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Philippians – Lesson One – Philippians 1:1-11 Introduction Welcome to the series on Philippians. As you go deeper into this study, it is our desire that you discover for yourself the transforming power of God’s Word through the ministry of his Holy Spirit. The Book of Philippians is Paul’s thank-you letter to the church at Philippi for a gift he received from them during the time he was imprisoned in Rome. Paul expressed a particular thankfulness and joy for the Philippian believers. He had a special place in his heart for them. He thought of them as partners in the ministry of the gospel. They had endeared themselves to him. Paul writes, “I thank God every time I remember you.” These faithful Philippian friends were partners in the gospel through times of hardship and persecution. Paul’s fellowship with them was a shared relationship of humility, sacrifice, unity, self-discipline, and joy – even when weighed down by chains. Do you have a heart of thanksgiving because of your friendship and fellowship in the gospel with other believers? Do joy and unity describe your shared relationship? Paul expressed a certain confidence for his Philippian friends in the enduring promise that ‘he who began a good work in them would carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 1:6). He inspired them toward unity and spiritual maturity. As you go deeper, may you also be inspired toward unity and spiritual maturity, developing a heart of thanksgiving and joy in a shared partnership with other “Philippian friends.” Please note: Questions are based on the New International Version of the Bible. Personal application answers can reflect your opinion and/or spiritual growth. These questions are marked ‘PA.’ Unless otherwise noted, when answering questions that refer to a specific scripture verse, you can use the words of the verse itself or summarize the answer in your own words.

The Birth of the Philippian Church (50-52 A.D.) 1. (a) Read Philippians 1:1 with Acts 16:1-3 and 1 Timothy 1:2, how does Paul describe Timothy and himself?

(b) From Acts 16:4-8, in what ways were Paul and Timothy servants of Christ Jesus to the churches? Note: Silas and Luke were also among Paul’s companions. See Acts 15:40; 16:10.

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2. (a) From Acts 16:9-10, what was the significance of the call of God to the Philippians?

(b) How is the city of Philippi described in Acts 16:12? 3. (a) Read Acts 16:13-15. Compare Acts 16:14 with Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 5:6; and Acts 2:38-39; 10:45. Who was Lydia and what did the Lord do for her? (b) From Acts 16:15, 40, what did Lydia do for Paul and his traveling companions? 4. (a) High drama played out in the establishment of the Philippian church. Compare Acts 16:16-19 with Mark 5:1-2, 7-8; 16:17. What was the slave girl’s announcement and by whose authority did Paul release her from the evil spirit? (b) Compare Acts 16:20-21 with Acts 16:12 and Esther 3:8. What age-old prejudicial persecution did Paul and Silas face from the authorities and citizens of Philippi? (c) Read Acts 16:20-34. What crisis brought the jailer and his household to a saving faith in Christ Jesus and what emotion confirmed his decision?

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(d) PA: Do you know anyone like Lydia who is hungry for Christ’s righteousness, or like the slave girl who is under the influence of a controlling spirit or addiction, or like the jailer, a “violent soldier,”1 in crisis? Will you invite them to your church and teach them about the transforming power of Christ Jesus? Paul’s Greetings to “All the Saints” in the Established Philippian Church (61 A.D.) 5. (a) Read Philippians 1:1 with Acts 9:13; Romans 1:6-7; and 1 Peter 2:9-10. Who are the “saints” in Christ Jesus? (b) From Philippians 1:1 with 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and Titus 1:5-9, what is expected of overseers (elders, bishops or pastors)? (c) From Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12-13, what is expected of deacons? (d) PA: How do the descriptions of the saints, overseers, and deacons exemplify your church leadership?

1 James Montgomery Boice, Philippians: An Expositional Commentary, Zondervan, 1971, Grand Rapids, MI, p.24

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Grace and Peace 6. In Philippians 1:2, Paul replaces a common salutation of “Greetings!” with a more significant meaning. From the following verses, summarize his faith-charged greeting.

(a) Grace – Romans 3:24-25; 5:2, 20-21 – (b) Peace – Luke 2:14; John 14:27; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14-17 – (c) God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ – Deuteronomy 6:4; Acts 9:4-5, 22; Romans 8:15-17 – A Shared Partnership in the Gospel 7. (a) Read Philippians 1:3-5. Compare the first few words of Philippians 1:3 with Romans 1:8-10, 1 Corinthians 1:4, Colossians 1:3, and 1 Thessalonians 1:2. What does Paul mention when he prays to God about these people? (b) From Philippians 1:4-5 and 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, what emotion does Paul express when he prays to God for the Philippians, and for what reason?

