Bible Study Philippians 1:1-11

Some of my thoughts.....


1:1-2

1. Letters in this day were structured more like business memos of today. They began with the name of the sender, his authority or office (why you should read this!), the intended readers, and then some brief greeting (the “hello”). While we know that this is SCRIPTURE – God’s letter, the inerrant words of God - Paul likely just MEANT it as a personal, ordinary letter, and he writes it like such.

2. The authors are Paul and Timothy – his young assistant. See First Timothy 1:2. Actually, most of the letters we attribute to Paul were co-authored, but we tend to credit the APOSTLE, and since Timothy was but an assistant, this is probably appropriate. That Paul gives equal “credit” here to his young assistant is a characteristic of his humility (and is a sermon in itself). See also First Corinthians 1:1, Second Corinthians 1:1, Colossians 1:1, First Thessalonians 1:1, Second Thessalonians 1:1.

3. Normally, Paul would state his office as “Apostle.” A position of great honor and authority. But this is a very different letter, and he comes to them in a very different capacity. Here he identifies himself and Timothy as “doulos” – the word means a slave or a servant – of Christ.

4. The intended readers are identified as “the saints of Jesus Christ at Philippi, together with the bishops and deacons there.” ALL believers are “saints” of Jesus Christ! The word “saint” is found 68 times in the New Testament, 67 in the plural and 1 time in the singular (here in Philippians – 4:21, yet even that implies that it’s plural). A “saint” is one who is “holy” and implies a sense of sinlessness. It’s used primarily to say what we ARE (as here) but sometimes the point is that we are CALLED to be saints. We ARE saints because God has declared us such by faith (justification) but we are CALLED TO BE saints in our lives (sanctification) – so it applies both ways. TOGETHER, “saints” ARE the church. The church is US – together. “There’s no such thing as an individual Christian, there’s just the church.” “It’s not Jesus and ME, it’s Jesus and WE.” The ancient creed defines the “church” as “the one, holy, catholic, communion of saints.” ALL Christians, everywhere – past and present. Nowhere in the Bible is “saint” used in the Roman Catholic sense.

5. There are several “offices” spoken of in the New Testament. Apostles, evangelists, prophets, teachers, pastors, bishops, deacons, etc. Paul speaks of “bishops and deacons” in 1 Timothy 3. While these offices no doubt had particular functions in the First Century church – we don’t really know exactly what they were! Some clue is given by the titles themselves, but our best insights come from later when we see historical records and clear descriptions. Teachers were just that. Pastors (the word has “shepherd” at its root) seem to have been the equal of Jewish rabbis – close to what we think of today. Deacons were broad and not always the same, but seem to have been focused on material and physical care. Bishops (the word implies supervision) were at first the overseer of the congregation, similar to a position in the synagogue – more like a church president but it seems even over the pastor, but in time, these were focused not on the congregation so much as on pastors, a supervisor of pastors – their training, their ministry, their teaching; a pastor to pastors. Bishops developed in the first inter-congregational office, the very beginnings of a proto-denominational office. Our modern office of “bishop” is in keeping with that, the only ministerial office of a denomination (rather than congregation). It’s easy to “read” these back into the New Testament, but we’re just not sure WHAT their roles were at that time.

6. Among the Jews, blessings were very important! They extended blessings on many occasions – including upon greeting and departing from another. There were MANY various blessings used by the Jews – some biblical, many not. This ancient practice was retained by the Christians and is one of the Jewish practices that got folded over to gentiles – as Christianity became less and less “Jewish” and more and more Gentile. Paul had his own favorite greeting! Compare verse 3 here with: Romans 1:7b, 1 Cor. 1:3, 2 Cor. 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Eph. 1:3. Well, you get the idea. A very common Jewish blessing used in a wide variety of situations was “shalom.” It means “peace” but not especially in the sense of a lack of wars but more in the sense of INNER, emotional, and especially spiritual peace. As the Church moved into the Latin, Western world, Christians simply translated the word to the Latin, “Pax” It means peace, but they meant it in this broader sense. Sometimes it was conveyed as, “May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep you, now and always.” In time, this was lost. All blessings were. Too bad… What might be gained from blessing each other?

1:3-11

1. Verse 3. What a GREAT way to start a letter, a conversation! (There’s a whole sermon in this attitude, this approach!). This is very characteristic of Paul. Read Romans 1:8, First Cor. 1:4, Col. 1:3, First Thess. 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:3. It’s genuine. What about you? Do you take a “half full” look at the people around you? Do you see your spouse, family, friends, fellow church members as evidence of how much God loves you and has blessed you; do you LITERALLY give thanks to God for them? Do you TELL them that? And this is genuine – and therefore, effective. How much more receptive are YOU (to whatever comes) if the conversation begins with the positive, the affirming, with gratitude and appreciation and love – than with “You frustrate me!” “You disappoint me!” “You let me down!” “You could be so much better” “If only you would….” Old proverb: “You get further with honey than vinegar. “ But of course, it only is effective if it’s genuine, sincere, from the heart.

