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PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 1 KJV WEB Phi 1-1,2 (12j) Servant >> Bond servant >> Salutations – Paul prayed grace upon the Philippians and upon all the churches that he founded; all the letters he wrote to them began with a greeting of grace and peace. Peace was the third fruit in the list of nine, yet in Paul’s greetings it was first to follow the grace of God. The fruits of the Spirit in Galatians chapter five are a list of prerequisites: love comes first, then joy, peace, etc. Paul didn’t greet them with joy but with peace. He prayed for their peace above all else, for it was what they most needed in the days of the early Church with persecution mounting. Through his greeting he was saying that the people of God had already received an introduction into His grace and have come to know His love, which brought them great joy; now he wanted his letter to give them peace, and its message to lead them further down the list of spiritual fruits into patience, kindness, faithfulness, etc. Phi 1-1 (7d) Responsibility >> Protecting the gospel >> Defend the word by preaching it -- This verse goes with verses 14-18. Timothy was more than a gopher, more than a messenger, more than a helper; he was an itinerate pastor, Paul’s right-hand man. Paul, after he established churches having evangelized the area and attracted people to the faith, left them with Timothy, who taught them what to believe and how to run a church, and many of these same doctrines are taught to this day, but others have fallen to the wayside, some that were critical to the Church in establishing unity. Timothy was there to make sure the Church walked in these teachings from the very beginning, and for hundreds of years they did, but slowly some of these doctrines began to change both in significance and meaning, and so now we have a church that doesn’t know what to believe or how to establish unity. The truth is still all there in the Bible, and many read it, but they just can’t see through the haze of preconceived notions and ideas and religious beliefs and doctrines. The Church is lost in a forest of ideas. See also: Unity; Phi 1-27,28; 97k (12g) Servant >> Bond servant >> Their relationship with God (72i) Authority >> Hierarchy of authority >> More Authority The More Responsibility >> Closer we get to Jesus the more power Phi 1,3-5 (82h) Thy kingdom come >> Prayer >> Thankfulness >> Giving thanks for His mercy – Paul gave thanks to God for the Philippians, always offering prayer with joy in every prayer for them all. Paul had reason to be thankful because the Philippians were serving the Lord; they were faithful and obedient from the heart. They received the message of the gospel, and since that day they had been integrating it into their lives and letting it become a part of them, and them a part of Him. Whenever we learn something about God, it is another occasion to give thanks. Giving thanks for His mercy corresponds with the Lord’s Prayer when He said, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Mat 6-10), meaning that we will forever give thanks to God in heaven for saving us and for delivering us from this present evil age, and He will continue giving us reason to be thankful. Most Christians have a static mindset about heaven, as though all eternity will resemble the first moment we enter His presence, when in fact we will pass through ages, all of which will be different from each other, and we will rule and reign with Christ through them all. Many Christians have the idea that we will worship God around His throne, and nothing will ever happen and we will never do anything else. On the contrary, life will continue; that is what Jesus said (Jn 10-28), and the Old Testament said it too, "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29-11). If He said it in the Old Testament, how much more did He mean it in the New, and how much more does He mean it for the life to come? So we have reason to be thankful as He showers on us the gifts of His grace, mercy and blessing and teaches us about Himself. Phi 1-4 (81j) Thy kingdom come >> Pray without ceasing >> Pray for the church -- This verse goes with verse 19&20. We serve God by serving others well enough, but that is an indirect ministry. We serve God directly through prayer, communing with Him and directly relating to Him, taking the Bible into our prayer closet and reminding Him what He has said, and asking Him to manifest these things in our lives and in the lives of others, and asking Him to reveal Himself to us through His word. This is what Peter said is our ministry of the Royal Priesthood. The Levitical Priesthood ministered both to God and to man, interceding for the people by performing the prescribed rituals and offering the required sacrifices when the sinner came to the temple seeking mercy from God, thus cleansing them though faith and obedience. The Levitical Priesthood also ministered to God by performing the daily routines of replacing the showbread with fresh bread and keeping the lights burning in the menorahs (the golden lampstands), and maintaining the perpetual incense that represented prayer. This is why Paul commanded us to “pray without ceasing” (1The 5-17). Old covenant worship was a symbol of our new covenant ministry of the Royal Priesthood. (125d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy >> Joy is the result of investing in the kingdom >> Investing in a life of service -- This verse goes with verse 18 (189b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Holy sacrifice >> Holy offering Phi 1,5-8 (155h) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> The Father bears witness of the believer Phi 1,5-7 (230c) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking >> What we must do to partake of the kingdom >> Partaking which requires no participation Phi 1-5 (206d) Salvation >> God makes promises on His terms >> Conditions to promises >> Conditions to receiving in the natural >> Conditions to participating in the natural realm – The Philippians were not passive spectators but active participants in the grace of God. That is, they wanted to apply everything they knew about God. They were quick to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Rom 13-14). The Philippians were not interested in being theologians; they were interested in being Christians and living out their faith and seeing God's willingness to work through their obedience. Everything Paul taught they applied, and as a result Paul had very little negative to say about them in his letter, and for that reason the Philippian epistle was relatively short, compared to Corinthians of which we have two letters, both the largest that he wrote. So it seems the shorter the letter the more faithful the Church; they were obeying the Lord, and Paul just wanted to commend them in all the things they were doing. Another understanding of the word “participation” is that they were cheerful givers. When there was a need they were right on it, along with the Thessalonians; they sought to be a blessing to their fellow brethren. When there was a need, when there was poverty and people were going without their essential needs, the Philippians came alongside and helped them, and in this way they participated in the ministry of the saints and the advancement of the gospel of Christ. The more they gave, the more people saw the gospel at work not just as a theological belief system, but as a way of life that sought everyone’s benefit. