Philippians 1:1-11 lesson by Dr. Bob Utley

hello we're gonna begin the book of Philippians today we're going to be in chapter 1 verses 1 through 11 the structure seems to break down like this verses 1 and 2 are a general introduction very characteristic of Paul then verses 3 through 8 are going to be a prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians and then verses 9 through 11 Paul is going to pray far the Philippians and so that basically structure maybe this whole book almost brees a prayer of joy I think you're going to really love this book it's one of the most intimate books of paul to a church he seemed to have such a unique affection far because they had a unique affection for him now notice if you would it says paul the word means little we think there's two possible origins one from the 2nd century book Paul and Felker that he was a sharp person and maybe took the word Paul to show his height now some say he always had two names that his Hebrew named Saul and a Greek named Paul and he started working with the Greek churches he took the Greek name others say no the word means little and he picked it up as a characteristic of his physical stature others say no based on like first Corinthians 15 9 he says I'm the least of the Apostles because I persecuted the church and he took the word Paul to describe his sense of listas now if you know the book of Galatians he would say he's perfectly equal with the apostles but he sense that God did a wonderful work of grace in his heart in calling him from persecutor to apostle now and Timothy and of course Timothy is Paul's lieutenant one of his favorite co-workers like Titus he was convert on the first missionary journey picked up on the second journey as a helper he is connected with all of Paul's activity with Philip I he has sent them back we see that in acts 16 is the initial encounter of Paulette Philip I with Timothy he was sent back to Philip I we learned from Acts 1922 and then from chapter 2 of Philippians he was either sin again or had further contact within Timothy is of course a half Jew half Greek but Paul circumcised him to be able to work with Jews now those that mentioned slow Eve's of Jesus Christ and there's two things here the word slaves is the word for servant it can mean slave in Contra distinction to Christ's lordship are I think a better a possible origin of this concept is the Old Testament use of the servant of the Lord servant of Yahweh for people like Moses and Joshua and David and the prophets and but notice that this unique thing in the New Testament instead of slaves of Yahweh at slaves of Jesus Christ this is a very common way for the New Testament authors to assert the full deity of Christ by substituting his name and characteristic titles for God this can also be seen a little bit lower down in verse 6 where it says the day of Jesus Christ it's used the day of Yahweh and you see that from many places in the Old Testament a good exam would be Amos 5:18 through 20 so here's another example of a characteristic title for the God of the Old Testament now applied to Jesus now the words Christ Jesus and Jesus Christ are kind of flip-flopped and don't make doesn't seem to any real significance in the order of the terms although Christ is of course the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah which is the office that Jesus of Nazareth had and Jesus was given by the angel Matthew 1:21 it means Yahweh saves when it's used by itself it usually refers to the humanity of Jesus and to all God's people now the word here is Saints it's always in the plural except one time in this book chapter 4 verse 21 I believe but even there it's in a corporate context so the idea is that to be a believer is to be a part of a believing community the word Saint is from the word holy which has an Old Testament background to be set apart for God now the idea here is not that we are are holy in the sense that we never sinned there's been some confusion here with the Roman Catholic use of this term for especially fruitful or effective Christians but the truth is if you're a believer you're a saint it speaks of our position in Christ and yet because we are by grace in Christ because we have the imputed righteousness of Jesus 2nd Corinthians 5:21 we're going to try to live out that and ship you might we'll see verse 10 this first chapter has a unique combination of the fact that we're in Jesus by the grace of God but because we're in Jesus by grace we're going to try to progressively be more like him and that that is a maybe a paradox but it's a very important paradox when you look at Paul's concept of justification by faith and the idea of progressive sanctification now most if you would here where it mitches then in union with Christ Jesus now this is Paul's a characteristic phrase it's a locative sphere as birds fly in air as fish swim in water that's how we are in Christ it's a very unique and beautiful phrase of our incorporation Williams makes it in union with him who are at Philippi and of course Philip eyes as you know from your outline notes on the background