- Two different reasons why people are declaring the *gospel 1:15-17 Verses 15, 17 There were Christians in Rome before Paul arrived. People probably knew some of these well and respected them. Then Paul arrived. And people came to know him well, although he was in prison. So the other Christians lost some of their fame. They became jealous and they wanted to attract attention to themselves again. This is the most probable cause of their wrong attitude. - Paul wishes to bring honor to Christ by his life or death 1:18-26 Verses 18b-19 Paul continues to be happy, and confident that the *Romans will free him. He gives two reasons for that. One reason is that the Christians at Philippi are praying for him. Paul is praying for them (1:4). And he knows that they are asking God to free him. He knows well the power of prayer (Ephesians 3:20). But our prayers do not remain alone. The Holy Spirit helps us. The Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised would help both Paul and the Christians at Philippi. Verse 20 Paul does not want to be ashamed. Perhaps he is thinking that he might not complete his work for Christ. Perhaps he is thinking that he might have a lack of courage in front of a judge. His whole desire is to bring honor to Christ, whether he continues to live or not. He may live. Then, he can bring honor to Christ by continuing his work as an *apostle. If he dies, he will be a loyal witness to the strength of his *faith. Verse 21 ‘to live is Christ’. This can mean: 1 Paul has the power to live in the right way. That is because Christ ‘lives in him’ (Galatians 2:20). 2 The only reason for Paul’s life is to bring honor and praise to Christ. To love and serve Christ is life. ‘to die will be gain’. This can mean: 1 For Paul himself (as for all Christians) death will mean to be ‘at home with the *Lord’ in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8). There he will be completely free from *sin. Pain and trouble will end. There he will know great joy and he will receive his reward after his struggle (2 Timothy 4:7-8). 2 If Paul dies, his death will be a witness to the *faith. So even his death will help the *gospel to spread. A later Christian writer said, ‘The blood of *martyrs is like the seed of the church.’ Verse 22 If Paul goes on living, he will be able to go on encouraging Christians. And he will be able to establish new churches. He knows that his work will be ‘useful’. ‘Your work (for the *Lord) will not be without value. Since you belong to the *Lord, you can be sure about that.’ (See 1 Corinthians 15:58.) Verse 23 Paul’s great desire is to ‘leave this life’. The *Greek word means ‘to move a tent’. Paul wanted to leave the temporary home of his body for a permanent home in heaven. Verse 24 What the Christians at Philippi needed was more important to Paul than his own desires. The Christians at Philippi formed a young church with many good qualities but some weaknesses. They were also in danger from false *doctrine. Therefore Paul was willing to postpone his joy in heaven in order to help them. Verses 25, 26 Paul wants them to make progress in their *faith. They must love each other more (1:9). They must work together more (2:2). And they must become able to approve the best things (1:10). As their *faith grows, so will their joy. Paul first visited them on his second journey (Acts 16:12-40) and again during his third visit to Macedonia (2 Corinthians 8:1-5; Acts 20:5). At the end of Acts, Paul is in prison in Rome. We do not know if he ever saw the Christians at Philippi again. - Paul urges the Christians at Philippi to fight together for the *faith 1:27-30 Verse 27 Paul speaks about their way of life as citizens. He means as citizens of Rome. He also means as citizens of the *kingdom of heaven. He speaks directly about their home in heaven in 3:20. To be *Roman citizens meant to obey *Roman laws. It also meant to enjoy the benefits that they gave. And they could be proud of those benefits too. In the same way, the *gospel brings *blessings but also responsibilities. The Christians’ behavior should be of the highest standard. Paul is not yet sure whether he will be able to visit them. And he reminds them about that. His absence should make no difference. He wants to know that his appeal to them has been successful. He wants to know that they are united. And he wants to know that their *faith remains strong. They need to fight close together as *Roman soldiers did in close lines. They are fighting ‘for’ the *gospel. They are not merely defending it. They are also struggling to spread the good news about Christ. Verse 28 ‘afraid of’ comes from a special *Greek word. It describes how horses behave. When something surprises them, they jump up. And they rush away from it. Dangerous things, that they do not expect, may happen to the Christians at Philippi. Even then, they must show courage. Their ‘*opponents’ may have been any or all of these things: 1 *Jews who opposed the Christian *faith. When Paul first visited Philippi, there were very few *Jews in the city. But the situation may have changed and perhaps there were now more *Jews in Philippi. They might be causing bad feelings against Christians. 2 *Gentiles, including *Roman officials, whose attitude to the church was changing. They were just beginning to turn against Christians. 3 False teachers of two kinds: · *Jewish Christians who said that *Gentiles must have *Jewish *circumcision first. And only then could they become Christians (3:23). · Those who made God’s *grace an excuse for allowing all their physical desires to control them (1:6). Verse 28 ‘a sign of their *destruction’. Their *opponents will see that they are wrong. Paul himself once thought that he was right to attack Christians. He failed. It was their *faith in Jesus that made Christians strong. And Paul knew that now. Verses 29, 30 Pain and trouble were gifts of God’s *grace, when they were on behalf of Christ. Such pain and trouble were a sign that their *faith was genuine. They were sharing the same struggle as Paul himself. That struggle was like the great effort of a runner who was trying to win a race. They had seen what had happened to Paul at Philippi. There, the crowd opposed him. People hit him and they put him in prison (Acts chapter 16). They had heard about what Paul had to suffer in prison in Rome.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 03:04:40 +0000
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