05/03/2005 When you read the bible, ask two things:
- What is the historical context?
- What kind of document is it?
- Paul is in prison, probably in rome
- The believers in Philippi have sent Paul a gift
- There is some internal unrest (not as strong as the division in Corinth)
Philippians type of document: - Blend of 2 kinds of ancient letter: a letter of friendship and a letter of moral exhortation -- stories of exemplary virtues.
- Note that friendship in the greco-roman world was quite different from how we use the world. It was so strong it was almost a contract, based on absolute trust and total good will. Your friend would care for yuour family if you died or otherwise couldn't. The principle of reciprocity - the giving and receiving of help.
- And the obligations of friendship, the principles of reciprocity, are then attributed to God: "And my God will supply all your needs, according to his riches in Christ Jesus".
Philippians historic context:
05/04/2005 Philippians 2:1-18
Paul calls us to be likeminded; the same mindset; one in spirit.
Avoid attitudes that destroy unity: selfish ambition and vain conceit; rivalry; desire to get ahead at the expense of others; selfishness.
Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves not to your own interests. (N.B. NIV adds the word 'only' -- 'not only to your own interests' but the Greek doesn't have the word 'only'. The TNIV will remove the word 'only').
This passage exists to refute selfish ambition, it does it by emphasizing two things:
1) Christ's pre-existence as God. As God he emptied himself.
2) Christ's incarnation. As Man, he humbled himself.
These two statements stand against selfish ambition and vainglory.
God is interested in confirming us into his image, not just in populating heaven. The antidote to selfish ambition is in coming to God, and discovery that he is like his son, who poured himself out, humbling himself.
Philippians 2:9-11 God the father's vindication of the son in his pouring himself out.
God has stamped his full approval by highly exalting his son and bestowing on him the name - The Name. When God reveals himself to Moses he says this is The Name - Yahweh. In the Shema, it says 'The Lord is one'. In Jewish history they stopped even pronouncing the name Yahweh, and substituted Adonai. But God has given Jesus The Name, so at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is God and Lord.
The only Lord is the incarnate crucified one. Eventually, every knee will bow. Our mission is to bring people to this confession now. To so preach Christ crucified, risen, exalted, that people will follow him and confess that Jesus is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.
05/05
Remember that Philippians is a combination of two things: a letter of friendship, and a letter of moral exhortation.
The heart of the exhortation is 3 paradigmatic stories.
- Paul in prison -- his response is a pradigm for how to live in adversity.
- The story of Christ -- how to live in the context of conflict: the mindset of Christ, not living out of selfish ambition.
- Living Christ in the context of opposition
In verses 3:1 and 4:4, we usually see this translated as "finally" but it more correctly means 'what's next'. So the TNIV says "further" instead of "finally".
- "Rejoice in the Lord" -- the focus is on the Lord, not on an emotion.
- The phrase "we boast in the Lord Jesus" uses 'boast' in the sense of putting their confidence in. don't have confidence in wisdom or wealth or strength, but have confidence in the Lord, knowing that he exercises kindness and justice in the world.
- Paul tells his own story as a paradigm in 3 parts:
- v 4-6 the future does not lie in the past.
- v 7-11 the future lies in the present.
- v12-14 the future.
In v 4-6, we see that the future does not lie in the past. Paul acknowledges all the things that were simply given to him -- circumcised on the 8th day, etc. These were not due to his own merit, they were part of his heritage. Then he goes on to his actual accomplishments: with regard to sin, blameless. The way to go forward is not to go backward.
In v 7-11. Do we know Jesus or do we just know about him? This is talking about intimate knowledge. In v 10-11 he elaborates what knowing him means-- by the power of his resurrection to live in conformity with his death. It's not a question of enjoying suffering it is a cruciform lifestyle. Being conformed into the likeness of his death, being shaped into his image.
v12-14 talks about the future. We are in the 'already', but there is also a 'not yet'. We have not yet reached the goal.
The 'one thing' is Christ, not some other prize. Paul uses the race metaphor. We need to keep our eyes fixed on the prize, knowing him, because someday we are going to know him even as we are known. - v 4-6 the future does not lie in the past.
2 comments:
Did Gordon say much about the source of contention between Euodia and Syntyche? I always thought it was about letters. Euodia probably felt inadequate because of her lack of consonants and was envious of Syntyche's surplus. Most of Syntyche's vowels, on the other hand, were y, which sometimes isn't even considered a vowel, and she probably resented the fact that Euodia had way too many vowels. They needed to follow Paul's advice in 2 Cor. 8:14-15.
He didn't actually mention that point, but now that you mention it, the vowel's versus the consonants could have caused a deep seated issue. Perhaps we should ask Vanna what she thinks of this theory?
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