Author: Charlie Garrett

Saturday, 24 December 2016

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, Philippians 1:27

Paul has just penned his certainty that he will remain in his earthly body and continue with those at Philippi “for progress and joy of faith.” After this, he noted that this rejoicing would abound “in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.” Having said that, he now gives words of exhortation for them to consider.

He begins with “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” The word he uses for “your conduct” is politeuomai. It specifically means, “to live as a citizen.” Most translations make this word to indicate “conduct” or “manner of life,” but Paul was probably thinking more on the idea of citizenship itself. Thus, the NLT translates this verse as –

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” NLT

The word is only used elsewhere in Acts 23:1 where Paul was thinking on the same terms. He was a citizen of Rome and had exercised his citizenship as a Roman to make an appeal for his case directly to Caesar. Therefore, he was living his citizenship in Rome, as well as his citizenship in heaven, in order to meet the goals of the gospel. This is  certainly what he is thinking now, because he uses a variant of this word again in verse 3:20 where he says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…”

In this letter to Philippi, he is writing to a location mostly inhabited by Roman citizens. This is because Philippi was a Roman colony. He had even declared his own Roman citizenship there in Acts 16 –

“But Paul said to them, ‘They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.’” Acts 16:37

Understanding this, we can see that in his words to this group, he was reminding them that even if some of them were Roman citizens, they had a higher citizenship by which they should conduct their lives. He then explains the reason for this – “…so that whether I come and see you or am absent, that you stand fast in one spirit.” There was to be no division among them based on their earthly status.

Those who were citizens of Rome were to be in the same spirit with those who were slaves. The principle passes down to us today. We are to be united without regard to social status, fame, or any other lesser division. Rather, we are to be “in one spirit.” The spirit is the higher connection to God which comes through faith in Christ. A person who is not in Christ is “dead” in his spirit, but through Christ, the spirit is quickened to life and the connection to God is repaired to the state it was originally intended to be. In this spiritual connection, believers are to be united as one.

Further, he notes that they are to be “with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” The word translated as “mind” here is psuché. It refers specifically to the “soul.” As the spirit is the higher connection to God, the soul is the human connection to one another. In essence, we could think of Paul’s intent here as – “Let your spiritual connection to God be as one, and let your earthly lives strive together for the faith of the gospel.” There was to be a uniting of their spiritual and earthly efforts for harmony among one another, and for that harmony to be employed in their earthly conduct in order to build one another up in the faith.

Life application: There is nothing wrong with living out our earthly lives as citizens of the country in which we live, as long as we realize that our true citizenship is in heaven. The earthly citizenship should never be conducted without considering the heavenly. And this goes for personal conduct as well as interactions with other believers.

Lord God, though we live in this world and are citizens of various nations, in Christ we are one and we are to direct our lives first and foremost in regards to our heavenly citizenship. Help us to live out our personal lives in this way, and help us to conduct our personal interactions with other believers in this manner as well. Let us not divide our allegiance to You in ways which are not glorifying of You or which are not helpful to our fellows in Christ. Amen.

Friday, 23 December 2016

…that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. Philippians 1:26

This verse is to be taken together with the previous verse for context –

“And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, ²⁶ that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.”

Paul, led by the prompting of the Spirit, was confident that he would live and not die at this time. This would then result in the rejoicing of those in Philippi “in Jesus Christ.” The rejoicing in Him is the full result of what would occur, but it would also be in Paul’s return to them.

The translation is not literal, but it catches the intent of what is being said. The KJV, however, does not convey the correct meaning. The Greek of the verse says, “..in Jesus Christ in me through my coming again to you.” There is a parallelism in the repetition of the use of “in” by Paul to show that even though the presence of Paul is the immediate cause of their joy, it is a joy which has arisen out of the fact that Christ Jesus lives in him. They would rejoice “in Jesus Christ” for what had come about.

This verse shows us that it is acceptable to rejoice in the accomplishments, or even in the presence, of another. However, that rejoicing needs to be considered in light of the greater rejoicing which comes through Christ who dwells in that person.

In other words, we can rejoice in a great preacher of the gospel. However, it is that Christ is in him that the rejoicing finds its fullest sense. The use of the parallel “in” is thus instructive. In the end, all rejoicing finds its true home in the Lord. In the case of Paul, the Philippian church would receive its joy when he was released to come to them again, and it would be a rejoicing in him and in Christ Jesus.

Life application: Rejoicing in the Lord is good. Let’s do it today!

Heavenly Father, there is nothing better than to rejoice in You. You are the Source of all things and the Giver of all good blessings. Where could we go to find anything to rejoice in apart from You? As all things came from You, then You are ultimately where our rejoicing comes from, and so… let us rejoice in You! Great are You, O God, and greatly to be praised. Amen.

