Brothers Who Are With Me

Philippians 4:21-23 - Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Philippians 1:13-14 - As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Conclusions:

• The unexpected result of Paul’s imprisonment is that others, encouraged by his example, are forcefully exclaiming the gospel
• It has become apparent to all who know of Paul’s situation that he is imprisoned, not because he is guilty of some crime, but on account of his stand for the gospel
• The whole palace guard is a contingent of soldiers, numbering several thousand, many of whom would have had personal contact with Paul or would have been assigned individually to guard him during the course of his imprisonment
• Chains are either actual chains or a broader reference to his sufferings and imprisonment

Application:

• Are you forcefully proclaiming the gospel?
• Is it apparent that you are for Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Will Meet Your Needs

Philippians 4:19-20 - And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 23:1 - The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 - We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusions:

• My God is personal
• “Meet all your needs” is a promise given to a church that had sacrificially given to meet Paul’s need
• Paul is concerned not only about his own situation but also about that of the Philippians
• The true measure of God’s blessings to the church is His provision of glorious riches
• Shepherd is a widely used metaphor for kings in the ancient Near East and also in Israel
• The Lord is the Shepherd of Israel
• In Psalm 23:1, David the king acknowledges that the Lord is his Shepherd-King
• Jesus is the Shepherd of His people
• If the Lord is your King, not only will you not be in want, you will enjoy goodness (by God’s definition) all your life
• The triad of faith, hope and love is found often in the New Testament
• Faith produces action
• Hope is not unfounded wishful thinking, but firm confidence in our Lord Jesus and His return

Application:

• Do you sacrificially give to meet other's needs?
• Is the Lord your King?
• Do you have firm confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ and His return?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Acceptable...Pleasing To God

Philippians 4:17-18 - Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

1 Corinthians 9:12 - If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?

2 Corinthians 2:14 - But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

1 Peter 2:4-5 - As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Conclusions:

• Paul had numerous rights that he did not claim because of his love for the Corinthians
• Because of love for others, believers should be ready to surrender their rights
• The Old Testament background is the sacrifice, not of atonement for sin, but of thanksgiving and praise
• The gifts received by Paul are acceptable and pleasing to God because of Christ’s work for us and God’s work in us
• “Leads us in triumphal procession” provides the imagery of a Roman triumph in which the victorious general would lead his soldiers and the captives they had taken in festive procession, while the people watched and applauded and the air was filled with the sweet smell released by the burning of spices in the streets
• So the Christian, called to spiritual warfare, is triumphantly led by God in Christ, and it is through him that God speaks everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ
• Believers derive their life from Christ, who is the original living Stone to whom they have come, the life-giving spirit
• These references to stones may well reflect Jesus words to Peter in Matthew
• The house is spiritual in a metaphorical sense, but also in that is formed and indwelt by the Spirit of God
• Every stone in the house has been made alive by the Holy Spirit, sent by the exalted living Stone, Jesus Christ
• The holy priesthood is the whole body of believers
• As priests, believers are to (1) reflect the holiness of God and that of their high priest, (2) offer spiritual sacrifices, (3) intercede for man before God and (4) represent God before man
• The New Testament refers to a variety of offerings: bodies offered to God, offerings of money or material goods, sacrifices of praise to God and sacrifices of doing good
• Sacrifices are acceptable to God through the work of our Mediator, Jesus Christ
• Believers are living stones that make up a spiritual temple in which, as a holy priesthood, they offer up spiritual sacrifices

Application:

• Are you ready to surrender your rights?
• Are your gifts acceptable and pleasing to God?
• Does God spread the knowledge of Christ through you?
• Do you reflect the holiness of God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Aid Again And Again

Philippians 4:15-16 - Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

1 Thessalonians 2:9 - Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

2 Corinthians 8:1,5 - And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches…And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.

