Philippians

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Philippians 4

Before we get too deep into chapter 4, we should simply read it over first so we don’t get lost in the details.

(1) THEREFORE, my dear brothers and sisters, **stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are ***my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

*Therefore: The "therefore" refers back to chapter 3, where Paul is talking about running a race. He writes how he runs this race by pressing on to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
**stay true: stand fast in the KJV, stand firm in the NIV.

1 Corinthians 16:13: Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.
2 Thessalonians 2:15: With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

Ephesians 6:13-14: Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. (NLT).

We must never let up because our daily lives are continually witnessing for either good or bad. If we slip up, we provide the lost an excuse not to believe in Christ.
At Pompeii, archaeologists discovered a Roman sentry standing at attention covered with volcanic ash. Even as the volcano erupted, the soldier stayed at his post.
Oddly enough, we are both to run and to stand!

***my joy and the crown:

Paul used the ancient Greek word for crown that described the crown given to an athlete who had won the race. It was a crown of achievement (stephanos); not the crown that was given to a king (diadema). The Philippians, as they stand fast in the Lord, were Paul’s trophy. What kind of trophies will you receive? How many have been influenced for Christ by your life? When we get to heaven, we may discover to our surprise that our influence in others’ lives went way beyond people we directly knew, and perhaps generations after we’re gone.
1 Thessalonians 2:19: After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you!

(2) Now I appeal to *Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your **disagreement.

*Euodia means "well met" and Syntyche means "a sweet smell".
**disagreement:

We don’t know what their “disagreement” was about but it was one of the reasons Paul wrote this letter and why he said in 2:2: Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Whatever their disagreement was, it was apparently having a very negative effect on the church in Philippi. They are giving Satan an opening to wreck the fellowship in the church. Notice that Paul isn’t taking sides.
Some may not think their disagreement would be a big deal, but the probable next steps in the process will be everyone in the church taking sides, splitting the church apart, thus destroying their witness to the pagans around them.
This letter would have been read aloud in the church. Imagine how they felt when Paul called them out publicly on the trouble they were stirring up.

(3) And I ask you, *my true partner, to **help these two women, for they ***worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my ****co-workers, whose names are written in the *****Book of Life.

*my true partner: Greek – suzogos. Paul doesn’t say to whom he’s referring, but the original readers of the letter would have known. It may refer to Epaphroditus – the bearer of this letter.
**help: Greek – sullambano (assist together).
***worked hard with: Greek – sunathleo as in 1:27 where it is in the NLT standing together; i.e., strived together.
****co-workers: Greek – sunergos. Notice how Paul has slipped in the little prefix “sun” 4 times in one verse to emphasize being united in purpose.
*****Book of Life:

Exodus 32:32: But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!”
Psalm 69:28: Erase their names from the Book of Life; don’t let them be counted among the righteous.
Psalm 139:16: You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Luke 10:20: But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

(4) Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

Nehemiah 8:10: …the joy of the Lord is your strength!
How could Paul be full of joy in his circumstances? The key is the phrase “IN the Lord”. Joy is the theme of this letter.
Fanny Crosby lost her sight when she was only 6 weeks old. She lived into her nineties, composing thousands of beloved hymns. On her 92nd birthday she cheerfully said, "If in all the world you can find a happier person than I am, do bring him to me. I should like to shake his hand." What enabled Fanny Crosby to experience such joy in the face of what many would term a "tragedy"? Fanny carried out a resolution she made when she was only 8 years old: "How many blessings I enjoy that other people don't. To weep and sigh because I'm blind, I cannot and I won't." Some of Crosby's best-known songs include "Blessed Assurance", "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour", "Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home", "Praise Him, Praise Him", "Rescue the Perishing", and "To God Be the Glory". Because some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, Crosby used nearly 200 different pseudonyms during her career.
Think of the joy Joni Eareckson exhibits when she speaks. A diving accident in 1967 left Joni Eareckson, then 17, a quadriplegic. Could you exhibit that kind of joy. How do your problems compare to Fanny’s and Joni’s?

(5) *Let everyone see that you are **considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is ***coming soon.

