doesn’t mean that the righteous don’t go into God’s presence in heaven when we die, but Paul knows that that is only a temporary state. He has his eyes on the ultimate prize, that is what he eagerly awaits. He looks forward to the time when the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Savior of the world (as opposed to Caesar, who called himself the savior of the world, but was just a parody of the real thing), comes from heaven.
Paul doesn’t so much look forward to going to heaven as he does to the time when the Messiah will come from heaven, bringing with him the judgment and restoration of the entire world. As he transforms the entire cosmos with the power of heaven, he will also transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (this is the resurrection he hoped to attain in v. 11). Christians don’t look forward to dying and then living on in some sort of alternate state apart from the prison of the body. That’s pure Platonic philosophy. The early Christians didn’t look at the material universe as somehow evil as opposed to the spiritual universe which was good. They were both part of God’s good creation, parts that will be renewed and brought back together when the King returns. When Paul says that our lowly bodies will be transformed, then, he isn’t talking so much of the substance of which the body is made (Jesus’ resurrection body, the prototype for our resurrection bodies, demonstrated that he was raised in the same, yet glorified, body—complete with scars and the empty tomb—that he went to the Cross with. When Paul speaks of transformation, he is primarily referring to what animates the body. In our current state, we have the down payment of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, but when Christ returns our bodies and spirit will be completely transformed and be perfectly animated by God’s own Spirit. This is the incredible hope that Christians have, and to which our lives of being led by the Spirit now, point to and foreshadow.
Devotional Thought
Spend some time today thinking about what it would look like and what it would mean for your Christian community to truly take on the mind set of being a colony of heaven rather than a group of people waiting to go there? How might the life of your community and your own personal Christian life look different?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Philippians 3:12-16
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Dig Deeper
We recently went to watch a track meet that our oldest son was running for his school. I have always enjoyed the 1600 m race, so when the boys lined up for that, I was particularly interested even though my son was not in that event. A young man from his team looked good from the opening gun. He was in the second land and quickly broke out from the start and developed a nice lead over everyone else. He seemed to have the race in hand and I looked away for a few moments because our youngest son needed some help with his popcorn. When I looked back up they were coming down the stretch and a boy from the other team had just raced by him. My friend told me that the boy looked like he had the race in hand and eased up probably not seeing this other boy behind him, but now with this other young man passing him he tried to pick up his pace. Unfortunately for him it was too late. He came back a little in the last few yards, but he had blown the race by not staying focused. What a shame to have lost a race because he slacked off, not because anyone was actually faster than him.
In the previous passage, Paul used word pictures from the world of accounting, speaking of profits and losses. Now he switches the analogy to that of the athletic field, something he does several times in his writings. He and the Philippians are in a race of sorts. They need to keep looking ahead because as any runner knows, you slow down and serve off when you start looking behind you. In addition to that they need to keep pressing toward the goal. It should be pretty obvious that the race isn't over until the finish line has been crossed and the prize has been attained. Paul wants to make sure that they don't make any mistake thinking that they are in such good shape that they can now let up a little. No, the race isn't over, the goal has not been reached, the prize has not been attained. They must continue to run with the same intensity that they started the race with.
Paul has been in the process of describing the new life that comes in Christ that he so desired the Philippians to fully realize. The unique feature of the life of Christ is that is available to anyone in the present age who will but lay down their own life and enter into it, but in a very real sense, the work of being transformed into the image of God (Col. 3:10) will only be completed when Christ returns and fully consummates the age to come. Paul certainly was well on that road of transformation and wants no less for them. He knows what it means to live the resurrected life of Christ and knows that he means realizing that anything of worldly value concerning his old life before his baptism (Acts 22:16) was pointless and but a loss. Yet, Paul doesn't want any confusion as to what he is saying. He is living the resurrected life, and in one sense, could be called complete or mature (perfect here in the NIV) because he has fully entered into the life of Christ (v. 15), but in the fullest sense he has not obtained the full life of Christ. He doesn't want anyone thinking that they can have the complete life of the age to come now and don't need to wait for the resurrection itself. He has, however, made a good start, but must continue to press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. In Paul's thinking, he desired to take hold of the life of Christ in the same way and with the same firmness and certainty with which Christ had taken hold of him. He would expect no less of the Philippians or of us.
No, he hasn't taken hold of the resurrection life in the fullest sense, but he will continue to strain ahead and look to that day, anticipating it as much as he can through submission of the Holy Spirit. This is a great reminder that our lives should always anticipate and look forward to our final state of what we will be rather than who we once were. This is precisely Paul's point in verses 13-14. He will not look back to his old life and become tempted or impressed by it, or worse yet, to slip back into it. For Paul, his old life is crucified and should stay that way.
Rather he knows that he must press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called him heavenward in Christ Jesus. This is a rich sentence that needs a little unpacking so that we don't miss Paul's point. He desires to continue to press on toward the goal. What is the goal? It's the life of Christ to which he has been referring. We know that we enter into the life of Christ at our baptism (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27), but being transformed into the image of God is a process that will take our entire lives and only be complete at the final resurrection. So, what is the prize? Well, Paul has already stated that in verses 10-11. Paul says that he wanted to know Christ and the power of his resurrection life so that he might attain the final prize which is resurrection and eternity in God's new creation, the age to come. It is for this prize that Paul has been called heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Many people read over these verses quickly and are so used to thinking of heaven as the final prize for the Christian that they imagine that this is what Paul is saying here, but that's not at all the case. Literally in this passage, Paul says he has been called upward (rendered heavenward in the NIV). His point is that he has been called to live the resurrection life, the kingdom of God type of life where God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). When Paul talks of heaven (as he will again in verse 20), he is referring to the type of life we live now, not our final destination. Although Christians certainly do go to God's presence when they die, but that's not the end as we still await the new creation and the final resurrection that are being kept in heaven until the Second Coming of Christ (Matt. 19:28; 1 Cor. 15; 1 Pet. 1:3-5); this is the new heavens and the new earth (Rev. 21:1-5). Heaven cannot be the final prize if Paul has already stated that resurrection is (and certainly they are not the same thing, for if they were and the final destination for Christians is heaven they when we die, those who die would have, in effect, experienced the resurrection already and Paul discounts that kind of thinking as "godless chatter" in 2 Timothy 2:16-18). In fact, a careful reading shows us that primarily for Paul, heaven is the race, the goal, the life of Christ, not the prize.
Paul believes that those who are mature should share this view with him, and if they think differently, it's they who need to have it made clear to them through the power of God. The word that is rendered "mature" in verse 15 is the same word rendered "perfect" in verse 12. Paul knows that the life of Christ is a journey not an event, and only the mature can truly see that they are not yet perfect. In one sense, Paul is mature in the life of Christ, in another very real sense, he must still strain towards the finish line because he has a long way to go. He has no doubt that he has entered into the life of Christ and has been changed mightily by God into His own image. His desire for all of them is that they continue on this journey, living up to what they have already attained rather than easing up and falling off before they reach the finish line.
Devotional Thought
If you viewed your life in Christ as a race, what kind of runner are you? Are you a steady and consistent marathon runner or are you a herky-jerky runner that constantly speeds up, slows down, starts and stops? How can Paul's words in this section help you to be more consistent as a Christian?
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Dig Deeper
We recently went to watch a track meet that our oldest son was running for his school. I have always enjoyed the 1600 m race, so when the boys lined up for that, I was particularly interested even though my son was not in that event. A young man from his team looked good from the opening gun. He was in the second land and quickly broke out from the start and developed a nice lead over everyone else. He seemed to have the race in hand and I looked away for a few moments because our youngest son needed some help with his popcorn. When I looked back up they were coming down the stretch and a boy from the other team had just raced by him. My friend told me that the boy looked like he had the race in hand and eased up probably not seeing this other boy behind him, but now with this other young man passing him he tried to pick up his pace. Unfortunately for him it was too late. He came back a little in the last few yards, but he had blown the race by not staying focused. What a shame to have lost a race because he slacked off, not because anyone was actually faster than him.
In the previous passage, Paul used word pictures from the world of accounting, speaking of profits and losses. Now he switches the analogy to that of the athletic field, something he does several times in his writings. He and the Philippians are in a race of sorts. They need to keep looking ahead because as any runner knows, you slow down and serve off when you start looking behind you. In addition to that they need to keep pressing toward the goal. It should be pretty obvious that the race isn't over until the finish line has been crossed and the prize has been attained. Paul wants to make sure that they don't make any mistake thinking that they are in such good shape that they can now let up a little. No, the race isn't over, the goal has not been reached, the prize has not been attained. They must continue to run with the same intensity that they started the race with.
Paul has been in the process of describing the new life that comes in Christ that he so desired the Philippians to fully realize. The unique feature of the life of Christ is that is available to anyone in the present age who will but lay down their own life and enter into it, but in a very real sense, the work of being transformed into the image of God (Col. 3:10) will only be completed when Christ returns and fully consummates the age to come. Paul certainly was well on that road of transformation and wants no less for them. He knows what it means to live the resurrected life of Christ and knows that he means realizing that anything of worldly value concerning his old life before his baptism (Acts 22:16) was pointless and but a loss. Yet, Paul doesn't want any confusion as to what he is saying. He is living the resurrected life, and in one sense, could be called complete or mature (perfect here in the NIV) because he has fully entered into the life of Christ (v. 15), but in the fullest sense he has not obtained the full life of Christ. He doesn't want anyone thinking that they can have the complete life of the age to come now and don't need to wait for the resurrection itself. He has, however, made a good start, but must continue to press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. In Paul's thinking, he desired to take hold of the life of Christ in the same way and with the same firmness and certainty with which Christ had taken hold of him. He would expect no less of the Philippians or of us.
No, he hasn't taken hold of the resurrection life in the fullest sense, but he will continue to strain ahead and look to that day, anticipating it as much as he can through submission of the Holy Spirit. This is a great reminder that our lives should always anticipate and look forward to our final state of what we will be rather than who we once were. This is precisely Paul's point in verses 13-14. He will not look back to his old life and become tempted or impressed by it, or worse yet, to slip back into it. For Paul, his old life is crucified and should stay that way.