Conclusions:

• Greeks despised manual labor and viewed it as fit only for slaves, but Paul was not ashamed of doing any sort of work that would help further the gospel
• Paul did not want to be unduly dependent on others
• The grace of giving on the part of believers is more than matched by the self-giving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
• “They gave themselves first to the Lord” is the true principle of all Christian giving
• These Macedonian Christians are an amazing example to the Corinthian believers and to the church in every age of the dynamic difference that God’s grace makes in the lives and attitudes of His people—a central theme of 2 Corinthians

Application:

• Are you unduly dependent on others?
• Have you exercised the grace of giving?
• Do you give yourself first to the Lord?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Early Days

Philippians 4:14-16 - Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

Acts 16:30-32,34 - He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house…The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

2 Corinthians 8:1,5 - And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches…And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.

Conclusions:

• The jailer had heard that these were preachers of a way of salvation
• Now with the earthquake and his own near death, he wanted to know about the way
• Believe in the Lord Jesus is a concise statement of the way of salvation
• Paul and Silas explained the gospel more thoroughly to the jailer and to all the other members of his household, and they all believed in Christ and were saved
• Being filled with joy is the consistent consequence of conversion, regardless of circumstances
• The grace of giving on the part of believers is more than matched by the self-giving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
• “They gave themselves first to the Lord” is the true principle of all Christian giving
• These Macedonian Christians are an amazing example to the Corinthian believers and to the church in every age of the dynamic difference that God’s grace makes with the lives and attitudes of His people—a central theme of 2 Corinthians

Application:

• Do you want to know how to be saved?
• Do you believe in the Lord Jesus?
• Have you been saved?
• Are you filled with joy?
• Have you exercised the grace of giving?
• Do you give yourself first tot he Lord?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Peace Of God

Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Romans 5:1-2 - Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

1 Peter 1:3-5 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Conclusions:

• Being anxious is self-centered, counterproductive worry, not legitimate cares for the spread of the gospel
• Anxiety and prayer are two great opposing forces in Christian experience
• Thanksgiving is the antidote to worry (along with prayer and petition)
• The peace of God is not merely a psychological state of mind, but an inner tranquility based on peace with God—the peaceful state of those whose sins are forgiven
• The opposite of anxiety, the peace of God is the tranquility that comes when the believer commits all his cares to God in prayer and worries about them no more
• The full dimensions of God’s love and care are beyond human comprehension
• Guard your hearts and your minds is a military concept depicting a sentry standing guard
• God’s protective custody of those who are in Christ Jesus extends to the core of their beings and to their deepest intentions
• Peace is a common Hebrew greeting, which Jesus uses in John 14:27 in an unusual way
• Peace speaks, in effect, of the salvation that Christ’s redemptive work will achieve for His disciples—total well-being and inner rest of spirit, in fellowship with God
• All true peace is His gift, which the repetition emphasizes
• In its greetings of peace the world can only express a longing or wish
• But Jesus peace is real and present
• Peace with God is not merely a subjective feeling but primarily an objective status, a new relationship with God: Once we were His enemies, but now we are His friends
• There are two sides to the perseverance of the Christian
• The Christian is shielded (1) by God’s power and (2) by his own faith
• The Bible speaks of salvation as (1) past—when a person first believes, (2) present—the continuing process of salvation, or sanctification, and (3) future—when Christ returns and salvation, or sanctification, is completed through glorification

Application:

• Are you anxious?
• Have you committed all your cares to God in prayer?
• Is your heart troubled?
• Are you His friend?
• Are you shielded by God's power and your faith?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Near

Philippians 4:2-5 - I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Philippians 2:1-2 - If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Romans 12:12 - Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

James 5:9 - Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Romans 13:11 - And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

1 John 2:18 - Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

Conclusions:

