Author: 杨 全荣

The Peace of God

v1: [that is how you should stand firm in the Lord!]. A tip that Paul is ending this epistle. All the things he wrote earlier are how christian should live in order to stand firm in the Lord.

v2: [..Euodia…Syntyche to agree with each other..]. These two sisters in Christ were in disagreement, and Paul wanted them to get into agreement in the Lord. What should we do when we are in disagreement with our fellow workers? We need to be a peace with our coworkers. We ought to seek the will of the Lord, and get into agreement with the will of the Lord.

v4-5: [..rejoice…gentleness..] joy  and gentleness are signs of mature Christians.

v4-7: How do we have peace of God? Pray!

v8: what a wonderful list of characters of mature Christians! Paul told us to [..think about such things]. The world taught our mind to fill will negative ideas and thought. The word of God tell us to fill our mind with heavenly, spiritual and positive thoughts.

v9: When are get down to our knees and present our requests to God, when we think about heavenly things, when  learned from elderly saints and put what we learn into practice, the God of peace will be with us.

Content in whatever circumstances (v10-20)

The secret of being content (v12)? Depends on the strength of the Lord Jesus (v13).

God will meet all our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (v19). How comforting it is to know that God will meet all our needs. Not our wants, but our needs. God knows exactly what we need, and He will supply them. How does God supply our needs? With His Son Jesus Christ! All our needs can be satisfied in our Lord Jesus Christ! Because all the powers, riches and blessings of God is in our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3)! We do not need to search for our answers anymore. We do not need to look for person, or things, or money to fill our needs. All our needs can be filled with the Lord Jesus!

No confidence in the flesh (v1-6)

Men by nature are arrogant and proud of what we accomplished in the flesh. Men also have the tendency to put our confidence, or to depend on our earthly experience, social status, power and money. Paul had many reasons to put his confidence in the flesh, but praise God he did not! Believers ought to put our confidence in Christ. We ought to worship by the Spirit of God, and glorify our Lord Jesus.

v2:[..what out for those dogs…do evil…mutilators of the flesh]. Paul was referring to Judaizers. It was common for Jews to refer to gentiles as dog, interestingly Paul referred the Judaizers as dogs because of their vicious and uncontrolled characters of insisting Christians to be circumcised.

Desire to know Christ (v7-11)

v7-11 is one of the most wonderful passages in NT that shows Christians what should be in the mind of a believer who desire to pursue Christ.

Nothing on this earth can be compared to the greatness of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ (v8). All things are considered rubbish when compared to the fullness and the glory of Christ (v9).

v11: [..to attain to the resurrection from the dead]. Paul did not mean he needed to obtain resurrection by works. He was referring to the subjective experience to die and to resurrect with Christ. Paul desired to share the suffering of Christ, to be united with Christ in death, and to experience the spiritual resurrection from dead.

Pressing on Toward the Goal (v12-14)

v13: [forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead]. Paul is using the metaphor of runners in a race. Good runner does not look back to what he had accomplished but to press on toward the goal to win the prize.

Paul had accomplished much at this point in his life. But he was not satisfied and not wasting time to keep looking back. His desire is to press on to take hold of that for which God has prepared for him (v12,14).

All Christians are in a spiritual race. We have a common goal in life, which is to know, to experience, and to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. Mature Christians look forward in our spiritual race to press on toward the heavenly goal. (v15).

However, each christian is at different maturity in our walk with the Lord, do not try to impose the same expectation to every christians. We are to live up to what we have already attained (v16).

Citizen of heaven (v17-21)

Who are the enemies of the cross of Christ? (v18). Here are their descriptions: 1) their god is their stomach, 2) their glory is in their shame, 3) their mind is on earthly things.

Now, we need to evaluate ourselves against these descriptions and evaluate whether we live as enemies of the cross of Christ, or as citizen of heaven.

United In Christ (1-5)

Paul’s joy is complete (v2) when he sees the Church of Christ is united in Christ (v1).