this book was a Roman colony and I think that's very significant because it was like a little Rome several different waves of Roman citizens had been retired their particular soldiers of Anthony now know it says who are overseers and assistant or with the overseers and assistants the letters addressed to all the church but also the church leaders now the word overseers and assistants is the word Episcopal and Diaco Noi which basically we get the term bishop or overseer from now we'll talk about a minute this is the only place I know of where the two offices and local church are mentioned except in first Timothy three where the office of the bishop and then the altar office of the deacon and possibly the Deaconess is mentioned in first Timothy three now here we had the two offices overseer seems to have a Greek background and administrator of a city where the term elder seems to have a Jewish background from the Old Testament and the synagogue it is obvious to me from Acts chapter 20 verses 17 and 28 in Titus chapter 1 verses 5 and 7 that the term pres butor oh we get elder and a Piscopo we get bishop are synonymous terms with pastor in the New Testament now it is true that the overseer has a Greek background although from the Dead Sea Scrolls we have found a semi term in Hebrew similar to overseer and maybe the concept was quite common even in the Jewish churches of Paul's day now the word assistant if we get the word Deacon Deacon is a word for ministry or service it comes we think from raising dust either from from household duties are rapidly movement it's the idea of someone who serves is used quite often for simply the Apostles ministry deacons were the assistants and if the origin is act six which I'm not sure of if it is it's the concept of spiritually gifted men but in menial tasks of service now why these both are mentioned here some say because the Deacons or assistants helped with the contribution they sent to Paul and that's very possible some say the same concept is mentioned in first Corinthians twelve twenty eight about helpers and administrators would be somewhat synonymous with overseers and their assistants now notice what Mitch's in in verse two spiritual blessing this is the word grace it's very important to me that our union with Christ is something he gives to us by grace you might we'll see 1st Corinthians 1:30 now this grace is the undeserved unmerited grace of God Paul took the characteristic Greek greeting Karen you don't we'll see James 1 1 where Karen are rejoice is used and change it slightly with a similar word sound to Karen which is Grace and made it uniquely Christian I'm not sure we can say that grace and peace are the Greek and the Hebrew greetings combined I'm not sure that's true I think we can say that grace always precedes peace and this is a characteristic way the normal form of writing letters in Paul's day from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ now God his father not in the sense of chronological sequence or sexual generation but God described himself to man in intimate family terms and this is one example of God is father now the word Lord Jesus Christ the word Lord is the New Testament authors way of asserting deity to Jesus of Nazareth by again attributing to Jesus as a title for the Old Testament God the Old Testament Jews were afraid to pronounce the Covenant name for God Yahweh Exodus 3:14 so they pronounced the Hebrew word Adonai Adonai which means husband owner master and when that when Jesus called Lord it's their way of attributing to him this same sense of deity very significant I think now in verse 3 every time I remember you there's a grammatical problem here based on interpretation of the syntax of the sentence is this an objective genitive or a subjective genitive if it's a subjective genitive and I think that may be true because the use of the dative here if it is it refers to the gift that these this church sent Paul if it's an objective genitive as it is most often used that it's simply a normal way of Paul saying remember I remember you instead of you remember me now which it is we're not certain there are different translations and you can check the notes if you would now much with this I thank my god now the word thank here is a word we get the word Eucharist from the word really means Thanksgiving it's the idea of this fellowship and Thanksgiving to God for who we are verse 4 I always do it with joy at every entreaty I make for all of you now some see like Lightfoot and others that verse 4 is a parenthesis if verse 4 is a parenthesis then verse 5 is connected to verse 3 which backs up the idea that this is a reference to the gift the church gave to Paul I think because of the possibility of the translation of verse 3 because I think verse 4 probably is a parenthesis and verse in 5 and 7 can be linked to the church's gift to Paul through terms and inferences I think this whole passage of 3 through 8 basically is Paul faking this church for the gifts they continually sent to him probably several times the one we have listed in Philippians is through