Thursday, 22 December 2016

And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, Philippians 1:25

As noted in the previous verse, there is a hint of the overriding of the Spirit in Paul’s words. He may not be speaking as if he is fully aware of the matter in his human nature, and yet his words are being directed by the Spirit. This is evidenced by the fact that they are included in the pages of the Bible. There are other times where Paul spoke of the future as if he was certain of a matter, and yet his words were proven incorrect. This occurs when the narrative is speaking about what he is saying, and it is intended to show that he and the other apostles and prophets were not fully aware of the future in their humanity. And yet, when writing or prophesying, they were guided by the Spirit. It is an amazing thing to see unfold in Scripture!

In this feeling of surety which is both lacking in his humanity, and yet prophetic because of the prompting of the Spirit, he states, “And being confident of this…” In these words, he yields himself to the prompting which is from the Spirit. Again, this must be the case as the words are now included in Scripture. And yet, other scholars disagree and state that he is simply voicing a confidence which is one of continued uncertainty. Because of this, the next words have to be somewhat manipulated. He says, “I know that I shall remain and continue with you all.”

Albert Barnes states, “The word “know,” however, … is not to be pressed as denoting absolute necessity – for it appears from Philippians 1:27 and Philippians 2:17, that there was some ground for doubt whether he would live – but is to be taken in a popular sense, as denoting good courage, and an earnest hope that he would be permitted to live and visit them.” This is a possible explanation of Paul’s words, but it does not coincide with the conflict which he was struggling with. It was suddenly resolved with the words of this verse. Further, if Paul had instead died, the words which he wrote, as part of an epistle of doctrine to the Philippians, would have been proven false. Such would not be the case if it was inspired by the Spirit.

And so, in his confidence, he notes that he will continue with these disciples “for your progress and joy of faith.” It was necessary for their continued doctrinal education that he stay. The Spirit had so indicated it, and he came to realize that this was true. And in receiving this, it would strengthen their joy of faith. Faith is something we possess in varying measure. When our faith is weak, our joy in what our faith is directed to is weak. But when our faith is strong, our joy in what it is directed to is also strong.

If we are certain of the outcome of a presidential race, having faith that our candidate will win, we will be joyous in that fact. However, as the odds of probability drop, so will our level of joy in what lies ahead. Paul understood that he had not yet given the full measure of doctrinal knowledge out that would be necessary for full joy and confidence in the work of the Lord. And so, as led by the Spirit, he assured his audience (and thus us!) that he would continue on until that work was complete.

Life application: If the surety of our “joy of faith” is based on our knowledge of the work of Christ, and if that knowledge is only imparted to us in the pages of Scripture, then why on earth would we not want to know this marvelous body of doctrine completely and perfectly? How sad it is that Christians waffle in their faith because they are not well-grounded in the word of that faith! Whose fault is it then when we struggle with life’s uncertainties? Read the word! Study to show yourself approved!

Lord God, we all have varying levels of faith. Some of  us are weak in our faith; others are strong. Those who are weak, are like little boats tossed about on a giant sea of confusion. And whose fault is that? You have given us everything we need to know for life, doctrine, and fully-assured faith right in the pages of the Bible. And yet, so many would rather remain on the sea of chaos, struggling with every little thing that happens, than to devote the time and hard work necessary to be well-grounded in Your word. That is a sad thing to consider. Help us to be people of faith by being people of sound doctrine. To Your glory! Amen.

Wednesday, 21 December 2016

Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. Philippians 1:24

Paul has been expressing in writing his struggle between his desire to depart this life and be with Christ, and that of continuing on in this life in order to bear fruit for the gospel. It is as if his mental struggle will actually be determined by the words he writes. And in reality, this is the case. He is writing under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and so one can see the duality of how Scripture comes about in his conflict. There is the carnal man who is thinking out his thoughts as a carnal man, unsure about what lies ahead, and revealing his own thoughts and desires. And then there is the inspired prophet of God who is being led, as if a ship directed by the wind through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The man’s thoughts remain his, and they are expressed clearly, and yet the Holy Spirit’s will is what takes precedence in order to bring us God’s word. Paul is not the only one where this is seen. Rather, throughout the Bible, we see exactly this occurring, time and time again. Even a cursory read through Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, or any of the other prophetic writings will show this to be the case. Because it is also true with Paul, he now writes the words of this verse, “Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.”