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1-6 (28a) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> The protector of our faith (30c) Gift of God >> God knows our needs >> He is the source of our obedience (31j) Gift of God >> Gift of His grace >> Being responsible with it -- This verse goes with verse 22 (43i) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Perfected by God – Paul uses a couple of interesting words in His descriptions, one being “perfect.” Paul’s prayer is that God would perfect the good work that God had begun in them, “perfect” meaning “complete,” so there would be no good thing missing in their faith or conduct. These are the same words James uses in His first chapter saying, “And let endurance have it perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (44e) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Transformed >> Completed by God (45a) Judgment >> God judges us for not judging ourselves >> Preparing for believer’s judgment -- This verse goes with verse 10 (99a) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Enduring the will of God >> Enduring the word of God >> Endure obeying the word of God -- This verse goes with verse 10. Would God complete His work in us against our will? No, if we resisted, He would retreat. For this reason we see so many people in the Church with unfinished spiritual business. Most Christians don’t want to continue with God, preferring their religion over genuine faith, afraid they will cross the line to religious fanatic, knowing they would be persecuted, but the world draws that line of fanaticism for us to mean any amount of faith in Jesus. Paul was a religious fanatic by the Church's standard, much more by the world’s, but he was God’s right-hand man and our example of faith. Those who love God do not resist the Holy Spirit, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and complete the work that He has given us to do. (103k) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> God purifies His church >> Jesus purifies His people (122c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in God to keep (124m) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love is the action of faith >> Love is the motive of faith (128b) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Doing good in the presence of God (137j) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Maturity >> Stages of maturity are levels of accountability >> Maturity is working with God (227e) God Working in You (Key verse) (227j) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Depending on Jesus to fulfill His purpose in us – This verse gives great hope. There are hardships that come upon us that force our attention off the gospel and onto our problems. We face daunting circumstances, thwarting us from devoting ourselves to our faith the way we want. We would love to dedicate our entire lives to the purpose of God that He has in mind for us, but our problems will not allow it. We must work long hours, then come home to many chores to keep the house running, the children healthy, clothed and fed, and the duties pile-up until the day is spent, and we wake up the next day and do it all over again. Before long it’s been months since we’ve read the Bible; we really want to get back to our faith and to our church, and all we can do is depend on God to get us through this life with our faith intact. Sometimes we have to commit our faith to God and cry out to Him for help that He will not allow what we have believed to slip. Another day will come when the circumstances are not as severe, and we can finally read our Bible and begin to develop a relationship with God that we have always wanted. (228f) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God is working in you to place you in His will >> To place you on the trail of good works -- This verse goes with verse 9. This is one of the most popular verses in the Bible. It is very encouraging to know that God is working in us, yet He works in us only to the degree that we allow Him. We are the ones who moderate how much God is able to accomplish in our lives. Paul was not saying he was confident in God; he was saying he was confident in the Philippians that they would let God perfect them. Jesus’ warned, “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap” (Lk 21-34). We cry out for God’s grace and say what Paul said in 2Tim 1-12, “I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” We do what we can until we can do no more, when all that’s left is to throw ourselves on the mercies of God and pray for strength to somehow endure to the end. We must protect our faith as Paul said in 2Tim 1-14, “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you,” but at times all we can do is lean on Him and try to do His will. We trust God to protect our faith during hard times when we can’t do it ourselves, times when the circumstances are so severe that after Jesus has died for our sins, we must ask for His help just to believe in Him. Everyone goes through times like these when they can’t sustain their own faith, but have to entrust it to God for a period. These are times when God performs miracles in our lives without our knowing it, when we believe in Him without knowing how; He does it all for us, feeding our faith with His subtle presence in our heart, giving us reminders every day about His goodness and patience, that He is waiting for us to return to our faith and make a new commitment to pursue the truth that we might understand Christ in ways we always knew possible, that defy comprehension. (236l) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The Rapture >> The day of the Lord -- This verse goes with verses 9&10. This is an interesting phrase, “The day of Christ.” What day is that? It is the day of the First Resurrection, which is the day that all His people who have died throughout the centuries will receive their spiritual bodies, and we who are alive and remain will be caught-up together with the Lord, “and thus we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one anther with these words” 1The 4-17,18. Lets compare these words with 1The 5,1-11, "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." Essentially, it teaches that the children of light will experience the day of the Lord as their day of salvation, but the children of darkness will experience it as a day of destruction and misery. Those who are left behind will experience hell on earth, starting on that very day, for when it says that Jesus is coming on the clouds, it is unlikely referring to white, puffy clouds but to an ash plume of a giant asteroid that is scheduled to hit the earth on the day of Christ! KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1,7-10 (95f) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Having a cooperative attitude >> Cooperating with each other – The Philippians were on a spiritual level with Paul; he was not above them in any way; they all believed in Jesus together. If anything, he was