“The Exploring Philippians” event with N.T. Wright was organized by Admirato.org.
Philippians 1 (“Kingdom New Testament” version also known as “New Testament for Everyone” version)
From Paul and Timothy, slaves of Messiah Jesus, to all God’s holy ones in Messiah Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and ministers: 2 grace to you and peace, from God our father and Messiah Jesus the Lord.
3 I thank my God every time I think of you! 4 I always pray with joy, whenever I pray for you all, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 Of this I’m convinced: the one who began a good work in you will thoroughly complete it by the day of Messiah Jesus.
7 It’s right for me to think this way about all of you. You have me in your hearts, here in prison as I am, working to defend and bolster up the gospel. You are my partners in grace, all of you! 8 Yes: God can bear witness how much I’m longing for all of you with the deep love of Messiah Jesus.
9 And this is what I’m praying: that your love may overflow still more and more, in knowledge and in all astute wisdom. 10 Then you will be able to tell the difference between good and evil, and be sincere and faultless on the day of the Messiah, 11 filled to overflowing with the fruit of right living, fruit that comes through Messiah Jesus to God’s glory and praise.
“Agape” = “self-giving love”
Paul was grateful for their generosity in spite of their poverty (which may have been the result of losing their jobs for being Jesus-followers).
Paul presents Timothy as a co-author and endorses him later in the letter. They introduce themselves as “slaves of Messiah Jesus.” This would have been shocking as slaves were at the bottom of the social order. Paul gives the Philippians the status as “saints” or “holy ones” in Messiah Jesus. They were God’s people. They were the new example of a remnant of God’s people in a dark world.
Paul was answering the question: what does it mean to be the Messiah’s people in the place where you live?
Paul had a trans-local ministry as a church planter in many places. When Paul references “overseers” and “ministers,” he is mentioning the church leaders more than specific offices or a specific organizational hierarchy.
Too often we underestimate the power of prayer and blessing. Too often this is seen as a mere formality, but Paul sees this as an important part of his ministry as we see in Philippians 1.
The blessing actually comes from God the Father and Israel’s Messiah. Paul’s formula folds Jesus inside a characteristic statement of monotheism. The blessing works through the Holy Spirit who is strongly implied throughout this letter. When God blesses with grace and peace, He gives His blessing to His people in order to bless others through His people.
Phil. 1:3-7
Paul expresses gratitude for their koinonia and his expression of his prayers for them. (Paul most likely had 3 prayer times a day which was the Jewish tradition in that day). Over and over “all” is used to communicate his hope for unity for their church. What the philosophers pursued in joy could be found through a different route via Jesus. Rather than detaching ourselves from the world like the Epicureans or cultivating your inner soul for the Platonists. For Paul the way to joy is through the way of the cross. Paul doesn’t pretend suffering does not happen. Jesus has launched his new creation, and He will return to complete that work! Joy looks back at the cross and forward through the return of Jesus.
God is in the middle of this giving and receiving.
The Gospel is our shared business (Phil. 1:5).
Paul is not just referring to the events of the cross but an ongoing event of announcing Jesus as the One True Lord and fulfilling the Gospel prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures.
“The Gospel” = “this whole thing we are involved in”
We are to announce Jesus as Lord and display to the world what that really meant.
They may be pure, but they are up to the challenge of supporting him.
Lydia was Paul’s partner in that work in Philippi from the very beginning. This was the beginning of the work of the Gospel in Europe. Paul had a challenging time in Asia, but the Gospel message seemed to really take off in Europe.
God is a doer and a finisher. God is reliable. We can trust Him (Phil. 1:6). Paul is reinforcing God’s divine faithfulness. If something is from God then it will really last.
When God reached out powerfully to them, He transformed them when they began to follow Jesus. His Spirit changed them! And that is not the end of the story. He will continue the work to transform their body to the new body Jesus now has.
Paul adapts the “day of the Lord” when he uses the phrase “the day of Messiah Jesus.” The present life itself becomes a signpost pointing forward to that final day. Paul’s conviction is that God will complete the work because of their heartfelt support. They are demonstrating this Jesus way of living.
“You have me in your hearts” can also be translated “I have you in my hearts”. Paul was in chains, but he was living in a way to validate the power of the Gospel. It makes sense to live the way of Jesus even though it may not be what the world is expecting. Even though we do not acknowledge Caesar as Lord, followers of Jesus are model citizens. (Phil. 1:7).
Verse 7 sums up vs. 3-6 and points towards v. 8-11
Phil. 1:8-11
“Longing for all of you” = “heart tugging longing”
Learning to think wisely is such an important part of the message of the Scriptures.
Their love leads to “astute wisdom” which means “perceptive, discerning reality beyond superficial ideas.”
How does this grow out of love?
“Agape” is the new dimension of “knowing” which comes out of the Gospel. (Phil 1:9)
Love for the Creator leads to loving His creation.
Love is a new way of seeing and knowing and understanding the world.
Love respects and celebrates all God has created – even those who are different.
Paul prays that the Philippians could see to the heart of things through love for the Father.
“Tell the difference between good and evil” = “discerning beyond the superficial to know what really matters and what does not really matter” (Phil. 1:10)
Sincerity means total commitment rather than standing with one foot in the world and one in the Kingdom. Paul is calling for serious character development. The grace which reaches us in the Gospel is meant to transform us because of the Gospel. We are to be known for “right living” which means “displaying to the watching world the rightly ordered life” so that the world will respect and praise God. (Phil. 1:11)
Concluding thoughts:
Paul’s prayers ought to invite us to similar prayers.
We ought to outpace the philosophers and the empire builders.
The joy which permeates this layer comes from living with self-giving love and expecting all will one day be made right when Jesus returns.