He had no idea which option to choose, but the Holy Spirit did. He wrote what he knew in his inner being because of the Spirit’s prompting. Despite the conflict, he yielded to the Spirit – “Nevertheless.” In so yielding, the oracle came through – he would “remain in the flesh.” This was what God had determined, and this is what would come to pass. He would not go to be with the Lord at this time, but rather he would remain in his earthly body. And the reason is that it was “more needful for” those he ministered to at Philippi and elsewhere.

This need was certainly 1) to ensure that all of the word of God which was to come from his pen would, in fact, come. And, 2) to ensure that those he had brought to Christ would be prepared for the time when he was no longer with them. This is seen, for example, in the words he spoke to those of the Ephesian church in Acts 20 –

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. ³¹ Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Acts 20:28-31

For these, and whatever other reasons, Paul was inspired to write the words of this verse. It should not be considered unusual that the Spirit impelled him in this way. As noted above, this type of dual working between the man and the Spirit is found throughout Scripture. If there was ever a conflict or misunderstanding between the two, the Spirit would prevail. Jeremiah shows us a marvelous example of this –

“‘“O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded;
You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
I am in derision daily;
Everyone mocks me.
⁸ For when I spoke, I cried out;
I shouted, “Violence and plunder!”
Because the word of the Lord was made to me
A reproach and a derision daily.
⁹ Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name.”
But His word was in my heart like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And I could not.”’” Jeremiah 20:7-9

Jeremiah strived against the word of the Lord, and the Spirit of God prevailed in the struggle. Paul was unsure of what would happen in his future, but the Spirit settled the matter with the word which he uttered and which was confirmed by the issue of ink from the pen held in the scribe’s hand.

Life application: We don’t know the future, but God does. Let us not worry about what lies ahead, but rather let us trust that His plan will unfold exactly as it should. God’s plan cannot be thwarted. As it is a good plan, let it come and have no fear as it does.

Lord God, we often struggle with what the future holds. It is scary at times because we don’t see the outcome of things that intimately concern us. But we are shown in Your word that You have a plan, a good plan, which is being worked out in the stream of time. As we (who have called on Jesus) are a part of the good end of that plan, then why should we be anxious at all? Your good plan for us cannot be thwarted, and so let us not look at the future with fear, but with a sense of relief! It is all in control according to Your wisdom. Hallelujah for such comfort. Amen.

Tuesday, 20 December 2016

For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Philippians 1:23

This verse is referring to Paul’s internal conflict concerning living on in the flesh or dying and going to be with Christ. He now gives highly emphatic words – “For I am hard pressed between the two.” The two options were both straining at him. To him, he was hemmed in by both as they called out to his soul.

It is as if he were a miner working in a camp. His tent is tied down and there was safety and much productive work to be done which would bear fruit. His work there would be profitable and a great help to the other miners. And yet, there was the finest gold awaiting him in the mountains, calling to him. The wealth there was more than could ever be imagined or realized while staying in the camp. And so he was being pressed heavily by both options, only one of which he could pursue.

Understanding this dilemma, he continues by saying, “…having a desire to depart and be with Christ.” The word “depart” here means, “to unloose for departure.” His desire was to head to the place of the most precious riches of all. In so doing, he would have to unloose his tent and strike off towards his destination. In this, he is equating life as the movement of a tent where there is the pulling up of the restraining cords in order to move. In order to go to the mountain of riches, he would have to pull up the cords for the last time. This move is equated with his death, but he says that this option is “far better.”

Some scholars see the unloosing for the departure to be a nautical one. He was equating himself with a ship being drawn out to sea. No matter what analogy one makes, Paul faced a decision which truly pressed on him from both sides. The two called out to him and vexed him in his soul.

Among other things, this verse shows us quite clearly that the person who dies in Christ is immediately transported to be with Him, even if it is without a body. It will be a place of great gain. People may argue over the details of what occurs, but the simple surety that we will be with Christ in a far better place is made completely clear to us.

Life application: There should be no fear for the believer in Christ concerning death. This world is a temporary one, and our lives here are to be productive for His kingdom, but the unloosing of our tent cords is to be a happy occasion. The move we will make is one which will take us to the place of highest joy and eternal riches. Let us not fear death as the world does. Instead, we should be in the greatest anticipation that we will be in the presence of Christ; the most wonderful place of all.

Heavenly Father, the Bible tells us that the one who has trusted Christ should never be worried about his death. Whether in this life or whether in our death, we belong to Christ and are safe and secure in His grasp. We are even told that to be absent from the body is to be with Him; the most marvelous place of all. Help us to be fixed in our faith that this is true, and to never fear what lies ahead. Your word is true; Your promises are sure; and our hope is not in vain. Thank You for such surety. Amen.