below them in a position of rendering service to their faith. They were required to obey his word, because he was telling them the word of God, so to obey him was to obey Christ Himself. Paul felt this way about the Philippians while he was in prison, because they eagerly desired to minister to him in his situation, and they provided whatever he needed under the scrutiny of the jailhouse. Paul often found favor with the guards and on occasion led them to salvation. When first incarcerated they treated him poorly, but later he usually gained their respect, trust and favor, and they often granted him leniency. His fellow brethren from Philippi and elsewhere were allowed to enter with provisions for his daily needs and writing supplies and whatever else he needed. This was why Paul had so much confidence in the Philippians, because he saw their faith in action. Phi 1,7-9 (74h) Thy kingdom come >> Heart is central value system >> The heart is what drives man’s desire (123b) Spiritual Affection (Key verse) (123l) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Spiritual affection >> Being in love with the body of Christ >> Affection of Christ – Jesus’ ministry was a crash-course on discipleship; He was always busy preparing His disciples to one day blossom into His apostles. We don’t often think about the affection of Christ; we think of Him dying on the cross for our sins in obedience to His Father, and we think of the words He spoke, which have been recorded for our sake that we read in the gospels, teaching about His Father and how we ought to live, but very little has actually been written about the affection of Christ. During their furloughs between ministries when everybody was tired and retreated to the mountains to take time for themselves and relax, this is probably when the disciples deeply enjoyed His company. If all He ever did was rebuke them, they wouldn’t have felt the way they did about Him. There are emotions tied to our spiritual lives, and these emotions originate from faith, so our affection is indeed spiritual. The Church is the bride of Christ, and so the affection of Christ goes very deep, and in our own relationship with the indwelling Holy Spirit we feel the affection of Christ every day. Phi 1-7 (7a) Responsibility >> Protecting the Gospel >> Contend earnestly for the faith -- This verse goes with verses 14-18 (89b) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Wisdom corresponds with logical reasoning (148i) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Obligation to preach the gospel >> Ambassador in chains (216g) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >> God forces us by His love (242c) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Persecuting God >> Persecuting the word of God Phi 1-8 (76k) Thy kingdom come >> Desires of your heart >> Desiring to be among the people of God Phi 1,9-11 (69h) Authority >> Righteous judgment >> Meditate on discernment >> Judging what is pure (80d) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word to learn the ways of God >> Leading to the truth (86m) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> Internalize the word of God -- These verses go with verse 27 (124d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Acts of love >> Love is one of the fruits of the Spirit – Love from God is not human love that the world understands, nor does it originate from the flesh. Our love and affection from God is spiritually connected to knowledge and discernment, pertaining to faith. The basis of our faith is the knowledge of Scripture, whereas God's faith that He has entrusted to us transcends the letter on the page, being spiritual in nature, and we love one another by the same Spirit through faith that we have come to know God. (127e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Rewards for doing good >> Sow the seeds of goodness >> goodness yields a harvest of righteousness (128l) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Bearing fruit >> Living a fruitful life >> It is a way of thriving (252j) Trinity >> You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship God >> Worship God by your lifestyle KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1-9,10 (69ba) Authority >> Discernment >> Discerning the knowledge of God >> Discerning true motives (78c) Thy kingdom come >> Sincerity of heart >> Being honest >> Free from inconsistency (236l) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The Rapture >> The day of the Lord -- These verses go with verse 6. Paul uses the phrase “Day of Christ” again (v6), referring to Him coming for all His saints at the advent of the First Resurrection, which is also the day of the Rapture. That’s the day that most directly applies to Christians who are alive and remain in the body. This is our great hope, but it comes at the cost of the world’s destruction. (248i) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Values >> Valuing God >> Do not value things that devalue God – It is important to approve the things that are excellent; this has to do with renewing the mind. What we approve makes a huge impact on our faith and walk with God. To approve something is to agree with it, give it high priority and ultimately incorporate into our lives. We may do things that we do not approve, yet doing them is the same as approving them. Paul is telling us not to do anything that we don’t approve, and only approve those things that are excellent, so our life and conduct may resemble the Lord Jesus Christ. This is all about discerning what is true and right from what is false and wicked. For example, if a teenage girl approves of wearing short skirts, eventually she will buy one and wear it, and she will attract all the wrong boys into her life and before long she will be pregnant. All these things will act as a domino effect of circumstances in her life that stemmed from what she approved. Phi 1-9 (34f) Gift of God >> Believer owns everything >> True knowledge belongs to us – This term “real knowledge” is the same as Peter's “true knowledge”, distinguishing the truth from all other forms of knowledge. There are mountains of factually based knowledge in the world that does not correspond with the truth, because Truth comes from God; He is the sole-owner of it, and man has no truth apart from God. Everyone has an opinion about nearly everything, but “Truth” is defined as "God's opinion". Truth is reserved for the knowledge of God, though there is some knowledge about God that is not true but mere religious pontifications and precepts of men. The knowledge of God that is true comes from the Spirit, who imparts His truth in us, which becomes our most valuable possession. It may not seem as valuable as some worldly knowledge, but it will outlast all other forms, which are all inherently temporary and will all become obsolete, but God’s Truth will remain forever, and this what holds its value: its ability to lead people to eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul said we discern God’s truth through love. The Spirit speaks in our heart, and when we train our ear to hear Him, we discern His truth. (83c) Thy kingdom come >> Results of prayer >> Prayer unites the body (109g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of