*Let everyone see: We witness not so much by words as by actions. The world around us is watching us and deciding about Jesus Christ. Remember my notes in chapter 3 that “someone is watching you…” The more we tell others about Christ, the more we try to live as God would have us live, the more closely others will examine our lives to see if we’re real and if this Christianity thing really works.
**considerate: Greek scholars tell us that the word translated “considerate” (“gentleness” in the NIV) is a hard one to precisely translate into English. Other possibilities include “moderation,” “forbearance,” “mildness,” and “fair-mindedness.” – all characteristics that the world disdains! How many men want to be called “considerate” or “gentle”? One writer calls it the quality of “inner calmness
***coming soon: Could also be translated “near at hand” through the Holy Spirit, meaning “close by” or “readily accessible” or it could be referring to Christ’s return, which was always immediately possible.

Ephesians 2:13: But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
James 5:7,9: Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen…. Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!
Revelation 22:7,20: “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.” … He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

(6) Don’t *worry about anything; instead, pray about **everything. Tell God what you need, and ***thank him for all he has done.

*worry:

Psalm 55:22: Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Matthew 6:31-33: “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
1 Peter 5:7: Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Some years ago a professor at a leading American university studied the things people worry about. His research yielded the following results: 40% never happen, 30% concern the past, 12% are needless worries about health, and 10% are about petty issues. Only 8% are legitimate concerns. That means that 92% of your “worry time” is wasted energy.
Worry is stewing without doing. Worry is wrong because it assumes that God can’t take care of you. He promised to care for you, but when you worry, you are saying, “Lord, I don’t believe you can take care of me so I’m going to take matters into my own hands.”
Worry and prayer are opposites. You can worry or you can pray but you can’t do both at the same time.

**everything: We’re not just supposed to pray about the “important” things – we’re to pray even about things that we might think “minor”.
***thank him:

Ingratitude is one of the worst sins, practiced heavily by children who need to learn to appreciate what they have – as do we. I could fill a book with all the things, big and small, that He has done for me.
Ephesians 5:20: And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:18: Be thankful in ALL circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

(7) Then you will experience God’s *peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

*peace:

Notice this is God’s peace or the peace OF God, not peace WITH God.
Worry and God’s peace are opposites. If we’re worried, we’re obviously not leaning on Him and we’ve forgotten past answered prayers.
Colossians 3:15: And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

(8) And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. FIX YOUR THOUGHTS on what is TRUE, and HONORABLE, and RIGHT, and PURE, and LOVELY, and ADMIRABLE. Think about things that are EXCELLENT and WORTHY OF PRAISE.

The principle behind Paul’s words is simple: Sin always begins in the mind and so does holiness. When Paul says, “think about such things,” the command is in the present tense: “Keep on thinking about these things.” Find what is true and think about it. Find the lovely and think about it. Find the virtuous and think about it. Do it and verse 9 says “the God of peace will be with you.”
Think about such things - means more than ‘keep these things in mind’; rather, ‘reflect on these things and let them shape your whole life-style.’ ‘He desires us to “think” of them, because the mind is the root of all human actions. It is the mind that conceives and produces every action. Everything we do starts with the mind. Paul tells us to program our mind with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Do you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams? Examine what you are putting into your mind through television, books, conversations, movies, magazines, places you go, parties you attend, things or people you look at. Replace harmful input with wholesome material. Above all, read God’s Word and pray.

(9) Keep *putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

*putting into practice: Bible study is pointless if we don’t put into practice what we learn.

(10) How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me.

(11) Not that I was ever in need, for I have *learned how to be **content with whatever I have.

*learned:

Here and in verse 12 as well as in Matthew 11:29, Ephesians 4:20 & Hebrews 5:8, the Greek word is manthano which means “learn as a disciple” (mathetes is a disciple). Not “book learning”, not “university learning”, not “seminary learning” – No, Paul learned this secret by experience; this is discipleship.
Matthew 11:29 (KJV): Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Ephesians 4:20: But that isn’t what you learned about Christ.
Hebrews 5:8: Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

**content:

Why is that the rich, the famous, the powerful are rarely content with what they have? Such things never bring contentment, rest or fulfillment – they only engender the desire for more.
Contentment is not automatic but must be learned over time. Happiness depends on circumstances; contentment comes from my confidence in God.
Contentment rests on two great truths:

That God has ordained every circumstance of my life.
That God will give me strength in every circumstance to do his will.