Rather he knows that he must press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called him heavenward in Christ Jesus. This is a rich sentence that needs a little unpacking so that we don't miss Paul's point. He desires to continue to press on toward the goal. What is the goal? It's the life of Christ to which he has been referring. We know that we enter into the life of Christ at our baptism (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27), but being transformed into the image of God is a process that will take our entire lives and only be complete at the final resurrection. So, what is the prize? Well, Paul has already stated that in verses 10-11. Paul says that he wanted to know Christ and the power of his resurrection life so that he might attain the final prize which is resurrection and eternity in God's new creation, the age to come. It is for this prize that Paul has been called heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Many people read over these verses quickly and are so used to thinking of heaven as the final prize for the Christian that they imagine that this is what Paul is saying here, but that's not at all the case. Literally in this passage, Paul says he has been called upward (rendered heavenward in the NIV). His point is that he has been called to live the resurrection life, the kingdom of God type of life where God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). When Paul talks of heaven (as he will again in verse 20), he is referring to the type of life we live now, not our final destination. Although Christians certainly do go to God's presence when they die, but that's not the end as we still await the new creation and the final resurrection that are being kept in heaven until the Second Coming of Christ (Matt. 19:28; 1 Cor. 15; 1 Pet. 1:3-5); this is the new heavens and the new earth (Rev. 21:1-5). Heaven cannot be the final prize if Paul has already stated that resurrection is (and certainly they are not the same thing, for if they were and the final destination for Christians is heaven they when we die, those who die would have, in effect, experienced the resurrection already and Paul discounts that kind of thinking as "godless chatter" in 2 Timothy 2:16-18). In fact, a careful reading shows us that primarily for Paul, heaven is the race, the goal, the life of Christ, not the prize.
Paul believes that those who are mature should share this view with him, and if they think differently, it's they who need to have it made clear to them through the power of God. The word that is rendered "mature" in verse 15 is the same word rendered "perfect" in verse 12. Paul knows that the life of Christ is a journey not an event, and only the mature can truly see that they are not yet perfect. In one sense, Paul is mature in the life of Christ, in another very real sense, he must still strain towards the finish line because he has a long way to go. He has no doubt that he has entered into the life of Christ and has been changed mightily by God into His own image. His desire for all of them is that they continue on this journey, living up to what they have already attained rather than easing up and falling off before they reach the finish line.
Devotional Thought
If you viewed your life in Christ as a race, what kind of runner are you? Are you a steady and consistent marathon runner or are you a herky-jerky runner that constantly speeds up, slows down, starts and stops? How can Paul's words in this section help you to be more consistent as a Christian?
Monday, May 12, 2008
Philippians 3:7-11
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Dig Deeper
When I was younger, one of my favorite shows was "Little House on the Prairie," which was set in Minnesota in the 1890's. Okay, I admit it, I still like it. I recall one episode in which Charles Ingalls and his family were told that a rich, eccentric uncle of his that lived down south had died and left him all of his estate as an inheritance. They quickly got excited because he owned a carriage company and was reputed to be quite rich. They got excited about how rich they were soon going to be and went around town buying things on credit which, of course, everyone extended to them because of the great wealth that would soon be theirs. The excitement continued until his uncle's lawyer came to visit and tell them exactly what he had inherited. It seemed that the uncle was rather eccentric and that his business was in so much debt that it would have to be sold just to break even. All they were actually going to receive was one trunk that had been locked. As they nervously opened the trunk they quickly got excited again as they looked in and saw a trunk full of money. As his wife and children began to dance around in glee, Charles slowly realized just how eccentric his uncle was. All of the money that was in the trunk was Confederate money from the Civil War. The uncle had stubbornly refused to accept that the South had lost and had kept all of his cash in Confederate dollars. All of the inheritance that they thought was of great profit turned out to be worth nothing.
This is something of Paul's point in this passage. He had a great deal of things of which he could have been proud. His Jewish heritage was outstanding and his zeal for the law was impeccable. These were things that would put him in high standing in any Jewish community, which in fact he had been. He was a Pharisee that had been a student of the great Gamaliel. He had become a respected zealot in the tradition of Elijah and Phinehas. He had such zeal for God's law and His people that he was willing to hunt down and exterminate what he considered to be this heretical sect of Christ followers. All of those things that might have added up in Paul's column as a great profit had suddenly been turned on its head as he traveled to Damascus and was confronted by the risen Lord Jesus Christ. In an instant, everything he thought that had made his life so valuable was revealed to be worth nothing.
Paul realized at that moment and continued to work out through his life the fact that whatever was to his profit was now loss for the sake of Christ. He had spent his life valuing something that was now valueless and meaningless. In fact, in a way, he would be better without these things because they could only serve as a temptation for him to put his confidence in those things, although Paul doesn't seem to have been very tempted by that once he realized that the only thing of value in this life is the life of Christ. Paul doesn't regard his list of advantages from verses 4 and 5 as something to exploit or take advantage of, rather he has discovered that the true path to good standing before God to be in the life of resurrection and suffering; to be one who has entered into the life of Christ. Paul had said in chapter 2 that Christ could have exploited his divinity but refused to in this present age. As part of his life in Christ, Paul has come to the realization that he can longer attempt to exploit all of the vestiges of power, prestige, and heritage in his own life.
When compared to the life of the Messiah that became available to all, Paul now realizes that he has lost all things, but that doesn't bother him for a moment because he realizes that they were all worth less than that Confederate money. They were nothing more than garbage, mere rubbish. The knowledge of God was highly valued among the prophets (Hos. 6:6) and now that was truly available for those who entered into the life of the Messiah. This was the only knowledge worth having, the kind of knowledge that devalued all other brands of knowledge. Knowledge of the law, knowledge of the things of the world, none of that mattered anymore.
All Paul wants is to be found in Christ. But why would a Jew among Jews, a Pharisee among Pharisees suddenly reject the law and cling to the life of a crucified Messiah? It was, no doubt, the realization that he would have to stand before God one day and face judgment and after coming to know the truth about Jesus as the Messiah he realized what all humans must come to terms with. Paul realized that if he faced God with a righteousness of his own that comes from the law, he would be in trouble. In other words, the law that Paul followed so zealously cannot gain one a proper standing, or righteousness, before God because it was never intended to do such. The law is good if used properly (1 Tim. 1:8), but it's purpose is to teach one of their inability to meet God's standard of holiness; it exposes sin rather than dealing with it (cf. Rom. 7:7). This is instructive for our world today because, although we don't appeal to the Jewish law to justify us before God, we do tend to appeal to so many other things like being good, following other religions, or even having a mental belief that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We must realize what Paul learned so long ago. None of those things will bring us a righteousness that will stand up to God's glory (Rom. 3:23). It is only those who have died to themselves and any claim that they might have thought they had on the righteousness of God, and have entered into the life of Christ who will be accredited with God's own righteousness. This does not mean that God actually makes us righteous in this present age, it means that once we enter into Christ, we begin to be transformed into the image of God (Col. 3:10). It means that because we are hidden in Christ, when good looks at us He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Thus, the only way to be in good standing before God is to enter into the body of Christ.
Because of all of this, Paul wanted to know nothing except Christ and the power of his resurrection. Paul understood that the love of God was demonstrated in its purest form at the Cross (Rom. 5:8) and that his power was fully displayed at the resurrection of Christ. Those who unite with Christ at baptism (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27) enter into the life of Christ so that we no longer live. We no longer live our own lives before God, for we chose at that baptism to be crucified (Gal. 2:20) and to cling to no other position than our status in Christ. Being in Christ, for Paul, meant that because Jesus was resurrected from the dead, so would he. That is incredibly encouraging, but for Paul there was more to it than that, although no less encouraging. Living the life of Christ meant not just sharing in the power of his resurrected life and the eventual resurrection of the righteous, but it also meant sharing in his sufferings. Paul continued to die every day (1 Cor. 15:31) and to carry the death of Jesus with him so that this power might be revealed in his body (2 Cor. 4:10). Christ suffered and was crucified and so, Paul believed, would true Christians. This might not manifest into full physical persecution and suffering for every Christian. It may just mean the mental or subtle suffering that comes from living a life that is so radically different from the world around us. Whatever the case, the one who wants to be like Christ in his death and experience the resurrection must lay down their own life and share the full life of the Messiah with all of the suffering and incredible power that comes with that life.
It will be important to note as Paul continues through the remainder of this chapter that for him, the great Christian hope to which he desired to attain someday was resurrection from the dead. Paul knew that if he lived through the power of the resurrection day-by-day that he would be part of the great resurrection when Christ returns. This might be a surprise to most Christians today who would immediately shout out "heaven" as their great and final hope, but we will see how Paul uses the concept of heaven quite differently than most Christians today, all the while holding that he might, at the great appearing of Christ, attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Devotional Thought
Paul knew the power of the life of Christ and the fact that being a part of it was the only way to be in right standing before God. He knew that there was nothing else that could accomplish that. Do you know that? Spend some time reflecting on the righteousness that comes only through the life of Christ and what that means specifically in your life.
Dig Deeper
When I was younger, one of my favorite shows was "Little House on the Prairie," which was set in Minnesota in the 1890's. Okay, I admit it, I still like it. I recall one episode in which Charles Ingalls and his family were told that a rich, eccentric uncle of his that lived down south had died and left him all of his estate as an inheritance. They quickly got excited because he owned a carriage company and was reputed to be quite rich. They got excited about how rich they were soon going to be and went around town buying things on credit which, of course, everyone extended to them because of the great wealth that would soon be theirs. The excitement continued until his uncle's lawyer came to visit and tell them exactly what he had inherited. It seemed that the uncle was rather eccentric and that his business was in so much debt that it would have to be sold just to break even. All they were actually going to receive was one trunk that had been locked. As they nervously opened the trunk they quickly got excited again as they looked in and saw a trunk full of money. As his wife and children began to dance around in glee, Charles slowly realized just how eccentric his uncle was. All of the money that was in the trunk was Confederate money from the Civil War. The uncle had stubbornly refused to accept that the South had lost and had kept all of his cash in Confederate dollars. All of the inheritance that they thought was of great profit turned out to be worth nothing.
This is something of Paul's point in this passage. He had a great deal of things of which he could have been proud. His Jewish heritage was outstanding and his zeal for the law was impeccable. These were things that would put him in high standing in any Jewish community, which in fact he had been. He was a Pharisee that had been a student of the great Gamaliel. He had become a respected zealot in the tradition of Elijah and Phinehas. He had such zeal for God's law and His people that he was willing to hunt down and exterminate what he considered to be this heretical sect of Christ followers. All of those things that might have added up in Paul's column as a great profit had suddenly been turned on its head as he traveled to Damascus and was confronted by the risen Lord Jesus Christ. In an instant, everything he thought that had made his life so valuable was revealed to be worth nothing.