God's word >> Revelation of the truth (228f) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God is working in you to place you in His will >> To place you on the trail of good works -- This verse goes with verse 11 (229g) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Kingdom grows by itself >> Kingdom assumes the mind of Christ >> Kingdom grows through knowledge KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1-10,11 (156a) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> You will know them by their fruits >> You will know them by their productivity Phi 1-10 (42a) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Blameless before God >> Prepare for His return – We know the truth in order to approve the things that are excellent by the Spirit who strengthens us to remain sincere and blameless until the day of Christ. The Bible constantly waits for Christ’s return and expects Him at any time, even in the first century. It would seem a lie that Jesus did not tell His disciples they weren't even in the ballpark hoping for His return in their lifetime, but He wanted them and us to anticipate His return throughout the ages. It acts as a buffer against sin; we’re afraid to turn our lives into a big party, forget God and meet His return unprepared. It has also acted as an encouragement for many whose lives fell apart, when everything they loved and treasured was destroyed; they always had the hope of His return to comfort them. (45a) Judg ment >> God judges us for not judging ourselves >> Preparing for believer’s judgment -- This verse goes with verse 6 (99a) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Enduring the will of God >> Enduring the word of God >> Endure obeying the word of God -- This verse goes with verse 6 Phi 1-11 (113j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Filled with the Holy Spirit (115b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Working God’s grace through Christ >> We receive the anointing through Christ (228f) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God is working in you to place you in His will >> To place you on the trail of good works -- This verse goes with verse 6. The fruit of righteousness refers to Mat 5-6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” There is no shortage of righteousness that we can do for Christ. He will lead us into it as much as we want; the more we desire, the more He gives, referring to what our righteousness produces: evangelism, feeding the poor, helping the saints, taking the last place for a better opportunity to serve, helping those in need in disaster relief, just to name a few. There are so many things we could be doing in the world, so many suffering people who need our help. The fruit of righteousness is the benefit that others enjoy through our relationship with Jesus, who empowers us to do His will; and it takes no effort on our part to serve, being a longing that we desire to quench. (247b) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> God’s interests >> God is interested in His people >> God is interested in our spiritual health Phi 1,12-20 (228m) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God causes all things to work together Phi 1,12-18 (150a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Invitation to the Kingdom of God Phi 1,12-14 (246b) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Literal bondage to Christ Phi 1-12,13 (242l) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Responding to persecution – Paul's imprisonment benefited the Philippians by his example, giving them courage to speak the word of God without fear. Spreading the gospel back then could land a person in jail, be tortured, whipped, beaten or possibly killed, but now we preach the gospel at the risk of getting our feelings hurt. Someday that may change, and we may risk our lives again to tell someone about Jesus in days when the world no longer tolerates the gospel of Christ. People take their faith far more seriously during times of persecution. Unbelief is just as effective in spreading the gospel, being the inverse of faith, what the reprobate believes about God. Indifference is perhaps the only reaction that resists spreading the gospel, but it is when people react to faith that helps the disciples of Jesus believe all the more. To have a vehement hatred of the gospel does more to validate it than to suppress it, in that if the gospel weren’t true then why do they have so many strong feelings against it? It pricks the conscience they are trying to bury, for nothing speaks more directly to the conscience than the truth. Phi 1-13 (91e) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> Purpose (of God’s calling) >> God has a reason for the things that happen to us KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1,14-18 (7d) Responsibility >> Protecting the gospel >> Defend the word by preaching it -- These verses go with verse 1. Paul is speaking about the gospel as a fledgling institution, a brand-new concept in the world. The one thing Paul wanted was for the gospel to be etched into social consciousness; in other words, he was all for advertising. Corporations today spend millions of dollars on advertisements in hope that their product becomes a household name. Paul felt no different about the gospel; he wanted everyone to hear about Jesus. The last thing he wanted after his life was spent was for the gospel to pass into obscurity and die with him. Whether the gospel was preached in truth or in pretense in Paul’s mind made no difference to him. They may not have always heard the truth about Jesus, but at least they heard His name. Paul’s goal was for every ear to hear the name of Jesus, so when the gospel did come to them in truth and power, rather than starting from scratch and breaking rocky ground, the soil had already been tilled and the seed deposited hopefully in good soil, so that they only needed to cultivate and water the garden to see fruit-bearing plants emerge from their graves into the open light of day. People heard the gospel in truth when they went to church, but in public Paul would rather they heard a distorted rendition of Christ than to not hear about Him at all. At least this way, if they wanted to investigate further, they could go to church to get the real scoop, but today people can’t do that, because every church is preaching Jesus differently. People today have probably all heard about Jesus, but it is unlikely they have heard an accurate rendition of Him, which is a sad commentary on our churches today. (182j) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Being deceptive with people >> Telling the truth with an evil motive – Paul was referring to shady people who were making money at preaching the gospel in false pretence like snake-oil salesmen, but Paul was not upset with them. He was glad that even the snake-oil salesmen were helping with the effort in publicizing the name of Jesus. Paul’s reasoning is explained by the needs of the early church, when the fledgling gospel was just gaining a foothold, when most people never heard the name of Jesus. These charlatans were actually helping in the effort of the gospel, maybe for the wrong reasons, but Christ was becoming known just the same. They were