Hebrews 13:5: Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
1 Timothy 6:6: Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

(12) I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have *learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

*learned the secret: Greek – mueo – used in those days in the pagan cults primarily to mean “to initiate into the mysteries.

(13) For I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH CHRIST, who gives me strength.

I can do everything = ‘I can be contented in all circumstances’.
Here is the “secret” he has learned in verse 12.
John 15:5: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10: Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

(14) Even so, you have done well to *share with me in my present difficulty.

*share with: Greek – sugkoinonesas. Notice again Paul keeps using the Greek “sun” to emphasize that they need to work TOGETHER – united in a great cause! This is the same Greek word translated “partners” in 1:5

(15) As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this.

This was not a wealthy church: 2 Corinthians 8:1-2: Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.

(16) Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once.

(17) I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.

(18) At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

(19) And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

This promise is conditional. The believer who is self-seeking, who knows nothing of sacrificial giving, has no place in this promise. God will be no man’s debtor.
Lest we misunderstand, Philippians 4:19 is a promise that God will supply all our needs. But that doesn’t mean our prayers will always be answered the way we would like. Often we don’t really know what we need. This is the true meaning of Philippians 4:19. It is not a blank check that guarantees an easy road or an answer to all our prayers. But it does guarantee that our God will supply whatever we need when we need it. Sometimes that means miracles and sometimes that means a visit to the desert. But whatever it is we truly need to make us what God intended us to be, he will supply that for us. Every time. All the time.

(20) Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.

(21) Give my greetings to each of God’s *holy people—all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings.

*holy people: Greek – saints. All Christians are saints! How far has the Roman church fallen from the truth into error!

(22) And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household.

(23) May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

NOTE:

Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.

Sources and References are on-line at:
http://philippians-study.blogspot.com/2011/06/philippians-sources.html

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Philippians 3

Source for a chart on Philippians: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aXaE7JOlFnQ/TT3khT12oXI/AAAAAAAAAZE/Rq1WG_rJGI4/s1600/Philippians.jpg

Before we get too deep into chapter 3, we should simply read it over first so we don’t get lost in the details.
When Paul wrote this letter, he had served Christ for almost thirty years. After thirty years of faithful service, Paul realized he had areas of his life in which he needed to grow. If Paul had not yet arrived, how much more so do we need to continue to grow spiritually? In this chapter, Paul detailed a personal plan for growing to maturity in Christ.

(1) Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

Chapter 3 begins with the phrase to loipon, translated in the KJV as “FINALLY”.
Learning to rejoice in difficult circumstances in both a prerequisite and a sign of Christian maturity.
Despite being confined to a rented house and under threat of execution and the church problems, Paul rejoiced in the Lord. The theme of joy serves as a keynote of the letter occurring sixteen times. Christians often become discouraged as we focus on our circumstances. Christians discover the cure for discouragement by rejoicing and focusing on the Lord.

(2) Watch out for those *dogs, those people who do evil, those **mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.

*dogs:

There are two words in the New Testament for dogs, both from the same root. The one used here is kunarion, that means a little dog, a little pet dog, a puppy, used in Matthew 15:26-27 and Mark 7:27. The word here is kuon. That word is used of dogs that were not pets and most of the dogs in that culture were not pets. They were scavengers. Dogs roamed the streets. They roamed in packs. They hunted the garbage of the city. They were often rabid.
“Dogs” is exactly the term contempt Jews would use against Gentiles. Paul said a lot by using this word against these Jewish-influenced legalists.
Anybody who says you have to baptized in water to be saved is a dangerous dog. Anybody who says in order to be saved you've got to go through some certain kind of ceremony, you've got to say some certain kinds of prayers, you've got to go through some kind of a ritual is a dog, an unclean thing, a dangerous beast.
Psalm 22:16: My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet.
Matthew 15:21-28: Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs (puppies) are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

As a Gentile, she had no status to appeal to Jesus as Lord or Son of David. Once she accepted her position, Jesus answered her request. At this point, Jesus came “but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Revelation 22:15: Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.
To the Jews then and to the Muslims today, dogs are considered “dirty” worthless animals and are even outlawed in Iran.
These “dogs” are evidently Judaizers which is why he so emphasizes his “Jewishness” in verses 5-6. The Juadizers were who he has largely in mind in Galatians.