What is the meaning of united in Christ? It is when all believers think like Christ, with the love of Christ, are one in spirit, have their purpose in Christ, and have the attitude of humility as Christ (v5).

Humility of Christ (v6-11)

This is one of the most glorious passages of Christ’s humility and exaltation.

Children of God shining as Stars (v12-18)

In 1:27, Paul said believers ought to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Here in 2:15, Paul continues the same topic, but this time referencing God the father. We need to conduct ourselves like the children of God. In this crooked and depraved generation, we ought to shine like stars in the universe.

v12: [..work out your salvation…]. It does not mean salvation by work. Paul did not say work for your salvation, but work out your salvation. It means believer’s responsibility for active pursuit of obedience in the process of sanctification.

v16: [… boast on the day of Christ…]. Third reference to the day of Christ (1:6,10). In the day of Christ, rewards will be given to Christ’s laborers.

v17: [..being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith..]. Paul think himself is like the wine being poured out on the sacrifice of the saints in Philippi. When wine is poured on a sacrifice on altar, the wine will be vaporized with pleasing aroma (Ex 29:41). What a great picture of laborers of God working together to please God.

v17-18: [.. I am glad and rejoice…you too should be glad and rejoice..]. Rejoicing together as co-laborers of Christ, as children of God. Do you rejoice when working with other believers to serve our Lord?

Timothy (v19-24)

Paul follows the above passage with two great examples of children of God whom are shining like stars, who co-labored with Paul and with the Philippi church for Christ.

Paul praised Timothy for:

1. takes a genuine interrest in the welfare of the church at Philippi (v20)
2. Does not look for his own interests, but look for the interests of Christ (v21)
3. served with Paul in the work of the gospel (v22)

Epaphroditus (v25-30)

Who is Epaphroditus?

1. A brother in Christ
2. Fellow worker of Christ
3. Fellow soldier of spiritual warfare
4. Messenger of the church of Philippi
5. Came to take care of Paul’s needs
6. Almost died for the work of Christ

Oh Lord, may you lift up more Epaphroditus in today’s church!

The church in Philippi

Paul responded to the vision of Philippi and went to Philippi on his second missionary trip (Act 16:10). Paul preached the gospel to Lydia and her family and the Philippian jailer and his family. They responded to the gospel (Acts 16:33) and was baptized,  that was the beginning of the church in Philippi. It became the first church in Europe.

The city of Philippi

Located 10 miles inland from Neapolis on the Aegean Sea. It was named after Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great when he conquered the city in 356 BC to gain access to gold mines nearby the city. Philip enlarged the city with many new inhabitants and considerable construction. In 200 BC, Philippi became part of the Roman province of Macedonia.

Julius Caesar’s heirs Mark Antony and Octavian confronted the assassins of Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus and Cassius, at the Battle of Philippi in the plain to the west of the city during October in 42 BC. Antony and Octavian were victorious in this final battle against the partisans of the Republic.

Octavian received the title Augustus from the Roman Senate in 27 B.C. He made a Roman colony. Its citizens had an autonomous government, were immune from tribute, and were treated the same as if they actually lived in Italy.  Many veterans of the Roman army settled there.

The main highway from Asia to the west is called “Via Egnatia”. It passed through Philippi and ran alongside the forum of the city.

Via Egnatia

Theme – Joy of Christians

Joy of Christians is the theme of this epistle. “Joy” (chara) is used four times (1:4,25; 2:2;4:1); “rejoice” (chairo) occurs eight times (1:18; 2:17-18; 3:1, 4:4, 10), and “glad” occurs twice (2:17-18-, 28).

Date and Vanue

Paul wrote this from a prison in Rome in 62 AD.

Background

The church at Philippi sent Epaphroditus to bring financial contribution to Paul so that his confinement would be more comfortable (4:18). Epaphroditus became so ill he almost died (2:27). After he recovered, he brought this letter to the church at Philippi.

The church of Philippi has been partnering with Paul in the gospel (1:5) since the beginning of the church by financially support Paul’s work. At lease four time they had sent financial contribution to Paul, twice when Paul was in Thessalonica (4:16), once in Corinth (2 Cor 11:9), and once in Rome.