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Praying in Paul’s Words – “Thanks be to God!” (c) PA: The following verses are examples of Paul’s expressive words of thanksgiving for the spiritual blessings in Christ to those who are partners in the ministry of the gospel. Which ones will you use to thank God for people who share in your ministry of the gospel?

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 –

2 Corinthians 2:14; 3:3 – 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 – 2 Corinthians 9:12-15 – A Certain Promise of Completion 8. (a) Read Philippians 1:6-8. Fill in the blanks of the following verses:

Philippians 1:6 – “being confident of this, that ______ _______ ____________ a good work in you _____ _________ ____ ____ ____ _____________________ until the day of Christ Jesus.”

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Psalm 57:2 – “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who _____________ ________ _________ for me.” Psalm 138:8 – “The LORD will _____________ _______ _____________ ________ _______; your love, O LORD, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands.” 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 – “______ ______ __________ _______ ______________ _____ _____ ______, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ________, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, _____ ______________.” (b) How do the following verses show God’s good work, his activity, for and in the believer?

Romans 5:8 – Romans 3:23-24 – Romans 8:28-29 – Ephesians 2:10 – (c) Compare Philippians 1:7 with the following verses. In Paul’s words, how do they show the level ground upon which all Christians stand as recipients of God’s grace for salvation, and their necessary unity in the furtherance of the gospel with all that it involves in preaching, providing, and persecution?

Romans 12:3-5 –

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2 Corinthians 8:7 – Ephesians 3:7-8 – 2 Timothy 1:8-9 –

(d) PA: From Philippians 1:7-8, do you share Paul’s same heart attitude of seeing yourself with other Christians as “sharing in God’s grace”? If not, in what way do you need to change? Surpassing Love and Spiritual Fruit (e) From verses 9-11, fill in the words of Paul’s prayer: “And this is my prayer: that your ______ may _____________ more and more in the _______________________ and __________ ___ ________________, so that you may be able to _______________ what is best and may be _____________ ________ ___________________ until the day of Christ, filled with the ____________ _____ ______________________________ that comes through Jesus Christ – to the ________________ ________ ________________ of God.” (f) From 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 and Ephesians 3:17-19, how does the God’s love enable the believer to become more and more like Jesus Christ?

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(g) How do 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13 and Colossians 3:12-14 confirm the principle that there is no limit in demonstrating God’s love because God’s “love never reaches the saturation point?”2

(h) What is the “fruit of righteousness” and how is the believer filled with it? See Galatians 5:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and James 2:18-19. Praying in Paul’s Words – Acts of Love 9. PA: Using Philippians 1:9-11, for whom will you pray in your church or sphere of influence regarding their spiritual growth?

2 Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (NIV), Volume 11, 1978, Zondervan, Grand

Rapids, MI, p.108

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Points to Ponder The Birth of the Philippian Church (50-52 A.D.) Paul opens his letter to the Philippians by stating that both he and Timothy are servants of Christ Jesus. The word servant implies one who willingly has put himself under the authority of Christ Jesus as a bond-servant or slave, “conscripted into the service of Christ instead of into the service of sin.”3 Paul writes in Romans 6:15-23 of the thankfulness he has in no longer being a slave to sin, but whole-heartedly being a slave to righteousness. Both Paul and Timothy were willing bond-servants of Christ Jesus, striving toward the benefits of holiness and eternal life.

Paul calls Timothy “my true son in the faith.” Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son (1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Timothy 1:2). From Acts 16:1, Timothy is described as a “disciple . . . whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek.” It is possible that Timothy’s biological father was not a believer in Christ which made Paul’s relationship with Timothy all the more precious. Because of the unity of the Holy Spirit that believers share in Christ, spiritual relationships can become more significant and cherished than biological relationships.

Timothy was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul and Timothy went to the churches and delivered the decisions from the Jerusalem Council. They strengthened the believers in their faith and each day more came to faith in Christ. Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke obeyed God’s call to go to Macedonia to preach the gospel. There they would find the people in Philippi who would form the Philippian church.