• Being like-minded, having the same love and being one in spirit and purpose emphasize the unity that should exist among Christians
• Being like-minded is not uniformity in thought but the common disposition to work together and serve one another—the attitude of Christ
• Being patient means enduring triumphantly—necessary for a Christian, because affliction is his inevitable experience
• One must not only pray in hard times, but also maintain communion with God through prayer at all times
• Gentleness is Christ-like consideration for others
• Gentleness is especially essential in church leaders
• James calls for patience toward believers as well as unbelievers
• The New Testament does not say when the judgment will take place, but its certainty is never questioned and believers are consistently admonished to watch for it
• This hour is the time for action
• Every day brings us closer to the second advent of Christ
• The Christian is to be alert waiting for the return of Christ
• With other New Testament writers, John viewed the whole period beginning with Christ’s first coming as the last days

Application:

• Are you in unity with other Christians?
• Are you enduring triumphantly?
• Do you have Christ-like consideration for others?
• Do you show patience toward believers and unbelievers?
• Do you see this hour as the time for action?
• Are you alert and waiting for the return of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Love And Long For

Philippians 4:1 - Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

Philippians 2:1-2 - If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Philippians 3:19 - Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

Philippians 1:27-30 - Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Conclusions:

• Stand firm in the midst of present struggles for the sake of the gospel
• To be in Christ is to be saved
• To be in Christ is to be in intimate personal relationship with Christ the Savior
• From this relationship flow all the particular benefits and fruits of salvation, like encouragement
• Comfort from His love is the comforting knowledge and assurance that come from God’s love in Christ, demonstrated especially in Christ’s death for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life
• Fellowship with the Spirit is the fellowship among believers produced by the Spirit, who indwells each of them
• Christians are to have intense care and deep sympathy for each other
• All these benefits—encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness and compassion—are viewed by Paul as present realities for the Philippians
• Destruction is the opposite of salvation
• Their god is their stomach represents a deep self-centeredness; their appetites and desires come first
• When Christians are persecuted for their faith, this is a sign of the genuineness of their salvation
• The Christian life is to be a “not only…but also” proposition; not only believing but also suffering
• Because of Christ’s resurrection and ours, we know that serving Him is not empty, useless activity.

Application:

• Are you standing firm in the midst of present struggles for the sake of the gospel?
• Do you have intense care and deep sympathy for others?
• Have you set your mind on the things of this life?
• Are you persecuted for your faith?
• Are you suffering as well as believing?
• Are you giving yourself fully to the work of the Lord?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Power Under His Control

Philippians 3:20-21 - But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Ephesians 1:18-23 - I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Romans 8:29 - For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Conclusions:

• In Ephesians 1:19 Paul piles term upon term to emphasize that the extraordinary divine force by which Jesus Christ was raised is the same power at work in and through believers
• Some insist that the knowledge in Romans 8:29 is not abstract but is couched in love and mixed with purpose
• Some hold that God not only knew us before we had any knowledge of Him, but that He also knew us, in the sense of choosing us by His grace, before the foundation of the world
• Others believe that Paul in Romans 8:29 refers to the fact that in eternity past God knew those who by faith would become His people
• Predestination in Romans 8:29 is to moral conformity to the likeness of His Son
• The reason God foreknew, predestined and conformed believers to Christ’s likeness is that the Son might hold the position of highest honor in the great family of God
• All rules and titles that can be given include whatever supernatural beings Paul’s contemporaries might conceive of, for in his day many people believed not only in the existence of angels and demons, but also in that of other beings
• Christ is above all other beings
• Like the rabbinic teachers of his day, Paul distinguishes between the present age, which is evil, and the future age when the Messiah will consummate His kingdom and there will be a completely righteous society on earth
• Ultimately it is the Son of Man who rules over everything
• Christ is not only head of the church, but also head over everything

Application:

• Is Christ's power at work in and through you?
• Did God foreknow, predestine and confirm you to Christ's likeness?
• Do you believe that Christ is above all things?
• Is Christ head over you?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Resurrection

Philippians 3:10-12 - I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Daniel 12:2 - Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

1 Corinthians 15:23 - But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

1 Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Corinthians 9:27 - No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Hebrews 12:1 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Philippians 2:12-13 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Conclusions:

