Glad to have you
back again to share more Daily Bread. Let’s take a look at the place called
Philippi for a moment. As you know from our study of the first chapter of
this letter from Paul, Philippi was in a part of Macedonia that is now the
north part of Greece. The people from there (as well as from everywhere else
in the world, who were not a direct descendant of Abraham) were called
Gentiles or heathen, which means they were from any nation other than
Israel.
The Greeks, in
those times, were believers in mythology and they had many, many different
gods for different things. They worshipped idols and not only was it their
“religion” but it was big business as well (Acts
19:24).
Now, it had been
somewhere between 1500 to 1600 years since the
exodus from Egypt,
so it’s a good guess that the Greeks knew about the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob by then, and all of His wonders. It had also been about 50 years
since Jesus’ came to Earth, so we can assume that news of the Messiah had by
then reached Macedonia also.
Then arrives Paul.
He brings the Gospel to these people and the invitation to become
Christians, to abandon their lifeless gods and become one, with the one and
only living God. Remember, that up until Jesus arrived, the heathen weren’t
accepted by God as part of His people and until Paul came along, many hadn’t
even heard of the New Testament or New Covenant which allowed Gentiles into
God's Grace.
So, as you can
well imagine, there was a bit of an adjustment period for these people as
well as in many other places; Corinth, Galatia, Thessalonica, etc. Paul had
visited these cities during his sojourning and spreading the TRUTH and
established the churches, revisiting some of them, but obviously he couldn’t
be everywhere at once and then he was imprisoned, so they were pretty much
on their own . . . Except for these letters. This should give you a
little better idea as to how appreciated and necessary these letters were
from Paul, to strengthen, admonish, and encourage the Gentiles to hold
firmly to the Faith, because they had more than
4,000
years (since creation)
of a totally different doctrine working against them.
Philippi, from the
information we get from Paul’s letter, learned and accepted Christianity
very readily and their love and hospitality to Paul kept them very close to
his heart. They had a few challenges as you’ll see in the upcoming chapters,
but for the most part, they were a very promising group. In this second
chapter, Paul reminds the Philippians to strive to be loving, selfless, and
unified, because other churches weren’t prospering in the Faith as well as
they were, and they were a good example to others. He also urged them to
praise and be submissive to God, even without him there in their presence to
guide them. Let’s continue with Paul’s letter.
If there is any
comfort in Christ, if there’s any comfort of love, if there’s any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any courage and mercies, make me happy and be like-minded,
having the same love, being united, of one mind. Let nothing be done through
strife (struggle) or pride, but in humbleness of mind and let everyone think
of others above themselves.
Don’t just be
concerned about yourselves, but everyone should be concerned about others.
Let this attitude be within you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being
in the form (image) of God, thought it wasn’t unjust to be equal with God,
but made Himself no fame, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men, and being in the flesh as a man, He humbled
Himself and became obedient unto death, in fact, the death on the cross.
For that reason, God also has lifted Him up,
and given Him a name which is above every name;
that at the name of Jesus,
every knee should bow,
all things in Heaven,
all things on earth,
and under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD,
to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my
beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only when I was with you, but now
even more in my absence, make your salvation certain with fear and
trembling, for it is God that works in you to do the pleasure of His will.
Do all things
without complaining and disputing, so you may be blameless and sincere, the
sons of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,
among whom you shine as lights in the world, upholding the Word of life, so
that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I haven’t run in vain, or
worked in vain.
Now, that’s some
advice that everyone can put into practice. Put that one on your
refrigerator: Do all things without complaining or disputing. Maybe a
few copies are necessary, one on the trash can, and one near the kitchen
sink. When it’s time to take out the trash, or do the dishes, read it out
loud! It’s not just a mundane job. In doing such things, you’re serving your
family, your spouse or even yourself . . . All of which are God’s servants.
You are an example to the rest of your family. If you complain or do things
with a poor attitude, they will learn it and do the same. What about your
Christian family? What if they see you doing God’s service with joy and
enthusiasm, won’t you be setting forth a Christ-like example? I’ll have to
read the rulebook again, but I’m sure you get points for that somewhere.
Paul says, If you’ll be a good example, you’ll make me feel like I didn’t
run the race for nothing.
He continues, Yes,
and if I die, with the service of your Faith to show for a sacrifice, I’m
happy, and I rejoice with all of you. And for the same reason, you are happy
and rejoice with me.
But I trust in the
Lord Jesus to send Timotheus to you soon, so I’ll be comforted when I find
out how you’re doing, because I have no one else with similar spirit, who
will naturally care for your welfare, for all look out for themselves, not
the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But you know that Timotheus has proved
himself, as a son with a father, he has served me in the Gospel. So I hope
to send him at once, when I find out what will happen with me. But I trust
in the Lord that I, myself, will also visit soon.
Still, I thought
it was necessary to send you Epaphroditus, my friend, co-worker, and fellow
soldier, but your messenger, and one who ministered to my wants. He missed
you and was very troubled because you heard that he had been sick. In fact
he was so sick that he was near death, but God had mercy on him and not on
him only, but on me too, or I would have had sorrow upon sorrow.
I sent him
therefore, all the more anxiously, so that when you see him again, you’ll be
happy and I will be less sorrowful. Welcome him in the Lord with all
gladness and hold him in high regard because for the work of Christ, he was
near death, not regarding his own life, to supply your lack of service
toward me.
You won’t want
to miss our study of chapter three as Paul gives a testimony of his life to
the Philippians, so come on back soon and join in again, right here at Daily
Bread!