inadvertently sowing the seeds of evangelism, so when a preacher of righteousness came to town with the gospel, the people had already heard about the Lord. Paul wanted the world to know about Jesus no matter what motives people had for preaching Him, and now the world knows about Jesus for the most part, so the hucksters of our time are not performing a meaningful service anymore, but are rather hurting the gospel by preaching it in pretence. What made Paul's blood boil was legalistic hypocrites trying to dissuade Christians in the Church whom he had won to Christ, believe in a salvation by works gospel. (243d) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Sources of persecution >> Persecution from within the body Phi 1-14 (122h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in yourself as you die to sin >> Confidence in the Church through your ministry (150j) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Speak the word >> Preaching the word to the Church Phi 1,15-18 (24k) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Anger >> Unforgiveness (76a) Thy kingdom come >> Hidden motives >> Based on selfish ambition Phi 1,15-17 (21i) Sin >> Premeditated sin >> Intending to abuse the grace of God (96n) Thy kingdom come >> Having a negative attitude about sin >> Having a rebellious attitude – There were people preaching heresy even in the first century, and Paul said it didn’t bother him. Back then the gospel was bran new; the world had not yet heard about Jesus, and so for false prophets to mention His name was actually doing the gospel a favor, breaking the ground, so when Paul came to them, he could iron out the wrinkles and hasten people to the faith. It is a steeper climb to preach Jesus to a people who have never heard the name of Jesus, like trying to teach somebody mathematics who have not yet mastered the number line. (173j) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice >> Penance of lip service (174k) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >> Lip service (185a) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Abusing the grace of God >> Dragging God’s Grace Through The Mud >> Operating His grace through religion – Paul had the perspective in the first century that it was better people heard a false version of Jesus than to hear nothing about Him at all, but compare that with some of the things he said in Galatians; he became very angry with legalists who were trying to dissuade the disciples of Jesus from believing the truth. Paul said about these troublesome meddlers that he wished they “would even mutilate themselves” (Gal 5-12). So what’s the difference between this passage and the comments he made in Galatians? Here he was talking about people who had never heard about Jesus, where in Galatians he was trying to protect those who had already come to believe in Jesus. Now compare that with the gospel today with so many variations, denominations and religious offshoots of Christianity, filling the spectrum from Bible believing ministries to cults to anti-Christian religions, some benign while others malignant. We should have Paul’s attitude in Galatians, not in Philippians; we should be incensed with those who are dissuading Christians from believing the truth. The name of Jesus is an aspect of every religion known to man, and it is not a good thing. (198d) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained by man >> Men place themselves in positions of authority >> Men who have no business in the ministry (202k) Denying Christ >> Running from God >> Wicked men cannot approach the throne of God >> Goats are unsaved church attendants Phi 1-16 (124c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Acts of love >> Love is the proper motive for all you do Phi 1-17,18 (17i) Sin >> Unrighteous judgment >> Ignorance >> Speaking truth without knowing it Phi 1-18 (96c) Thy kingdom come >> Positive attitude toward God >> Good attitude about the word of God -- This verse goes with verses 21-26 (107i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Church is of the truth >> God’s people speak the truth (125d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy >> Joy is the result of investing in the kingdom >> Investing in a life of service -- This verse goes with verse 4 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1-19,20 (29d) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> Delivered from adversity (32j) Gift of God >> Father will honor your devotion to Him >> Honor your prayers (35g) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Jesus sends the Holy Spirit – Someone might say the Holy Spirit is impotent, whereas the presence of Jesus was very powerful when He lived in His day. No wonder, we have emasculated the Holy Spirit through our disobedience and unbelief. The Church has distorted the truth over the centuries to the point that He cannot interact with us, effectively tying His hands. The Holy Spirit was powerful in Jesus day because He not only introduced the Holy Spirit but also created an environment of truth for Him to work in and through Him. Jesus called Him the Spirit of truth; now we are responsible for creating an environment of truth for Him to work in and through us. This is why the Holy Spirit seems impotent in our day: He can only work according to our knowledge of the truth and we have misplaced it. (81j) Thy kingdom come >> Pray without ceasing >> For the Church -- This verse goes with verse 4. Prayer is the method that God has given that we should use to communicate with Him. Jesus told us to ask and it would be given, making prayer essential to receiving from God. Paul prayed for the Philippians that they would receive from God, and in the process he too received from God. This is how God teaches His people the importance of prayer. That is, the person who prays is the primary recipient of God’s blessing, and the secondary recipients are those for whom she is praying; and the promise is that if we pray, we will receive (Mat 7-7; Jn 14-13,14; Jm 4,2-4). In verse 6 he said, “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (v6). This confidence in Paul that the Philippians would receive the fullness of the blessing of Christ originated through prayer. We may not receive what we asked (that was not the promise), but we will receive what He wants us to have, which is confidence in Him, and invariably we receive more than we asked. God comes to the person of prayer and settles on her, and He blesses the people for whom she prays according to the blessing that she received through prayer. This suggests that if the person returns from her prayer closet unaffected, neither are the people affected for whom she was praying; but if she walks from her prayer closet renewed, she knows that the people of her prayers will also be renewed. (82c) Thy kingdom come >> Three elements of prayer >> Direction (Attitude) >> Who to pray for (96g) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Positive attitude about yourself (121c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope >> Expectation >> Hope is the expectation to receive >> Expectation based on hope (122b) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in God >> Through prayer (134f) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Composition