• Christ, the firstfruits, was raised in His own time in history, and those who are identified with Christ by faith will be raised at the second coming
• Timothy had possessed eternal life since he had first been saved, but Paul urges him to claim its benefits in greater fullness
• Paul realizes that he must with rigor serve the Lord and battle against sin
• Like an athlete who had engaged successfully in a contest, Paul had finished the race and had kept the faith, i.e., had carefully observed the rules of the Christian faith
• Paul could be referring to (1) a crown given as a reward for a righteous life, (2) a crown consisting of righteousness or (3) a crown given righteously by the righteous Judge
• The Christian life is pictured as a long-distance race rather than a short sprint

Application:

• Will you awake to everlasting life?
• Are you identified with Christ?
• Do you need to claim the benefits of eternal life in greater fullness?
• Will you be included in the reward?
• Have you observed the rules of the Christian faith?
• Will you receive a crown of righteousness?
• Are you tempted to drop out of the contest?
• Are you persevering, growing and developing?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Know Christ

Philippians 3:8-11 - I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Ephesians 1:18-21 - I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Romans 6:11 - In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:1 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Conclusions:

• What Paul now has as a Christian is not merely preferable or a better alternative; in contrast, his former way of life was worthless and despicable
• Paul emphasizes that the extraordinary divine force by which Jesus Christ was raised is the same power at work in and through believers
• The absolute insufficiency of man reveals the total sufficiency of God
• Human weakness provides the ideal opportunity for the display of divine power
• Counting yourself dead to sin is the first step toward victory over sin in the believer’s life
• True believers are in Christ because they have died with Christ and have been raised to new life in Him
• The believer’s position in Christ: He is dead; he has been raised with Christ; he is with Christ in heaven; he has taken off the old self; and he has put on the new self
• What the believer is to do as a result: He is to set his heart on things above; he is to put to death practices that belong to his earthly nature; and he is to rid himself of practices that characterized his unregenerated self
• The believers is called upon to become in daily experience what he is positionally in Christ

Application:

• Do you share positionally in Christ's death and resurrection?
• Is your former way of life worthless and despicable?
• Is the power of Christ at work in and through you?
• Does your insufficiency reveal God's sufficiency?
• Is divine power revealed through your weaknesses?
• Have you died to Christ and been raised to new life with Him?
• Does your daily experience reveal what you are positionally in Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Be Found In Him

Philippians 3:3-6,8-9 - For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless…What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Philippians 2:1-2 - If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Galatians 2:15-16 - "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Conclusions:

• Being found in Him is a union with Christ—not simply an experience in the past, but a present, continuing relationship
• Righteousness by faith is a principle benefit of union with Christ
• Legalistic righteousness is righteousness produced by using the law as an attempt to merit God’s approval and blessing—a use of the law strongly opposed by Paul as contrary to the gospel itself
• Paul was faultless in terms of legalistic standards of scrupulous external conformity to the law
• In Paul’s teaching, this personal union is the basic reality of salvation
• To be in Christ is to be saved
• It is to be in intimate personal relationship with Christ the Savior
• From this relationship flow all the particular benefits and fruits of salvation, like encouragement
• Comfort from His love is the comforting knowledge and assurance that come from God’s love in Christ, demonstrated especially in Christ’s death for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life
• Fellowship with the Spirit is the fellowship among believers, produced by the Spirit, who indwells each of them
• Christians are to have intense care and deep sympathy for each other
• All these benefits—encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness and compassion—are viewed by Paul as present realities for the Philippians
• Paul is not depreciating the law itself, for he clearly maintained that God’s law is holy, righteous and good
• Paul is arguing against an illegitimate use of the Old Testament law that made the observance of that law the grounds of acceptance with God
• Justified by faith is the essence of the gospel message

Application:

• Do you have a present, continuing relationship with Christ?
• Do you use the law to merit God's approval and blessing?
• Do you have intense care and deep sympathy for others?
• Are you placing your faith in Christ rather than trying to be justified by observing the law?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Knowing