Paul realized at that moment and continued to work out through his life the fact that whatever was to his profit was now loss for the sake of Christ. He had spent his life valuing something that was now valueless and meaningless. In fact, in a way, he would be better without these things because they could only serve as a temptation for him to put his confidence in those things, although Paul doesn't seem to have been very tempted by that once he realized that the only thing of value in this life is the life of Christ. Paul doesn't regard his list of advantages from verses 4 and 5 as something to exploit or take advantage of, rather he has discovered that the true path to good standing before God to be in the life of resurrection and suffering; to be one who has entered into the life of Christ. Paul had said in chapter 2 that Christ could have exploited his divinity but refused to in this present age. As part of his life in Christ, Paul has come to the realization that he can longer attempt to exploit all of the vestiges of power, prestige, and heritage in his own life.
When compared to the life of the Messiah that became available to all, Paul now realizes that he has lost all things, but that doesn't bother him for a moment because he realizes that they were all worth less than that Confederate money. They were nothing more than garbage, mere rubbish. The knowledge of God was highly valued among the prophets (Hos. 6:6) and now that was truly available for those who entered into the life of the Messiah. This was the only knowledge worth having, the kind of knowledge that devalued all other brands of knowledge. Knowledge of the law, knowledge of the things of the world, none of that mattered anymore.
All Paul wants is to be found in Christ. But why would a Jew among Jews, a Pharisee among Pharisees suddenly reject the law and cling to the life of a crucified Messiah? It was, no doubt, the realization that he would have to stand before God one day and face judgment and after coming to know the truth about Jesus as the Messiah he realized what all humans must come to terms with. Paul realized that if he faced God with a righteousness of his own that comes from the law, he would be in trouble. In other words, the law that Paul followed so zealously cannot gain one a proper standing, or righteousness, before God because it was never intended to do such. The law is good if used properly (1 Tim. 1:8), but it's purpose is to teach one of their inability to meet God's standard of holiness; it exposes sin rather than dealing with it (cf. Rom. 7:7). This is instructive for our world today because, although we don't appeal to the Jewish law to justify us before God, we do tend to appeal to so many other things like being good, following other religions, or even having a mental belief that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We must realize what Paul learned so long ago. None of those things will bring us a righteousness that will stand up to God's glory (Rom. 3:23). It is only those who have died to themselves and any claim that they might have thought they had on the righteousness of God, and have entered into the life of Christ who will be accredited with God's own righteousness. This does not mean that God actually makes us righteous in this present age, it means that once we enter into Christ, we begin to be transformed into the image of God (Col. 3:10). It means that because we are hidden in Christ, when good looks at us He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Thus, the only way to be in good standing before God is to enter into the body of Christ.
Because of all of this, Paul wanted to know nothing except Christ and the power of his resurrection. Paul understood that the love of God was demonstrated in its purest form at the Cross (Rom. 5:8) and that his power was fully displayed at the resurrection of Christ. Those who unite with Christ at baptism (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27) enter into the life of Christ so that we no longer live. We no longer live our own lives before God, for we chose at that baptism to be crucified (Gal. 2:20) and to cling to no other position than our status in Christ. Being in Christ, for Paul, meant that because Jesus was resurrected from the dead, so would he. That is incredibly encouraging, but for Paul there was more to it than that, although no less encouraging. Living the life of Christ meant not just sharing in the power of his resurrected life and the eventual resurrection of the righteous, but it also meant sharing in his sufferings. Paul continued to die every day (1 Cor. 15:31) and to carry the death of Jesus with him so that this power might be revealed in his body (2 Cor. 4:10). Christ suffered and was crucified and so, Paul believed, would true Christians. This might not manifest into full physical persecution and suffering for every Christian. It may just mean the mental or subtle suffering that comes from living a life that is so radically different from the world around us. Whatever the case, the one who wants to be like Christ in his death and experience the resurrection must lay down their own life and share the full life of the Messiah with all of the suffering and incredible power that comes with that life.
It will be important to note as Paul continues through the remainder of this chapter that for him, the great Christian hope to which he desired to attain someday was resurrection from the dead. Paul knew that if he lived through the power of the resurrection day-by-day that he would be part of the great resurrection when Christ returns. This might be a surprise to most Christians today who would immediately shout out "heaven" as their great and final hope, but we will see how Paul uses the concept of heaven quite differently than most Christians today, all the while holding that he might, at the great appearing of Christ, attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Devotional Thought
Paul knew the power of the life of Christ and the fact that being a part of it was the only way to be in right standing before God. He knew that there was nothing else that could accomplish that. Do you know that? Spend some time reflecting on the righteousness that comes only through the life of Christ and what that means specifically in your life.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Philippians 3:1-6
No Confidence in the Flesh
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
Dig Deeper
There were two teachers who were standing in a lunchroom one day arguing over who was a better teacher. The conversation was basically good-natured, but there was an element of seriousness as well. They went back and forth talking about who had the most degrees, the most experience, and who went to the better schools. They compared all of the extra educational classes that they had taken and even the fact that both of them had a masters degree. After overhearing much of the conversation, another teacher quietly put forth the idea that perhaps degrees and extra schooling weren't at all what determined who was a good teacher. Perhaps, he offered, it should be about the difference that they had actually made in the lives of their students. He then said that he felt that there was no need at all to worry about who was better because both teachers were excellent teachers. Both teachers responded dismissively as they pointed out that he was just saying that because he didn't have any degrees and probably went to a marginal university. The other teacher then humbly told them something that they did not previously know. He, in fact, had two masters degrees and a PhD. They quickly wanted to know why he never talked about that. He responded by simply saying, "It doesn't matter how many degrees someone has, that's not what makes a good teacher and my students certainly don't care about how many pieces of paper I have." The two teachers sheepishly ended their conversation.
Paul has been urging the Philippians to rejoice in whatever circumstances they may find themselves, and has offered them examples of people who have done just that. Now he is going to warn them of false doctrines and teachers that might try to worm their way into their community just as they have others. He wants them to learn to have joy through those difficult circumstances as well. The particular group that Paul was worried about were some Jewish Christians, known as Judaizers, who were telling Gentiles that in addition to Jesus Christ, they must follow the yoke of the Old Testament law in order to be considered among the true people of God. They were putting their hope and giving importance to precisely the wrong thing. Paul wants to make that clear. Yet, no one can accuse him of being an outsider that simply doesn't understand. If someone were to judge Paul by the standards of the Jewish law, he was second to none. All of that is irrelevant, though, when it comes to being the people of God. All that matters is one's location in the life of Christ.
We'll never know for sure, but it seems as though Paul started to wrap up his letter (in a way similar to what he did in 2 Cor. 13:11), but then was inspired to write more than he perhaps originally intended. The previous two sections encouraged the Philippians to rejoice in the midst of difficult situations and now, perhaps, Paul thinks of another area that they might face in the near future which should also be met with joy. It is the joy that comes from those firmly in Christ and echoes the language of the Psalms that call for the righteous to "rejoice in the Lord and be glad" (Ps. 32:11; cf. Ps. 33:1). The Galatians, only a few years earlier, had faced those who had mixed the ideas of faith in the life of Christ with the need to accept the whole of the Jewish law, particularly circumcision. Even if they should face that kind of trouble, Paul desires for them to maintain an attitude of joy which will serve as a safeguard to any difficult circumstances that they might face.
What will the pure joy of the life in Christ safeguard them against? Here Paul does not mince words and it is difficult for English translations to convey the full sharpness of his words. New Testament scholar Frank Thielman suggests that the best way to begin to capture the true force of Paul's words might be to translate it something like, "Beware the mongrels! Beware the criminals! Beware the cutters!" All three of these warning categories refers to the same group. Paul is not railing against Jewish Christians who chose to get circumcised because of ancestral customs, there would be no problem with that. He is specifically talking of those who claimed that circumcision and following the law was a necessary badge showing one to be part of the people of God. Paul calls them dogs, which was probably an ironic reversal of the fact that Jews often called Gentiles dogs. Those who do evil are literally the "bad works people," Paul's ironic name for those that contend that only keeping the works of the law will suffice as the standard for entry into the people of God. The mutilators of the flesh implies that by trusting in this aspect of the flesh and marking themselves in this way they are behaving like the sort of pagan cults that involved mutilating and gashing one's own body.
There is a sharp contrast that Paul draws between these false representatives of the gospel message and those in Christ who are the true circumcision. It is often missed that the Old Testament clearly made the claim that God is truly concerned with the condition of the heart rather than physical features (1 Sam. 16:7). Circumcision of the Old Testament was not an ends unto itself, but was instead, a means to teaching God's people about the true circumcision of the heart that they needed. The writers of the Old Testament looked forward to a time when this true circumcision of the heart would be performed on them by God (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; cf. 6:10; 9:25). Paul's argument was that the time when God would circumcise the hearts of His people and enable them to live in a reconciled state with God had arrived and that because of that arrival, physical circumcision was irrelevant.
For Paul then, only those in Christ can truly be considered the circumcision people (Col. 2:11) because they are the only ones who have fully realized God's complete plan. The true circumcision people can be known by three characteristics. First, they worship by the Spirit. God poured out His Spirit on His people, both Jewish and Gentile, enabling them to fulfill Jesus' words that God's worshippers "must worship him in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Second, they glory in Christ Jesus. The word translated "glory" can mean "to boast" and is usually used by Paul to indicate the ground from which one's confidence is launched. The point being that the Judaizers whom Paul has called mutilators put their confidence in things of the present age, things of the flesh, but the true circumcision put their confidence solely in the life of Christ. Third, they put no confidence in the flesh. This almost seems redundant from the previous point, but it actually serves to emphasize his point. Paul's point is that putting one's confidence in the flesh and in Christ is mutually exclusive. You must pick one or the other; you simply cannot have both.
Just so that no one could claim that Paul was discounting confidence in the flesh and his Jewish heritage as a marker that he would automatically be numbered among the people of God because he wouldn't measure up to such a standard, Paul shows that he has every reason to rely on the things of the flesh if he so chose. Not only did he have the advantages of being born into the right stock, he had also attained a great devotion to the law. Paul's point is that if there were anyone who felt they had a good reason to trust their status and life under the law, it was him. He knows better, though. Matters of circumcision and the law simply did not matter. The only thing that mattered then and that still matters today is whether or not we have taken part in the new creation available in the life of Christ (Galatians 6:15).
Devotional Thought
The danger that Paul wanted the young Christians in Philippi to stay away from was relying on circumcision and the works of the law rather than having their confidence in Christ. What things tempt you to put your confidence in when it comes to being part of the people of God rather than just being in Christ? Is it your effort, your Bible study times, your evangelism, etc.?