2. Paul acknowledges that ministry is always a partnership – WE (the church) serve Him and each other TOGETHER. Elsewhere, Paul will compare the church in ministry to a human body, with lots of different parts, all working (well!) and in harmony with each other toward a common God-given goal. God will bring this all to completion .

3. Verse 6. CONTEXT is everything; it’s important to note if something is Law or Gospel, justification or sanctification. The word “work” here is tricky. It may be that this is justification – and simply notes that our salvation is GOD’S work (Jesus is THE Savior – HE does all the work toward that end), and this “holds” through our entrance to heaven. But it may be sanctification, the promise that as we LOVE as He first loved us, as we serve, GOD is empowering us – and will continue to do so. We do NOT do ministry by OUR strength or because of OUR love. God’s love is in us, God’s power is in us – and this will continue, no matter how long or hard the road gets, until the End comes and our ministry on Earth is done.

4. Verse 7. This is one of the indications that Paul is writing this from prison. To “be in chains” is simply a euphemism for being imprisoned. If taken literally, it’s a bit over-dramatic. If this is during the ROMAN imprisonment (61-63 AD), then actually Paul simply was waiting for his trial before the Imperial court; he would not have been in a jail but simply under a kind of “house arrest” that actually meant nothing more than he could not leave town but had to be available – at a moment’s notice – if the trial was to begin, and he was to refrain from any activity related to the complaint against him (in fact, he was to avoid ANY arrests). The courts in Rome were VERY backlogged and it was not unusual to be in this “hold” pattered for years. Paul obviously was free to have guests, to write – and probably to have an active role in the congregation there (founded long before Paul or Peter got there). But he’d need to be very careful not to do anything that would bring the attention of the authorities and especially that would cause an arrest for the same thing he was now awaiting trial for – that would cause him to lose his appeal and REALLY go to jail (or worse). He had to be careful, but was not technically in jail. He is restrained – and this frustrates him.

5. Paul had a PASSION for ministry. He was a missionary and a pastor to several congregations. How frustrating that he had at least 3 lengthy imprisonments (53-55, 58-60, 61-63) when he could not travel or be with his congregations or do missionary work! Satan is pretty good at throwing up obstacles, at throwing in problems, at making it…. HARD. But Paul doesn’t whine, doesn’t complain, instead he thanks God – and these people. When we encounter difficulties, frustrations, injustices…. do we whine, quit, blame, or thank God and our fellow Christians – and get to work? “If you’re waiting for Satan to retire, you’re going to wait a long time.”

6. Verses 9-11. What a beautiful prayer! He has three petitions: 1) That LOVE may abound among them and in them and through them. “By this will all the world know that you are My disciples, if you have love…” 2) That they may abound more and more in knowledge and insight. We don’t graduate from Sunday School or Confirmation (or seminary!), knowing God and knowing His truth is a lifelong process. 3) May grow to be pure and blameless, filled with the fruits of righteousness. Obviously, we never fully achieve that, but it is our goal – and progress toward that should be made. The “marks of a Christian” are his love and his life.

jsimms435 said:

Question to ponder: How am I a servant of the Lord? What am I doing for him? What have I sacrificed or given up in order to follow him?

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I'm challenged (and empowered) to make my whole life one of being a servant. Yes, that includes in His church (I'm the Chair of the Board of Trustees and thus on the Church Council, I teach the Teen Bible Class, I sing in the choir, I often serve as a lector and usher and for the time being, am the volunteer custodian until I can find someone for that spot). But I see this inseparably as impacting ALL my life - with my family, with my community/city/country, with my vocation. "Make Me a Servant.... humble and meek.... Lord let me lift up those who are weak.... and may the prayer of my heart always be: Make me a servant, make me a servant, make me a servant TODAY."

There's a pop song with the lyrics "it's no sacrifice." I think we best sacrifice when we see it not as a sacrifice. I SO recall some good personal friends of my parents... and observing the husband caring (for years) for his wife as she died from cancer. It was a 24/7 thing. There were diapers to change, etc., etc. But it was no sacrifice. It was just love.

Question: What brings me joy?

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Christ.... my wife and unborn son..... people..... beef stew good Scotch and Disneyland (lol)

Question; How am I working with other believers in partnership to further the gospel?

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I mention my church functions above. We also give 10% of our income (off the top) to our parish (more to other charities). But most of all, I TRY to be a witness of Christ's love and will - at home, at work, in my community, with my family. I fail far too often.