Chapter 2
This chapter begins with Paul urging the Philippians toward unity. To be "in full accord and of one mind".
I should recite this verse a hundred times a day:
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [Phil 2:3 ESV]
Such a conflict with American culture. With John Wayne cowboy movies and western novels about the Sacketts. It conflicts with the attitudes behind 1776 and 1861. None of those were about what was best for others.
2021-2, Possible FB post, maybe starting in January. Adding this to our character, striving for this every day is surely a worthy goal for 2022. We know we'll fail, so make it a resolution to try every day, not necessarily to succeed every day. But I do think it is important to note the further clarification that comes in vs 4:
[Phl 2:4 ESV] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. The Bible does not teach that we are to forsake our own families, our own finances or even our own health and look after others BEFORE ourselves. We add responsibility for others to the responsibility for our own. What an equalizer within the church! What if you "worry" about where that family two rows up is going to get the money to repair their only car as much as you worry about next semester's tuition for your own? What if you have $100 left over from tuition that you could put on their car repairs?
This might be two FB posts, one for vs 3, another for 4.
2022 - This seems to be yet another reference to those in Chapter 1 who were preaching from envy and rivalry. Don't be like them, don't have self-promotion as your goal.
2023 - Unity within the church is in view here. Paul isn't saying to give away any extra to the poor in New Zealand, but to look to those in your "church family" that are in need. We ought to support our own, and then our church, and then be charitable toward the rest of the world. Isn't that what Jesus said about the spikenard applied to his feet? The poor will always be with you. Help those inside first.
This is all setting up for 2:5-11, the description of Jesus' example to us. Who could ever humble themselves more than Jesus did, leaving the perfection of his spiritual body in a paradise where nothing ever went wrong, to live in a physical body of flesh, hit his thumb with hammers, experience pain, death, love of mother and father, and so on? It is not possible to humble ourselves to that extent, because we start well below what was the bottom for Jesus. Even in body, he never sinned, never yielded. We are born as failures, and then continue to fall.
2026 Extra from Sunday School Class - Anyone can be obedient when asked to do what they want to do anyway. Humility is doing what you don't want to do when asked, and more especially is it hurts to do it!
These verses, pretty much expressly denied in the Quran:
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Phl 2:9-11 ESV]
Islam says that God made no one else sovereign. They deny this verse of the Bible, yet the Quran endorses scripture and refers Muslims to the keepers of the book.
2022 - This is also New Testament. It would be a good thing to compile the OT verses that also call him sovereign, that put him forever on the throne of David. That make him creator of al that is. Use those OT verses to show that the NT is not claiming some new additional sovereign. It is just being consistent with what came before. With what Muhammad readily and repeatedly endorsed as a worthy, useful book.
Vss 12, 13 are about sanctification. A lifelong process of perfecting, as much as we can, this mortal existence. vs 13 makes it clear that it is God who works - not our own works - in achieving this sanctification, this salvation.
2021-2, Vss 14-16 are a single sentence. A very long sentence.
2021 - These two verses:
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, [Phl 2:14-15 ESV] We have seen this before, as Paul called for unity. We especially saw those in the church working against each other in the Corinthian letters. There, they were suing each other. This seems to be much less severe, but still worthy of Paul's attention. In light of my comments at the end of this book, I would say this might be a "first world problem" also. When we don't have the world actively trying to trample us and all that we stand for, we tend to grumble about each other, to each other. We dispute about minor matters - whether worldly matters or doctrinal matters. Keep in mind Phil 1:15-18, where the underlying motives of those proclaiming the gospel are in question - but to be overlooked so long as the true gospel is being proclaimed. Makes me wonder about what John MacA said about Tony Evans preaching of "dispensational salvation". Clearly an error...but if that is all he gets wrong, do we shun him? He gets Christ right, and the gospel right, but he doesn't think those who've never heard of Jesus go to hell because of that. I think they do. If Tony is wrong, the sin is in diluting the urgency of missionary work. Hmm....
2021-2, Another possible FB post, right after the one on vs 3.
2023 - But...MacArthur is a dispensationalist, and so far as I can tell, so am I! So I ought to look more into this dispute before having an opinion about it. But that "clearly an error" comment above? That's from when I didn't even realize how dispensational I am nor what beliefs I have that make me one.
2022 - This verse:
16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. [Phl 2:16 ESV].
Here is the third time Paul has used this phrase in this same book. Shouldn't that be enough times to gather the context of what he means? When is "the day of Christ"? Rosenthal in Pre-Wrath says it is the same as "day of the Lord", and refers to the beginning of wrath. If so, why would Paul want to be proud on that day? I guess you could see it as him being glad that at least some of the people he'd preached to were saved and raptured out before all that started. I mean, it doesn't really say, but to me, Paul would be more concerned with those not raptured on such a day, more concerned with the ones who heard him and didn't listen, than with the raptured. It seems to me, from this verse anyway, that the day of Christ is more likely the bema seat judgment, in heaven, when the Philippians are rewarded for so conscientiously upholding the purposes of the church. Wouldn't anyone be proud when their "children" were recognized and rewarded for the good they did in their lives?
A change of subject in vs 19, and then Paul says this:
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. [Phl 2:19-21 ESV]
Is he referring back to those who preach from rivalry again? Hard to believe that at this point, Paul believed there was only one who was singularly devoted to the church and without self-interest or personal ambition. If this is so, and Paul is writing from Ceasarea, then he was "abandoned" by his friends long before he wrote to Timothy from Rome. His state of mind in the letters to Timothy seem far more "alone" than what he says here. He must have written to Timothy after his second imprisonment? But were there two? Not sure where I got that. In any case, Paul still had lots of support at Ceasarea and his escort let him stop and meet people on his way to Rome. So I think this verse lends itself to the "from Rome" position much moreso than the "from Ceasarea" position.
2022 - Yep. Vs 21 sure seems like what Paul said to Timothy, 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! [2Ti 4:16 ESV]. But...if 2Tim was written during Paul's second imprisonment, wouldn't that be much later? Yes...MSB intro speculates that it was written either from Ceasarea or from Rome during the first imprisonment. So...not likely that Paul has in view the same situation in Philippians 2 that he has in 2Tim 3. The second one was probably even worse. That, though, indicates that once Paul got to Rome, many of his 'supporters", his fellow believers, either tried to use it to advance themselves, or they were so afraid of sharing Paul's fate that they melted away and went home.
Paul explains his reasons for sending Epaphroditus back to them. All is well, there is no reproach or disappointment.
2023 - So...in 2:21, "they all seek their own interests" except for Timothy. But in 2:25, Epaphroditus is "my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier". I don't know how these two can really be fitted together. Unless Timothy is currently not with Paul, but in some other place where there aren't any "good" people. Maybe Timothy is also without help where he is, and Paul knows he needs a break, but doesn't want him to leave there just yet...perhaps until Paul knows that he can take Timothy's place on the field. Was there a time when Timothy was in Corinth and Paul was in prison? I think we have one hint in one of the Timothy's that perhaps Timothy was jailed where he was, and Paul was not with him at the time. So maybe that is how this reads. Even so, why would Paul tell the Philippians that there were no good people in say, Corinth, where Timothy was? I mean, there WERE some good people in Corinth! I don't know.