Purpose of the letter

1. express thanks for the Philippians’ gift (4:10-18)
2. he wanted the Philippians to know why he decided to return Epaphroditus to them, so they would not think his service to Paul had been unsatisfactory (2:25,26)
3. he wanted to inform them about his circumstances in Rome (1:12-26)
4. exhort them to unity (2:1,2;4:2)
5. warn them against false teachers (3:1-4:1)

Christ

This letter contains one of the most magnificent passage describing Christ’s humility and exaltation (2:5-11).

Authors

Paul and Timothy

Recipients

All the saints, overseers and deacons. These are the members of a local church.

Thanksgiving and Prayers (v1-11)

v3: how often do we remember other believers in our prayers?

v3: Do you thank God in your prayers? Or do you just know how to ask God for things?

v4: There are times we pray with brokenness, and there are times we pray with joy.

v5: ever since Paul brought the gospel to Philippi on his second missionary trip, the Philippians immediately began to support Paul financially and in prayers, thus partnering with Paul in the gospel.

v6: Good work is the salvation of spirit, completion means the salvation of soul and body. On the Lord Jesus second coming, He will reward believers from the “”judgement seat of Christ” (2 Cor 5:10) based on their faithfulness to Him. Eventually, at the “Day of Christ Jesus”, all believers, body, soul and spirit will be saved.

v8: “Affection of Christ Jesus”, not affection of our own, but of our Lord.

v9: Love needs to be complimented with knowledge and insight of spiritual things, so that we can have discernment on spiritual things. Love without spiritual discernment could lead to undesired results.

v9: Spiritual discernment helps us to be pure and blameless. Without spiritual discernment, it is hard to stay pure, because we would be deceived by Satan to do thing that displeases the Lord Jesus in the name of love.

v10: “the day of Christ” is mentioned the second time in this epistle.

v11: “fruit of righteousness”. Our righteousness came from Christ. The fruit of righteousness is the fruit of Christ’s Spirit, the fruit of Holy Spirit (Gal 5).

“In chains for Christ” (v12-18)

v13: Paul was in chains for Christ, and because of his chains, other believers have been greatly encouragement to boldly proclaim the word of God. Oh, let’s us have the will and desire to be in chained for Christ, for the benefits of the saints.

v18: […The important thing is that in ever way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.] Some preachers in the church may have selfish motive to preach Christ, God will deal with the person individually at the judgement seat of Christ. However regardless of their motives, God in His wisdom could still use the situation to advance His kingdom.

The live is Christ and to Die is gain (v19-26)

v19: [..for my deliverance..].. obviously Paul is not talking about deliverance of his spirit, since his spirit was delivered the moment he believed in Jesus, on the road to damascus in his case. He is either talking about deliverance of his physical body from the prison, or deliverance of his soul.

v20: [… Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death]. Christ filled the mind of Paul. Whether he is alive, or death, he desires one thing: to glorify his Lord. Most people today filled our mind with things that has no eternal meaning, as christians, we ought to have the desire to exalt the Lord as Paul did.

v21: [For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain]. Christ is the reason why Paul lived. He lived for Christ. Is that the purpose of our life? Do you have the desire to say [to live is Christ]? or do we desire to say “to live is me”. Sadly, many christians know the right thing to say, but a lot of time we live for ourselves, not for the Lord. Let’s repent and live for Him!

v23: Paul loves the Lord so much that he desire to depart this world to be with Christ!

Conduct Yourselves in a Manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ (v27-30)

v27: How we conduct ourselves could have eternal impact on others. We represent Christ on this earth, we are his ambassadors! What a privilege to be an ambassador for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! How sadly many christians do not see that and conduct our manner unworthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

v29: [For it has been granted… to suffer to Him]. Everybody experienced suffering in life at lease once. But it is only by the grace of God that we suffer for Christ! If we are suffering because of our faith in Christ, considered it a privilege and a blessing! (Matth 5:10-12).