Philippians 3:8-11 - What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 - This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

Ephesians 4:11-13 - It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Psalm 73:25 - Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Conclusions:

• Knowing Christ Jesus is not only a knowledge of facts but a knowledge gained through experience that, in its surpassing greatness, transforms the entire person
• What Paul now has as a Christian is not merely preferable or a better alternative; in contrast, his former way of life was worthless and despicable
• This knowledge is not merely factual; it includes the experience of the power of His resurrection, of fellowship in His sufferings and of being like Him in His death
• Believers already share positionally in Christ’s death and resurrection
• Paul speaks of the actual experience of Christ’s resurrection power and of suffering with and for Him, even to the point of death
• Let him who boasts boast in the Lord
• Ultimately, only God and our knowledge of and love for Him are worthwhile
• The Hebrew for kindness is translated devotion
• “Until” expresses not merely duration but also purpose
• In the faith refers to the Christians’ common conviction about Christ and the doctrines concerning Him
• Unity is not just a matter of a loving attitude or religious feeling, but of truth and a common understanding about God’s Son
• “Mature…fullness of Christ” is not the maturity of doctrinal conviction, nor a personal maturity that includes the ability to relate well to other people, but the maturity of the perfectly balanced character of Christ
• Though he has envied the prosperity of the wicked, David confesses that nothing in heaven or earth is more desirable than God

Application:

• Is your former way of life worthless and despicable compared to now?
• Do you share positionally in Christ's death and resurrection?
• Do you consider God and your knowledge of Him the only thing worthwhile?
• Do you have a conviction about Christ and the doctrines concerning Him?
• Do you desire anything in heaven or on earth more than God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Whatever

Philippians 3:3-7 - For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

Luke 14:33 - In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

Acts 9:4 - He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

Conclusions:

• The cost, Jesus warned, is complete surrender to Him
• Legalistic righteousness is righteousness produced by using the law as an attempt to merit God’s approval and blessing—a use of the law strongly opposed by Paul as contrary to the gospel itself
• Paul was faultless in terms of legalistic standards of scrupulous external conformity to the law
• To persecute the church is to persecute Christ, for the church is His body

Application:

• Have you surrendered completely to Him?
• Do you use the law in attempt to merit God's approval and blessing?
• Are you part of the church body?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Dogs

Philippians 3:2-6 - Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

Galatians 5:15 - If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Romans 2:29 - No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

Galatians 6:15 - Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.

Ezekiel 36:26 - I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Conclusions:

• Seeking to attain status with God and man by mere observance law breeds a self-righteous, critical spirit
• Circumcision’s true inner meaning is realized only in believers, who worship God with genuine spiritual worship and who glory in Christ as their Savior rather than trusting in their own human effort
• Everyone is a boaster, either in Christ or in himself
• Flesh is weak human nature
• Although the term flesh in Paul’s letters often refers to sinful human nature, it speaks here of the frailty of human nature: It is not worthy of our confidence; it cannot save
• The true sign of belonging to God is not an outward mark on the physical body, but the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit within—what Paul meant by circumcision of the heart
• In Christ man undergoes a transformation that results in an entirely new being
• Creation again takes place
• Put a new spirit in you means transform your mind and heart
• In Ezekiel 36:26 God declared that He would bring about the change
• What He requires of His people He always provides
• Flesh in the Old Testament is often a symbol for weakness and frailty; in the New Testament it often stands for the sinful nature as a God opposing force
• In Ezekiel 36:26, flesh stands for a pliable, teachable heart.