“They did not deny that Jesus was the Messiah, or that His Gospel was the power of God unto salvation, but they insisted that the Gentile converts could only come to the fullness of Gospel privilege through the Law of Moses.” (Meyer).
2 Corinthians 11:13: These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.

There are deceivers today behind pulpits as well as in seminaries teaching error.

**mutilators: This is a play on words. Katatome is a parody on the similar word for circumcision, peritome. Temno is the Greek word for “to cut”.

Acts 15:1,5,24-29: While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” … But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.” … “We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them! So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question. “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.”
Romans 2:28-29: For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
Galatians 5:12: I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.
Colossians 2:11: When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.
Circumcision had simply become a religious rite without an understanding of what it meant. Of course, the left-wing lovers of gays and lesbians in California want to outlaw circumcision – attacking the Jewish population. This was what the Romans did eventually.
What is under attack here is the doctrine of justification by faith.

(3) For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,

Romans 2:25-29: The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it. For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
Circumcision was the Old Testament sign of the covenant, it marked a man as belonging to the nation of Israel, the covenant people of God. The true people of God in the Old Testament era trusted in the Lord for their salvation and looked forward to the day when the Christ would come and fulfill His work of redemption. The sacrament of circumcision was the outward sign of their faith and covenant relationship with the Lord. As we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption we become identified with those Old Testament believers as the true covenant people of God.
The Jewish Talmud says this: "The commandment of circumcision is more important than all the other injunctions of Scripture,". In other words, according to the Talmud, the most important thing a Jew can do to secure a relationship with God is to have circumcision.

(4) though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

(5) I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.

2 Corinthians 11:22: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
According to the standard of Judaism, he has the right pedigree, the right affiliation, the right ceremonial credentials, and the right human achievements. When it comes to "legalistic righteousness," Paul says he is "faultless" or “perfect”.
Paul recounted his personal attempt to earn favor with God by listing seven things in his life before Christ: religious ritual, ancestry, family heritage, devout lineage, conservative legalism, religious zeal and external legalistic righteousness. Paul did not cling to his pedigree, credentials or achievements.
Barclay: “There were not very many Pharisees, never more than six thousand, but they were the spiritual athletes of Judaism. Their very name means ‘The Separated Ones’. They had separated themselves off from all common life and from all common tasks in order to make it the one aim of their lives to keep every smallest detail of the Law.”

(6) I was so zealous that I harshly *persecuted the church. And as for **righteousness, I obeyed the law WITHOUT FAULT.

*persecuted the church:

Galatians 1:13-14: You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
1 Timothy 1:13: even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.

**righteousness: “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

(7) I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

Isaiah 64:6: We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.

These “filthy rags” were menstrual rags.

John Piper: “When he met the living Christ on the Damascus road, Paul took a big red pencil and wrote "LOSS" in big red letters across his gains column. And he wrote "GAIN" in big letters over the loss column that only had one name in it: Christ.”
Every system of religion without relationship, every system of religion without righteousness whether it's Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Christian Scientists, Roman Catholic Church, or liberal Protestantism or whatever it is, whatever human achievement religion where you assume that if you do fewer bad works and more good works, or certain good works, you'll earn favor with God is a false religious system.
I remember witnessing a member of the Masons about Christ and he said he was convinced that he’d go to heaven – by building gold steps to heaven with his good deeds as a Mason. I asked him how many gold bricks were required – he wasn’t sure. I said, what if God requires 1,000 bricks and you can only come up with 999 – then what? He still refused the message of salvation through grace – man always wants to add his little bit to grace, thus turning it all into salvation by works.

(8) Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of *knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

*knowing: This is not about knowing ABOUT Christ, it is about having an intimate relationship with him – like husband and wife.