app afroditi hsihu came to him and got sick now notice if you would wear mittens here then with joy Paul is in prison yet this prison epistle is characterized by joy therefore prison epistles there's Colossians Ephesians of Philemon which seem to be written early in Paul's pub imprisonment sometime in the early 60s and then Philippians seems to be later in Paul's imprisonment he's a little bit more uncertain about the possibility of his release son even said Ephesians might be like Paul's last will and testament as far as him thinking he might die and that is possibly true so it's a very important book because of that aspect the word joy is the word joy is in 1 for 125 to 2 to 29 and for 1 the word rejoice which is a form of that same word is in 118 - 17 - 18 to 28 3 1 and 4 for the compound rejoice with is found in 2 17 and 18 this this epistle is characterized by joy its amidst the persecution that Paul is suffering imprisonment and possibly the persecution the church is under from the heretics that had been filtrated this particular church and there they seem to be Judaizers because of chapter 3 somewhat like the heretics at Galatia now notice if you would print mentions I think make for I make for all of you the entreaty I make for all of you that's very important this all of you is very common this book if you'll notice number of times the word all or every or that kind of emphasis it seems to be an emphasis on the the unity that Paul is asking these Christians to have in the midst of the exclusivist and the divisions called by the false teachers I think it's a significant use of the word all in this book now verse 5 for your cooperation in the spreading of the good news from the first day you heard it until now now your cooperation is a beautiful idea I think it refers to that gift they sent thought Paul it's the word Koinonia which means joint participation in this word is used several time for the giving of money and translated contribution you might want to see a couple Romans 15 26 second Corinthians 9 13 first Timothy 6:18 is some examples of it translated contribution now so the first day they heard of it refers back to acts 16 where they first received the gospel beginning with Lydia and then the slave girl who was demon-possessed and then the Philippian jailer and many many more beyond that now I think it's real important that that we link verse 5 and verse 6 together their cooperation they had a voluntary aspect in participating with Paul in the gospel probably financially with his help and Paul by giving to Paul they had a part in his ministry and also spreading the gospel themselves now here is an emphasis on their effort they were doing something but look at verse 6 verse 6 Amos says on what God is doing now this is a real paradox is Christianity basically what God does for us or is Christianity what we do for God yes God's grace always comes first as verse six is so immature men will see John 6:44 and 65 God always comes first God always takes initiative but God has chosen that man must respond to his love I think a good parallel to this balance between man's response and God's initiating love is found in chapter 2 of Philippian verses 12 and 13 this bounces crucial and understanding that we're saved completely by grace but then we give our whole life to Him in service God God's grace always comes first but it issues in lifestyle you might we'll see Ephesians 2:8 and 9 emphasizing God's grace not man's merit but verse 10 of Ephesians 2 emphasizing that we are for our Dane to good works that's the emphasis here now verse 6 is very important Paul says I'm certain perfect tense of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will go on until the day of Jesus Christ to complete this is the idea we're saved by grace and we're kept by grace you might want to see John I believe it's 17 11 and 1st Peter 1:5 for some of this inference that the keeping power of God hallelujah notice that God begin it in grace and the word doesn't say God here but it's implied in the text in several places in Galatians God's not mentioned but it's obvious that he's the subject of the sentence as he is in verse 6 and notice the word begin is a nearest participle God begin it once and for all that's the idea of completed action he started the word begin and complete both have sacrificial implications I think that's significant both these terms are used in sacrificial context obviously God begin it through the sacrifice of Christ now this word says until the day of Jesus Christ very often in the opening of Paul's letters he mentions a second coming it's really an impetus for service it's the idea that God is coming to get them and they're to be faithful till he comes this introductory mentioning of the second coming is found in 1st Corinthians 1 7 2nd Corinthians 1:10 Colossians 1 5 and first Thessalonians 1:10 and really I think you can see it in second Thessalonians also know now notice where the day of Jesus notice that not the day of the Lord Lee Morris the day of Jesus Christ this is obviously a reference to the second coming here