Philippi was a Roman colony and a prominent city in Macedonia. The city of Philippi was all things Roman. Named after Philip II of Macedon (the father of Alexander the Great), this thriving commercial city was located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia.4 The people of Philippi had all the rights of Roman citizens. The city was in all ways modeled after Rome with its architecture, infamous bath houses, and temples. Greek was the language of the province, but Latin was the official language of Philippi. Temples to Greek, Phrygian, and Egyptian gods were prevalent but subservient to the worship of the Roman emperor. Loyal Roman citizens participated in this imperial cult.5

Lydia was a business woman from Thyatira, a city in the Roman province of Asia that was famous for its dyeing works, especially royal purple (crimson). “She was a Gentile (‘far off’) who, like Cornelius (Acts 10:2), believed in the true God and followed the moral teachings of Scripture. She had not, however, become a full convert to Judaism.”’6 Lydia was seeking God with all her heart. She was hungry and thirsty for righteousness. The Lord opened her heart and she responded to Paul’s message of the grace of the gospel. She and her whole household believed and were baptized and received the Holy Spirit. After opening her heart to Jesus Christ, Lydia opened her home to Paul and his traveling companions. Lydia’s home was the first house church in Philippi.

3 Frank Thielman, Philippians: The NIV Application Commentary, Zondervan, 1995, Grand Rapids, MI, p.35

4 Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale House, Carol Stream, IL and Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2011, p.1989,

Note on Philippians 1:1 5 G. Walter Hansen, The Letter to the Philippians, Eerdmans, 2009, Grand Rapids, MI, pp.3-4 6 Zondervan NIV Study Bible, Zondervan, 2002, Grand Rapids, MI, p. 2281, Note on Acts 16:14

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High drama played out in the establishment of the Philippian church. The slave girl announced, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved” (Acts 16:17). In Jesus’ name, Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of the slave girl. Having lost their means of income, the owners of the slave girl dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities charging them with false accusations rooted in age-old prejudicial persecution against the Jews and anyone who might “advocate customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice” (Acts 16:21). Finding themselves in prison, Paul and Silas sang hymns and must have moved heaven’s angelic choir to intercede! Following the miraculous midnight mayhem, the jailer was desperate to know how to be saved. He fell at Paul and Silas’ feet with his passionate plea. After his conversion, he was filled with joy!

The Established Philippian Church (61 A.D.) – Greetings to “All the Saints” Paul greets “all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers, and deacons.” The saints are believers in Christ Jesus who are “loved by God” and set apart to him through faith in Christ as a “chosen people . . . belonging to God . . . declaring the praises of him who called you out of darkness into the wonderful light . . . having received mercy” (Acts 9:13; Romans 1:6-7; 1 Peter 2:9-10). The term saints “refers to the status of these believers as the people whom God has called out from among others and set apart, a position that carries with it the ethical responsibilities of the new covenant, just as in former times it carried the ethical responsibilities of the old covenant (Ex. 19:5-6; Lev. 11:45; Eph. 4:1; 5:3) . . . the term saints reminds the Philippians that they are united with one another not by their own decision but by God’s having chosen them out of all the people of the earth to be his treasured possession (cf. Ex. 19:5-6).” In writing to all the saints, Paul’s praises or admonitions include all leaders and members of the Philippian church. Everyone shares equal responsibility, for example, to emulate Christ-like humility and unity by putting off contentious complaining within the church (Philippians 2:1-4; 4:2-4).7 All believers are set apart for the very special service of being partners in the gospel of Jesus Christ “as those whose lives are forever identified with Christ.”8

“Paul addressed the overseers and deacons to emphasize their responsibility to make sure that the church will follow Paul’s instructions. By referring to these leaders, Paul commissions them to lead the church in striving together with one accord for the faith of the gospel (1:27) . . . These leaders are part of the church and serve together with the church. Perhaps the tendency of the leaders to seek superior positions for themselves caused Paul to alert them in the address of his letter that his call to serve with humility (2:3-4) was not only for the church members in general but especially for them in particular. In fact, Paul’s emphasis on humble service starts in the title he chose for himself and Timothy as servants of Christ Jesus.”9

The overseers (also called bishops, elders, or pastors – Acts 20:17, 28) are prominent leaders in the church. An overseer is “able to teach” and “firmly hold to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” The overseer is to be “above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable . . . not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,

7 Thielman, pp.35-36

8 Gordon D. Fee, Philippians: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, IVP Academic, 1999, Downers Grove, IL,

p.42 9 G. Walter Hansen, p.42

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not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect . . . He must not be a new convert . . . he must have a good reputation with outsiders . . .” (1Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Again, these overseers should work as servants with all the saints in caring for the church.

Included in the division of labor are deacons who serve others (Acts 6:1-7) and partner with all the saints in the spread of the gospel. “Deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. . . . A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well” (1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12-13).

For all the saints who from their labors rest, Who Thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest: Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou wast their rock, their fortress and their might, Thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight; Thou, in darkness drear, their one true Light: Alleluia! Alleluia!

O may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold, fight as the saints who nobly fought of old, And win with them the victor’s crown of gold: Alleluia! Alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine! We feebly struggle, they in glory shine; Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine: Alleluia! Alleluia!

But lo! There breaks a yet more glorious day: The saints triumphant rise in bright array; The King of glory passes on His way: Alleluia! Alleluia!

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast, Thru gates of pearl streams in the countless host, Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Alleluia! Alleluia!10

Grace and Peace Paul replaces a common salutation of “Greetings!” with a more significant faith-charged greeting. “[He] expands the typical greeting by transforming the term “Greetings!” (Charein) into the term “grace” (charis) - “God’s grace be with you”11 - and by adding the Jewish salutation, “peace” [shalom].12 The traditional “grace and peace” [Greek and Hebrew] greeting is linked to the only one through whom true grace and peace is found; “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”13

“In a profound sense this greeting nicely represents Paul’s larger theological perspective. The sum total of God’s activity toward [us] is found in the word grace; God has given himself to his people bountifully and mercifully in Christ. Nothing is deserved, nothing can be achieved. The sum total of those benefits as they are experienced by the recipients of God’s grace is peace, God’s shalom, both now and to come. [Peace] flows out of [grace] and both together flow from God our Father and were made effective in our human history through the Lord Jesus Christ.”14

If you desire peace, embrace God’s grace. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with his undeserved kindness [grace], declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins . . .

10 From the Hymn, For All the Saints, William W. How 11

Boice, p.28 12 Thielman, p.36 13 Zondervan NIV Study Bible, p. 2318, Note on Romans 1:7 14

Fee, p.43

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Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege [grace] where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory . . . God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 3:24-25; 5:2, 20-21 NLT).

God’s peace came to men through the birth of Jesus Christ. Christ gives his peace through the Holy Spirit. Paul says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . . . For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility . . . His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away [Gentiles] and to you who were near [Jews]. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Luke 2:14; John 14:27; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14-17).

Through his encounter with Jesus, Paul comes to faith proving that Jesus is the Christ (Acts 9:4-5, 22). Through the Holy Spirit of Sonship, he declares, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15-17). “Before meeting the risen Christ, Paul’s central affirmation of faith was the Jewish creed known as the Shema: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one” [Deuteronomy 6:4]. “After his encounter with Christ, Paul’s faith included Jesus Christ within the Shema: ‘The Lord (Jesus Christ) (and) God (our Father), the Lord is one.’”15

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Shared Partnership in the Gospel In most of Paul’s letters, he expresses thanksgiving to God when he prays for those he has met through his ministry of sharing the gospel. He says, “I thank my God every time I remember you . . . I always thank God for you . . . constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times.”

Paul expresses joy when he prays for the Philippians because of their partnership with him in the gospel. They were exemplary in their giving and promotion of the gospel. They shared out of their poverty, overflowing with joy. With determined insistence, they gave beyond their ability. They were devoted to the Lord and to the ministry of the gospel through Paul to all the saints. The Philippians partnership in the gospel was a divine fellowship that united them together “by their commitment to the truths of the gospel.”16 There was little to unite the Philippian church based on social, economic, or intellectual relationships. Apart from the gospel they had little, if nothing, in common. Yet, because of the gospel, they had “from the first day until now” a partnership that was greater than themselves and to which they gave themselves completely.

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Hansen, p.43 16

Boice, p.36

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Praying in Paul’s Words – “Thanks be to God!” The following verses are examples of Paul’s expressive words of thanksgiving for the spiritual blessings in Christ to those who are partners in the ministry of the gospel.