2 Corinthians 5:16: So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
Charles Spurgeon: “Spiritual knowledge of Christ will be a personal knowledge. I cannot know Jesus through another person’s acquaintance with him. No, I must know him myself; I must know him on my own account. It will be an intelligent knowledge—I must know him, not as the visionary dreams of him, but as the Word reveals him. I must know his natures, divine and human. I must know his offices—his attributes—his works—his shame—his glory. I must meditate upon him until I “comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.” It will be an affectionate knowledge of him; indeed, if I know him at all, I must love him. An ounce of heart knowledge is worth a ton of head learning. Our knowledge of him will be a satisfying knowledge. When I know my Saviour, my mind will be full to the brim—I shall feel that I have that which my spirit panted after. “This is that bread whereof if a man eat he shall never hunger.” At the same time it will be an exciting knowledge; the more I know of my Beloved, the more I shall want to know. The higher I climb the loftier will be the summits which invite my eager footsteps. I shall want the more as I get the more. Like the miser’s treasure, my gold will make me covet more. To conclude; this knowledge of Christ Jesus will be a most happy one; in fact, so elevating, that sometimes it will completely bear me up above all trials, and doubts, and sorrows; and it will, while I enjoy it, make me something more than “Man that is born of woman, who is of few days, and full of trouble”; for it will fling about me the immortality of the ever living Saviour, and gird me with the golden girdle of his eternal joy. Come, my soul, sit at Jesus’ feet and learn of him all this day.”
My brother-in-law, Jerry Harris, the Senior Pastor at The Crossing church in Quincy Illinois, gave an excellent example of this once to a very wealthy man when visiting him in the man’s home. When witnessing to him, Jerry noticed in his large collection of books in his library a book about Marilyn Monroe on his library shelf. Jerry said that millions of people know a lot about Marilyn Monroe, but Joe DiMaggio, who was married to her for a while, really KNEW her as no once else could. He saw her in the mornings without her makeup. He had intimate moments with her. They talked about things that they never discussed with anyone else. Even though they were divorced, he never married again after her death. So, Joe really KNEW her. Just so, we are to KNOW Jesus Christ – not as someone we read about, not just as someone whom we worship, but a real person who desires to be the main part of our lives and walk with us in this life and spend all of eternity with Him in the next.

(9) and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous *through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

*through faith in Christ: Or through the faithfulness of Christ
Romans 3:21-26: But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

(10) I want to *know Christ and experience the mighty **power that raised him from the dead. I want to ***suffer with him, sharing in his death,

*know:

o R W De Haan : “The Youth's Living Ideals magazine related the following story: "An old Christian woman whose age began to tell on her had once known much of the Bible by heart. Eventually only one precious bit stayed with her, `I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day' (2 Timothy 1:12). By and by, part of that slipped its hold, and she would quietly repeat, `That which I have committed unto him.' At last, as she hovered on the [borderline] between this world and heaven, her loved ones noticed her lips moving. They bent down to see if she needed anything. She was repeating over and over again to herself the one word of the text, `Him, Him, Him.' She had lost the whole Bible but one word. But she had the whole Bible in that one word." Though her memory had failed, that dying saint of God never lost the One she loved so well. Her salvation was based on a living relationship to Jesus Christ. He satisfied her heart's need even in death. The only way of salvation is through knowing the Savior.”

o 2 Peter 3:18: Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

**power (Greek – dunamis):

o A power that can raise the dead! And Paul says we can experience that power in our life! Ephesians 1:19-20: I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

o This power is Paul’s secret to Philippians 4:13: For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

o Moses had a similar desire: Exodus 33:13: If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”

o So did David: Psalm 63: O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

***suffer:

Acts 9:16: And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
1 Peter 4:14: So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.
After months of suffering, Job finally says to God, "I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." (Job 42:5). Job had been a godly and upright man, pleasing to God, but the difference between what he knew of God in prosperity and what he knew of him through adversity was the difference between hearing about and seeing.

(11) so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Pastor David Legge: “The reason why my desire is to know Christ, to be found in Christ, to win Christ, to fellowship in His sufferings, to know the power of His resurrection, to be conformed unto His death, is because there's a resurrection day coming - the out-resurrection from among corpses, the rapture, and then we will stand in judgment, and I want to be fully clothed with Christ and Christ alone! Not what I have done or who I am, but to be found in Christ when the body is redeemed'.”
Paul was already assured the resurrection because of his faith in Christ. So, what is meant by this resurrection? Is this a special resurrection or what since it’s associated with walk, not salvation? Is he referring to the rapture?
3:12-14 are the key verses for chapter 3. The purpose of Philippians is to get the reader to work out their salvation in witness and practice with a prize or reward in view.
This properly translated is resurrection out from among the dead:

o Mark 9:10: So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.” – literally, “out from among the dead ones”.

§ His followers knew of the general resurrection, as did Mary about her brother. So, this is something different – a resurrection before the general resurrection!