of our bodies is from the earth >> Worship unlocks the spirit realm (234c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His Spirit – God would never approve the things we believe about Him that are false or sacrifice the truth in order to help us. He expects us to know the truth, to seek Him and find Him and to walk in Him. The moment the truth is reinstated in the Church the Holy Spirit will once again reign mightily among His people. A Great Endtime Revival is coming; the truth will be restored in the Church, and the Holy Spirit will become powerful as in the days of the early church, only greater, because now there are more of us, and the stakes will be higher, and so will persecution. We will see great and awesome miracles in those days, because the Holy Spirit and God’s truth will be reunited in the heart of man. This phrase, “Spirit of Jesus,” implies that the Holy Spirit and the word of God have united. He can change lives and circumstances and ultimately, the whole world through us. These things are coming; God has a plan and nothing can stop Him after we determine in our heart to obey Him. See also: Great Endtime Revival (Harvest at the end of the age); Phi 3-20,21; 61a Phi 1-19 (254k) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Power of Jesus’ Spirit – What did Paul mean by "the Spirit of Jesus Christ"? Is that just a fancy way of saying something else or did he really mean it the way it sounds? Yes, the way it sounds, the soul of Christ is the Spirit of God. Is there a distinction between the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus Christ? No, the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus are the same Spirit! Hence, for Jesus to send the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was equivalent to Jesus Himself making His return to the earth in Spirit form. Phi 1,20-25 (189g) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Martyr >> Martyrs witness to the life of God KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1,21-27 (235k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> All things are for your sake >> We are fighting for you >> Our effort is for your sake – Paul deliberates whether he should continue living in the flesh or go to heaven with the Lord, and decided that remaining in the body meant more fruitful service to the glory of God and the benefit of the Church. Living and dying were his two options, and it was a no-lose situation either way, so when he inevitably died, he went to heaven, which was his personal goal. Phi 1,21-26 (7l) Responsibility >> Use time wisely >> Get ready >> Use this time to gather (96c) Thy kingdom come >> Positive attitude toward God >> Good attitude about the word of God -- These verses go with verse 18 (187i) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> Spirit versus the flesh >> Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (236k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Invest in the treasures of the kingdom >> Invest in the fruit of the kingdom – Jesus said in Mat 6-20, "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal." It was always very encouraging for Paul to see the Church following Christ. The Philippians were a faithful church, and for that reason Paul was encouraged by them, but a faltering church was discouraging to him, for if believers refused to follow the Lord, if affected Paul's heavenly retirement package. As it was, though, there were many in the Philippian Church who were faithful in Christ, and Paul was extremely grateful for them. Paul suffered greatly in his ministry in many beatings, whippings and imprisonments, insults, exposure to the elements, starvation and was shipwrecked; he didn’t want to go through all that for nothing. Some say it was from selfish motives to seek benefit from the saint’s service to God, but what nobler investment is there than His people? Phi 1,21-25 (24b) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Anxiety >> Fear of losing the fruits of your labors (94c) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective on this life >> This life is temporary (101l) Thy kingdom come >> Ambitious to promote the Kingdom of God >> Preaching the gospel (129d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Bearing the fruit of evangelism >> Bearing the fruit of the gospel (129l) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Being in one accord >> Single minded >> Going to any limit to fulfill God’s will (248k) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Values >> The Highest Values >> Some things take precedence over others (251a) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Making plans >> Making plans according to the will of God >> Making plans within the boundaries of God’s will Phi 1,21-24 (148l) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Obligation to preach the gospel >> Slave laborers Phi 1,21-23 (57f) Paradox >> Opposites >> To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (224h) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> The joyful kingdom >> Heaven is better than earth – Some make the assertion that Paul actually had a choice to go on living or else die whenever he wanted, but that would be a misinterpretation of this passage. Paul meant he didn’t know which to choose that he wished more. Sometimes he was happy to live longer and other times he wished he could just die. He knew that living was the better choice in light of the rewards he could amass for eternity. Had his life been cut short, what he had done would be the only reward waiting for Him in heaven, so he determined to continue living and collecting more rewards and seeing more people saved and the Church more steadfast and better prepared for the future. Then hard times would return and Paul would again wish for death. The point of death marks the end of our opportunity to gather rewards for the life to come. The Lord makes simple requests to give ourselves to others that they might be saved and blessed, but if we are unwilling to follow Him in this way, then we might as well be in heaven. Apart from obedience to Christ and service to others, this life offers nothing else. Why would anyone want to live apart from Christ? The world doesn’t understand why anyone would want to believe in Jesus, and Paul didn’t understand why anybody would want to live without Christ, and so there was a stark contrast between the world and Paul, and that same contrast should also be in us. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1-21 (91d) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> His purpose answers "Why" – Paul said, “to live is Christ.” What is our reason for living? What is the reason for some people to commit suicide? Paul had a reason to live; it was to serve Christ by serving others; this should be every person’s reason to live. People dedicated to service rarely consider suicide, because they are happy and content. They are blessed because they bless others; that is the road to true fulfillment in life, but merely receiving the service of others is unfulfilling. Paul also said, “to die is gain.” Those who die from suicide don’t gain from their death, but Paul knew he would gain heaven from his death; it would launch him directly into the presence of Christ. Being with Jesus and having peace with God is the very definition of paradise. Whenever we talk about paradise, the first thing that comes to mind is utopia, a beautiful blue, balmy sky, perfect temperature, colorful flowers blooming with white cottony clouds floating overhead, birds chirping, butterflies swooping. That sounds like paradise, but we have that here on earth on some days, yet we don’t feel we are in paradise, because of our anxious thoughts chewing at the back of our mind. Any Christian who loves God would rather be with Jesus under the worst circumstances than to live in paradise without Him. Jesus was the ultimate servant; He is serving us even now, seated at the right-hand of God, interceding for the saints as our Great High Priest. How much more will He serve us when we finally meet Him face-to-face (Lk 12-37)? (192a) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Result of putting off the old man >> Gain by losing >> Life for life >> Losing your life to gain God’s life – Every born-again Christian is in a no-lose situation—if we live, we live for Christ; and if we die, we begin our eternal happiness with Christ; either way we can’t lose. In life we benefit by benefiting others; and in death we benefit by discarding this aging body of the flesh that continually fails, suffers and tries to lead us in the wrong direction. On many occasions Paul talked about suffering to the point of despairing even of life (2Cor 1-8), meaning he was tired of living, but there was one thing that kept him going, fruitful labor and the hope of reward. If he could survive in hard times, he could proceed to more fruitful days of preaching the gospel and saving souls, encouraging the brethren, establishing other churches and racking up more rewards for the Kingdom of Heaven before it was finally his time to go. Phi 1-22 (31j) Gift of God >> Gift of His grace >> Being responsible with it -- This verse goes with verse 6 (100f) Thy kingdom come >> Diligence >> Diligence in working the grace of God Phi 1-23 (76i) Thy kingdom come >> Desires of your heart >> Your interests (226e) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven >> Reserved in heaven >> Our life is reserved in heaven – Paul was hard-pressed from both directions; he weighed both alternatives and determined that remaining in the flesh was better than dying, not because life is better than death, but because racking up rewards for Heaven, strengthening the brethren and being fruitful for the Kingdom of God is more important than living in paradise. He would eventually get there, and so there was no point in hurrying. Phi 1-25 (125h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy >> Joy is the result of obedience Phi 1,26-28 (122d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in God to keep you Phi 1-26,27 (142d) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Having a good reputation >> A reputation of good works -- These verses go with verse 30 Phi 1,27-30 (95g) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Having a cooperative attitude >> An attitude that fosters unity (103l) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Purified by circumstances >> Purified Through hardship (209h) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Righteous saved with difficulty >> Fulfill your calling with difficulty (243f) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Persecuting the Church of God – Boldness conveys to our enemies that they are powerless against us. If our opponents make us afraid, they will say we are part of the same kingdom to which they belong, but our absence of fear signifies that we belong to a kingdom that is very different from theirs, in fact opposite, for if someone did to them what they did to us, they would be afraid. In the absence of fear we will portray God's kingdom in all its attributes, namely the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, etc. Through the weakness of our flesh, we can preach the gospel of God’s holy kingdom and give them insight into a spiritual world that they have never known. A person can go to school for years and none of his knowledge will come as a revelation to them, but God reveals His truth by the Spirit, and in that revelation we come to know Him on a level that the world cannot comprehend. See also: Kingdom of God is opposite the world; 1Tim 2,1-3; 165g KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1-27,28 (97k) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Rooted deeply >> Standing firm together in the faith – Christianity is all about sacrifice and service. That which God gives is like an artesian well that continually runs, so that if we run out of things to give in the natural realm, we always have things to give in the spirit, and the spiritual things are more valuable than natural things. Having one mind refers to unity; it is the result of giving our inner self to others. If we keep our nose in the Scriptures and follow the Holy Spirit, we will come to the right conclusions, edify one another and come to a single conclusion about the truth, and this singleness of mind will establish our faith, as opposed to having many theories and doctrines and denominations that only fosters doubt and unbelief. Sharing our inner self with others, we will hear the similarities between us, and we will better hear the dissimilarities in those who come to deceive us. When their teaching does not jive with ours, we know it is false and by this we will expose their evil motives. See also: Unity; 129n (129n) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Being in one accord >> Having one mind – It is very likely that the theme of Philippians is unity, suggesting that the Philippians were a mature people, since the premise of unity is maturity. Spiritual maturity is linked to the fruits of the Spirit, which are tools we use to edify the body of Christ. The root word for “edify” is edifice, which refers to a house or shelter, especially the roof; therefore, unity is like a shelter, consisting of individual people, each one representing a brick of the temple. God puts the bricks of the Church together through a state of maturity with mortar between them, signifying the anointing. Paul reiterates the word “one”; he wants to see the Philippians standing firm in one Spirit. When a person is born-again there are two spirits involved, the spirit of the man and the Spirit of God who mesh to become one Spirit (1Cor 6-17). So it is with unity, though there are many people, there is one Spirit who unites them. Unity is similar to being born-again in the sense that the spirit of man and the Spirit of God come together to become one. Paul wanted the Philippians to become one Spirit, and the only way to do that is to have one mind. We find the freedom of Christ through unity, and the freedom we achieve in Christ increases our faith. We receive faith from God through unity, a substance from heaven that resembles mortar between the bricks. In this way, His anointing transforms a pile of bricks into a church. See also: Unity; Phi 1-27; 71e Phi 1-27 (71e) Authority >> Ordained by God >> Worthiness of man >> Perfecting the worthiness He has given us – “Standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,” is a good