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed . . . The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:51-58). “Because of Christ’s resurrection and ours, we know that serving him is not vain, empty, useless activity. All our efforts in service to Christ are invested in his winning cause. He will also reward us at his second coming.”17

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing . . . You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 2:14; 3:3). Paul expresses an “outpouring of triumphant faith in praise of the adequacy of God’s grace for every situation. A victorious Roman general would lead his soldiers and their captives in festive procession, while the people waited and applauded and the air was filled with the sweet smell released by the burning of spices in the streets.”18 God leads his Spirit-filled people in triumphant procession in Christ as they spread the sweet fragrance of the gospel of his grace.

“It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart . . . we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen . . . what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:13-18). “Paul tirelessly labored and journeyed to bring the gospel message to others . . . he continues to have a cheerful heart . . . because of the flame of the resurrection life burning within. From the perspective of eternity . . . difficulties diminish . . . eternal glory is far greater than all the suffering one may face in this life . . . the unseen realities are eternal and imperishable.”19

“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God . . . men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ . . . in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (See 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.) The generous giving of the Corinthians extended beyond Jerusalem to the church as a whole. God’s grace was displayed in their unselfish demonstration of their loving concern for fellow believers in desperate need. God is

17

Zondervan NIV Study Bible, p. 2389, Note on 1 Corinthians 15:58 18

Ibid., p.2398, Note on 2 Corinthians 2:14 19

Ibid., pp.2400-2401, Note on 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

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the first giver; he selflessly gives himself to us in the person of his Son, and all true Christian giving is our grateful response.20

“Paul made it a priority to pray systematically for those whom God had given him. That is the only way he could honestly say ‘In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy’ (1:4). It was neither a burden nor a duty, but a joy. Paul showed the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ Who, according to John 17 thanked God for those whom God had given Him. Do you take the people with whom you work and live, your neighbors and people with whom you must do business, as perhaps people given to you by God? Do you pray specific prayers for your children and for individuals with whom you have daily contact?”21

A Certain Promise of Completion Men lack perseverance, but God perseveres. “[Everyone] who has been born again by God will never be lost. God never abandons his plans. God never begins a work that he does not intend to finish . . . It is He who calls us as Christians, He who leads us on in the Christian life, and He who most certainly will lead us home.”22 “. . . being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2). “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands” (Psalm 138:8). “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9).

God’s does his good work for and in the believer. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:28-29). “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

“God not only initiates salvation, but continues it and guarantees its consummation. [Paul’s thought] relates this not to the end of life but to the glorious coming of Jesus Christ that will vindicate both the Lord and his people. So Paul is asserting that God will bring his work to completion. Nothing in this life or after death will prevent the successful accomplishment of God’s good work in every Christian.”23

“Think of it. God is so delighted with Jesus Christ that He has called millions of sinful human beings to Himself in order that Jesus might reproduce Himself in them and that this universe might be populated with millions of Christs where there was only one before. This will not mean that we will become divine. We will still be His creation, the fruit of His fingers. But we will be like Him. That is the point. We will show forth His character. We will be conformed to

20

Ibid., p.2407, Note on 2 Corinthians 9:12,14-15 21 A. Wetherell Johnson, Bible Study Fellowship Lesson Notes: Philippians, BSF International, 2004, Philippians

Lesson 2, p.2 22

Boice, pp.40-41 23

Frank E. Gaebelein, Expositor’s Bible Commentary (NIV), p.105

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the image of Christ.”24 “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

All believers stand on level ground as recipients of God’s grace for salvation. Unity is necessary in the furtherance of the gospel with all that it involves in preaching, providing, and persecution. “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you . . . so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:3-5). “But just as you excel in everything . . . see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ . . .” (Ephesians 3:7-8). “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in the suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace . . .” (2 Timothy 1:8-9).

“Paul’s confidence in the constant development of his converts is also caused by his love for them. He tells them that he has them in his heart (Philippians 1:7) no matter what he is doing, whether he is imprisoned or preaching or standing his ground for the gospel. Paul’s view of God’s work is that we are all in it together. He, more than any other New Testament writer, really saw the church as the body of Christ on earth whose members are mutually dependent on each other, intimately involved with each other, joined by common interest, problems, joys, and sorrows, and invigorated and activated by the same life of Jesus Christ through His Spirit.”25

Surpassing Love and Spiritual Fruit Paul longs for the Philippians with “the affection of Christ Jesus.” Through his words, his “deep yearning and intense, compassionate love exhibited by Jesus himself and now fostered in Paul by his union with Christ” is seen. “This affection reaches out to all impartially and without exception.”26 He says, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in the knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.”

God’s love enables the believer to become more and more like Jesus Christ. God’s love abounds because it is unlimited. It fills the believer and overflows to others. It is discernible reflecting deep insight and wisdom of God’s word, his character, and ways. God’s love sets the believer apart to God to live a pleasing and purposeful life for his glory based on his right-standing through Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13; Ephesians 3:17-19). There is no limit in demonstrating God’s love because God’s “love never reaches the saturation point.”27 “Love is patient, love is kind . . . it rejoices with the truth. It always protects . . . trusts . . . hopes . . . perseveres. Love never fails. Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But

24

Boice, p.44 25

Johnson, p.3 26

Zondervan NIV Study Bible, p.2446, Note on Philippians 1:8 27

Frank E. Gaebelein, Expositor’s Bible Commentary (NIV), p.108

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the greatest of these is love.” When the believer “knows fully,” faith will be sight and hope fulfilled. As God is eternal, so will love remain. God’s love and God’s mercy hold hands. The virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience are bound together in perfect unity with the cord of God’s love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13).

“Philippians 1:10a speaks of love with discernment. Discernment describes love that behaves itself wisely. Love, if treated as unregulated impulse, is dangerous. The leper that Jesus healed felt a love for Jesus; but he went his way and did the very thing Jesus told him not to do, creating quite a problem for Jesus in that Jesus had to leave the area and go to another area to work (Mark 1:44-45). Because the leper showed no discernment in obedient love, his impetuosity did more harm than good. Many parents profess to love their children, but their so-called love reacts without insight and smothers or indulges rather than nourishes the child. To love with a depth of insight is to discern what is right and what is wrong so that love becomes useful and constructive to the person loved.”28

The fruit of righteousness is the external evidence – acts of love – of the internal power and resurrection of Christ in the believer by God’s grace through faith. “Faith is not a mere intellectual assent (see James 2:18-19) but a living trust in God’s grace that expresses itself in acts of love (1 Thessalonians 1:3).29

“In this letter the word righteousness occurs elsewhere only in 3:6 and 3:9. In contrast to ‘legalistic righteousness’ (3:6), Paul says God has given him a different righteousness that expresses itself in particular by his adopting a cruciform lifestyle (3:9-11), like that of Christ himself (2:6-8). To be filled with the fruit of righteousness for Paul means to go the way of the cross, self-emptying so as to become servant of all in place of ‘selfish ambition’ and, in that servanthood, humbling oneself to the point of dying for another in place of ‘vain conceit’ (2:3-8). This is what it means for Paul to ‘know Christ.’ This is the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. All other righteousness, especially religious righteousness, is filth in comparison (3:8).

“Such righteousness alone is to the glory and praise of God. Here is the ultimate goal of all things. Everything is to the single end that God will receive glory through the work he is doing in [the Philippians’] lives. Love that reflects God’s own love is the only righteousness that counts, the only righteousness that is to God’s glory and to his praise.”30

Praying Paul’s Words – Acts of Love Overseers, deacons, and all the saints should take to heart Paul’s prayer for themselves and for those in their care. Who of them – who of us – would not benefit from Christ’s well-spring of love, Spirit-filled discernment, and fruitful righteousness that exudes glory and praise to God, the Father?31

O Love that [will] not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, That in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller, be.

28

Johnson, p.3 29

Zondervan NIV Study Bible, p.2424, Note on Galatians 5:6 30

Fee, p.55 31

Ibid., p.56

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O Cross that [lifts] up my head, I dare not ask to hide from thee; I lay in dust life’s glory dead, And from the ground there blossoms red, Life that shall endless be.32

Precious Promise: Philippians 1:4-6 – “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege of partnering together with all the saints in the good work of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for the promise of your faithfulness to complete all you purpose in my life for your glory. Thank you for your grace and peace, your wisdom and discernment, and the promise within me of your abundant fruit-bearing love. Amen.

32

From the Hymn , O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go – George Matheson, 1882