the second coming is mentioned in chapter 1 verse 6 chapter 1 verse 10 in chapter 2 verse 16 it's a common thread throughout the book of Philippians now the word complete it means to bring to fruition to bring to completion God's gonna consummate in grace what he began in grace hallelujah the keeping power of God you ought to read John 10 again now verse 7 and I have a right to think this way about you because I always have you in my heart now this can mean I am close to your heart it can be translated either way again some see a reference to the contribution they made to him some see the normal use of Paul of remembering his churches I personally see as a reference to their contribution to him whether shut up in prison or out now these two words defending and vindicating the good news these are both legal terms the first one we get the English word apology meaning a legal defense you might want see acts 22 1 acts 25 16 second Timothy 4:16 the second word meant a down payment in a legal sense and it's used in Hebrews 6 16 you might want to see that this seems to be Paul referring to his trial before the Roman authorities that Ananias told him because God told Ananias that he would stand before kings for Jesus Christ for you are sharers with me now this is the word soon the local opposition soon means joint participation with and cornea again so it's the idea of you are sharers in the grace of God and I think that's a beautiful thing here I think the King James translation is unfortunate and you might want to compare that for what it really is not saying now notice in verse 8 then where it says for God is my witness now Paul uses God quite often to verify the truth of his statements in a sense this is a religious oath you know we'll see Romans 1:9 2nd Corinthians 1:23 and 1st Thessalonians 2:8 and 10 how I never stopped yearning for you this word yearning has be used by Paul of his desire to see it with his own eyes and believers he has known maybe it's a yearning to get out of prison in a way you might we'll see romans 1:11 1st Thessalonians 3:6 2nd one for for all of you with the affections of Christ this is the word vowels it was used or in Hebrew it's gonna be in Greek world for the heart the lungs and the the major organs but in Hebrew it seemed in the lower viscera so that's where the emotions came from if you ever eaten hot sauce too late you know why the ancients thought that's when us think of the emotions so it's the bowels of Mercy and this is the idea maybe in our translation heart would be better he said I feel for you as Christ feels for you Oh beautiful now verses 9 through 11 is the closing aspect of this prayer now he's going to pray for them he's prayed in Thanksgiving to God now he's going to pray a petition for them and it's very important this petition that he prays it is my prayer that your love this is the word agape the self giving love the church poured meaning into this Greek word it's a word that meant the self giving love of God seen in Christ you might want to see first Corinthians 13 where love is so beautifully described you might want to see Galatians 5:22 where it says the fruit singular of the Spirit singular verb is love and the rest of that is a characteristic of love you might want to see a book of Colossians some II think if I can see that reference I believe it's Colossians 1:14 but I forgot to write that down where Colossians speaks of overflowing love he wants their love to overflow now how is their love gonna overflow notice that present tenth it's gonna continue to overflow okay it's purposeful love not emotional love still more and more directed now here's two things that that love's going to do and love is not so much emotional but its purpose its teleological Oregon its goal-oriented now here it's focuses into two aspects fuller knowledge and keener insight now the first one is an intensified form of the word no it's epic conozco it seems to be used for our relationship with God full and complete knowledge of God that comes from God's initiating love in us and our faith response we're going to have love because we know God now the second word keen or insight is a word that means perception some see this is we're going to have we're gonna have an understanding of the gospel because my relationship to God in Christ and then we're going to make appropriate moral choices be cause of our relationship with God so I think it's true the second one may have a a real concept of choosing the right way and of course with false teachers present you can see how important this is both in relations to the unbelieving world and relations to the false teachers in the midst of church at philippi then it says in verse 10 so that you may always approve the better thing though that word approve is a word that means to test is a metallurgy term quite often used to biting a coin to see if it's real it comes to begin with news in the New Testament with a connotation of to test with a view toward approval now the better things I think you ought to look at first Corinthians 10 verses 23 and 32 and first Corinthians 14 