Commendation and Encouragement

THE class of Bible students at Philippi was the first to be organized in Europe, and was the result of the Apostle Paul’s answer to the call to go to Macedonia to help those hungry for the truth. The epistle reveals a strong personal attachment between the Apostle Paul and the zealous brethren who were in this ecclesia. It is an entirely different epistle, for instance, from the one that was written to the Galatians. Paul does not mention his apostolic title in this epistle at all. He did not need to, because all the brethren at Philippi knew that he was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and accepted him as such.

How different when he wrote to the Galatians, where possibly some of them doubted his apostleship, addressing them in these words: “Paul, an apostle, (not of men neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father).” But when writing to the church at Philippi, in no place did he say, “Oh foolish Philippians, who hath bewitched you,” as he did in his letter to the brethren in Galatia. It was not necessary. However, in this epistle Paul does warn against internal dissension.

One of the things that Paul had in mind in writing this epistle was to encourage the brethren to take hold of the truths of their salvation, and interpret them into the spirit of their Christian life. After mentioning the high standards of Christian behavior, he climaxes his exhortation by telling them where they must start in the development of the faculty of Christian living. He said, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”—ch. 4:8

Someone has well said that the mind is the battleground of the new creation. It is in our thoughts that our actions have their real beginning. Therefore, in his exhortation to “think on these things,” Paul is simply saying that as Christians we ought to be very careful in the things that we think about, because wrong thinking will result in wrong conclusions, which in turn may result in wrong actions; while right thinking will result in right conclusions and lead to right actions.

Another point emphasized in this epistle is to avoid the spirit of dissension in the church of God. This is very important. Paul says that those who promote dissension are evildoers, enemies of the cross of Christ. (ch. 3:18) How much better if, in our thinking and in our doing, we endeavor to develop the spirit of unity, and also the spirit of holiness.

Paul also gives us that great theme which, as Bible students, we would like to think we have absorbed into our own life; namely, that we are “rejoicing Christians.” Time and again he says, “Rejoice,” and in chapter 4, verse 4, he says, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: again I say, Rejoice.” When we think of the blessings we have received from the Lord, the blessings of the truth, of knowledge, of understanding, the blessings of fellowship, we have every reason to rejoice.

Blessed Memories

IN CHAPTER 1, verse 3, Paul writes, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” This is the way Paul felt about the brethren at Philippi, and we all know brethren of whom we could make the same statement—those who have been examples to us in the faith, and who have been examples to us in withstanding the fiery darts of the Adversary. When we apply this text of Scripture to some we know, we understand the feeling the Apostle Paul had for his brethren at Philippi.

Paul then also says, “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now.” (vss. 4,5) The Apostle John wrote, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”—I John 1:3

No wonder Christian fellowship is such a wonderful thing! No wonder it is Christian fellowship that brings us together, for our fellowship is not only with one another, but also is with our Heavenly Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. It is because of this fellowship that our hearts are bound together in the bonds of Christian love.

Paul uses the expression, “fellowship in the Gospel.” The Emphatic Diaglott uses the word “participation.” It reads, “Always in every prayer of mine, making supplication on behalf of you all with joy, on account of your participation in the glad tidings, from the first day till now.” One of the reasons the Apostle Paul had such sweet fellowship with those at Philippi was their participation in the Gospel from the first time that they heard the truth until the time he wrote the epistle.

The privilege of participating in the Gospel is a precious one, and there are so many ways that we can participate. Take “Frank and Ernest” as an example. By themselves they could do very little. But because of others enjoying this fellowship, or participation, in the Gospel, the message of the kingdom goes out every Sunday and reaches the ears of millions of people throughout the world.

The Day of Christ

PAUL continues, verse 6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” The One who has begun the good work in us is God, and he is able to complete it. There is no doubt about that.

The phrase that finishes this verse is very interesting—“until the day of Jesus Christ.” How often have we read this verse and never thought of it as applying to the Millennial Age, to the time of Jesus Christ? Weymouth’s translation reads, “In preparation for the day of Jesus Christ.”