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
Dig Deeper
There were two teachers who were standing in a lunchroom one day arguing over who was a better teacher. The conversation was basically good-natured, but there was an element of seriousness as well. They went back and forth talking about who had the most degrees, the most experience, and who went to the better schools. They compared all of the extra educational classes that they had taken and even the fact that both of them had a masters degree. After overhearing much of the conversation, another teacher quietly put forth the idea that perhaps degrees and extra schooling weren't at all what determined who was a good teacher. Perhaps, he offered, it should be about the difference that they had actually made in the lives of their students. He then said that he felt that there was no need at all to worry about who was better because both teachers were excellent teachers. Both teachers responded dismissively as they pointed out that he was just saying that because he didn't have any degrees and probably went to a marginal university. The other teacher then humbly told them something that they did not previously know. He, in fact, had two masters degrees and a PhD. They quickly wanted to know why he never talked about that. He responded by simply saying, "It doesn't matter how many degrees someone has, that's not what makes a good teacher and my students certainly don't care about how many pieces of paper I have." The two teachers sheepishly ended their conversation.
Paul has been urging the Philippians to rejoice in whatever circumstances they may find themselves, and has offered them examples of people who have done just that. Now he is going to warn them of false doctrines and teachers that might try to worm their way into their community just as they have others. He wants them to learn to have joy through those difficult circumstances as well. The particular group that Paul was worried about were some Jewish Christians, known as Judaizers, who were telling Gentiles that in addition to Jesus Christ, they must follow the yoke of the Old Testament law in order to be considered among the true people of God. They were putting their hope and giving importance to precisely the wrong thing. Paul wants to make that clear. Yet, no one can accuse him of being an outsider that simply doesn't understand. If someone were to judge Paul by the standards of the Jewish law, he was second to none. All of that is irrelevant, though, when it comes to being the people of God. All that matters is one's location in the life of Christ.
We'll never know for sure, but it seems as though Paul started to wrap up his letter (in a way similar to what he did in 2 Cor. 13:11), but then was inspired to write more than he perhaps originally intended. The previous two sections encouraged the Philippians to rejoice in the midst of difficult situations and now, perhaps, Paul thinks of another area that they might face in the near future which should also be met with joy. It is the joy that comes from those firmly in Christ and echoes the language of the Psalms that call for the righteous to "rejoice in the Lord and be glad" (Ps. 32:11; cf. Ps. 33:1). The Galatians, only a few years earlier, had faced those who had mixed the ideas of faith in the life of Christ with the need to accept the whole of the Jewish law, particularly circumcision. Even if they should face that kind of trouble, Paul desires for them to maintain an attitude of joy which will serve as a safeguard to any difficult circumstances that they might face.
What will the pure joy of the life in Christ safeguard them against? Here Paul does not mince words and it is difficult for English translations to convey the full sharpness of his words. New Testament scholar Frank Thielman suggests that the best way to begin to capture the true force of Paul's words might be to translate it something like, "Beware the mongrels! Beware the criminals! Beware the cutters!" All three of these warning categories refers to the same group. Paul is not railing against Jewish Christians who chose to get circumcised because of ancestral customs, there would be no problem with that. He is specifically talking of those who claimed that circumcision and following the law was a necessary badge showing one to be part of the people of God. Paul calls them dogs, which was probably an ironic reversal of the fact that Jews often called Gentiles dogs. Those who do evil are literally the "bad works people," Paul's ironic name for those that contend that only keeping the works of the law will suffice as the standard for entry into the people of God. The mutilators of the flesh implies that by trusting in this aspect of the flesh and marking themselves in this way they are behaving like the sort of pagan cults that involved mutilating and gashing one's own body.
There is a sharp contrast that Paul draws between these false representatives of the gospel message and those in Christ who are the true circumcision. It is often missed that the Old Testament clearly made the claim that God is truly concerned with the condition of the heart rather than physical features (1 Sam. 16:7). Circumcision of the Old Testament was not an ends unto itself, but was instead, a means to teaching God's people about the true circumcision of the heart that they needed. The writers of the Old Testament looked forward to a time when this true circumcision of the heart would be performed on them by God (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; cf. 6:10; 9:25). Paul's argument was that the time when God would circumcise the hearts of His people and enable them to live in a reconciled state with God had arrived and that because of that arrival, physical circumcision was irrelevant.
For Paul then, only those in Christ can truly be considered the circumcision people (Col. 2:11) because they are the only ones who have fully realized God's complete plan. The true circumcision people can be known by three characteristics. First, they worship by the Spirit. God poured out His Spirit on His people, both Jewish and Gentile, enabling them to fulfill Jesus' words that God's worshippers "must worship him in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Second, they glory in Christ Jesus. The word translated "glory" can mean "to boast" and is usually used by Paul to indicate the ground from which one's confidence is launched. The point being that the Judaizers whom Paul has called mutilators put their confidence in things of the present age, things of the flesh, but the true circumcision put their confidence solely in the life of Christ. Third, they put no confidence in the flesh. This almost seems redundant from the previous point, but it actually serves to emphasize his point. Paul's point is that putting one's confidence in the flesh and in Christ is mutually exclusive. You must pick one or the other; you simply cannot have both.
Just so that no one could claim that Paul was discounting confidence in the flesh and his Jewish heritage as a marker that he would automatically be numbered among the people of God because he wouldn't measure up to such a standard, Paul shows that he has every reason to rely on the things of the flesh if he so chose. Not only did he have the advantages of being born into the right stock, he had also attained a great devotion to the law. Paul's point is that if there were anyone who felt they had a good reason to trust their status and life under the law, it was him. He knows better, though. Matters of circumcision and the law simply did not matter. The only thing that mattered then and that still matters today is whether or not we have taken part in the new creation available in the life of Christ (Galatians 6:15).
Devotional Thought
The danger that Paul wanted the young Christians in Philippi to stay away from was relying on circumcision and the works of the law rather than having their confidence in Christ. What things tempt you to put your confidence in when it comes to being part of the people of God rather than just being in Christ? Is it your effort, your Bible study times, your evangelism, etc.?
Philippians 2:25-30
25But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.
Dig Deeper
While I was home from college one summer, I had a summer job that was particularly physically demanding and difficult. One of the most difficult aspects of it was that I was commissioned to work in one part of the factory, but I was often sent wherever help was needed, so I would have to learn a whole different job for a day or two and then go back to my normal post. After a few weeks of actually being in my normal place, I was asked to go to help out with one of the most demanding and grueling parts of the entire factory. The supervisor on my line sent me over to help his friend who was the supervisor in this other area. I was sent to help out in that area for at least two weeks, but after only two days, the supervisor in the new area discovered that my normal area was even more in need than he was. He sent me back all the way across the factory to my original supervisor, but with a note. He wanted to assure my boss that I was not being sent back because I had failed or done something wrong, quite the opposite in fact. He thought that I was very helpful, but wanted to send me back because he had learned that his friend was in need as much as he was.
The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus to Paul to bring him a gift of support but also to stay a while and to help and serve Paul in any way that he could. Once he got there, though, or possibly on the way, he became very ill and the Philippians became quite worried. He had recovered, fortunately, and presumably had helped Paul a great deal. Yet, Paul quickly realized that, at the moment, he would do more good than by going back and seeing and serving the Philippian community than in staying with Paul. He absolutely does not want anyone to think that Epaphroditus is being sent back because he somehow let Paul down or was not helpful. He assures them over and over again that that could not be further from the truth. Paul is sending Epaphroditus back not because he can't use him but because he knows he will be of more service to the Philippians. This is yet one more example of Paul modeling the act of actively putting the needs of others over his own interests.
Epaphroditus had been sent from the church in Philippi to visit and encourage Paul with a gift (Phil 4:18), and evidently to stay there for a time and assist Paul in his ministry work. Paul's constant references to his ministry in terms of athletic competitions or military terms gives us an insight into the difficult and demanding nature of his work, so for Epaphroditus to stay on and become a fellow worker and fellow soldier with Paul was no small task. Apparently the Philippian church had intended for him to stay with Paul for a longer period of time and so would have been puzzled by his quick return. Paul, however, thought that it was necessary to send him back early, but wants no thoughts that it was because Epaphroditus was somehow unhelpful or un-loyal. Instead he rattles a litany of positive terms to describe the man from Philippi. He is, Paul says, a brother, a fellow worker, a fellow soldier, a messenger, and one who was sent to take care of Paul's needs.
What appears to have happened was that either on the way or shortly after arriving, Epaphroditus fell gravely ill. Despite what our modern word-faith and prosperity gospel preachers might like to champion, those who are in the loyal service of the Messiah can become ill, even seriously so. Somehow, the Philippians had heard of his illness and were quite distressed by his situation. Paul has already made it clear that he greatly values those who put the interests of others ahead of their own, and here Epaphroditus is yet another example of that. He appears to not have been very concerned for himself or his own health, but was instead distressed because they had heard he was ill. This should give us pause as to whether we are so concerned with the interests of our brothers and sisters in Christ that we would barely pay attention to how our own trials impact us, but are more concerned with the fact that this might have caused distressed for our brothers and sisters. Not only was he a great example of looking to the interests of others, he was also a wonderful model of the life of Christ for the Philippian community. Just as Jesus was obedient to the will of God to the point of being obedient to death on a cross (Phil 2:8), so Epaphroditus almost died in his faithful service to the Messiah. And, just as Christ was exalted by God in response to his obedience, so should the Philippian community welcome back Epaphroditus with joy and honor.
Paul is also one that understands the life of Christ means putting the interests of the Messiah and thus his people, ahead of his own. He no doubt would have loved to have kept Epaphroditus with him to help out with his own difficult circumstances, but is instead looking to the interests of the Philippians. It is not his situation that drives him here, but his concern over their anxiety. This serves as a powerful reminder for those who preach and teach the gospel in whatever format they may do so, that is impossible to preach the gospel of humility and self-sacrifice if we don't live out that same reality. Paul could call the Philippians to put the interests of others ahead of their own because he did just that on a regular basis.
We shouldn't miss the incredible realism that passages like this show us when it comes to Paul. There is always a danger of seeing Paul as being bigger than life as though he was able to do all that he did and go through all of the things that he went through because he was somehow more than human or a superhuman. Passages like this won't allow us to make that mistake if we read them carefully. Epaphroditus did almost die, but Paul knows that God had mercy on Epaphroditus and on him. Paul was truly distressed that he might die but God took pity on him to spare him sorrow upon sorrow. He was already in prison, unable to travel and see his brothers and sisters and it caused him great sorrow. Could he handle the added sorrow of Epaphroditus dying?
Why, some might ask, couldn't he just dismiss the circumstances and rejoice? Isn't that what he's been calling the Philippians to do? When Paul calls them to rejoice in any circumstances (as he will in chapter 4), he isn't demanding that they act like some emotionless robots that are less-than-human and devoid of any connection with real world. Having true joy doesn't mean that our emotions are mere mirages that we must learn to control or ignore. Having true emotions doesn't mean that we learn to act like everything is just fine regardless of the circumstances. It means that the hope and realization that Jesus is the true king of the world and will one day restore everything back to how it should be, outweighs our current circumstances or at least changes how we view and react to them. We should not pretend we don't have human emotions. To do so, would be to deny part of what God has given us. It was Christ, after all, who was able to speak of the incredible non-stop celebration of the kingdom of God, while at the same time, genuinely wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35). In fact, that event is quite instructive for us. Jesus knew that he was about to restore Lazarus, yet he still felt the very real sadness and pain that came in the moment. Even though he was in control, he still felt the pain of the 'not-yet'. So it was with Paul, and with us. We can feel the very real pain that comes with the evil and suffering caused by sin, but should always process that with the larger truth in mind that Jesus is the King of the world that will truly restore all things one day (Matt. 19:28).
Devotional Thought
How often do you really put the interests of others ahead of your own? Is that something that comes easy or is it a constant struggle for you? What does Paul say should be the motivating factor for a Christian to put the interests of others ahead of their own?
Dig Deeper
While I was home from college one summer, I had a summer job that was particularly physically demanding and difficult. One of the most difficult aspects of it was that I was commissioned to work in one part of the factory, but I was often sent wherever help was needed, so I would have to learn a whole different job for a day or two and then go back to my normal post. After a few weeks of actually being in my normal place, I was asked to go to help out with one of the most demanding and grueling parts of the entire factory. The supervisor on my line sent me over to help his friend who was the supervisor in this other area. I was sent to help out in that area for at least two weeks, but after only two days, the supervisor in the new area discovered that my normal area was even more in need than he was. He sent me back all the way across the factory to my original supervisor, but with a note. He wanted to assure my boss that I was not being sent back because I had failed or done something wrong, quite the opposite in fact. He thought that I was very helpful, but wanted to send me back because he had learned that his friend was in need as much as he was.
The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus to Paul to bring him a gift of support but also to stay a while and to help and serve Paul in any way that he could. Once he got there, though, or possibly on the way, he became very ill and the Philippians became quite worried. He had recovered, fortunately, and presumably had helped Paul a great deal. Yet, Paul quickly realized that, at the moment, he would do more good than by going back and seeing and serving the Philippian community than in staying with Paul. He absolutely does not want anyone to think that Epaphroditus is being sent back because he somehow let Paul down or was not helpful. He assures them over and over again that that could not be further from the truth. Paul is sending Epaphroditus back not because he can't use him but because he knows he will be of more service to the Philippians. This is yet one more example of Paul modeling the act of actively putting the needs of others over his own interests.
Epaphroditus had been sent from the church in Philippi to visit and encourage Paul with a gift (Phil 4:18), and evidently to stay there for a time and assist Paul in his ministry work. Paul's constant references to his ministry in terms of athletic competitions or military terms gives us an insight into the difficult and demanding nature of his work, so for Epaphroditus to stay on and become a fellow worker and fellow soldier with Paul was no small task. Apparently the Philippian church had intended for him to stay with Paul for a longer period of time and so would have been puzzled by his quick return. Paul, however, thought that it was necessary to send him back early, but wants no thoughts that it was because Epaphroditus was somehow unhelpful or un-loyal. Instead he rattles a litany of positive terms to describe the man from Philippi. He is, Paul says, a brother, a fellow worker, a fellow soldier, a messenger, and one who was sent to take care of Paul's needs.
What appears to have happened was that either on the way or shortly after arriving, Epaphroditus fell gravely ill. Despite what our modern word-faith and prosperity gospel preachers might like to champion, those who are in the loyal service of the Messiah can become ill, even seriously so. Somehow, the Philippians had heard of his illness and were quite distressed by his situation. Paul has already made it clear that he greatly values those who put the interests of others ahead of their own, and here Epaphroditus is yet another example of that. He appears to not have been very concerned for himself or his own health, but was instead distressed because they had heard he was ill. This should give us pause as to whether we are so concerned with the interests of our brothers and sisters in Christ that we would barely pay attention to how our own trials impact us, but are more concerned with the fact that this might have caused distressed for our brothers and sisters. Not only was he a great example of looking to the interests of others, he was also a wonderful model of the life of Christ for the Philippian community. Just as Jesus was obedient to the will of God to the point of being obedient to death on a cross (Phil 2:8), so Epaphroditus almost died in his faithful service to the Messiah. And, just as Christ was exalted by God in response to his obedience, so should the Philippian community welcome back Epaphroditus with joy and honor.
Paul is also one that understands the life of Christ means putting the interests of the Messiah and thus his people, ahead of his own. He no doubt would have loved to have kept Epaphroditus with him to help out with his own difficult circumstances, but is instead looking to the interests of the Philippians. It is not his situation that drives him here, but his concern over their anxiety. This serves as a powerful reminder for those who preach and teach the gospel in whatever format they may do so, that is impossible to preach the gospel of humility and self-sacrifice if we don't live out that same reality. Paul could call the Philippians to put the interests of others ahead of their own because he did just that on a regular basis.
We shouldn't miss the incredible realism that passages like this show us when it comes to Paul. There is always a danger of seeing Paul as being bigger than life as though he was able to do all that he did and go through all of the things that he went through because he was somehow more than human or a superhuman. Passages like this won't allow us to make that mistake if we read them carefully. Epaphroditus did almost die, but Paul knows that God had mercy on Epaphroditus and on him. Paul was truly distressed that he might die but God took pity on him to spare him sorrow upon sorrow. He was already in prison, unable to travel and see his brothers and sisters and it caused him great sorrow. Could he handle the added sorrow of Epaphroditus dying?
Why, some might ask, couldn't he just dismiss the circumstances and rejoice? Isn't that what he's been calling the Philippians to do? When Paul calls them to rejoice in any circumstances (as he will in chapter 4), he isn't demanding that they act like some emotionless robots that are less-than-human and devoid of any connection with real world. Having true joy doesn't mean that our emotions are mere mirages that we must learn to control or ignore. Having true emotions doesn't mean that we learn to act like everything is just fine regardless of the circumstances. It means that the hope and realization that Jesus is the true king of the world and will one day restore everything back to how it should be, outweighs our current circumstances or at least changes how we view and react to them. We should not pretend we don't have human emotions. To do so, would be to deny part of what God has given us. It was Christ, after all, who was able to speak of the incredible non-stop celebration of the kingdom of God, while at the same time, genuinely wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35). In fact, that event is quite instructive for us. Jesus knew that he was about to restore Lazarus, yet he still felt the very real sadness and pain that came in the moment. Even though he was in control, he still felt the pain of the 'not-yet'. So it was with Paul, and with us. We can feel the very real pain that comes with the evil and suffering caused by sin, but should always process that with the larger truth in mind that Jesus is the King of the world that will truly restore all things one day (Matt. 19:28).
Devotional Thought
How often do you really put the interests of others ahead of your own? Is that something that comes easy or is it a constant struggle for you? What does Paul say should be the motivating factor for a Christian to put the interests of others ahead of their own?
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Philippians 2:19-24
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
Dig Deeper
In order for the students to graduate in the high school at which I taught for many years, they had to complete thirty hours of community service during their senior year. There were many different ways that they could fulfill their hours, and most of the students looked for the easiest ways to complete their service. They often like to get hooked up with a church or community aid organization, because usually the people at those places took it really easy on the students and they didn’t have to do much. As a place of last resort, some students would volunteer to assist teachers at the school and get their hours that way. One year, though, I had a young lady who volunteered to be my assistant. She proved to be invaluable, becoming a secretary of sorts. She helped me greatly during the time that I not only taught history, but I was also coaching the boys basketball team, and was the commissioner of our athletic conference. She became a major asset in keeping all of the paperwork straight, scheduling events and referees and countless other duties. In early February, one of the teachers had a major project coming up for them and put up signs to elicit someone to volunteer to help and to fulfill their hours. No one volunteered though, and the teacher asked me if this young lady could come and help her. She was willing because she sincerely loved to help and work with the teachers even though she had easily tripled her necessary hours. I believed greatly in the project the teacher was working on and told her that I would love to send this student over to her, but she had become so valuable to me that I had to wait until the basketball season was over. I simply could not spare her at the moment, but I did truly want to send her when I could.
It seems a little odd that in the middle of calling the Philippians to the genuine life of Christ and offering them examples so they can have a better idea of what that might look like in real life, that he would suddenly start to talk about Timothy and when he will send him to help out the Philippians. It seems strange, that is, until we realize that what Paul is in fact doing, is offering them up another example of a life that puts the interests of others above his own and truly has embraced the fullness of the life in Christ. Timothy is so valuable, in fact, that as much as Paul would like to send him there, and he truly would, he needs Timothy to stay with him until things have settled down for Paul a bit more and he can actually spare him.
Paul truly does want to send Timothy to them soon, which is evidenced by the fact that he doesn’t just wish that he can or say that he would like to, rather he hopes in the Lord Jesus. This means that Paul’s desire to send Timothy to them is part and parcel of his life in Christ. He wants to send Timothy because of his love for them and his recognition that as part of the body of Christ, they need the encouragement that Timothy will bring. At the same time, Paul desires to send him so that Timothy can return with good news (Paul is fairly confident that the news will be good) of the Philippians.
Paul pays Timothy a weighty compliment in verse 20 that appears to be a pretty severe rebuke for the other workers under him in Ephesus (presumably although we don’t know for sure that it was Ephesus). He says that he has no one else like Timothy. Timothy genuinely lives the life of Christ in his actions not just what he says. He actively takes a genuine interest in the welfare of others. Everyone else, he says, looks out for his own interests, but not Timothy. That doesn’t seem to speak well of those around him in Ephesus, but probably has more to do with the excellence of Timothy than with his actual disappointment with anyone else (although he may be comparing Timothy to non-Christians rather than the other Christian workers). Timothy’s life in Christ is so exemplary, that no one else comes close at the moment. Timothy does not look out for his own interests, but those of Jesus Christ. Notice Paul’s belief here that looking out for the interests of other Christians and looking out for the interests of Jesus Christ are virtually synonymous. Truly when one serves the people of Christ, they are serving the Messiah, for what is true of the King is true of his people.