(12) I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

But, Paul did reach that goal in 2 Timothy 4:7: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.

Dr Dwight Pentecost, in his book on Philippians called: 'The Joy of Living’, wrote 'When I was in London I found my way to several of the art museums and galleries of that city. I wanted to see some of the famous paintings I had become familiar with through art books. It was a delightful experience to walk through these corridors. I was particularly struck with one painting: two chariots were racing at breakneck speed, their wheels were just a blur of motion, the charioteers with whip in hand were lashing their horses to the expenditure of every ounce of energy that they had. Intensity was written in their eyes, in their faces, in the set of their bodies. The horses were straining themselves, it seemed, to the point of collapse. Their eyes were wild, their nostrils distended, they gulped great breaths of air as they pressed toward the goal. With the goal before them they were giving themselves unreservedly to their race. Those who had not so extended themselves had been left behind, and were an insignificant part of the background of the painting. The attention of the viewer was focused by the artist upon the two charioteers who strained toward the goal'.

(13-14) No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, BUT I FOCUS ON THIS ONE THING: FORGETTING THE PAST AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT LIES AHEAD, I PRESS ON TO REACH THE END OF THE RACE AND RECEIVE THE HEAVENLY PRIZE FOR WHICH GOD, THROUGH CHRIST JESUS, IS CALLING US.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26: Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So RUN TO WIN! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
Hebrews 11:24-27: It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because HE KEPT HIS EYES ON THE ONE WHO IS INVISIBLE.
Hebrews 12:1-2: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Don’t focus on your problems or your past sin – focus on Him if you want to run and win the race and the prize! We tend to focus on our problems.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15: Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

(15) Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.

If you’re really a mature Christian, you’ll realize that you’re not perfect – like Paul in verse 12.

(16) But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

(17) Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.

From Go for the Gold by Ray Pritchard: Who is following you?

Right now … someone is following you.
Right now … someone looks to you to show them the way.
Right now … someone prays because they heard you pray.
Right now … someone is watching you fight your personal battles.
Right now … someone wants to be like you.
Right now … someone is cheering you on.
Right now … someone sees Christ in your life.
Right now … someone admires your strength.
Right now … someone is borrowing your faith because they have none.
Right now … someone believes you are the best Christian they know.
Right now … someone is hanging tough because you are standing tall.
Right now … someone is smiling when they think of you.
Right now … someone thanks God for your friendship.
Right now … someone cares that you make the right choices.
Right now … someone is following you.

(18) For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really *enemies of the CROSS of Christ.

*enemies: Notice that it does not say “enemies of Christ”, it says “enemies of the CROSS of Christ”! Enemies of the cross don't necessarily deny the cross, they add to it, thus belittling it...like the Judaizers did. Similar preachers today do the same – watch out for them – they are “wolves in sheep’s clothing”

(19) They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this *life here on earth.

*life here on earth (earthly things in the KJV): These are the things in this life that come between our walk with Christ and our daily lives on earth, where we might compromise or be distracted from what should be our goal and what our purpose here on earth might be.

(20) But we are *citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our **Savior.

*citizens:

Ephesians 2:19: So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.
Ephesians 2:6: For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
As believers in the Lord Jesus, we are citizens of heaven. Here on earth we are only pilgrims journeying toward our eternal home. Yet all too often we act as if this world is our permanent residence.
R W De Haan: “Our true citizenship is in heaven, so we must beware of substituting the foreign culture of this world for that of our real homeland (see Romans 12:2). We are not to take on its sinful ways or adopt its values. We need to live in such a way that others will see that we are different. And we need to remember that we are strangers in this world and citizens of heaven.”

Romans 12:2: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

**Savior was a title given to the Caesars. In 48 B.C., Julius Caesar was declared to be “the universal savior of mankind.” It then became a common title for the ruling Caesar. Paul means something when he applies the title to Jesus in the context of citizenship. The title “Lord” was also applied to the Roman Caesar. It wasn’t long after the time of Paul that Christians were martyred for refusing to call Caesar “Lord”, because they knew Jesus was the only Lord.

(21) He will take our weak mortal bodies and *change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

*change: Greek – summorphos.

NOTE:

Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.

Sources and References are on-line at:
http://philippians-study.blogspot.com/2011/06/philippians-sources.html