This is really the purpose of our being Christians. This is the reason we have been called out of darkness into light, out of the kingdom of this world into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Our participation in the Gospel at the present time is feeble, but is in preparation for a greater ministry, for a greater participation, for a greater joy, during “the day of Jesus Christ.”

Paul told the Philippian brethren that they had the privilege of participating with him “in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel.” (vs. 7) These words are expressive of the privilege that the Apostle Paul so thoroughly demonstrated in his life—the defense of the Gospel. There were many times when he had to “defend the Gospel” against the errors of his day. At the same time he had the privilege of “confirming” the Gospel in the hearts of the humble, the teachable, those who wanted to have the Gospel confirmed to strengthen their faith.

This text of Scripture also includes us in that privilege, for we are all partakers of divine grace with him. There are errors today, as then, and it is the truth that is our defense. The truths that defend against the errors of our day are the fundamental doctrines of this harvest time, for which we stand, and which we delight to declare. But not only do we have the privilege of defending the Gospel, we also have the privilege of confirming it, of encouraging one another in this most holy faith, of building up one another, of helping one another to recognize the beauty and the force of this Gospel in our Christian life.

Nor is this privilege of participating in the Gospel limited to the elders of our ecclesias. It belongs to all of us. Every child of God has the privilege of co-operating in the defense and in the confirmation of the Gospel, and there are so many ways in which this can be done.

Verse 8 reads, “For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.” In other words, Paul’s love for the Philippian brethren was so intense that he was emotionally affected. He did not love them in a physical sense, but because he saw the spirit of Jesus Christ reflected in them.

Verses 9 and 10 read, “I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.” The Emphatic Diaglott does not read, “knowledge and judgment,” but reads, “in knowledge and in all perception.” Paul wanted the Philippian brethren to have spiritual understanding. He wanted them to have “personal knowledge,” (Rotherham) and perception in order to make proper decisions and to express proper judgment.

The Best

ANOTHER translation says, “That you may choose things which are best.” Obviously, when we discern between the things that differ, we want to choose the best. The only way we can choose the things which are “best” is by having spiritual discernment. There are two values set before us at all times. There are the things which are clear and understandable. They represent certain values—it might be business, it might be family, it might be having our own way, or something else. But these values are of more or less temporal consideration.

There are also those values which are unseen. These things that are unseen, the eternal things, are the “best,” and therefore the apostle says, paraphrasing, “I want you to have spiritual understanding. I want you to have spiritual discernment. I want you to have spiritual perception that you may choose those things that are best, that ye may choose the unseen things, the things that the world does not understand, the things that are eternal, the things that are worth while.”

Paul also admonishes that we “may be sincere and without offense” in preparation for “the day of Christ.” If we choose those things that are best, if, by contrast, we refuse those things which are temporal, it will result in our being prepared for the greater work during the “day of Christ.”

This is why it is worth while to walk in the narrow way. This is why being in the truth is such a privilege. This is why the Master said, “He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.” (John 4:36) This is why we “receive an hundredfold now in this time, and in the world to come” something even better, “eternal life.” (Mark 10:30) Yes, all this is being done in our lives in preparation for the “day of Christ.”

Verses 11-14 read, “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel; so that my bonds in [margin, ‘for’] Christ are manifest in all the palace [margin, ‘Caesar’s court’], and in all other places. And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Furtherance

HERE Paul said his going to prison was a blessing in disguise because it had resulted in the furtherance of the Gospel. It had encouraged some of those who, because of fear, were holding back from preaching the Gospel.

Paul said his bonds were for the “furtherance” of the Gospel. This word furtherance is an interesting one. The United States Army has an engineering corps. The work of the engineering corps is to remove obstacles so that the army can go forward. It might mean cutting down a forest, it might mean making a road over a rough terrain, it might mean building a pontoon bridge to go over a river.

In fact, the Greek army had an engineering corps the name of which was based upon the same word that is here used by Paul. They had a “furtherance corps.” They had a corps that was used for the furtherance of the army, to remove the obstacles so the army could go forward. “So,” the apostle says, “my bonds in, or for, Christ” result in the “furtherance of the Gospel,” the removal of the obstacles to the preaching of the Gospel, and he appreciated the privilege of going to prison to that end.

Paul explains that all in the palace knew his stand. Because the brethren recognized that he was willing to preach the Gospel in his bonds, the result was that “many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” The obstacles of fear had been removed from the hearts of the brethren, and they went out preaching the Gospel.

It took courage to preach the Gospel in those days when the Apostle Paul was in prison, more courage than it takes at the present time, because it was at the risk of life itself. In Rome there is an ancient carving on a wall of a man on a cross. While he has the body of a man, he has the head of a donkey. To one side there is another figure kneeling in adoration to this image on the cross. This suggests how some in the palace, to which Paul refers, thought of the truths that he was preaching in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel. In the Coliseum in Rome thousands paid with their lives for the privilege of witnessing to the truth.

It Still Takes Courage

YES, it took courage then to preach the Gospel, and it also takes courage to preach the Gospel today. Now it is not in fear of death. It is possibly for fear of what our neighbor, or business associates might think of us. It is the fear of the opinion of other people; and the odd part of it is that their opinion does not matter, when one really stops to think about it. Nevertheless, fear is the “lion” that is in the way.

We recognize the truth as the most wonderful thing that ever came into our lives. It is the message of God’s love—the length and breadth and height and depth of his love. It reveals the justice, wisdom, power, and love of his character. It means everything to us, and yet sometimes we find that in talking to people it is far easier to talk about sputniks and satellites and the weather than it is to talk about the things which we recognize are the most wonderful and valuable things that the Lord has given us. Paul said he was “not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.” (Rom. 1:16) May every obstacle be removed that hinders us from having part in the proclamation of the Gospel!

Every time we put out a tract we are participating in preaching the Gospel, just as definitely as those who declare it more publicly from the platform. It is all part of the proclamation of the same message of the Gospel. Some of the brethren cannot go up and down stairs any more, but want to participate in this work, so every week they send through the mail a certain number of tracts addressed to names they get from the directory and from the telephone book. This is something that every one of us may find within our power to do.

Then there is prayer for those who are closer to the front in this battle against error, in this participation of the Gospel. The one who realizes his privilege rejoices at every opportunity to preach the Gospel.

Paul continues, “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some of good will, … notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. … As always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.”—vss. 15-20

A peculiar situation arose when the brethren began to preach Jesus Christ in Rome. Some of them, Paul said, preached from good will, but some of them preached the truth as a club. But what was the attitude of the Apostle Paul? Sometimes just one word from a person’s lips lets you know the depth of his spirit, the depth of his maturity in Christ, and here Paul, after saying that some were using the truth in a way to get him into more trouble, added, “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”

Verse 27 reads, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.”

Privilege of Suffering

VERSE 29 reads, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.” The Apostle Paul loved the Philippian brethren. One might think that, because of his love he would have told them how they could avoid suffering, but he did not. He told them that part of their joy was not only to believe on Christ, but also to suffer for his sake.

This was the privilege of filling up that which is behind of Christ’s sufferings, for his body’s sake, which is the church. (Col. 1:24) It is the privilege of going outside the camp bearing his reproach; of having a share in that great sin-offering; of being members of the body of Christ, and of joint-heirship with him.—Heb. 13:13

Unless conditions of joint-heirship are accepted now, we will never have the privilege of joint-heirship on the other side of the veil. If we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Rom. 8:17) If we die with him, we shall live with him. If we suffer with him, we shall reign with him. This is the true meaning of the Christian life. This is why we are in the truth. And if we are faithful in this participation “in the sufferings of Christ,” we shall hear his words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: … enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”—Matt. 25:21

—Contributed

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