Application:

• Do you seek to attain status with God and man by mere observance of law?
• Do you trust in your own human effort or do you glory in Christ?
• Is the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit within you?
• Have you been transformed into a new being?
• Has God Transformed your mind and heart?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Anxiety

Philippians 2:18-3:1 - Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me. Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Philippians 4:6,8 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God…Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

1 Timothy 5:17 - The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

Conclusions:

• Being anxious is self-centered, counterproductive worry, not legitimate cares and concerns for the spread of the gospel
• Anxiety and prayer are two great opposing forces in Christian experience
• Thanksgiving is the antidote to worry
• All elders were to exercise leadership and to teach and preach, and all were to receive honor
• Those who excelled in leadership were to be counted worthy of double honor
• This was especially true of those who labored at teaching and preaching
• Such honor should include financial support
• Paul understood the influence of one’s thoughts on one’s life
• What a person allows to occupy his mind will sooner or later determine his speech and his action
• The combination of virtues in Philippians 4:8 is sure to produce a wholesome thought pattern, which in turn will result in a life of moral and spiritual excellence

Application:

• Are you anxious or are you thankful?
• Do you honor your elders?
• Do you have a wholesome thought pattern?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Sent To Take Care Of My Needs

Philippians 2:18-27 - So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

Philippians 4:18 - I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

Philippians 1:21,23-24 - For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain…I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

Conclusions:

• The Old Testament background is the sacrifice, not of atonement for sin, but of thanksgiving and praise
• The sacrifice is acceptable and pleasing to God because of Christ’s work for us and God’s work in us
• Christ was the source and secret of Paul’s continual joy, for Paul’s life found all it’s meaning in Christ
• The gain brought by death is being with Christ; so that here Paul is saying that his ultimate concern and most precious possession, both now and forever, is Christ and his relationship to Him
• Being with Christ after death must involve some kind of conscious presence and fellowship

Application:

• Are your sacrifices acceptable and pleasing to God?
• Is your ultimate concern and most precious possession Christ and your relationship to Him?
• Do you desire to depart and be with Christ?

All Scripture Verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Day Of Christ

Philippians 2:14-17 - Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

Philippians 1:4-6 - In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9:27 - No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

2 Corinthians 6:4-10 - Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Conclusions:

• Paul is confident, not only of what God has done for the readers in forgiving their sins, but also of what He has done in them
• The day of Christ Jesus is His return, when their salvation will be brought to completion
• It is God who initiates salvation, who continues it and who will one day bring it to its consummation
• In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul uses the figure of boxing to represent the Christian life, in serving Christ
• Paul does not aimlessly beat the air, but he severely disciplines his own body in serving Christ
• Paul realizes that he must with rigor serve the Lord and battle against sin
• If Paul fails in this battle against sin, he may be excluded from the reward
• The reference “I am being poured out” may be to Paul’s entire ministry as one large thanksgiving sacrifice
• It is more probable that Paul refers to his present imprisonment, which may end in a martyr’s death
• Paul’s life would then be poured out as a drink offering accompanying the sacrificial service of the Philippians
• The Old Testament background for drink offerings is the daily sacrifices
• Genuine faith is active and working
• Paul is making many rich in Christ
• True wealth does not consist in worldly possessions but in being rich toward God
• The believer, even if he has nothing of this world’s goods, nevertheless has everything in Him who is Lord of all

Application:

• Are you confident of what God has done in you?
• Do you serve the Lord and battle against sin with rigor?
• Do you rejoice in tribulation?
• Do you have everything in Him who is Lord of all?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

To Will And To Act

Philippians 2:12-16 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Galatians 5:6 - For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Matthew 5:48 - Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Ephesians 5:1-2 - Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Conclusions:

• Faith is not mere intellectual assent but a living trust in God’s grace that expresses itself in acts of love
• Christ sets up the high ideal of perfect love—not that we can fully attain it in this life
• Perfect love is God’s high standard for us
• One way of imitating God is to have a forgiving spirit
• The way we imitate our Lord is to act just as He did
• The sacrificial way Jesus expressed His love for us is not only the means of salvation but also an example of the way we are to live for the sake of others

Application:

• Do you have a living trust in God's grace that expresses itself in acts of love?
• Do you strive for perfect love?
• Do you express your love to others in a sacrificial way?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible