A Brief Commentary on Philippians

Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

(New American Standard Bible NASB)

Chapter 1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

·      The letter begins with the standard epistolary formula of Paul’s day—identify the sender, identify the recipient(s), give a greeting.

·      Paul was under house arrest in Rome when he wrote this letter and apparently Timothy and Epaphroditius [and possibly Luke, although he is not mentioned by name] had been staying with him or at least had frequent access to him. Timothy was already known and loved by the Philippian Church. Epaphroditus, who was from Philippi, had recently been sent back home by Paul.

·      As in several other letters [Rom. 1:1, Titus 1:1, Philemon 1] Paul identifies himself as a “bond-servant” of Christ. This is how he viewed himself: nor only as an apostle but also a servant of Christ.

·      “Saints” Literally means, “holy ones,” i.e. true believers, genuine converts, not just church members

·      “Overseers [bishops]” refers to the elders/pastors [Gr. episkopoi] and “deacons” are addressed specifically, the only time Paul ever does this in any of his letters. NOTE: Elders serve the Body by leading it, while deacons lead the Body by serving it. Both groups are critical to the life of the church.

·      The greeting is standard for Paul’s letters. It follows his formula—receiving the grace of God always precedes receiving peace from God.

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

·      Paul thought of them often, and every time the Holy Spirit brought them to his mind he offered thanks to God for them.

4 always offering prayer with JOY in my every prayer for you all,

·      His prayers for them were always permeated with joy, even when he was concerned for them or needed to exhort them. He had a father’s love for them.

5 in view of your participation in the GOSPEL from the first day until now.

·      Paul rejoices in their “koinonia in the Gospel.” Usually translated “fellowship”, the word can also mean a joint-partnership in a business venture, which fits here. He is expressing his joy for their participation with him in spreading the Good News since the day they first heard it.

6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect [complete, finish] it until the day of Christ Jesus.

·      Paul is absolutely certain that just as God began the salvation work in their lives, He will carry out the project to the very end. God never gives up on His children and His promise is to hold us fast and finish the “good (agathos) work” [cf. agathos vs. kalos] He’s begun, which will culminate on that day when we are glorified with Him. In Ephesians 2:10 he says, “For we are His workmanship (Gr. poema, poem or created thing), created in Christ Jesus…”

7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the GOSPEL, you all are partakers of grace with me.

·      Paul makes no apology for feeling “this way.” It is “right” meaning morally upright, the word often translated as “righteous”.

·      Paul’s “heart” is the seat of his thoughts, memories, and reflections, part of the core of his being. That’s where he holds the Philippian believers.

·      “…in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel…” The Greek word here for “defense” is apologia from which we get the word apologetics. It means a verbal defense of the faith. It’s the same word we have in I Peter 3:15, “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” The word Paul chooses that is here translated as “confirmation” is used in the NT only here and in Heb. 6:16. It is a commercial and legal term that refers to a validating guarantee. “Defense and confirmation” are two sides of the same witnessing coin—the positive and negative aspects—the first refers to the defense of the Gospel against the attacks of its opponents, and the second to the attesting miracles and exemplary lifestyle of the believers as an ongoing testimony. Christians need to be able to defend the faith, but they should also live the faith so that the skeptics will be left without an argument.

8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

·      Paul calls upon God as his witness as to how he longed for the Philippians with the same affection that Christ has for them and for all His children. Christian love is a learned response. The Scripture tells us, “We love because He first loved us.” This Greek word “affection” is splanchna and literally means the bowels or the gut. The Greeks viewed the heart as the seat of reason, reflection, and thinking but they saw the guts, the stomach, as the real seat of emotion, affection, fear, and other deep feelings. Paul was essentially saying, “I love you with all my guts.”

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,

·      Here in verses 9-11 we have the content of Paul’s prayers for the Philippian believers.

o   “I pray that your love may abound [be so full that it overflows] still more and more…” They were already a loving bunch but he knows they can be even more loving to one another and to outsiders.

o   “…that your love may abound…in real knowledge…” Real knowledge, full knowledge—Paul uses the Greek word, epignosko, which implies full knowledge. This brings to mind that song from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1951 musical, “The King and I”. The lyric goes, “Getting to know you, getting to know all about you, getting to like you, getting to hope you like me…” Genuine love must be based on accurate knowledge. As you get to know all about your spouse over time your love for him/her grows. True, you come to know their weaknesses and eccentricities, but you also get to know their virtues and strengths and you love them all the more because of these things. Real love, not mere infatuation, is based on deep knowledge of the person.

o   “…that your love may abound…in all discernment…” This is the only place this Greek word is found in the NT [what scholars call a “hapax legomenom”]. The word is aisthesis, and it means “perception or discernment.”

o   Paul is saying that real love, agape love, the kind of complete love that God has toward us and that he wants to see at work in the Philippian church is based on full-knowledge coupled with insight, perception, and wise discernment. Foolish people say “love is blind” but nothing could be further from the truth. Real love has its eyes wide open and its mind engaged.

10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere [“pure” in KJV] and blameless [“without offense” in KJV] until the day of Christ;

·      Only this kind of love, grounded in full knowledge and all discernment is able to recognize and embrace those things that are truly “excellent”. “Approve” here means to prove the worth of, to verify the essential and intrinsic value of the thing being tested. An assayer tests ore to verify that it is indeed gold, and to determine its degree of purity. Paul wants the Philippian believers to do the same thing with regard to those things that are “excellent”.

·      Again it goes back to the question of whose standard we will use—man’s standard of excellence, or God’s? Paul wants the Philippian believers to fully know and embrace those things that God calls “excellent” so that their love will prove to be “sincere” [pure, unalloyed, unadulterated, free from falsehood]. The Greek word Paul uses here is elikrines, which literally means “tested by sunlight”. An imperfection in a garment or a crack in a piece of pottery could often be detected by holding it up to the light. Also, there’s nothing like opening up all the curtains and drapes and letting in the sunshine to see whether or not your house is really clean. Sunlight reveals dirt, cobwebs, imperfections, and impurity

·      “sincere and blameless” the word literally mean “not causing to stumble”  [cf. I Cor. 10:32 for active sense]. Christians are to be so full of love and so careful in their walk that they never cause a stumbling-block for others. We are, indeed, our brother’s keeper.

·      This pure, love-decorated life-style should characterize believers until the Lord returns to judge the wicked and reward the righteous.

11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

·      What is the “fruit of righteousness”? It is the godly character that the Holy Spirit develops in the believer through trials, by the Word, and over time. Jesus Christ is the model and the modeler. The Spirit of Jesus in us produces Jesus-like characteristics. Paul gives a list of these in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control.” These are the fruit of righteousness, the virtues that describe true righteousness, and they can only come fully into the life of a person who knows Jesus. They are not qualities that we can work up from within ourselves; they must be passed down from above.

12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the GOSPEL,

·      Verse 12 begins a new section where Paul gives an update on his “circumstances.” By this he obviously refers to his incarceration. By normal standards imprisonment is seen as shameful and embarrassing, at least if you view it as just punishment for a wrong committed. But Paul had done nothing wrong, he had broken no law, he had committed no crime. In fact, the Romans were hard-pressed to know what to charge him with. He had already sat for over two years in a Roman jail cell in Caesarea without charge and without due process because the authorities didn’t know what to do with him. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had accused him of breaking their religious rules but no proofs were ever given, which left the Romans scratching their heads. In fact, if he had not appealed his case to Caesar they might even have set him loose.

13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard and to everyone else,

·      What was the Praetorian Guard? In Latin it was called the Cohors Praetoria. It was a special military unit made up of approximately 10,000 handpicked Roman soldiers whose primary duty was to protect the Emperor, his family, and his most trusted generals. [N.B. The number varied greatly over its 500+ year history, from as low as 5,000 to its highest number of 16,000. There were about 7,000 Praetorians at the writing of Philippians.] However, they also functioned as a police force both in Rome and a few other important Italian cities. Besides serving as the bodyguards of the Emperor and the palace guards, they were also the only military force allowed in the city of Rome. In their role as police officers for Rome they were also responsible for quelling any riots in the city, serving as intelligence units, guarding prisoners awaiting trial before the Emperor, and carrying out interrogations. They were highly respected yet greatly feared. They were like the Navy Seals of their age. Their enlistment period was 16-years. They were paid half again what other legionnaires were paid [a system known as sesquiplex stipendum, or by pay-and-a-half], and they could accept donations and gratuities. As a result many of them became rich men, owning beautiful houses and great tracts of property.

·      What is interesting is that Paul was able to work his magic on some of them. During his two years of house arrest, many different soldiers had taken turns guarding him, perhaps even being chained to him for 3-4 hours at a stretch (we don’t know for sure). They couldn’t leave him alone so they all had to suffer through listening to him share the Gospel and tell about Jesus. They couldn’t beat him into silence because he was a Roman citizen. The irony of the situation is obvious! Paul could not go out to preach so the Lord brought the world to his doorstep, including the Roman Army’s Best, and apparently the seeds of truth found good soil and took root.

14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.

·      Another unintended benefit of Paul’s imprisonment was that timid Christians began to find their courage to begin sharing their faith, despite the fact that they, too, could have been jailed. Seeing Paul’s example they found their voices and began speaking out, sharing the Gospel and telling their own stories.

15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;

·      Paul recognizes that not everyone’s motive was totally pure. While some believers loved him and supported him in his imprisonment and afflictions, others perhaps were jealous of him and the attention he got. All they heard was, “Paul did this, and Paul did that.” Maybe they were just sick of hearing about the guy. Also, maybe they were sore at him because they thought that he was going to bring persecution down on them with his insistence on speaking to the Emperor. Maybe they thought he was a hothead and likely to get everybody else in trouble.

·      We don’t know exactly whom Paul had in mind in verses 15-17 but the principle is clear—the preaching of the Gospel is the most important thing, more important than the motive behind the preaching.

16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the GOSPEL;

·      Paul’s supporters went out sharing the Word of God in solidarity with Paul, knowing that he was God’s chosen instrument to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles so they were proud to be associated with him.

17 the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.

·      Other people were proclaiming Christ with mixed motives, “out of selfish ambition…to cause him distress in his imprisonment”, and yet Paul still rejoices that they were doing the right thing, even if not always for the right reasons. God has promised to bless His Word and has said that it will bring fruit wherever it is planted, even if the sower is an unfaithful servant.

18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I REJOICE. Yes, and I will REJOICE,

·      Bottom line for Paul…however the Gospel gets preached, regardless of the motives of the preacher, it is a winning situation, and one that causes him to rejoice greatly. Paul would have said, “I don’t care if he’s my best friend or my worst enemy. If he is preaching the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and if people are getting saved then that is all I care about. Nothing else is important. To God be all the glory!”

·      Just a word about this word, “rejoice.” The dictionary definition is: to feel or show great joy or delight. The words “joy” or “rejoice” occur 16 times in this brief letter. Rejoicing is one of its major themes. Obviously the two words are related but one is a noun and the other is a verb. “To rejoice” is to find reasons to feel joy. It requires a conscious effort. In the midst of dark circumstances we often feel alone and sad. But that feeling is not reality because, in fact, we are never left alone and unloved. The Lord is always there with us and is always ready to render aid and comfort. Therefore, we can rejoice, not because of the trials, but despite the trials.

19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

·      Paul goes on, “I will also rejoice because I know that through your prayers and the help of the Holy Spirit this imprisonment will come to an end and I will be freed to once again go out and serve the Lord.” That’s what Paul believed, and it’s apparently what happened, at least for a while.

20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

·      I believe that Paul had only one real fear; namely, that he might inadvertently stumble or do or say something that would bring reproach on Christ and on the Gospel ministry. He was always concerned with finishing strong, with running the race that God had set before him without stumbling or causing others to stumble. His earnest desire, expectation and hope was to only bring glory to God, whether by his life or by his death. And given his present circumstances that required great boldness. He was incarcerated for preaching the Gospel and yet he continued doing it every day. Oh, he was brave all right, but he was no Superman. Sometimes his boldness must have wavered. Otherwise, why else would he have asked the Ephesian believers to pray for him saying, “…and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20). Remember, those words were penned from the same place and the same time that he wrote Philippians.

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

·      Verses 21-26 give us a little window into Paul’s inner thoughts. He was being emotionally pulled in two directions. His whole life was focused on Christ. His relationship with Jesus was the source and center of his joy. For him death only meant that he would see Jesus face to face and hear His words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.

·      Although death was tempting in a way, to remain here on earth to continue his ministry of preaching the Gospel was also attractive because that too brought him great joy and satisfaction. Thus, he felt pulled in two opposite directions. The one, death, seemed more personally rewarding in a way. But to stay and continue to plant churches and preach the Good News would benefit the Kingdom. Paul frankly admits that he was torn.

23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

·      Again he seeks to clarify his thinking. He seems to be trying to talk it out with himself, just letting us and the Philippian believers in on the conversation that was going on inside his head.

o   “For me personally, to die and be with Christ is better.”

o   “For you, if I stay and continue the fight, that would be better for you.”

25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and JOY in the faith,

·      Here we see that he comes to the conclusion that God is not finished with him yet and that he still has things to accomplish before he takes his leave. And he seems to have no doubts: “Convinced of this.” To stay will result in the Philippian believers’ even greater progress toward spiritual maturity and will add to their joy. Characteristically, Paul again puts the needs of others above his own desires.

26 so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

·      Paul knew of the high esteem that the Philippian church had for him [“proud confidence”], but he wanted them to shift that esteem to Jesus Christ. One of the common traps that religious leaders often fall prey to is the trap of pride and actually believing the nice things that people say about you. Paul was always quick to shift the focus away from himself and onto the Savior.

·      “…through my coming to you again.” Obviously Paul had every intention of returning to Philippi, Lord willing. He truly believed that he would be set free to continue his ministry and church-history seems to bear that out. We believe that after about two years of house arrest in Rome he was set free, probably still under bond, and that he revisited many of his friends and church plants. In fact, he may have even visited Spain, which was his stated goal when he wrote the Roman letter [cf. 15:24, 28].

27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the GOSPEL of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the GOSPEL;

·      “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ…” What does that mean? How can we ever do anything “worthy of the Gospel?” Of course, he is not using “worthy” in the sense of doing something to earn the Gospel or to pull us up by our bootstraps. Rather, he is saying that Christians should strive to live in a way that adorns the Gospel instead of detracting from it. This idea of “walking worthy” pops up often in Paul’s letters:

o   Ephesians 4:1-3, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

o   Colossians 1:9-10, “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

o   I Thessalonians 2:12, “…so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

·      “…I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.” With these words Paul introduces one of his principle reasons for writing this letter. It is really one of the themes of the letter—Christian unity. In the context Paul is saying that one of the most important evidences of “walking in a manner worthy of the Gospel” is for believers to be truly one in Christ and act like it.

·      The imagery here calls to mind a group of soldiers standing shoulder-to-shoulder against an oncoming enemy. They “stand firm in one spirit” [Gk. stako, στήκω, meaning to stand firm, remain stationary, figuratively to persevere, persist]. Not only that, but they also “strive [fight, labor] together with one mind.” Especially when the Gospel is under attack believers need to work together like a well-oiled machine. The Greek word for “mind” is ψυχή (psychē) from which we get “psychology” the study of the mind. Christians need to be of one Christian Psyche.

28 in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.

·      “…in no way alarmed by your opponents…” Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 16:18, “…and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” This is in keeping with God’s words to His people, Israel in Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.

·      “…a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you…” Rejection of Christ and the Gospel has only one result—total destruction and an eternity in the lake of fire. There is really only one sin that God can’t forgive, and that is the rejection of His Son. On the other hand, Paul encourages the Philippians to remember that when Christians are persecuted for their faith that this is just an indication of the genuineness of their salvation. As Paul told the Thessalonian church, “…Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. ⁵ This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.” (II Thess. 1:4-5). 

29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

·      Here is something that the world simply cannot comprehend; namely, that for the believer, to suffer for the cause of Christ is a privilege. From the very beginning Jesus told His disciples to expect persecution, and even to welcome it as a sign of the genuineness of the Gospel and of their faith. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in Heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). The early disciples got the message and understood it: “So they [i.e. Peter and the apostles] went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41).

30 experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

·      When Paul and his team first visited Philippi and shared the Gospel there, within a few days they were beaten within an inch of their lives and thrown in jail, a fact witnessed by many who were now part of that congregation. They saw Paul and Silas’ persecution up close and personal. And just as Paul had been jailed in Philippi for nothing more than preaching the Gospel, now he was jailed in Rome for the same “offense.”

·      “…experiencing the same conflict…” The persecution of Paul quickly extended to the other members of the church. Apparently when Paul wrote this epistle some of the members were being harassed and persecuted, thus the encouragement from him.

Chapter 2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

·      The word “therefore” ties together the personal conflicts that Paul has been facing with the conflicts that the Philippian church was facing. While Paul’s battles were mainly external [i.e. imprisonment, loneliness, separation from loved ones, etc.] the Philippians’ battles were mostly internal, against self-centeredness, power struggles, and disunity in the church.

·      Paul strings together a series of 1^st Class Conditional statements, by their very nature demanding answers in the affirmative. “IF knowing Christ personally brings us any encouragement…and it does” and “IF genuine love brings us any consolation…and it absolutely does” and “IF the Holy Spirit unites us together into one fellowship…and He does” and “IF there are truly such things as Christian affection and compassion…and there are” THEN…

2 make my JOY complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

·      Paul already has lots of joy but there’s one thing that could put the bow on the package, the icing on the cake, and the championship trophy on the shelf and that is to see the Philippian church truly united. How? By them being like-minded, by having the same love for one another, by being one in spirit, and by having one purpose.

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

·      Anticipating the question that someone in the group might bring up, Paul launches directly into the “how” of the matter. He gives some specifics of what a united church body would look like.

o   Believers not motivated by selfishness or vain pride

o   Humbly thinking less of their own importance than they do of the worth of other people. By using this Greek word translated as “humility/lowliness of mind” [ταπεινοφροσύνη], Paul is calling the Philippian believers to an honest self-evaluation of their own motives and values. It implies the deliberate pushing down of self and lifting up of Christ and those He loves. The opposite is “high-mindedness,” which is another form of pride.

o   They are to be watching out for the interests and welfare of others in the same way and to the same degree that they care for themselves. Notice that there is nothing wrong with looking out for your own interests as long as it never gets in the way of how you treat others.

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

·      Paul chooses to illustrate his point by taking them to the best example of all—Jesus himself.  He says, “Have the same attitude that Jesus had. Make Him your model.”

6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

·      Verses 5-11 form perhaps the greatest Christological treatise in the Scripture, although Paul includes it not as a theology lesson but as an illustration about what real Christian love looks like. Let’s look at the elements:

o   “He existed in the form [not shape but substance, essence] of God”—that is, He was always fully God because He always shared with the Father and with the Spirit those same immutable qualities that make God specifically God.

o   “Did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped”—Paul affirms that Jesus was indeed equal to God the Father. However, Jesus did not cling to it for dear life, as though it were something He could lose. [Think of a dog that refuses to give up possession of his ball despite the fact that he really wants the owner to throw it for him. He’s afraid to let it go thinking he’ll lose it, so he bites onto it as though his life depended on it.] The divinity and eternal glory of Jesus Christ was never in danger so He wasn’t afraid to let go of it for a while.

7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

·      “But emptied Himself.”  This phrase has generated much theological debate over the centuries. The Greek verb is kenów and it simply means, “to empty something.” Picture pouring milk out of a carton until it is all gone, down to the last drop. The noun form is kenosis and it is this word that has long been used by Bible scholars to describe this emptying that Jesus voluntarily did. Of course we know that Christ did not "empty" Himself of Godhood. Also, He did not cease to be what He essentially and eternally was when He emptied Himself.

·      So then, what did He actually do? He laid aside/emptied Himself of His power, His position, His prerogatives, and His property.

o   His power—He self-limited Himself. No one took His power from Him. He wasn’t like Superman in the presence of Kryptonite. No, except for a few rare occasions, Jesus simply chose not to use the power that was always available to Him. During His time on earth He walked as a man, as the Son of Man, showing us how to live without being supermen.

o   His position—He was the Eternal Son, the Second Person of the Godhead, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe [cf. Col. 1:16-17]. All the angels of Heaven bowed before Him and all the demons feared Him. He was worthy of all praise and adoration. But He set all that aside and came to earth “to seek and to save those who were lost.” He laid aside His glory (John 17:5), and He submitted Himself to the humiliation of becoming a man (II Cor. 8:9), beyond that He made Himself a servant (Matt. 20:28) in order that He might bring us to God.

o   His prerogatives—He divested Himself not of divinity itself but of the free exercise of divinity’s prerogatives. That is, He narrowed down the range of His choices and options. For example, at the cross, like the old hymn says, “He could have called 10,000 angels to destroy the world and set Him free,” yet “He died alone for you and me” by His own choice. He could not come down from that cross because that option had already been taken off the table if He were to reconcile men to God.

o   His property—All the world was rightly His by virtue of creation. The cattle on a thousand hills all belong to Him. All the gold in the world is rightly His because He is the King. Yet Jesus was hungry, thirsty, tired, often having not even a place to lay His head. All the real estate in the world was His, yet He laid claim to none of it.

8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

·      “Being found in appearance as a man…” Jesus looked just like any other man. Physically He didn’t stand out in any crowd. His body functioned just like yours and mine, but looks can be deceiving. Behind his human persona was the God of the Universe. John 1:14 says that He who was the Eternal Word “became flesh and tabernacled among us.” In the same way that the Tent of Meeting in the desert, although a temporary structure, was the dwelling place of the Glory of God, in that same way, Jesus of Nazareth clothed in humble feeble flesh, was the embodiment of the fullness of the Godhead. Jesus was fully man and fully God. How He pulled it off is one of the great mysteries of the ages. It is a point of faith in Christianity because no one can fully understand it or ever hope to explain it.

·      “Humbled Himself…to death on a cross.” This is so hard to comprehend, how He could love sinners enough to die for them, let alone allow Himself to die on a Roman cross, one of the most hideous and gruesome of all deaths.

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name,

·      “For this reason…” What reason? Jesus humbled Himself, submitting to the will of the Father to come to Earth and become a man so that He could die for men’s sins. He voluntarily gave up almost all of what was rightly His to become our Sacrifice for sin. When it was finished He returned to Heaven where the Father lifted Him up and conferred on Him His glorious position that He had had before the foundation of the world. The Eternal Son was reestablished to His rightful place.

·      “…the name, which is above every name.” Paul is not referring to the name, Jesus [Yeshua]. That was the Son’s earthly name. He is speaking of the office or rank that was conferred upon Him, returning His former glory and honor.

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in Heaven and on earth and under the earth,

·      This is a preview of coming attractions as they say at the movies. Stay tuned because the day is coming when every mouth will confess that Jesus, the Christ, the Savior, the Creator and Sustainer of all, is indeed Lord of All. Today, some of us bend the knee and make the confession voluntarily, out of love and respect. Others refuse, and will only make the gesture and say the words when the mighty angels of God force them to their knee before the yawning gates of Hell. But sooner or later…

11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

·      Like it or not, sooner or later every person will become a genuine believer in Jesus, a true convert. However, for some it will be too late. But they will finally know the truth about Jesus! There will be no Muslims, no Hindus, no Buddhists, and no atheists. All will be true believers on that great Day of Judgment. And every one of those confessions from saint and sinner alike will bring glory to God the Father.

12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

·      While Paul was with the Philippian church the people there were very obedient to him, seeing him as their spiritual father and mentor. Now he is asking them to once again show that same respect and obedience despite their geographical separation. But what specifically is he asking them to do?

·      “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” What a strange request! On the surface it sounds like Paul is telling them to go out and try to earn their salvation by doing something. But what could they possibly do to earn what they had already received as a free gift? It made no sense. Salvation is either a gift to be freely received, or it is a prize to be won by completing certain tasks. Which is it?

13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

·      Lest we jump to the conclusion that Paul is preaching a doctrine of salvation by works he quickly clarifies that this “working out our salvation” is really God’s work in us. I once heard it described as “us working out what God has worked in.” His Holy Spirit is the One who motivates us. The Spirit is the One who jump-starts our will to want to glorify and serve God. It is the Spirit who empowers us to do the will of God and to accomplish the work of the Kingdom. It is all about Him. We are privileged to represent God and to be co-laborers with Him, but we should never get the idea that we are building the Kingdom on our own. He doesn’t need our help, but He welcomes it so that we can share in the joy of the harvest. It gives Him pleasure to have us in on the project.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

·      The imperative is up in verse 12: “work out your salvation.” Verses 14-17 give specific examples of what that will look like in real life. The first thing Paul mentions is directly related to his reason for writing this letter; namely, there were people in the church who were not getting along and were destroying the unity of the body. He’ll get into more detail later in the epistle but he’s setting the stage.

·      “Grumbling” is a sign of discontent, which betrays a lack of faith and trust in God and a questioning of His goodness.

·      “Disputing” springs from an attitude of pride and the desire for preeminence. Both of these sins are warned against numerous times in the Scriptures because of their destructive power.

15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

·      “…so that…” A causative statement… “doing all things without grumbling or disputing” will prove your wholehearted devotion to doing the will of God. Paul is not talking here about sinless perfection but about genuine faith and proven dedication.

·      “…in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation…” This is Paul’s take on the world of men living their lives apart from God. And if Paul’s world was crooked and perverse, how much more ours? The world is not getting better despite the politicians and philosophers’ claims. We continue to advance and improve technologically but morally and ethically we are as mired in sin, selfishness, and slime as we ever were. God saw this early on: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). In Romans 3:10-18 Paul sums up the problem of sinful humanity with this very non-flattering description: “There is none righteous, not even one. ¹¹ There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God. ¹² All have turned aside; together they have become useless. There is none who does good, there is not even one. ¹³ Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; ¹⁴ whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. ¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood. ¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their paths, ¹⁷ and the path of peace they have not known. ¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

·      “…among whom you appear as lights in the world…” This brings to mind Jesus’ words to His disciples in Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; ¹⁵ nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” 

16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

·      Here in the context, the main way that the Philippian believers can shine brightly in the darkness is to “hold fast the word of life.” He is referring not only to the Gospel itself, which must be proclaimed, but also to how they live out the Gospel in their daily lives. Christians who merely preach the truth without living it are seen as hypocrites and phonies. A wise person has noted: “The world will not care about what we know until they know that we care.” Too often we Christians are seen as talkers rather than doers.

·      Again we see that Paul lived his life in the knowledge that God was the only audience that mattered and the One before whom he would one day give account. As his children in the Lord, Paul wanted the Philippians to live in such a way that they would bring glory to God, which would be his greatest joy and achievement “in the day of Christ.”

17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I REJOICE and share my JOY with you all.

·      The future was still unsure. Paul hoped to be set free to continue his ministry but he knew that might not happen. He knew that his life could end at any time, but here he states that if that were the case then he would be content to have his death be as a drink offering of praise and thanksgiving poured out on the sacrifice of faith and service that the Philippian believers were offering to God.

·      He says, “Even if that’s what eventually happens…I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” What an incredible statement! Could we say the same thing?

18 You too, I urge you, REJOICE in the same way and share your JOY with me.

·      According to Paul, joy is meant to be shared. It is a reciprocal thing. Paul rejoices and shares his joy with his Philippian brothers and sisters, and urges them not to be sad about his possible death, but to rejoice and share their joy with him.

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.

·      Verses 19-27 form a new section in which Paul shares some of his plans, especially as they involve his friends, Timothy and Epaphroditus. He says that he hopes to send Timothy to Philippi in the near future. In part his purpose is to have Timothy go on a fact-finding mission and then return to Rome to report to him how the Philippian work is progressing. According to Acts 16 Timothy had been there in those early days and he already knew a lot of the brethren personally.

20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

·      “…of kindred spirit…” Timothy had learned much from Paul. He had become a valuable colleague as well as a spiritual “son.” And apparently Timothy had the same caring heart and compassion that Paul had for the Philippians. Therefore, Paul had confidence in Timothy and knew that he was the right person for this job.

21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

·      Who exactly is Paul referring to here? “They all…” This does not speak well of Paul’s other Christian associates, whoever he had in mind. In Paul’s estimation, despite his young age, Timothy stood above them in maturity.

22 But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the GOSPEL like a child serving his father.

·      The Philippian believers had already seen Timothy’s character in action. They knew what kind of man he was. His worth had already been “proven,” meaning put to the test and passed with flying colors. By this time, Timothy had already served as Paul’s protégé for a number of years. But he was far more than just a seminary intern. He was like a beloved son to Paul and he had absorbed the same passion, zeal, and godly character that everyone saw in Paul.

23 Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; 24 and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.

·      So Paul’s plan was to send Timothy to Philippi as soon as possible: “…as soon as I see how things go with me…” We don’t know exactly what the factors were in Paul’s decision. Perhaps he had been told that his release might be imminent and thought he might be able to make the trip to Philippi with Timothy. We just don’t know. However, it is clear that he fully expected to be released soon and to recommence his ministry.

25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;

·      Epaphroditus was from Philippi. He was a member of the congregation there. After they had heard of Paul’s incarceration in Rome the church had commissioned Epaphroditus to travel from Philippi to the capital with their love-gifts. Nowhere in the letter does Paul reveal exactly what the people sent—perhaps warm clothing, biblical manuscripts, favorite foods, and letters from members of the congregation. Whatever it was, their kindness and generosity meant the world to Paul. Their gift(s) showed their love for him.

·      “…my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier…” These are words of high praise coming from Paul and must have helped to elevate Epaphroditus even further in the eyes of the Philippian congregation.

·      “…your messenger and minister to my need.” Interestingly, for “messenger” Paul uses the Greek word, apostolos, from which we get “apostle.” However, he uses the word in the non-specific sense. Epaphroditus had been sent out from the Philippian church on a specific mission, to take messages and gifts to Paul in Rome. Paul, on the other hand, was an apostle in the formal sense. He had been specifically chosen, appointed, and sent out by Jesus Christ Himself, along with Peter, James, and John and the other members of The Twelve. Today missionaries fit into the same non-specific category as Epaphroditus. We are commissioned and sent out by local churches to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, to proclaim the message of salvation, and to plant churches. This is, in a sense, an apostolic-type ministry.

26 because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

·      It may have been Epaphroditus’ first time away from home. We don’t know. Also, he had fallen ill and then learned that the folks back home had heard about it. That made him feel even worse. Paul says that he was “distressed.” Although I’m quite sure that Paul very much appreciated his companionship, when Epaphroditus was finally well enough to travel Paul unselfishly sent him on his way back to Philippi.

27 For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

·      Epaphroditus had been gravely ill and nearly died, but God spared his life, much to Paul’s joy. Paul saw this as an evidence of God’s mercy both for him as well as Epaphroditus. Had the young man died Paul’s grief would have known no bounds because he felt responsible for him.

28 Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may REJOICE and I may be less concerned about you.

·      Paul knows that Epaphroditus’ return to Philippi would be an occasion of much rejoicing and praising God, which in turn caused Paul to rejoice.

29 Receive him then in the Lord with all JOY, and hold men like him in high regard; 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

·      “…hold men like him in high regard.” Only in this letter do we hear about Epaphroditus. He is mentioned nowhere else in the NT. However, it is obvious that Paul loved him and admired his character. Seldom does Paul ever speak so warmly of one of his fellow-workers. Epaphroditus must have indeed been a remarkable person.

·      So what were some of the qualities in Epaphroditus that were so admirable?

o   He loved God and the Gospel ministry

o   He put the welfare of others over his own.

o   He was courageous, even willing to lay down his life for the work of Christ.

o   He was a faithful servant of God and of the church.

o   He was dedicated to accomplish the tasks given to him.

·      “…to complete what was deficient in your service to me.” In English this sounds on the surface like Paul is criticizing the Philippians but nothing could be further from the truth. He is merely saying that Epaphroditus accomplished what the congregation could not; they could not all traipse off to Rome to visit Paul so they sent their emissary. Epaphroditus was able to do what the Philippians could not do; namely, to be physically present with Paul and minister to his needs.

Chapter 3 Finally, my brethren, REJOICE in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

·      This verse marks the beginning of a new section of the letter but the theme of joy/rejoicing functions as a hinge. He has already told them to receive Epaphroditus “with all joy” along with others like him, but the One who really inspires joy is Jesus Christ. One of my favorite Gospel songs is entitled, “Center of My Joy.” Written by Richard Smallwood the words go like this,

Jesus, You’re the Center of my joy;

All that’s good and perfect comes from You.

You're the heart of my contentment, hope for all I do,

Jesus, You're the Center of my joy.

When I've lost my direction You're the compass for my way,

You're the fire and light when nights are long and cold.

In sadness, You're my laughter that shatters all my fears,

When I'm all alone, Your hand is there to hold.

You are why I find pleasure in the simple things in life,

You're the music in the meadows and the streams.

You’re in the voices of the children, my family, and my home,

You're the Source and Finisher of my highest dreams.

·      “To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.” Repetition is the key to learning. Paul didn’t mind stating the same truths over and over again if it took that for the lesson to sink in.

·      “…a safeguard for you.” For a Christian to lose his joy is dangerous because just as Nehemiah told the people of Israel, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). A discouraged and down-at-the-mouth Christian is a weak Christian, and thus more vulnerable to attack. A joy-filled Christian with his hope and his eyes fixed on Jesus is a force to be reckoned with.

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;

·      Contrary to how this may look at first, Paul is not talking about three separate groups of opponents but one, which he describes in three ways:

o   “dogs” In NT times dogs were considered to be dirty scavengers. Most Jews did not keep them as pets. The word “dog” came to be used as an epithet to describe people with filthy minds.

o   “evil workers” Paul uses these words to describe those who were teaching false doctrine.

o   “false circumcision” Paul calls them the “katatomein” [katatomhn], which literally means, “mutilation.” They were crazy flesh-cutters who understood nothing about the real significance of OT circumcision.

·      Of course, in all three cases Paul is speaking of the heretical group that came to be called “Judaizers.” They wanted to force Christians to revert back to the old Jewish religious practices and insisted that these were necessary for salvation. Basically, they were promoting a doctrine of salvation by works.

3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

·      Paul describes the “true circumcision” as an issue of the heart rather than the flesh. In other words, the real Jews are those who have been circumcised in their hearts and have had their sin cut away through the blood of Jesus. Paul gives three characteristics of such people:

o   They worship God by means of the Spirit of God.

o   They glory in Christ rather than in their own good works or merits.

o   They have no confidence in any human scheme to reach God and gain salvation by human efforts.

4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:

·      Note that this is strictly rhetorical. Paul is not saying that he has a right to boast in the flesh, but merely pointing out that if one were to go down that road he would win the argument because his credentials are impeccable.

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;

·      This is his curriculum vitae. In other words, he was a Jew’s Jew. If anyone could boast of his Jewishness it was Paul. If doing all things Jewish could get a person saved then Paul would have had it all sowed up.

6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

·      Again, he’s not bragging, just stating the facts. From the standpoint of his former Jewish bosses Paul was doing everything right. His persecution and prosecution of the followers of The Way once seemed like a badge of honor. The “righteousness” of which he speaks was from the perspective of a man who thought he was doing the “right” thing, doing God a favor. The problem is that he was measuring his “righteousness” by the wrong standard.

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

·      Once Paul met Christ his whole perspective was turned upside-down. What seemed “right/righteous” before he now saw as wrong and wicked. Those things that were valuable before, he now saw as worthless.

8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

·      He had been seeking the praise of men, now he sought the praise of God. Things he had deemed as valuable were now seen literally as skubalon [σκύβαλον], “dung, manure, rubbish” and having no value at all when compared to knowing and gaining Christ.

9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

·      If the standard of measurement is wrong, then everything measured by that standard will be inaccurate. Everything in Paul’s life before Christ had been measured by the standard of Pharisaical law-keeping, which was a human standard. Even the Law of Moses was not the correct standard. The Law was incapable of saving anyone. All it could do was condemn and point out man’s need for a Savior. True righteousness could never by attained by law-keeping no matter how perfectly it was done. Paul makes it clear that true righteousness is a gift of God and comes only through Jesus Christ. It is the result of God’s grace through our faith in Christ.

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

·      “…that I may know Him…” As up in verse 8 this knowing is not a mere knowledge of the facts about Christ, but really knowing Him in an experiential way, having intimate knowledge of Him.

·      “[knowing]…the power of His resurrection…” Paul longed to know and experience Christ’s resurrection power and have it set loose in his own life.

·      “[knowing]…the fellowship of His sufferings…” Instead of flinching away from sufferings and trials, as humans normally do, Paul saw these as a privilege and a way to better get close to Christ.

·      “…being conformed to His death…” Here Paul chooses the Greek word συμμορφίζω, which means “to be made into the same form with.” Paul was not speaking of the manner of Christ’s death [death on a Roman cross], but of the significance of Christ’s death. The death of Jesus was the most unselfish, loving act the world has ever witnessed. The Bible says, “[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21). And again, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (I Peter 3:18). Paul wanted his own death to have significance and to bring glory to God after the pattern of Jesus.

11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

·      Paul did not have a death wish but he did look forward with joy and anticipation to his departure from this life in the sure knowledge that he would instantly be resurrected into the presence of his Savior. Paul was not afraid of death because he knew what awaited him.

12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

·      “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect…” Paul was not a braggart. He made no claims to sinless perfection. He was very aware of his sins, failures, and weaknesses. Unlike the Pharisees Paul knew that there was no good thing in him save the grace of God. Moreover, he understood justification and sanctification. Positionally he was forgiven, cleansed, and declared not guilty. In God’s sight he was a “new creation.”

·      However, Paul also understood that experientially the Christian life is about “growing in grace and in the knowledge of Christ,” and that is a life-long journey toward Christian maturity. That’s why he says, “I press on so that I may lay hold…” His goal was to achieve Christ’s goal for him, to fulfill all that Christ had laid out for him to do.

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

·      Here he humbly makes it clear that although he was an apostle and a preacher of the Gospel, he was also just a disciple still learning at the feet of Jesus. From Paul we never get a hint of an attitude of spiritual superiority.

·      “…forgetting what lies behind…” This could be things both good and bad. He has already said that his Jewishness and Law-keeping were rubbish. But he was also a persecutor of Christians. He was complicit in the death of Stephen. He had done many horrible things in his zeal to stamp out “The Way.” On the other hand, he had done many wonderful things since his conversion. He had led perhaps thousands to Christ. He had planted churches. He had discipled and trained key leaders for those churches. But here Paul tells us that he doesn’t dwell on the past, good or bad, but rather presses forward toward the future, knowing that the best is yet to come.

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

·      Here Paul uses language familiar to anyone who has ever run a race of any kind. A sprinter fixes his eyes on the finish tape. A car racer watches for the checkered flag. The winner of the race receives a victory prize—a trophy, a cash award, a gold medal, a laurel wreath, etc. For Paul the prize was the upward call of God when he would be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matt. 25:23).

15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

·      “OK, all you perfect people line up on this side. And all you imperfect people, go stand on the other side against that far wall.” Is that what Paul was saying? No! He’s not using the word “perfect” to mean “without flaws or sins” but in the sense of “mature, complete, and full-grown” [Greek teleios τέλειος]. He is directing his remarks to other believers who likewise are in the race, on the journey, and taking the Christian life seriously. He is urging all of us to adopt the same attitude that he has adopted because it is the only one that makes sense in light of what God has done to save us.

16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

·      “…let us keep living…” This verse is a difficult one to translate from Greek into good English because the word order is so different and because Paul uses words that don’t move straight across into English. The various versions are all over the map in how they handle it. Here Paul chooses a single military word that means, “to march in military rank, keeping step with your fellow soldiers.” The KJV translates it, “…let us walk by the same rule.”

·      To sum it up, Paul here is urging the Philippian believers to put into practice the truths that they have already learned, and to conduct themselves like soldiers marching in line, organized, together, with purpose. Remember that one of the intentions of this letter was to pull them up short and get them to quit bickering and destroying the unity of the church. Soldiers won’t ever be successful against their enemy if they are constantly shooting at each other inside their own tent but that is what some of the Philippians were doing.

17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

·      This statement could only be offensive if it were motivated by pride and vainglory; however, Paul is simply stating a fact. He had learned how to walk in righteousness and obedience to Christ and now he invites others to follow in his footsteps. Think of it like a master-craftsman teaching a new apprentice. The master teaches, not from pride, but from a desire to see the apprentice learn to produce a good quality product.

·      “…according to the pattern you have in us.” The Greek word for “pattern” is tupos [τύπος] and it means, “a figure formed by a blow or impression; a type, ensample or mold.” The word came directly into English as “type,” as in “movable type” used in printing. In the old days a printer would spend hours setting up the typeface, which would then be used to press countless pages of text. Paul says, “We are the type that you can use to form many new believers. Follow our example.”

18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,

·      Up in verse 2 Paul warned against his opponents, the Judaizers, who were pushing their false doctrines and he did it using some very strong language. But here, speaking of the very same people, he shows his compassion for them saying that he weeps for them, knowing the future that awaits all the “enemies of the cross of Christ.” And he should know! He was one for many years. It was only the grace of God that snapped him out of his unbelief and turned his life in a new direction to know, love, and serve Christ.

·      Paul’s attitude should serve as a model for us. We may get angry with the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses and other cults who spread false doctrines, but we should never see them as the enemy, per se. They are victims of the enemy, held in Satan’s tight grip, used by him for his own nefarious purposes. Yes, in their unbelief they oppose the cross of Christ but they are not unredeemable. However, unless they repent and turn to Jesus they will face certain destruction.

19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

·      All unbelievers are staring hell right in the face. If they die in their sins there will be no remedy. Paul offers three characteristics of lost people, especially those whom he was combating at that time:

o   “…whose god is their appetite [lit. belly]…” Anything that takes the place of God in a person’s life is really an idol, a false god. Unbelievers are “fleshly” and focused on those things they can taste and touch and experience. They live to grab all the gusto this life can offer giving little thought to their eternal souls.

o   “…whose glory is in their shame…” They take pride in the very things that will one day bring disgrace and humiliation to them when they stand in judgment before God.

o   “…who set their minds on earthly things.” The Christian has his mind fixed on things above, on doing the will of God and bringing glory to Christ. They understand that this earthly life is fleeting and soon gone and only treasures laid up in Heaven will last.

20 For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

·      Most of the people in the Philippian congregation were Roman citizens, as was Paul. Throughout the Empire Roman citizenship was valued highly and much sought for. People even paid great sums of money to buy their citizenship. The situation was akin to our modern world where a United States Passport is highly valued in every corner of the globe. So the Philippian believers instantly understood Paul’s metaphor. Even though Christians are in this world we are not of this world. Our citizenship is in Heaven where our Heavenly Family lives. We are merely sojourners here, resident aliens looking forward to go Home. As such, we should not get too tied to the values, life-styles, mindset, and customs of this strange world.

·      “…from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior…” Jesus promised to return and take His people home. We call that the “blessed hope” and we are commanded to live and labor in the knowledge that it could happen at any moment. Paul certainly did.

21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

·      When Jesus returns He will transform the body of every believer into a glorified body fit for Heaven and eternity. According to Paul and other biblical writers our bodies will be made like Christ’s resurrection body. And Paul says here that Jesus himself will do the job through His own resurrection power. Those whom He has redeemed will be made perfect, body, soul, and spirit and we will be formed into His Bride, without blemish, spot, or wrinkle to stand before Him at that great Supper of the Lamb. What a glorious day that will be! Paul certainly looked forward to it and urged the Philippian believers to live every day in the anticipation of that glory.

Chapter 4 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my JOY and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

·      Verse 1 is the hinge leading into a new subject but it is still related to what he has just been saying. He’s still talking about that Day when the Bride will meet the Groom and the Philippian believers will be there. One that day they will be Paul’s “joy and crown.” In light of what is coming he will now plead with them to clean up their act and fix some things that were amiss in their midst.

·      As I said, this verse begins a new paragraph and a new subject. He has talked earlier about the theology of oneness in the Body of Christ. Now he needs to take on a situation that was the antithesis of Christian oneness.

·      Mary Poppins knew that “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down” and so did Paul.

o   He calls them “my beloved brethren”, a term of endearment.

o   Then he says that he “longs to see them” letting know that he was homesick for them, that he genuinely missed them, reinforcing the feeling of family.

o   Then he calls them “my joy and crown.” Paul is looking forward to the day when he will stand before the Lord and have the joy of seeing these dear people in that great number of the redeemed. Paul wrote something very similar to the Thessalonian believers in I Thess. 2:19, “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? It is not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?” Paul sought no other crown.

·      “In this way stand firm in the Lord…” Now Paul gets to the point to which he has been leading up.

2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.

·      I can only imagine the shockwave that went through the congregation in Philippi when these words were read in the assembly. These two Christian women, Euodia and Syntyche, must have wanted the ground to swallow them up, so great was their embarrassment. We know nothing about them except what Paul says of them here but Paul obviously knew and valued them both.

·      “I urge [them] to live in harmony in the Lord.” The rift between them must have grown very serious for Paul to feel the need to address them personally in this way, although he takes no sides in their dispute. The division that they were causing was threatening the church and apparently the leaders had been unsuccessful up to that point in bringing them to any kind of reconciliation. Thus, Paul weighed in, using his authority as their spiritual father and as an apostle to bring them up short and force them to deal with their disagreements, which had gotten out of hand. It was obvious to him that the original issue between them wasn’t the real issue, but rather how they had handled it that was causing the problem. That is almost always the case. Christians will often disagree over matters of doctrine, policy, practices, or procedures but these should never result in division in the Body of Christ unless it is an issue of heresy.

·      “…to live in harmony in the Lord.” Paul chooses the word, fronevw [phronéo], which literally means to be of the same mind, to see things from the same angle, the same perspective. In their pettiness these two dear ladies had lost sight of the big picture and were probably unaware of how much damage they were causing to the work of Christ.

3 Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the GOSPEL, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

·      “True companion…” Some scholars believe that Paul was directing this appeal to a man named, Súdzugos (σύζυγος), which is the Greek word for “comrade, colleague, yoke-fellow”, and may have been the name or a nickname for one of the elders. We don’t know for sure exactly whom Paul was addressing. He also might have just been appealing to any of the believers who had close rapport with one or both of the women and were in a position to get involved and help them solve their differences.

·      “Help these women.” This word for “help” literally means, “to come alongside to assist, to take part with and help with what others are doing.” In Luke 5:7 it is used of assisting fishermen to pull in a catch of fish. Paul must have believed that these women could be helped. He had not given up on them but trusted that with the right kind of exhortation and encouragement they could be guided back onto the path. He based this on his past relations with them.

·      “…who have shared my struggle in the cause of the Gospel…” Paul had worked with them in the past and appreciated their godly zeal for the Gospel and the work of the ministry.

·      “…whose names are in the Book of Life.” Paul had no doubt that these two women were genuine Christians. Euodia and Syntyche were Paul’s sisters in the Lord and he believed that they could be salvaged and restored to fellowship. This should always be the goal of church discipline—the restoration of the person to full-participation in the body, forgiving and forgiven. However, it is also important to remember that this is painful work and should only be undertaken by wise and godly leaders who know what they are doing.

·      “…together with Clement…” Like with Euodia and Syntyche, this is the only time he is mentioned in the NT and we know nothing about him other than that he was a leader in the Philippian congregation and a man in whom Paul had great confidence.

4 REJOICE in the Lord always; again I will say, REJOICE!

·      In this verse the theme of the letter comes shining through brightly. But what does rejoicing have to do with solving the problem between Euodia and Syntyche? In the midst of troubles, in the midst of conflicts, in the midst of trials Christians are to “rejoice in the Lord.” Our joy is not based upon circumstances but upon relationship, one relationship, our relationship with Christ. Jesus told us that in this world we will have tribulations but we also have His assurance that these trials will produce endurance in us, and that endurance produces godly character [cf. James 1:2-4]. Therefore, we can rejoice in the Lord no matter what else is going on because God always works “all things together” for our good [Rom. 8:28-30].

5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

·      These two little sentences are logically linked in Paul’s mind. “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.” This is undoubtedly addressed to not only Euodia and Syntyche but also to those leaders in the Philippian church who were dealing with them. This is an appeal for Christ-like consideration for others. As Paul says in Galatians that spiritual triage calls for gentleness: “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” (Gal. 6:1).

·      “The Lord is near.” Paul calls for gentleness and kindness in dealing with fellow believers in light of the fact that Jesus could return at any moment. The Lord’s soon return was a major motivating factor in Paul’s ministry and he again urges the Philippian believers to remember that Jesus could show up at any time. We too should live in the light of this certainty.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

·      In the context I believe that Paul was urging the Philippian believers to be in prayer about this situation rather than just worrying about it, because worrying never solves anything. However, the principle is much broader and applies to all sorts of situations. Worry, anxiety, sweating-bullets, etc. is the antithesis of faith. It just shows that we really don’t trust God. The antidote to worry is right here—prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. If our minds are filled with these three things we’ll have no time or energy left over for worrying. Remember, our God is much bigger than any problem we might lay before Him. Besides, He already knows what we have need of, even before we ask, and by the time we ask the answer is already on its way.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

·      What a precious verse! Paul is saying that if we choose to trust God with our situation, bathe it in prayer and wrap it up with thanksgiving to God, then God will give us His peace.

·      And what about this “peace of God”? Obviously it is not just a fleeting psychological state of serenity, but an inner tranquility and sense of protected wellbeing independent of circumstances. Moreover, Paul says that it defies human comprehension because it is divine in nature.

·      “…will guard [keep, garrison] your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” This is a military word to describe a perimeter sentry walking guard duty. It means "to keep by guarding, to keep under guard," and is used in two ways: (a) of blocking up every way of escape from a besieged city; (b) of providing protection against the incoming enemy, as a garrison does. Paul is reminding us that our mind is a battle zone. Sometimes it needs protection from Satan’s hostile attacks [fear, anger, doubt, despair, etc.] and sometimes from the inner attacks of our own flesh.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

·      “Finally, brethren…” Paul is drawing this section to a close but verses 8-9 are the conclusion and benediction.

·      “…whatever is true…honorable…right…pure…lovely…of good repute…excellent…praiseworthy…” Eight virtues that Paul says should define the focus of every Christian’s attention. Here’s how it works: what you are at your core will determine how you think; your thoughts will determine your attitudes, values and priorities; your attitudes, values and priorities will determine your actions, words, and external behaviors. A true Christian is a “new creation” and is now different at the core, but if he or she is meditating on things that are rotten and impure those will eventually work their way to the surface by way of attitudes and actions. Therefore, Paul says that we should not tolerate in our hearts and minds anything that is false, dishonorable, unholy, impure, morally ugly, of bad reputation, mediocre, or shameful [antonyms of his list].

·      “…dwell [meditate, think, deliberate] on these things.” The Greek word is “logidzomai” [logivzomai] and means “to reckon, count, compute, calculate, or to take into account.” It implies a conscious effort to focus one’s mind in order to sort things out. Of course, this effort will be fruitless without the help of the Holy Spirit and the filter of God’s Word, but with these it is very possible to ride herd on the carnal mind.

9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

·      This verse is clearly in keeping with Paul’s former exhortation in 3:17, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” How do you learn to live the Christian life? Answer: you find a mature, spiritual, godly believer and you imitate their pattern, keeping your other eye on Jesus the whole time so that you don’t get fooled. This is the underlying idea of discipleship and Christian mentoring.

·      Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke were the spiritual “fathers” of the Philippian Church. Paul says, “The things you learned from me [us], that you received from me, that you heard me say, and that you saw me do, put all of these things into practice.” Paul is not a precursor to pied piper whack-a-doodles like Jim Jones or David Koresh, but rather, a spiritual father telling his spiritual children to walk in his footprints so as not to fall off the trail and get hurt. Paul doesn’t say this out of pride or ego. He wasn’t establishing a kingdom for himself.

·      “…and the God of peace will be with you.” He has just spoken a moment ago about the “peace of God.” Now he turns the phrase around. The God of Shalom is the Giver of Shalom. That peace is the gift of God. But even better than the presence of the gift is the presence of the Giver: “HE will be with you.” This reminds us of Jesus’ promise in Matt. 28:20, “…and lo, I am with you always.”

10 But I REJOICED in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.

·      Verses 10-20 form a new section in which Paul thanks the Philippian congregation for a recent gift that they had sent to him by way of Epaphroditus [cf. 3:25]. Their generosity obviously touched him deeply and he wanted to let them know how much their kindness meant to him. He also wanted to use it as an opportunity to teach them about trusting in God to meet their needs.

·      Background: After the implanting of the Gospel in Philippi the new church there apparently sent gifts to Paul periodically to help out with his ministry expenses [cf. II Cor. 11:9; Acts 18:5]. Then, they lost contact with him for an extended period when he was jailed in Caesarea for approximately two years, plus 4-5 months travel time to Rome [cf. Acts 24-27]. Somehow they had gotten word that he was now under house arrest in Rome and had quickly responded by sending their gift to him to Rome.  

·      “…indeed, you were concerned before but you lacked opportunity.” Paul has no doubts about their generosity. He just states the fact that for a while they had had no way to help him, but when the opportunity arose they jumped in quickly.

·      It is important to remember that the Philippian Church was not wealthy. Chances are Lydia was the wealthiest person in the congregation. But when it came to giving to meet needs those folks were generous beyond belief. Paul describes their giving attitude in II Corinthians 8:1-5 in response to the need of the Jerusalem believers.

o   “Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, ² that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. ³ For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, ⁴ begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, ⁵ and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.”

11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

·      Paul reassures them that he is doing well. He has everything he needs and he does not want them to worry. But again he emphasizes that his trust is in the Lord who takes good care of him. He has learned the secret of contentment, something that many of us struggle with on a daily basis. He has learned that nothing of this life will last, save the things we have done for God and the people that He loves. Only treasure laid up in Heaven will pass the rust/moth/robber test.

12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

·      Paul “knows” these things because he had already experienced them. His knowledge was not merely theoretical but experiential. He has learned the secret by passing the tests. Peter speak of this process in I Peter 1:6-7, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

·      Most of us memorized this verse when we were kids, but what does it really mean? Can I jump off the barn roof and win a victory over the law of gravity if I have enough faith? Can I step off the curb in front of a Max Train and live to tell the tale if I just have enough faith? Of course not! The “all things” has to be qualified by the context. In the context Paul is talking about surviving and even thriving in the midst of whatever “for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health” type circumstances the Lord chooses to lead us into. As the Psalmist says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me; Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” Paul is not boasting in his own abilities, but rather in the Lord’s loving-kindness, generosity, and protection.

14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.

·      While Paul’s praise goes to God, his thanksgiving overflows to the Philippian believers because they were the conduits of God’s provision.

15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the GOSPEL, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.

·      Again, this shows the special relationship that Paul shared with this congregation.

17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.

·      He’s not saying that their gift was unimportant but rather that it was an evidence of something even more important; namely, their overflowing Christian generosity and love, things that are precious in God’s sight and will surely be rewarded by Him. The gift benefitted Paul, but the giving of the gift benefitted the Philippian believers.

18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

·      The Philippians were not offering a sacrifice to Paul. He was not worthy of sacrifice and both he and they knew it. Rather, their gift to Paul was a form of sacrifice to God. Paul was just God’s servant. Paul was just reminding them that by giving to Him they were really giving themselves to God [cf. Romans 12:1-2].

·      “…a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice…” Paul here is thinking about the OT sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise described in Leviticus 7:12-15 and he says that to God it is like the richest perfume or the loveliest frankincense, and it is “well-pleasing” to Him, meaning that God received pleasure from their love-gift.

19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

·      “And my God…will supply all your needs…” Here Paul is bragging on his God, and with good reason. He had already had many experiences that proved to him that we just cannot out-give God. With confidence he can say that the Philippians will be rewarded by God for their kindness and generosity.

·      “…according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Out of God’s great wealth He will reward the Philippians. And how big is God’s financial portfolio?  It is in proportion to the size of the glory that Jesus has up in Heaven. How big is that? To quote Donald Trump, “IT IS HUGE!!”

20 Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

·      Paul closes the body of his letter with a doxology, which literally just means “a statement [word] of glory.” Especially in light of the truth of verse 19 Paul bursts forth in praise to God.

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.

·      “The brethren who are with me…” probably just refers to Paul’s fellow workers in Rome but it may also include other believers who were likewise imprisoned awaiting trial. It certainly included Timothy and possibly Luke. Epaphroditus was already on his way back home to Philippi as Paul explains in 2:25-30.

22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

·      Apparently, during Paul’s two years of house arrest he had been able to make inroads for the Gospel into even the most unexpected places. Although he doesn’t give specifics here he leaves us with the impression that there were now Christians within the very walls of Caesar’s Palace. He may again be referring to soldiers of the famous Praetorian Guard [cf. 1:13] or perhaps to servants, housekeepers, or cooks who had come to faith in Christ. The Gospel is like that tiny blade of grass that comes up through a crack in the sidewalk. It is powerful and patient and will eventually find a way in despite man’s best efforts to keep it out.  

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

This is a blessing, a benediction and it is a sincere prayer for the Philippian believers from Paul’s heart.