Philippians - Chapter 2 (Week 3)

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Or you could email me your comments and I could post them as a new entry!

This week I only got around to reading three translations. Thoughts again posted by translation...

NRSV

Verse 4 stood out : "Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Along with verses 5-8 : "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross."

So the question is, what's my attitude? Not probably in line with this...

Luke 14:33 "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."

Give up everything she has... that means my self-righteousness, my dreams, my comfort, my happiness, my free time, my aspirations, my health, my beauty rest... I have to be willing to forgo all these, even the very good ones in order to be His disciple. Lord, help me!

Verses 14-15: "Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world."

Do ALL THINGS without murmuring and arguing ... even practicing, taking out the garbage, washing dishes, scrubbing the toilets, keeping all our family stuff organized... THIS is what it takes to be blameless and innocent before God and the world.

...So I read this on Monday night. And Tuesday morning I got into a *discussion* with my husband (my fault - I started it) in which he mentioned again that I complain way too much about the things that need done and don't spend enough time doing them, so he goes and does them. Um, that's not good. So as of 10 am this past Tuesday there is a one-week experiment running in which I do not complain. At all.

This has brought up some interesting questions in my mind about what exactly is complaining and murmuring? I decided if I mention a problem as part of the search for a solution it is NOT complaining, but if I am mentioning a problem because I want pity or I want out of having to do it or I'm feeling whiny, then that IS complaining. What do you think? Am I on the right track?

Verse 21: "All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ."

Is that what Paul would have to say about me? What can I do to change and seek His Kingdom first in ALL things?

The Message

"Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."

That even applies to my husband, our exchange student, my parents, or any of my college students, not just to random strangers...

"Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever..."

Lord, forgive my constant disobedience and sinfulness. What a quagmire!

"Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God."

I need to put forth effort to follow God - it won't just happen.

"Do everything readily and cheerfully - no bickering, no second-guessing allowed!"

So obviously my side of the *discussion* was not that.

"Carry the light-giving Message into the night..."

That sounds so adventurous and courageous!

NIV

Verse 1: "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion..."

Being UNITED with Christ should be an encouragement. His love should be a comfort; we should have fellowship with the Spirit. Union with Christ should produce tenderness and compassion. If these things aren't happening, my problem is lack of UNION with Christ.

Verse 2: "...then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."

Seems like this doesn't mean that all believers need to agree on everything. But rather that we need to love each other as well as those who do not know God yet, and we all need to be working together on the same goal - spreading the Good News of the Kingdom and making disciples. There are so many different jobs involved in all of that; each person has plenty of room to exercise his or her talents.

(I'm no Bible scholar, so I can't say for certain, but it seems that verses 6-11 are a creed or hymn which Paul is quoting, which would then predate this letter. These might be some of the earliest writing in the NT.)

Verses 12-13: "...as you have always obeyed...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good pleasure."

Our salvation involved obedience. Our obedience is imperfect, but we know Christ's was/is perfect - his obedience will stand for ours. Figuring out and working out our salvation involves fear and trembling. Elsewhere we learn that we are to fear only God - so the working out of our salvation involves a right attitude toward God. God is at work, as well as we - our salvation must be a joint partnership between us and God. We are enabled to will and to act in a godly manner - even though our obedience isn't perfect, it seems important that the general trend of our desires and actions is more and more Christlike.

Verse 14: "Do everything without complaining and arguing."

There's that verse again...

Verse 15B-16: "...you shine like stars in the universe, as you hold out the word of life..."

I was struck by how at the time the letter was written people really did have to navigate their journeys by the stars. So by holding out the word of life - the Message about Jesus - we become the navigation system for the lost on their journey. If I am not holding out the word of life, I am not giving those around me an opportunity to find their way to the Great Destination - and we know from Jesus that the way there is narrow, and the path is hard.

Philippians - Chapter 1 - Week 2

First of all, thank you so much to those who prayed for my surgery. The surgeon removed a very large (presumably benign) tumor and three small organs it had destroyed. I already feel better, although I still have some recovering to do.

...So, I read chapter 1 four times in four different translations, so I'll share thoughts by translation.

New Revised Standard Version (my old stand-by)

v. 1 - Paul and Timothy call themselves *slaves* of Christ, and we know this is a role they willingly chose. I, too, want to be a slave of Christ, used by him for the Kingdom.

Prayers Paul prays for the Philippians:

1) That they'll receive grade and peace from God

2) He thanks God for them joyfully, because they *share* in the Gospel with him. (He's praying this one constantly.)

3) That their love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight, so that they can determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ they can be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

A prayer of the Philippians for Paul:

That he'll be released from his imprisonment

v. 29 - It is a priviledge to believe in Christ. And it is a priviledge to suffer for him. Does it seem like a priviledge to me? It is - so many people I know don't have the joy of this lifelong Friend who is always faithful, always good, always looking out for us - what peace of soul He brings! What big purposes He brings! What knowledge of sublime beauty and stunning perfection! Believing in Him - trusting in Him is a gift! Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift in Jesus Christ!

v. 14 - Most of the believers have been made confident in the Lord by Paul's imprisonment, and so they tell others the word of God fearlessly and with greater confidence. What mechanism is that??? May I become better united with the Body of Christ so that when another family member suffers for Christ, I gain boldness, too. I don't understand this at all, but I want to.

v. 20-26 - Paul's sufferings must be great - he would rather die. I've certainly had a few moments like that as well, particularly when I've been very sick and in pain. Yet Paul is totally in control in a way that I was not. He's reasoning out loud in this letter - he'd rather die, not so much to escape his sufferings, but rather, because he wanted to be with Christ in person. Is my desire and longing for Christ so great that I would trade all the many pleasures He provides in this life (and there are many - beautiful fall days, marriage to a wonderful man, my cats, great music, time with friends....) - would I trade all this for being in His presence? On this side it doesn't seem like it. This must be one of the reasons our God, full of light and joy, allows suffering. we need reminders that this world isn't the end-all, and that we have Someone wonderful to cling to!

New International Version

v. 3-6 - Paul is full of gratitude and joy, even for these people who have caused him headaches. Is this my go-to attitude? We'll leave that unanswered...

v. 7 Paul affirms that they share in God's grace with him. Despite his more advanced spiritual growth, they are all equal before God. Makes me think about the important distinction between observing someone as a role model and sinfully idolizing someone...

v. 9 - Paul prays that their *love* my abound into knowledge and depth of insight. Their love of God is the starting point. The intellectual stuff is an outgrowth of that.

v. 18 - Again Paul rejoices in a hard place - some are preaching Christ to make Paul's imprisonment more difficult. Yet he rejoices in their preaching, because Christ's fame is more valuable to him than his own comfort. Wow!

v. 20 - "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death."

Paul contrasts being ashamed with having courage. What are some things I've been ashamed of? ...other people's actions which *might* reflect badly on me, showing up for something with the wrong attire, being "found out" by others... Paul is saying that his shame would be in not exalting Christ. It doesn't matter if it involves life or death, as long as Christ is exalted.

v. 25 Paul is hoping to stay around in a *crummy* life rather than departing for the Party of all Parties, because he wants to help the Philipians progress and find joy in their faith. He couldn't hope for that unless he had a great joy in his own faith!

New Living Translation

In this translation, the believers are referred to as "all of God's holy people [...] who belong to Christ Jesus." Holy means set apart. And set apart for a PURPOSE. To be holy is to have purpose.

v. 5 - "you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the first time you heard it"...

They wouldn't have been spreading that news if it hadn't tangibly changed their lives. I'm happy to spread news about early childhood music education, about the links between diet and disease, and about learning healthy psychological boundaries, because they have made a real difference in my daily life. And I thank God for those lessons! Have I been allowing the news about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection on my behalf to change my daily life enough to cause me to feel compelled to share it all around?

v. 11 - "the fruit of your salvation - the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ"

I pray that my salvation (it means "healing"!) will produce this fruit!

v. 26 - "And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me."

Paul is not taking any credit or glory for the work he's involved in - he knows it's all God's doing - a grace given to him. That grace, that work will cause the Philippians to be even more proud of Jesus (not Paul.) Am I ever proud of Jesus for his work? I need an attitude adjustment!

v. 27 - "you must live as citizens of heaven"

...Not just as a citizen of 2061-C Montreat Circle, or a citizen of Birmingham 1st Church, or a citizen of the Suzuki Teacher's Association... but a citizen of heaven!

The Message

"Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer."

"Live [...] a life Jesus would be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God."

"everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They don't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive I am Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose."

"There's far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There's also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting."

Philippians - the whole book! - Week One

Who wrote it? It was written by both Paul and Timothy (1:1) -perhaps with Paul as the main author and Timothy as the scribe/editor (2:22). They describe themselves as “slaves of Christ Jesus.” (1:1)

When was it written? It was written during Paul’s imprisonment (1:12-14) in Rome (1:12, 4:22) before an *anticipated* return trip to visit these people (1:26) and after he’d spent time in Macedonia (4:15) and Thessalonica (4:16). With a little cross-referencing, we can probably even pin a date on this.

Who was the audience? It was a letter written to the saints in Christ who lived in Philippi, including the overseers and helpers/bishops and deacons, depending on your translation (1:1). These were people Paul (presumably as the lead author) loved very much (4:1), and he had visited them before (2:12) and labored among them (2:16). He is telling them some of the same things he’s told them before, either in person or in a previous letter (3:1).

Main themes of the book:

• Greetings and blessings (1:1-2, 4:21-23)
• Paul’s and the Philippian’s love in Christ for each other (1:3-11)
• Paul’s imprisonment has spread the Good News; the spread of the Good News is more important than any other consideration, both for him and for the Philippians (1:12-30).
• Instructions on becoming more Christ-like (2:1-18, 3:1A, 4:1, 4:4-9)
• News about Paul’s plans to send his assistant/s to Philippi (2:19-30)
• Our works and pedigree mean nothing. Christ is everything. (3:1B-21).
• Instructions on helping two women who have worked with Paul for the sake of the Good News (4:2-3)
• Discussion of the assistance the Philippians have given Paul and spiritual lessons from that (4:10-20)

What I think and hope I’ll get out of the study:

Paul’s boldness is astounding, fueled by his deep love for Christ. He loves Christ so much that he is willing to do and suffer anything for him, and he loves those Christ loves (everyone else!) so much, that he is willing to go through anything for them to learn about Christ. What a wonderful view of God’s character Paul must have had!

Paul reports many of the prayers he has been praying, and I hope that I can learn from this and become more dedicated in prayer - an area where I need to grow.

A verse I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This seems to be the experience Paul is reporting in his letter to the Philippians. Paul is so enraptured in the Lord, that Paul’s desires have become one and the same with the Lord’s desires - to see the lost saved and the saved grown more Christ-like.

I hope during the course of this study to learn more about God and his excellent character and fall more in love with him so that I, too, can be recklessly bold in loving God and loving people. Matthew 22:37-40 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

...And on another topic, please pray for me because I'm having surgery on Monday.

Romans

Many people find Paul's writing difficult to understand. He was an incredible intellect, and he could just lay out all kinds of ideas and doctrine in a simple letter to a group of friends. Others of us might need more than a cursory read-through to get what he's saying. Does Romans make sense to you? Do you need to study it bit by bit to understand it, or do big things just jump out at you? Any insight?

Minor Prophets

Amos, Habbakuk, Haggai, Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Malachi, Micah, Nahum, Obadiah, Zechariah, Zephaniah. Christians refer to them as the Minor Prophets. Jews compile them into one book and call them The Twelve. The Major Prophets consist of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel to both Christians and Jews, and Christians also put Daniel in the that category. (Jews put Daniel in the Writings category.) Were the messages of the Minor Prophets less important to the Israelites? Did they just publish less material? Is there a reason to call them Minor other than the fact that their books are much shorter? What do we do with the many prophets of God mentioned in the Bible who never published a thing?

Isaiah and Matthew

Some scholars have seen a link between Isaiah and Matthew. Matthew certainly quotes Isaiah a lot. Does reading these two books back to back, one Old Testament and one New Testament give you a different perspective?

Isaiah

There are some pretty famous passages of Isaiah, including many thought to be prophetic of a Messiah in ancient times as well as more recent times. Some of those famous passages are mixed in with passages which are for the most part unfamiliar. If some of these passages were already familiar to you, what was your reaction to reading them in context? Were you surprised? How does that affect how you understand those spots?