Philippians

Friday, 2 December 2016

…for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, Philippians 1:5

This clause is to be mentally connected to the words “I thank my God” from verse 3. First, it reads as follows –

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now…”

Mentally we can make the connection as such – “I thank my God …  for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now…”

Paul is grateful for their “fellowship in the gospel.” There are many opinions on what this means. Some claim it is pointing to their reception of the blessings of the gospel. Others say that it is speaking of their continuance in the gospel, being steadfast in adhering to it. What Paul is certainly referring to, however, is their contributing to the furtherance of the gospel. This is what he will allude to both in this epistle and elsewhere. For example, in 2 Corinthians 8 he says the following concerning those in Macedonia, which includes the Philippians –

“Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: ² that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. ³ For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, ⁴ imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. ⁵ And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.” 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

It is this then which Paul is referring to as “fellowship in the gospel” which they had participated in “from the first day.” They helped Paul, supporting him even when he was preaching in other areas. Their willingness to give was so great that it appears he simply could not refuse their generosity. Because of this, he used an exceptional term, “robbed,” to show that he was relying on their generosity in a way that he felt almost uncomfortable with –

“I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. ⁹ And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. ¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!” 2 Corinthians 11:8-11

This is what Paul was so grateful for. The poorest of the churches he ministered to were the greatest givers of all!

Life application: The poor tend to give above their ability, even out of their poverty. At the same time, those who are well off tend to give less in proportion to their wealth. Let our hearts be willing to give at all times and in all ways if the cause is right. This is especially so with the furtherance of the gospel. In such cases, it is always right to so give.

Lord God, thank You for those who are willing to expend themselves for the furtherance of the gospel. Some go even beyond their ability because they have such a passion for this marvelous good news which You have allowed us to share with others. There is hope and reconciliation with You through the shed blood of Christ. May we never be found stingy in the giving of ourselves for this purpose, but rather willing to go to any and all extremes to share this marvelous good news. Amen.

Thursday, 1 December 2016

…always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, Philippians 1:4

This verse continues from the previous one. Taken together, they read –

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy…”

Paul is writing to the congregation as a whole, but his words are directed to each person individually. As he contemplated the congregation that he had come to love, each individual would come to mind and he would thank God for them as noted in verse 3. However, there was more that would come from these thoughts. He was including them “always in every prayer” which he made. In those prayers, he says to them that he is “making request for you all with joy.”

The word translated as both “prayer” and “request” in this verse is the same word, deésis. It means a “heart-felt petition, arising out of deep personal need (sense of lack, want)” (HELPS Word Studies).

And so the thought would read – “…always in every supplication of mine making supplication for you all with joy.” In other words, these weren’t general prayers that were going up. Instead, he contemplated the needs of each one of his fellow believers, and he would include that need in his plea. “Lord, look after Kristinius as she takes care of her family;” “Oh God, Sergious Paulos needs Your hand with him at the brick factory;” and etc.

This would have been the constant practice of Paul, remembering those he loved, praying for them, and doing so “with joy.” This is the first of five times that chara, or joy, is used by Paul. It indicates “… properly, the awareness (of God’s) grace, favor; joy (“grace recognized”) (HELPS Word Studies). From its frequent use, “joy” is considered the main them of the epistle. The scholar Bengel notes then that, “This epistle on joy aptly follows that to the Ephesians, where love reigns… The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy. Joy particularly gives animation to prayers.”

As Paul is writing from a Roman prison, it is a remarkable thing that he speaks so much of joy. His circumstances would be otherwise bleak and miserable. But with the thought of his beloved family in Philippi always on his mind, he remained filled with joy. He was able to redirect his thoughts to the needs of others, petitioning God for them, wisely using his time while incarcerated.

Life application: Joy is something which is not difficult to obtain when one knows the Lord Jesus. No matter how bad the circumstances which surround us may be, when we have the full confidence of the many great and enduring promises of Scripture, we can be filled with joy even when in completely miserable surroundings or circumstances. Let us keep our hearts, eyes, and thoughts on the Lord, and so transcend the difficulties which come our way.

