We have examined this pastoral epistle written to the church
of Philippi by Paul the Apostle in some detail.
Now we want to step back as we overview the development of Paul’s major concerns
in this letter.
Background of the
Participants Acts 16
We initiated our study by first studying Acts chapter 16 to
get some background on the planting of this church through the efforts of Paul,
Silas, Timothy, and Luke. We learn in chapter 4 of Philippians that a number of
the early converts in that place quickly stepped up to help in the work. In chapter 1 of Philippians, Paul praises the
entire church for their “participation in the gospel.”
Sacrificial Participation
in Finances
We saw that this participation certainly included their
witness, but Paul particularly singles out their participation by sharing their
financial resources with him even after he left town and ministered
elsewhere. In fact, in chapter 4, he
singles out this church as the only one that continued to finance his travels
long after he was gone. They even sacrificially
participated in the campaign for the persecuted believers in Jerusalem. They gave until it hurt, and Paul knew there
were a number of years that they were unable to help even though they wanted
to. But Paul had just received another
gift from them along with a letter indicating a fear that they were unsure of
their ability to give regularly because of their poverty. And in this letter Paull sets out to widen
their perspective on their participation in the gospel.
God’s Purpose in
Perfecting Our Works
In verse 6 of chapter 1, Paul explains that God was doing a
“work” in them and He would “complete” or “perfect” it until the “day of Christ
Jesus.” Many people (including myself)
have cited this verse as proof that “once saved always saved” or that God is,
in fact, going to make us perfect. (Now,
it is true that a believer has everlasting life right now. And it is also true
that God, by His Spirit, is working in us —the transformation process requires
our cooperation—otherwise why bother with all these exhortations as to how to
live a godly life if it’s happening automatically!) But, it seems that a better understanding for
verse 6 is that he is talking about the good works we do—not our
salvation. Those works have a purpose
that God is perfecting.
God Promises
Rewards for Our Faithfulness
They are actually “perfected” by God and they will have
their intended effects. We might say that
they are like a spreading ripple that continues until the day Jesus Christ
comes to examine our works as believers.
Why is that? Because the Word of
God does not return void, but it does what God intends it to do (Isaiah 55:11). And in Philippi, their motivation to share
finances with Paul is having a ripple effect all over the Roman empire and even
continues today with the publication of this beautiful epistle! God put it into their hearts to share and they cooperated with that godly impulse
in a way that began to transform the way they viewed their resources. By the time this letter was written, they
were consumed with their ability to continue to give. So over and over in this letter, Paul
commends them for this. And in verse 6,
he is saying that what they did was the result of what God put in their heart
and He will complete what He started until Jesus comes back to have us give an
account of what we did with the resources He gave us. God gives the increase, but He rewards us for our faithfulness.
Our Motivation for
Participating in the Gospel
The remainder of the book is Paul’s explanation of this
participation in the gospel. He deals
with the matter of our motivation behind our participation. Sometimes there are terrible situations we
find ourselves in or people who misuse the message to harm us. But, none of this will stop the gospel. The wrong motives will have consequences but
as far as the gospel is concerned, what others may intend for evil, God intends
for good (Genesis 50:20). For example, his
prison experience and the jealous gospel teachers could not stop the gospel. (Note
also that the evil motives of the jealous teachers will have future
consequences at the judgment seat of Christ.)
Pray for Insight
to Walk Worthy
So, Paul prays that the Philippians will have the insight to
understand the best course of action in each twist and turn (1:10). This insight is an inner transformation that
affects our outer life into a “walk that is worthy” of the gospel. Even in the face of opposition, they should
live in a way that even their opponents will recognize God’s hand underscoring
the truth of the gospel. This sign is the same one Jesus mentioned that the
world will know we are disciples by our love for each other (John 13;35). Here the sign is our unity in the gospel. On
the other hand, infighting among those who name the name of Christ does not
stop the gospel, but it does affect our accounting when Christ returns. Also, we may suffer for the gospel, but that
should be seen as an opportunity to participate in a great victory for the
gospel.
Our Walk Begins
with Our Attitude
Chapter two discusses the “how” of participating in the
gospel. It is consumed with cultivating
a sense of humbly serving others just as Christ did. This is how the gospel is spread. It is a walk that begins with an
attitude—like Christ’s.
As we serve others in humility we are still very human and
subject to making comparisons and looking at how others are doing things, so
Paul tells us not to whine or complain but to shine (2:14-16). We look instead to the expectation of joy in
the return of Christ when this is all behind us. As we cooperate with God (and each other), we
learn to have that inner joy in seeing God work through us. That’s the kind of participation we look
forward to.
Strive to Live Out
the Righteousness that Christ Gives
This inner attitude then, is one of exulting in God as well
as in cultivating humility. But, our
works do not make us righteous and Paul points to his own attempts to keep the
law which he labels as stinking and worthless in comparison to the
righteousness that Christ provides. But,
still, we are to strive to live out this righteousness as if we had already
received our sinless resurrection bodies.
He recognizes that some immature believers might not yet understand this
logic but we all should live up to what we do know to the best of our ability
and don’t give up. This is why it is
important in choosing a proper role model.
We are to avoid copying those with a temporal value
system. Their mind is set on the things
of this world. Instead look for people
whose lives reflect an expectation of Jesus’ return.
Our Faithful Participation
Depends on Our Attitude
So ultimately, what a participant in the gospel, a citizen
of heaven, a believer in Christ, is to DO is to continually work on their
attitude. In chapter 4 we have a long
list of attitude adjustments—how to think—our mindset (4:7-9). The result of right thinking is right actions
which leads to inner peace with God because we are doing the things that please
Him.
The conclusion of the letter is that we can be fully
contented in Christ—no matter what situations may swirl around us. God will supply our needs as we participate
in the gospel.
© 2019 Eric Thimell
No comments:
Post a Comment