SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 1 - Phil. 1:1-18 - Gospel Partners
INTRODUCTION: Today we begin a new quarter, starting with Paul's letter to the Philippians. It was written by Paul from Rome in about 61 A.D., while he was imprisoned. Ten years before this, Paul had planted the church in Philippi on his second missionary journey. You probably remember the story of Paul and Silas' visit there in Acts 16, where they were arrested and thrown in jail after Paul cast-out a demon from a slave-girl. The Book is one of Paul's most affectionate letters and says comparatively little about doctrinal error in the church. The Book is about Christ as our life, Christ as our mind, Christ as our strength, and how joy can even be experienced through suffering. Writing from imprisonment, Paul exhorts the Philippians to follow his example and to have "more courage to speak the word of God without fear" (Phil. 1:14) during times of persecution. The entire letter expresses that the right Christian attitude comes from the outworking of our faith during times of trial and persecution.
Read Phil. 1:1-2 - PAUL'S ADDRESS AND INITIAL GREETING
1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
v. 1: "Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:" - Paul begins the letter with the standard form of salutation used in those days. Timothy, converted by Paul at Lystra on his first missionary journey, had been his co-worker since the second missionary journey. His title for himself and Timothy, "bond-servants," also means slaves and literally translates to a person who is acting under orders given by a higher authority. The title, "saints," literally means "set-apart," and was an honorific applied to all believing Christians back then. The mention of "overseers and deacons" indicates that the Philippian church was well-established by this time.
v. 2: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" - This familiar greeting recognizes the free gift that comes to us only from God the Father through His Son.
Read Phil. 1:3-6 - PAUL GIVES THANKS FOR THE PHILIPPIAN CHRISTIANS
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.
v. 3: "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you" - Here, Paul affectionately remembers the Philippian Christians with a thankful heart. Although there were some serious internal issues in the church that he planned to address later on (Chapters 3 and 4), he began the letter on a positive note. In doing this, he sets a good model for relating to any church today. Because of the imperfect world we live in, every congregation has its share of problems. and pastors, leaders, and workers can be easily discouraged when they are reminded of their problems by people outside their church. Paul, exercising tact, knew he should praise them for their successes before talking to them about their problems. This is a good lesson in tact for all of us.
v. 4: "always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all," - Some commentators say that Paul did his best work on his knees. He not only prays for the Philippians, but does it "always" with "joy." Despite the problem people in the church, Paul loved all of them, and they gave him genuine joy. By his example, Paul sets a very high bar for us: to truly love and feel real joy toward those who are at times not always lovable.
v. 5: "in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now" - The word, "participation" (Gk. koinonia) translates to fellowship or community and expresses the Philippians' faithful sense of partnership with Paul by unceasingly helping him support the spread of the Gospel throughout the known world at that time. This reminds us of our vital and ongoing duty to support missions-local, state, national, international-right now! 75% of the world's people are still lost!
v. 6: "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus." - Paul is "confident" that the "good work" of the Philippian church would continue until the return of Christ, not because of what he'd done there, but because of the faith that God planted had planted in their hearts. God made these plans in eternity past and always completes every work that He starts. Moreover, the "work" in the individual Christian believer will not be finally complete until "the day of Jesus Christ," His second coming.
APPLICATION 1: The unfinished work of Christ intervenes for us in real time. God began a work in each one of us individually when He planted faith in our hearts, and God always completes every work He starts. Whatever we're facing today, God will intervene to help us finish His work.
Read Phil. 1:7-8 - PAUL: I HAVE YOU IN MY HEART
7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for
you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
v. 7a: "For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart," - The word used for "feel" (Gk. phronein) is a complex verb that combines the sense of feelings and thoughts. The "heart" in this context isn't the organ but a person's inmost being, the seat of his/her emotions. And when the head and the heart are combined like this, the effect is powerful. So, Paul makes the most overwhelmingly positive estimate of Philippians believers that language can express.
v. 7b: "since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me." - Although the Philippians have understandably been concerned about Paul's imprisonment, they have unwaveringly backed him through thick and thin. Because of this, they had passed the supreme test of loyalty as co-workers in the faith.
v. 8: "For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus" - Here, Paul adds an oath of confirmation to bear witness to his words, in effect, God corroborates his testimony. The last phrase, "with the affection of Christ Jesus." conveys the sense that Paul's feelings for the Philippians are as intense as those that Jesus felt for the world He came to save.
APPLICATION 2: When we financially support those in ministry, we have a stake in their reward. When we invest our financial resources in ministries like missions, God will issue us an eternal dividend for every soul won as co-workers in the faith.