description of how to build unity, and what did Paul say was the basis of this unity? We conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. So our conduct is involved. This contrasts Christianity today that thinks God has allowed us to separate our conduct from our faith. Unity is the first casualty of a workless faith. President Nixon took us off the gold standard in 1971, so now our money is fiat currency, backed by nothing, which historically has always failed. Faith is the dollar bills we spend and works is the gold that backs the notes; money backed by nothing is worthless, just as James said faith without works is dead. See also: Unity; 100e (86m) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> Internalize the word of God -- This verse goes with verses 9-11 (93d) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Walk in a manner worthy of your calling (100e) Thy kingdom come >> Diligence in the sight of God – There is only one faith and one truth. Unity in the Church is a measure of faith we have in the truth, and in today’s Church it doesn’t count for much. The only way we will ever come to know the truth is through unity. However, we are all so deeply affected by the world that unity is lacking, and so is the truth. The Church has integrated into the world to avoid persecution, and freedom from persecution has come at a huge cost. We have essentially given up the faith of the gospel! All we have now is an assortment of handpicked doctrines that we believe, such as, "Jesus died for our sins." Most of the world has heard these things too, and many of them believe it, but the fact that the world believes the gospel is proof that it is not the true faith, since the Bible teaches that only Christians believe the truth. Jesus said in Jn 8-32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free,” suggesting that we can only comprehend the truth in a state of freedom. That is, we understand “the faith of the gospel” as a revelation from God through a state of unity as we all strive together to incorporate Him into our lives. A pastor standing behind a pulpit preaching the gospel every week cannot affect unity among the saints. Rather, unity is affected by everyone working together, interconnected through spiritual fellowship, which lends itself to communicating the knowledge that we received from God that builds unity in the body of Christ, which in turn establishes us in the true faith of the gospel. See also: Unity; Phi 1-1; 7d (139f) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Encouragement >> Encouraging one another KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1,28-30 (122j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Boldness in adverse circumstances >> Do the will of God in the face of adversity – We are not to be afraid of our enemies. They sometimes interpret our lack of fear as arrogance, thinking we are merely masking over our fear with a false confidence. Boldness cannot be expressed without an opponent. True boldness occurs when our faith is challenged and we rise to the occasion against those who would attempt to silence us. They try to invoke fear in us, and if they succeed, they can operate through that fear, but if we don’t show any fear, they have nothing to use against us. If they continue their persecutions without invoking fear in us, it exposes them as cruel. For this reason our enemies do not possess the truth, because the truth is not cruel. God sent His Son to suffer under man's cruelty and to release us from our sins and from condemnation and from His judgment that heaven might receive us and that we might become members of His kingdom. Our opponents who witness our gospel based on faith and love are put to shame, exposing their need of salvation. (156e) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> You will know them by their endurance Phi 1-28,29 (46e) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Subjecting your flesh >> Being fearless in battle – To stand with confidence and boldness and to defy those who despise our faith is proof that our critics are wrong. Our confidence in God intrinsically carries the message that if they don’t repent of their unbelief, one day they will meet God and He will send them to hell for resisting the witness of His Church, who boldly proved to them that they possessed something from God. That same confidence also acts as proof to ourselves regarding our own faith, for our boldness is not our own, but is a divinely inspired confidence. For us to be absent of fear invokes fear in our enemies, because they rely on our fear to be fearless of us, but when they see in our eyes, in our behavior and hear in our voice that we are not afraid of them, it invokes fear in them of us, for it proves that God is with us and on our side, and it proves that what we believe is true. The lack of fear is a spiritual manifestation. For this reason we must stand firm in our faith when we are opposed by the world's unbelief, not to panic, but to look it square in the eye without being ashamed of our faith in Jesus Christ. Phi 1-28 (28b) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> God protects us through our faith (157c) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Rejecting God >> Rejecting God’s people KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Phi 1-29,30 (7b) Responsibility >> Protecting the Gospel >> Defend the word of God by obeying it – It was imperative for Paul to suffer for a ministry that he loved; that same suffering also applies to us. Just as Paul was more zealous than his opponents (false apostles) for the purpose of hindering them from the practice of wolf-like behavior among the brethren, so we should be more zealous than the false brethren. (36b) Gift of God >> Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> The gift of repentance (136b) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Similarity in the body >> The body suffers together (188f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Suffering righteousness – It’s not just Paul who suffered, but all who believe in Jesus will suffer in this world. Faith and suffering go together like peas and carrots, in that the decision we made to believe in Jesus Christ was the decision we made to suffer for His namesake. The gift of the Holy Spirit, endows us with His faith to believe in Jesus in the face of adversity, along with the ability to endure our suffering that results from that faith. This is God’s earth, but it is the devil’s world. The majority of the people on earth will never believe in God; that will always be true. Therefore, we who are the minority who believe will be persecuted, made to feel less than welcome in this world. Some Christians feel very much a part of this world, and have a say about what happens in the political arena, being a viable segment of society, but those who truly believe in Jesus Christ will not experience a sense of nobility in this world. Rather, their experience will be that of persecution and rejection, of scoffing, accusations and mocking that may lead to physical persecution. Phi 1-30 (142d) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Having a good reputation >> A reputation of good works -- This verse goes with verses 26&27 See next page