it's the idea of of helping build up the church the better things are the thing that's going to lead not to the abuse of freedom but to the responsibility of freedom to the responsibility of loving our fellow Christian and evangelizing a lost world that seems to be the better things that overflowing love is going to do now notice where it says and be men of transparent character and blameless and the word transparent has two possible origins some say it's the idea of unmixed and you can see in your notes where a reference to that in the Peters letters others say no and the element of G is doubtful I agree it comes from the root for the word son and means to test pottery in the son to see if it was cracked and had wax filled in the cracks so it's whatever it is I think transparent character catches that we're not to act one way here in one way here as men pleasers we're did to have a transparent godliness that is the same in all situations not religious chameleon ISM it's so common in the church today and then finally the word blameless this has a background without offense I think it's very similar to no handle for criticism different word but same concept in 1st Peter chapter schemee 1st Timothy chapter 3 about church leaders we're to have transparent obviously godly lives is the ideal here now it says men that are abounding and the word abounding is perfect passive participle we abound in the past we continue abounding we don't abound God abounds ends us as we yield ourselves to him it's the word to feel full of something the fruit singular of right doing or righteousness this is obviously the aspect of Paul's doctrine of justification by faith we can't bear fruit of righteousness but as we yield ourselves to the power the Spirit of God flowing through us God can work a miracle of the Christian life in our yield in this this is so important that we see as we're compulsory tional II now in verses 10 and 11 we're told to live like Saints we're Saints because of the imputed righteousness of Christ but now we're to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we been called we're to walk in the light as he is in the light you catch the ideal there we're in him now we're to live a christ-like life that's so important we see that now this right doing is used several times a matter of fact I think it's instead from several Old Testament passages like proverbs 11:30 and Amos 612 the word fruit of something is used the New Testament several times with different kind of words fruit of light fruit of this this is the fruit of righteousness some say y'all see Galatians 5:22 about the fruit of the Spirit is love similar idea because love is mention in this context now how do we do this now mine has with the help of Jesus Christ it's the Greek word through that the agency the means the power to do this fruit of righteousness comes from our union with Jesus Christ who we didn't initiate but God initiated first Corinthians 1:30 the power for godliness flows through us from God it's his will but we'd be like him God's will for every Christian is not just salvation a ticket to heaven when you die but it's it's the it's christ's likeness in every believer that's gonna attract others to God through Christ God's heart beats for a lost world and his way is a gospel that touches individuals changes their lives and then touches other individuals to the honor and praise of God that's a very important phrase why well some Z in Ephesians chapter 1 where it talks to the fathers sons and spirits ministry at the close of that it says that every one of those are for the praise of God God's working in men to bring honor to God it reminds me a lot of Matthew 5:16 that they'll see our good works but glorify our Father in heaven the Christian life should people that shouldn't pat us on the head and say oh what a wonderful cute little honest godly person you are they all see our lives and be so drawn to that kind of freedom that kind of morality that kind of power that kind of peace that kind of love that kind of acceptance that they're gonna say what is it in you well how do you do life with this kind of quality and this kind of joy how do you do it you do it in Jesus Christ you come to God's initiating love and you yield yourself to that love and lo and behold that love starts bubbling out of you as John would put it it's like God turns on that spring of living water that gushes out of a Christians life on all who are around and friends they're so thirsty to see Jesus they don't need religiosity they don't need more sermons and bigger church buildings what they need is real Christians that live and move in the same atmosphere and workplace and school and problems they work in but with a real difference a difference that transforms their lives and if given the opportunity will transform all that are around them praise be in to God what a prayer I think I said pray only for these Philippian Christians but for us too you

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Length: 26min 21sec (1581 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 31 2014