Read Phil. 1:9-11 - PAUL'S PRAYER FOR THE PHILIPPIANS
9 And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.
v. 9: " And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment," - Earlier (v. 4) Paul said that he was constantly prayed for the Philippians and now, he informs them of the content of his prayers. The word he uses for love (Gk. agapē) describes a self-sacrificial love that expects nothing in return and is more "doing" rather than "feeling." He prays that their agapē love will increase in "knowledge" (Gk. epinosis, lit. = moral and ethical understanding) and "discernment" (Gk. aisthesis, lit. = wisdom with mature judgment). The idea here is that a person having understanding and discernment as defined here, is more likely to do what needs to be done for the maximum good rather than something that might turn out to be ill-advised.
v. 10: "so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ;" - If the Philippians apply the knowledge and discernment of v. 9, they will be well-equipped to discover the things that are "excellent" (Gk. diaphero, lit. = the ability to distinguish between good and evil); in short, the ability to make the right choices. Again, Paul reminds us that we are doing all these things to be prepared-"blameless"-for Christ's return.
v. 11: "having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God" - "Fruit" is a metaphor for Christ-like living. So, on the day that Christ returns, Paul wants these Philippian Christians to be found full of the "fruit of righteousness," which doesn't imply spiritual perfection but an ever-increasing likeness to the image of Christ. Christ-like lives give glory to God, because people are strongly drawn to the qualities of Christ-like living, and this is the ultimate purpose of the Christian life.
APPLICATION 3: Christ-like living is the ultimate purpose of the Christian life. Being full of the "fruit of righteousness doesn't mean spiritual perfection but is an ever-increasing likeness to the image of Christ. Christ-like lives give glory to God, because people are strongly attracted to the qualities of Christ-like living,
Read Phil. 1:12-14 - PAUL EXPLAINS HIS CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the praetorian guard and to everyone else, 14 and that most of the brothers and sisters, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
v. 12: "Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel" - When Paul was previously with the Philippians, they had witnessed his divine empowerment-casting out-demons, an earthquake that freed him from jail, and his victory over the magistrates. Now, they naturally wonder if he's been finally harnessed. Here, he lets them know that God's blessings and power were still with him, even though he was in prison. He was not out of the will of God, and God's work still continued. Also, as to "progress of the Gospel," it was during this time that he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.
v. 13: "so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the praetorian guard and to everyone else" - The circumstances of Paul's imprisonment in Rome and his self-controlled manner in the midst of it all made it clear to all the people around him that he wasn't just another prisoner; he was acting an emissary for a man named Jesus Christ. His bold witness there led to the conversion of many who came into contact with him, even members of the palace guard. It's like he's saying: Well, folks, in spite of being locked-up here, I'm finding all new kinds of ways to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Of course, we must remember that this is the same Paul who, along with Silas 10 years before, prayed out loud and sang hymns at midnight while shackled in the Philippian jail (Acts 16:25).
v. 14: "and that most of the brothers and sisters, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear" - And here's another spiritual dividend gained from Paul's incarceration: The Christians in Rome, seeing Paul's courage and confidence first-hand, even to the extent of endangering his own life, were inspired to greater courage by his example and began to step out boldly to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ!
APPLICATION 4: We share our faith best one-on-one. Because of his imprisonment, Paul was able to share the gospel with the strategic people he came into contact with, then those who were saved, would leave the jail and go out and share it with others. In this way, Paul was able to multiply himself many times over, and it works exactly the same way for us.
Read Phil. 1:15-18 - THE MOTIVATION OF OTHERS WHO PREACH
15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from goodwill; 16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17 the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. But not only that, I also will rejoice,
v. 15: "Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from goodwill" - While Paul doesn't identify the church by name, it was most likely the Roman church. We need to remember that Paul didn't plant this church and had never had an opportunity to develop a pastoral relationship with it. In fact, this church is believed to have been founded by Jewish pilgrims who heard Peter preach at the Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41) 30 years before this. The sensation generated by Paul's sudden arrival in Rome apparently caused tensions in the church, some viewing him with "envy and strife" as a potential competitor, while others welcomed him with an attitude of "goodwill."
v. 16: "the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel" - The "latter" (goodwill) group were a faction who were motivated by Christian love and felt real respect for a man who had dedicated his whole life's work to the cause of gospel.
v. 17: "the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment" - Ambition isn't necessarily a bad thing when motivated by the desire to serve God with our best efforts; however, trying to outdo or be better than this church or that organization is simply selfish ambition that attempts to glorify self, not God. These people weren't causing Paul "distress." He named the real enemies in another letter: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
APPLICATION 5: Ambition is a good thing when it's motivated by the desire to serve God with our best efforts. But when our Christian work is motivated by a desire to outperform others, it becomes selfish ambition that attempts to glorify self rather than God.
v. 18: "What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. But not only that, I also will rejoice," - Paul displays commendable graciousness here by giving his critics in the Roman church a spiritual atta-boy. He's basically saying that their message was true even if their motives were suspect.
APPLICATION 6: The gospel has an objectivity and validity apart from those who proclaim it. A good thing to remember. As Paul indicates in v. 18, people can still be led to Christ, even if the motives of for proclaiming the gospel are questionable (e.g., doing it for show, to esteem self).
PRAYER: Dear God in heaven, we thank you again for the freedom and opportunity to study and learn from the truth of your Word. Lord, as we advance in this study of Philippians, please help all of to become more mature in our love for you and our appreciation for what you have already done for us, as individual believers and as a church. Help us, Dear God, to be more discerning and purposeful in our service to You, and not impulsive or selfish in anything we choose to do. Please help all of us, like the wonderful example of Paul, to be true bond-servants to You, and to be saints, in the real meaning of that word. I ask all of these things in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.