Paul is affirming for the Philippians, something that they already know, namely that Timothy has proved himself. He’s not writing this letter so much as a letter of recommendation of someone they don’t know, but a reminder of what kind of man Timothy is and what kind of people Paul would like them to be. It is just as interesting here, though, to look at what Paul doesn’t say concerning Timothy. He doesn’t say that he is a trustworthy partner in the gospel because he is uncommonly intelligent, or a great preacher, or talented in evangelism. Paul’s criterion of a trustworthy and commendable Christian and pastor seem to be limited to that he puts the interests of the body of Christ ahead of his own and he understands the true concept of the family of Christ, as he has served Paul in every way that a son would serve his father. Fulfilling the life of Christ, apparently has more to do with dying to our own interests and exhibiting unselfish love than it does with any personal accomplishments or ability.
Paul, hopes to send Timothy so that they can not only read about him but so that they can see his example in person. He is a living, breathing example of the attitude of Christ which Paul described in verses 5-8 and called the Philippians to in verses 1-4. But, Paul knows that he must wait until he can see how things go with me, which is presumably a reference to a pending trial that he is facing. Once Paul has a better understanding of his fate, he will have a clearer picture of when he can send Timothy to them. He is still fairly confident, however, that he will be able to come see them soon. Whether or not he ever did has been lost to history.
One final note that is worth paying attention to is the way that Paul brilliantly created networks between people and churches. In fact, one gets the sense that they were the lifeblood of the early church. Churches can send money to one another, can share the same doctrines and practices, but nothing creates and maintains unity the way that face-to-face connections and relationships do. Indeed, these kind of connections are far more valuable than anything else when it comes to unity between communities of Christ that are separated by geography.
Devotional Thought
Personal relationships between members of different church communities were a vital means of support and unity in the early church. How much effort do you make to develop and maintain those types of relationships outside of your local church body? What would the benefits be of improving your efforts in that area?
19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
Dig Deeper
In order for the students to graduate in the high school at which I taught for many years, they had to complete thirty hours of community service during their senior year. There were many different ways that they could fulfill their hours, and most of the students looked for the easiest ways to complete their service. They often like to get hooked up with a church or community aid organization, because usually the people at those places took it really easy on the students and they didn’t have to do much. As a place of last resort, some students would volunteer to assist teachers at the school and get their hours that way. One year, though, I had a young lady who volunteered to be my assistant. She proved to be invaluable, becoming a secretary of sorts. She helped me greatly during the time that I not only taught history, but I was also coaching the boys basketball team, and was the commissioner of our athletic conference. She became a major asset in keeping all of the paperwork straight, scheduling events and referees and countless other duties. In early February, one of the teachers had a major project coming up for them and put up signs to elicit someone to volunteer to help and to fulfill their hours. No one volunteered though, and the teacher asked me if this young lady could come and help her. She was willing because she sincerely loved to help and work with the teachers even though she had easily tripled her necessary hours. I believed greatly in the project the teacher was working on and told her that I would love to send this student over to her, but she had become so valuable to me that I had to wait until the basketball season was over. I simply could not spare her at the moment, but I did truly want to send her when I could.
It seems a little odd that in the middle of calling the Philippians to the genuine life of Christ and offering them examples so they can have a better idea of what that might look like in real life, that he would suddenly start to talk about Timothy and when he will send him to help out the Philippians. It seems strange, that is, until we realize that what Paul is in fact doing, is offering them up another example of a life that puts the interests of others above his own and truly has embraced the fullness of the life in Christ. Timothy is so valuable, in fact, that as much as Paul would like to send him there, and he truly would, he needs Timothy to stay with him until things have settled down for Paul a bit more and he can actually spare him.
Paul truly does want to send Timothy to them soon, which is evidenced by the fact that he doesn’t just wish that he can or say that he would like to, rather he hopes in the Lord Jesus. This means that Paul’s desire to send Timothy to them is part and parcel of his life in Christ. He wants to send Timothy because of his love for them and his recognition that as part of the body of Christ, they need the encouragement that Timothy will bring. At the same time, Paul desires to send him so that Timothy can return with good news (Paul is fairly confident that the news will be good) of the Philippians.
Paul pays Timothy a weighty compliment in verse 20 that appears to be a pretty severe rebuke for the other workers under him in Ephesus (presumably although we don’t know for sure that it was Ephesus). He says that he has no one else like Timothy. Timothy genuinely lives the life of Christ in his actions not just what he says. He actively takes a genuine interest in the welfare of others. Everyone else, he says, looks out for his own interests, but not Timothy. That doesn’t seem to speak well of those around him in Ephesus, but probably has more to do with the excellence of Timothy than with his actual disappointment with anyone else (although he may be comparing Timothy to non-Christians rather than the other Christian workers). Timothy’s life in Christ is so exemplary, that no one else comes close at the moment. Timothy does not look out for his own interests, but those of Jesus Christ. Notice Paul’s belief here that looking out for the interests of other Christians and looking out for the interests of Jesus Christ are virtually synonymous. Truly when one serves the people of Christ, they are serving the Messiah, for what is true of the King is true of his people.
Paul is affirming for the Philippians, something that they already know, namely that Timothy has proved himself. He’s not writing this letter so much as a letter of recommendation of someone they don’t know, but a reminder of what kind of man Timothy is and what kind of people Paul would like them to be. It is just as interesting here, though, to look at what Paul doesn’t say concerning Timothy. He doesn’t say that he is a trustworthy partner in the gospel because he is uncommonly intelligent, or a great preacher, or talented in evangelism. Paul’s criterion of a trustworthy and commendable Christian and pastor seem to be limited to that he puts the interests of the body of Christ ahead of his own and he understands the true concept of the family of Christ, as he has served Paul in every way that a son would serve his father. Fulfilling the life of Christ, apparently has more to do with dying to our own interests and exhibiting unselfish love than it does with any personal accomplishments or ability.
Paul, hopes to send Timothy so that they can not only read about him but so that they can see his example in person. He is a living, breathing example of the attitude of Christ which Paul described in verses 5-8 and called the Philippians to in verses 1-4. But, Paul knows that he must wait until he can see how things go with me, which is presumably a reference to a pending trial that he is facing. Once Paul has a better understanding of his fate, he will have a clearer picture of when he can send Timothy to them. He is still fairly confident, however, that he will be able to come see them soon. Whether or not he ever did has been lost to history.
One final note that is worth paying attention to is the way that Paul brilliantly created networks between people and churches. In fact, one gets the sense that they were the lifeblood of the early church. Churches can send money to one another, can share the same doctrines and practices, but nothing creates and maintains unity the way that face-to-face connections and relationships do. Indeed, these kind of connections are far more valuable than anything else when it comes to unity between communities of Christ that are separated by geography.
Devotional Thought
Personal relationships between members of different church communities were a vital means of support and unity in the early church. How much effort do you make to develop and maintain those types of relationships outside of your local church body? What would the benefits be of improving your efforts in that area?
Friday, May 02, 2008
Philippians 2:12-18
Shining as Stars
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Dig Deeper
I recently followed a fascinating and emotional story this last year. A coach of a major football program had received news that he had brain tumors and would not live very long. The team that he coached has been pretty bad for years as they hadn’t appeared in a bowl game for many years and he was only in his second year in trying to turn the program around. During the off-season, he gave several speeches to his team, reminding them of the plan that they had to put together a respectable and winning program. They wanted to win but it was also vital to him that they do it by following the rules and having a program filled with young men of character. He was telling them all of this because he did not know how much longer he would be able to coach them. Whether he was there or not, he wanted the players and coaches to continue to build the type of program that he had laid out for them. Sadly, the coach died before the season began, but the coaches and players did carry on. They played with great heart and class, had a winning record and made a bowl game. There was a particularly touching moment when the coach’s widow was invited down onto the field near the end of the game to celebrate with the team as they won the bowl game, and also to celebrate the life of their former coach.
As Paul writes this letter, he is urging his dear spiritual children in Philippians to grab onto the fullness of the life of Christ to which they were called. He has laid the foundation for a beautiful community, but he simply doesn’t know if he will be around to see it completed or not. He is hopeful, of course, but there is the very real possibility that he will never see them again and he doesn’t want them to come apart at the seems if that turns out to be God’s plan. Like the football coach, Paul knows the very real possibility that he will not be able to finish what he started but he still has a passion to see it completed.
Paul knows that the Philippians have demonstrated the strength of their life in Christ, particularly that they have always obeyed the Spirit’s direction in living that life and being transformed progressively into the image of God. What is important to Paul is that, perhaps in contrast with congregations like the one in Corinth, they have consistently shown obedience to the life in Christ, whether Paul was physically with them or not. But Paul knows that as they continue to construct their life in Christ, he may not be there. If that is the case, he wants them to carry on with the work they have begun. Paul says that they should continue to work out their salvation, by which he cannot mean that they should work to earn their salvation. Paul’s view of salvation here is that it is the continuing process of realizing the life of Christ and putting off their old lives when they walked according to the desires of their own flesh rather than the will of the Spirit. This is both an individual and a corporate process, but Paul seems to have the corporate life in the body of Christ more in view. In other words, they should, as he said in 1:27, "conduct themselves in a manner worthy of their calling" so that they will be in right standing, firmly in Christ, on the day of Christ.
When Paul says that they should work out this salvation with fear and trembling, he certainly doesn’t mean that they should be terrified of God. This would contradict Paul’s reassurance in Romans 8:15 that "you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear." Rather he wants them to act with an appropriate attitude of reverence before God. He wants them to be aware of the responsibility and privilege that come with living the life of Christ.
The life of Christ that Paul wants so badly for them does involve our will and attitude to stay in Christ, but Paul wants the Philippians to know that ultimately, their status and salvation do not come from their own efforts. It is God who works in them, allowing them, through the work of the Spirit, to act according to God’s good purpose.
Paul’s overall point is similar to a parent who has been teaching their child to ride a bike without training wheels. He is getting ready to let go of the back of the bike and whether he is around to offer them occasional guidance or will not be around at all, they need to learn to think through difficult situations with a unified and independent mind, while still being obedient to the prompting of the Spirit. They will have to wisely determine what the gospel means for them in their particular situations and what it means to continue to be the body of Christ.
They are to continue to do all of this without complaining or arguing, so that they may become blameless and pure. Rather than living by the principles of the world, they should live as children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation. This is unmistakable language linking Paul’s point back to the Exodus generation. He doesn’t want them to be guilty of the constant complaining against Godlike the first Exodus generation was. Paul always saw the Christian community as the people of the new Exodus, led out of the slavery of sin, having passed through the Red Sea of baptism, and having entered into the promised land of the body of Christ.
Paul wants to ensure that they succeed where the first Exodus people failed. Israel was supposed to be a light to the world (Is. 42:6-7; 49:6) but had failed. Paul does not want them to become crooked and depraved (Deut. 32:5) like the Exodus generation or the culture around them. Rather, they should succeed where Israel failed and be a light to the world around them. They are to shine like stars in the universe, a phrase which comes from Daniel 12:3. In Daniel, those who are wise in God’s law will shine in the culture around them. Daniel intimates that those who have this kind of wisdom will take part in the resurrection, a theme that Paul will turn to in full force in chapter 3. Paul’s point then, is that the Philippians should be a sign of God’s new life and His coming resurrection in a world that knows only the way that leads to death. He wants them to go after the life of the age to come, the word of life, so that all of the work and effort that has gone into building this Christian community will not be for nothing (a metaphor that he draws from Is. 49:4). For Paul, the life that Christians live in the present age should always be determined by the reality of the day of Christ when all things will be made new and the work of Christians would be reviewed (1 Cor. 3:13-14; 4:3-4).
Drink offerings were common in Paul’s day and were usually poured on top of and in addition to the sacrifice that was being made (Num. 15:1-10). It appears that Paul viewed the continued obedience of the Philippians (v. 12) and their steadfastness, as well as his apostolic service as their sacrifice to God. The drink offering, then, would be the possible event of his own death. Even if that were to happen, he would still rejoice and wants them to do so as well. This is yet another way that they can shine as lights to the culture around them. The world lives in ways that only lead to death, and yet it abhors and fears it. Christians, in contrast, are to live lives that demonstrate the life of God’s future age, and because we are part of that age, we know that we have nothing to fear from death. Tertullian, a early church leader writing around 200 AD, reminded his fellow Christians that "Since then, there is certainty as to the resurrection of the dead, grief for death is needless. . . For why should you grieve, if you believe that your loved one has not perished? . . . We wound Christ when we do not accept with equanimity the summoning out of this world of anyone by Him, as if they were to be pitied." In the event of Paul’s death, they should stand strong, be glad and rejoice with Paul because he will have reached the goal for which all Christians strive.
Devotional Thought
Do you shine like a star compared to those around you? Do you live your life with the resurrection and God’s future age in mind to such a degree that it sets your life apart from the generation in which you live? The constant challenge for God’s people is to do precisely that; to wisely discern what it means to live the gospel in their culture and generation.
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Dig Deeper
I recently followed a fascinating and emotional story this last year. A coach of a major football program had received news that he had brain tumors and would not live very long. The team that he coached has been pretty bad for years as they hadn’t appeared in a bowl game for many years and he was only in his second year in trying to turn the program around. During the off-season, he gave several speeches to his team, reminding them of the plan that they had to put together a respectable and winning program. They wanted to win but it was also vital to him that they do it by following the rules and having a program filled with young men of character. He was telling them all of this because he did not know how much longer he would be able to coach them. Whether he was there or not, he wanted the players and coaches to continue to build the type of program that he had laid out for them. Sadly, the coach died before the season began, but the coaches and players did carry on. They played with great heart and class, had a winning record and made a bowl game. There was a particularly touching moment when the coach’s widow was invited down onto the field near the end of the game to celebrate with the team as they won the bowl game, and also to celebrate the life of their former coach.
As Paul writes this letter, he is urging his dear spiritual children in Philippians to grab onto the fullness of the life of Christ to which they were called. He has laid the foundation for a beautiful community, but he simply doesn’t know if he will be around to see it completed or not. He is hopeful, of course, but there is the very real possibility that he will never see them again and he doesn’t want them to come apart at the seems if that turns out to be God’s plan. Like the football coach, Paul knows the very real possibility that he will not be able to finish what he started but he still has a passion to see it completed.
Paul knows that the Philippians have demonstrated the strength of their life in Christ, particularly that they have always obeyed the Spirit’s direction in living that life and being transformed progressively into the image of God. What is important to Paul is that, perhaps in contrast with congregations like the one in Corinth, they have consistently shown obedience to the life in Christ, whether Paul was physically with them or not. But Paul knows that as they continue to construct their life in Christ, he may not be there. If that is the case, he wants them to carry on with the work they have begun. Paul says that they should continue to work out their salvation, by which he cannot mean that they should work to earn their salvation. Paul’s view of salvation here is that it is the continuing process of realizing the life of Christ and putting off their old lives when they walked according to the desires of their own flesh rather than the will of the Spirit. This is both an individual and a corporate process, but Paul seems to have the corporate life in the body of Christ more in view. In other words, they should, as he said in 1:27, "conduct themselves in a manner worthy of their calling" so that they will be in right standing, firmly in Christ, on the day of Christ.
When Paul says that they should work out this salvation with fear and trembling, he certainly doesn’t mean that they should be terrified of God. This would contradict Paul’s reassurance in Romans 8:15 that "you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear." Rather he wants them to act with an appropriate attitude of reverence before God. He wants them to be aware of the responsibility and privilege that come with living the life of Christ.
The life of Christ that Paul wants so badly for them does involve our will and attitude to stay in Christ, but Paul wants the Philippians to know that ultimately, their status and salvation do not come from their own efforts. It is God who works in them, allowing them, through the work of the Spirit, to act according to God’s good purpose.
Paul’s overall point is similar to a parent who has been teaching their child to ride a bike without training wheels. He is getting ready to let go of the back of the bike and whether he is around to offer them occasional guidance or will not be around at all, they need to learn to think through difficult situations with a unified and independent mind, while still being obedient to the prompting of the Spirit. They will have to wisely determine what the gospel means for them in their particular situations and what it means to continue to be the body of Christ.
They are to continue to do all of this without complaining or arguing, so that they may become blameless and pure. Rather than living by the principles of the world, they should live as children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation. This is unmistakable language linking Paul’s point back to the Exodus generation. He doesn’t want them to be guilty of the constant complaining against Godlike the first Exodus generation was. Paul always saw the Christian community as the people of the new Exodus, led out of the slavery of sin, having passed through the Red Sea of baptism, and having entered into the promised land of the body of Christ.
Paul wants to ensure that they succeed where the first Exodus people failed. Israel was supposed to be a light to the world (Is. 42:6-7; 49:6) but had failed. Paul does not want them to become crooked and depraved (Deut. 32:5) like the Exodus generation or the culture around them. Rather, they should succeed where Israel failed and be a light to the world around them. They are to shine like stars in the universe, a phrase which comes from Daniel 12:3. In Daniel, those who are wise in God’s law will shine in the culture around them. Daniel intimates that those who have this kind of wisdom will take part in the resurrection, a theme that Paul will turn to in full force in chapter 3. Paul’s point then, is that the Philippians should be a sign of God’s new life and His coming resurrection in a world that knows only the way that leads to death. He wants them to go after the life of the age to come, the word of life, so that all of the work and effort that has gone into building this Christian community will not be for nothing (a metaphor that he draws from Is. 49:4). For Paul, the life that Christians live in the present age should always be determined by the reality of the day of Christ when all things will be made new and the work of Christians would be reviewed (1 Cor. 3:13-14; 4:3-4).
Drink offerings were common in Paul’s day and were usually poured on top of and in addition to the sacrifice that was being made (Num. 15:1-10). It appears that Paul viewed the continued obedience of the Philippians (v. 12) and their steadfastness, as well as his apostolic service as their sacrifice to God. The drink offering, then, would be the possible event of his own death. Even if that were to happen, he would still rejoice and wants them to do so as well. This is yet another way that they can shine as lights to the culture around them. The world lives in ways that only lead to death, and yet it abhors and fears it. Christians, in contrast, are to live lives that demonstrate the life of God’s future age, and because we are part of that age, we know that we have nothing to fear from death. Tertullian, a early church leader writing around 200 AD, reminded his fellow Christians that "Since then, there is certainty as to the resurrection of the dead, grief for death is needless. . . For why should you grieve, if you believe that your loved one has not perished? . . . We wound Christ when we do not accept with equanimity the summoning out of this world of anyone by Him, as if they were to be pitied." In the event of Paul’s death, they should stand strong, be glad and rejoice with Paul because he will have reached the goal for which all Christians strive.
Devotional Thought
Do you shine like a star compared to those around you? Do you live your life with the resurrection and God’s future age in mind to such a degree that it sets your life apart from the generation in which you live? The constant challenge for God’s people is to do precisely that; to wisely discern what it means to live the gospel in their culture and generation.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Philippians 2:5-11
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Dig Deeper
Throughout my years of teaching and studying history, I noticed a very clear pattern amongst great and powerful leaders regardless of the time period they lived in or what nation they ruled. Most of those leaders constantly exaggerated their greatness, grabbed for more power, and constantly exalted themselves in reputation and title. This is true whether you look at the rulers of ancient Babylon or Egypt, who were constantly claiming to be gods or at the very least, sons of gods. This was true of great world leaders like Alexander the Great who constantly exalted himself and fed into the belief that he was the son of a god. This was especially true in Paul’s time with the Roman Emperors who gave themselves grand titles and were already beginning to claim deity. The way of the world seems to be that great leaders are powerful, impressive, and magnificent, and they exalt themselves and increase their power in order to cement their status as rulers.
In fact, one of the things that set Abraham Lincoln apart from so many other rulers throughout the history of the world was that he seemed to reject all of the pretense, the pomp, and self-exaltation. If anything, he constantly engaged in self-deprecation and constantly humbled himself. Although, he was far from perfect, he was notable for his humility. So, it should come as no surprise that he read the Bible constantly growing up and he greatly admired and tried to emulate Jesus Christ. The problem that many people have to this day with accepting Jesus for who the Bible says he is, is that he doesn’t measure up to the world’s standard of a great leader. If he really was so great, they claim, why aren’t their more records; why didn’t he make a bigger splash; why didn’t more people follow him; why wasn’t he more impressive? Paul addresses that directly in one of the most expressive and beautiful passages about Jesus in all of scripture. In it, he will describe what true power, glory, and authority really look like. What was just as shocking in Paul’s day as it is in ours, is that the picture he paints is a shocking departure from the world’s idea of those very concepts of power, glory, and authority.
When we truly consider the human view of power and authority we see the subversive shock of what Paul is saying here. It has been man’s destiny and pattern since the time of Adam and Eve to snatch for power, authority, and status that does not belong to us. All the Pharaohs, Alexander the Greats, and Roman Emperors are exposed as frauds by Paul’s words. What they are exercising, grasping for, and exploiting is not true power and authority but the human caricature and perversion of it.
In the previous passage, Paul called the Philippians to love one another with a seemingly unattainable unity and a determination to put the interests of one another ahead of their own. His ultimate reason is because they have entered into the life of Christ. But what does that mean in practical terms? The life of Christ is not something that can be quantified or captured by a list of commands or rules. Perhaps the best way to explain the mind of Christ to which Paul wants them to attain is to actually look at the mind set of Christ himself. He does so in this beautiful passage that some surmise to be an early Christian hymn, but is just as likely written by Paul as an integral part of his overall argument in this letter.
The NEB translation of verse 5 really brings out Paul’s point clearly, "Let your bearing towards one another arise out of your life in Jesus Christ." Paul’s desire is that the way Christians think should be like-minded (v. 2) because we are all in Christ. That doesn’t mean Paul is calling for uniformity where everyone thinks and acts exactly the same in every situation. Paul calls for the unity of the mind of Christ which entails the desire to do God’s will, love one another, put the interests of others above self, etc. When this is done, the body of Christ will have the same mind as Christ.
In verse 6, Paul begins to describe the mind and nature of Christ that he is calling the Philippians to emulate. Rather than the power-grabbing, self-exalting nature of most human leaders, Jesus was God in his very nature (a word that could also appropriately be translated "form" or "essence") did not consider equality with God or his status as God as something to be exploited or taken advantage of (the word translated "grasped" is now understood by most scholars to have been an idiom which meant to use a situation to your advantage). This stands in stark contrast to Caesar and other pretenders to the throne who exploit and take advantage of every situation they possibly can.
That was the mind set of Christ, but an attitude remains abstract and theoretical until it is accompanied by action. Paul wanted the Philippians to have the same mind as Christ, but to also have the same actions. The specific action that he has called them to is to put the interests of others above their own interests. He will now discuss how Christ did exactly that as a model for them. Rather than exalting himself and exploiting his divinity, Jesus made himself nothing, a term which means making himself of no account. He didn’t come to earth and demand to be treated as God, but rather took the very nature of a servant (literally a slave), being made in human likeness, and was found in appearance as a man. Paul is not arguing that Jesus gave up his divinity, quite the opposite. His point is that he revealed the form of God in the form of a slave and human likeness. The slave in Paul’s day did not have the most basic human rights. Jesus refused to exploit the privilege of deity. He did not come to be served, but to serve (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45).
Christians should constantly be ready to humble ourselves because Christ had every reason to lift himself up and demand to be served, but instead he subjected himself to the ultimate form of humility by dying on a cross. Crucifixion was such a grotesque and uncouth concept in Roman society, that the word for cross was considered an obscenity by cultured folks. Jesus lowered himself for the sake of others to become human and never comforted himself with his own deserved title or status, and then humbled himself even more when his human status and his obedience to the plan of God led him straight to the cross. Christ went from the highest position imaginable to the lowest possible circumstances. This lowly status and putting the interests of others ahead of his own was not evidence that Jesus was not divine, in fact it was the very proof that he was. Men constantly seek to gain power by exalting themselves, but truly "what is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s site" (Luke 16:15).
In verse 9, things suddenly turn from humbling and lowly status on the word "therefore". Why should the one who was so humbled be exalted to the highest place? Because on the cross, Jesus has done only what God could do. By humbling himself in such a way for others, Jesus demonstrated that he is the only one worthy of being exalted as the true God. This is Paul’s point in verses 10-11. When it is revealed that Jesus has been enthroned in heaven, the place of God’s presence, every knee will bow either willingly or reluctantly. His exaltation will be universal and complete. Verse 11 quotes from Isaiah 45:23, a passage which promises that all of humanity will bow to YHWH alone and that this glory will not be shared with anyone. Yet, the glory that YHWH will not share is now being given to Jesus, demonstrating that he is, in fact, God in his very nature. Rather than being duped by human concepts of authority, power, and divinity, we would do well to do what Paul does here: to start with Jesus and rethink our whole understanding of God and power through him. The God we serve is a God who is most recognizable when he gives up his rights and abandons his high position for the sake of the world. That’s the attitude and way of life to which we should cling because we belong to the Messiah. If we truly understand that, then the lofty ideals of verses 1-4 suddenly come into focus as necessary and attainable.
Devotional Thought
Do you live a pattern of abandoning your rights for the sake and good of others or do you tend to snatch and revel in any opportunity to further your own interests? What patterns of worldly thinking about status and rights have you accepted that you need to constantly rethink in light of the example of Christ?
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Dig Deeper
Throughout my years of teaching and studying history, I noticed a very clear pattern amongst great and powerful leaders regardless of the time period they lived in or what nation they ruled. Most of those leaders constantly exaggerated their greatness, grabbed for more power, and constantly exalted themselves in reputation and title. This is true whether you look at the rulers of ancient Babylon or Egypt, who were constantly claiming to be gods or at the very least, sons of gods. This was true of great world leaders like Alexander the Great who constantly exalted himself and fed into the belief that he was the son of a god. This was especially true in Paul’s time with the Roman Emperors who gave themselves grand titles and were already beginning to claim deity. The way of the world seems to be that great leaders are powerful, impressive, and magnificent, and they exalt themselves and increase their power in order to cement their status as rulers.
In fact, one of the things that set Abraham Lincoln apart from so many other rulers throughout the history of the world was that he seemed to reject all of the pretense, the pomp, and self-exaltation. If anything, he constantly engaged in self-deprecation and constantly humbled himself. Although, he was far from perfect, he was notable for his humility. So, it should come as no surprise that he read the Bible constantly growing up and he greatly admired and tried to emulate Jesus Christ. The problem that many people have to this day with accepting Jesus for who the Bible says he is, is that he doesn’t measure up to the world’s standard of a great leader. If he really was so great, they claim, why aren’t their more records; why didn’t he make a bigger splash; why didn’t more people follow him; why wasn’t he more impressive? Paul addresses that directly in one of the most expressive and beautiful passages about Jesus in all of scripture. In it, he will describe what true power, glory, and authority really look like. What was just as shocking in Paul’s day as it is in ours, is that the picture he paints is a shocking departure from the world’s idea of those very concepts of power, glory, and authority.
When we truly consider the human view of power and authority we see the subversive shock of what Paul is saying here. It has been man’s destiny and pattern since the time of Adam and Eve to snatch for power, authority, and status that does not belong to us. All the Pharaohs, Alexander the Greats, and Roman Emperors are exposed as frauds by Paul’s words. What they are exercising, grasping for, and exploiting is not true power and authority but the human caricature and perversion of it.
In the previous passage, Paul called the Philippians to love one another with a seemingly unattainable unity and a determination to put the interests of one another ahead of their own. His ultimate reason is because they have entered into the life of Christ. But what does that mean in practical terms? The life of Christ is not something that can be quantified or captured by a list of commands or rules. Perhaps the best way to explain the mind of Christ to which Paul wants them to attain is to actually look at the mind set of Christ himself. He does so in this beautiful passage that some surmise to be an early Christian hymn, but is just as likely written by Paul as an integral part of his overall argument in this letter.
The NEB translation of verse 5 really brings out Paul’s point clearly, "Let your bearing towards one another arise out of your life in Jesus Christ." Paul’s desire is that the way Christians think should be like-minded (v. 2) because we are all in Christ. That doesn’t mean Paul is calling for uniformity where everyone thinks and acts exactly the same in every situation. Paul calls for the unity of the mind of Christ which entails the desire to do God’s will, love one another, put the interests of others above self, etc. When this is done, the body of Christ will have the same mind as Christ.
In verse 6, Paul begins to describe the mind and nature of Christ that he is calling the Philippians to emulate. Rather than the power-grabbing, self-exalting nature of most human leaders, Jesus was God in his very nature (a word that could also appropriately be translated "form" or "essence") did not consider equality with God or his status as God as something to be exploited or taken advantage of (the word translated "grasped" is now understood by most scholars to have been an idiom which meant to use a situation to your advantage). This stands in stark contrast to Caesar and other pretenders to the throne who exploit and take advantage of every situation they possibly can.
That was the mind set of Christ, but an attitude remains abstract and theoretical until it is accompanied by action. Paul wanted the Philippians to have the same mind as Christ, but to also have the same actions. The specific action that he has called them to is to put the interests of others above their own interests. He will now discuss how Christ did exactly that as a model for them. Rather than exalting himself and exploiting his divinity, Jesus made himself nothing, a term which means making himself of no account. He didn’t come to earth and demand to be treated as God, but rather took the very nature of a servant (literally a slave), being made in human likeness, and was found in appearance as a man. Paul is not arguing that Jesus gave up his divinity, quite the opposite. His point is that he revealed the form of God in the form of a slave and human likeness. The slave in Paul’s day did not have the most basic human rights. Jesus refused to exploit the privilege of deity. He did not come to be served, but to serve (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45).
Christians should constantly be ready to humble ourselves because Christ had every reason to lift himself up and demand to be served, but instead he subjected himself to the ultimate form of humility by dying on a cross. Crucifixion was such a grotesque and uncouth concept in Roman society, that the word for cross was considered an obscenity by cultured folks. Jesus lowered himself for the sake of others to become human and never comforted himself with his own deserved title or status, and then humbled himself even more when his human status and his obedience to the plan of God led him straight to the cross. Christ went from the highest position imaginable to the lowest possible circumstances. This lowly status and putting the interests of others ahead of his own was not evidence that Jesus was not divine, in fact it was the very proof that he was. Men constantly seek to gain power by exalting themselves, but truly "what is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s site" (Luke 16:15).
In verse 9, things suddenly turn from humbling and lowly status on the word "therefore". Why should the one who was so humbled be exalted to the highest place? Because on the cross, Jesus has done only what God could do. By humbling himself in such a way for others, Jesus demonstrated that he is the only one worthy of being exalted as the true God. This is Paul’s point in verses 10-11. When it is revealed that Jesus has been enthroned in heaven, the place of God’s presence, every knee will bow either willingly or reluctantly. His exaltation will be universal and complete. Verse 11 quotes from Isaiah 45:23, a passage which promises that all of humanity will bow to YHWH alone and that this glory will not be shared with anyone. Yet, the glory that YHWH will not share is now being given to Jesus, demonstrating that he is, in fact, God in his very nature. Rather than being duped by human concepts of authority, power, and divinity, we would do well to do what Paul does here: to start with Jesus and rethink our whole understanding of God and power through him. The God we serve is a God who is most recognizable when he gives up his rights and abandons his high position for the sake of the world. That’s the attitude and way of life to which we should cling because we belong to the Messiah. If we truly understand that, then the lofty ideals of verses 1-4 suddenly come into focus as necessary and attainable.
Devotional Thought
Do you live a pattern of abandoning your rights for the sake and good of others or do you tend to snatch and revel in any opportunity to further your own interests? What patterns of worldly thinking about status and rights have you accepted that you need to constantly rethink in light of the example of Christ?
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