Heavenly Father, there are many ways of finding pleasure, but there are so few ways of finding true joy. But thanks be to You for sending Christ Jesus. In Him, we can have true joy, even when our surroundings are completely miserable. Pleasure may be lacking, pain may fill our bodies, and trials may afflict us in our souls, and yet we can still have a sense of joy because of our hope which is grounded in Him. It is a hope which transcends this world, and which elevates us to a wonderful place where the world cannot harm us. Thank You for the joy which is found in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, 30 November 2016

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,  Philippians 1:3

Rather than “every remembrance,” a more proper reading would be “all my remembrance.” It is that of a continuous action. The Philippians were on Paul’s mind at all times, and he was in constant thanks to God as he remembered them. His relationship to God in the Greek reads to Theo mou – “the God of me,” and hence “my God.” The Pulpit Commentary says, “The pronoun expresses the inner consciousness of personal relations with God.”

Paul carried his relationship with God in his mind at all times, personally interacting with Him through thought, and expressing it in his words, actions, and interactions. In the case of those at Philippi, it was in thanks to God for them. As often as they entered into the stream of his thoughts, which was a constant thing, he was grateful to God for them.

Life application: Our relationship with God should be more than just in times of great distress – “Oh God I need You now,” or Sunday morning at church as we sit and listen to a sermon. Rather, He should be our constant companion and confidant. As thoughts enter our minds, we should have reactions to those thoughts streaming to Him. “Lord, thank you for my beautiful wife;” “I am sorry about that thought Lord, it was inappropriate;” “O God, it is such a beautiful day.” Let us have our thoughts tuned into God at each moment so that we share our lives in an intimate way with Him at all times.

Lord God Almighty, You are in all places at all times. And so how can we think we could live our lives apart from You? Help us to not treat You like a “Sunday morning thing,” or the One to call out to only when we need something. Instead, help us to interact with You in our thoughts at all times. When we see a loved one with our eyes, help us to remember to thank You for him or her in our mind. When we think a thought which isn’t so great, help us to confess it immediately to You, knowing that You are there with us in this struggle. Help our lives to be lived, moment by moment, understanding that You are right here with us. Amen.

Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

After identifying himself, his calling, who was accompanying him, and who the letter is directed to, Paul now gives the standard greeting which is found in most of his epistles. It begins with “Grace to you and peace to you.”

Grace is unmerited favor which cannot be earned. This is the common greeting among the Greek people. Peace however is the common greeting among the Hebrew people. In their language, the word is shalom. This is more than a greeting for calm or quiet, but is a state of wholeness and completion in all ways. Paul unites the two terms just as the church is being united between Jew and Gentile during his time. This grace precedes the peace because only after receiving the grace of God can a person experience the peace of God.

Paul extends this wonderful blessing to them “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is a greeting from the eternal God – both the unseen Father and His Son who reveals the Father to us. Rather than being an argument against the divinity of Jesus Christ, it is an argument for it. He is tying the two in as one – Jesus being a member of the Godhead. He is not making some type of great division, but a harmonious blending of the two.

Throughout Paul’s letters, as with the entire Bible, the deity of Jesus Christ is a concept and a precept which simply can’t be missed. It is the very heart of what God has done for the reconciliation of the people of the world.

Life application: Outside of God’s creation, which reveals Him in a general way, we cannot comprehend Him except through His special revelation. One way we receive special revelation is through the mouths of His prophets. But these prophets all testified to the same thing – Jesus Christ (John 5:39). The most magnificent special revelation of God that we have received is the incarnation of Jesus. But for us, even this isn’t sight. Instead, it is found in the testimony of those who have recorded what they knew into the New Testament. So, in order to understand God, one must know Jesus Christ, and one cannot understand Jesus Christ unless they know their Bible. Know your Bible!

Heavenly Father, how grateful we are that we can fellowship with You personally. We can read Your word and know who You are. We can have personal talks with you as we pray in a quiet place or on a bustling city street. You are with us as we rise in the morning, and when we retire at the end of the day. We can feel Your presence with us in church and fellowship with others, praising You and giving You thanks for Your wonderful care of us. It is a comfort to our soul to know that You are always there with us. Thank You for allowing us to fellowship with You, O God. Amen.