1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you,
1:4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all
of you,
1:5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until
now.
1:6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among
you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
1:7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because
you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with
me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of
the gospel.
1:8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the
compassion of Christ Jesus.
1:9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more
with knowledge and full insight
1:10 to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of
Christ you may be pure and blameless,
1:11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through
Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Paul exhorts Christians to experience love that grows "richer in
knowledge and insight of every kind" until the day of Christ Jesus.
On that day, the good work begun in them will be flawless, a "full
harvest of righteousness."
Paul expresses thankfulness to the people of Philippi for "sharing
in the gospel from the first day until now" (1:5). Paul is primarily
grateful for two things: for God who began this "good work" (1:6),
and because they share in the gospel in an ongoing process. Like the
Philippians, we are always moving in faith, for God is always
coming. As we ready ourselves for the Christ child, Paul's tender
words remind us that we are all partners in sharing this good news.
I went over this passage today in a Lectio Divina group for
Spiritual Formation.The wording from The Message had some terms that
really stuck out to me. I left my Message at home, so I am trying
this by memory here, but one of them was praying with hope that is
"grounded in deep reality," One was loving as people need to be
loved, and not with a mushy sentimentality." And the other was "not
just loving a lot, but well."I will have to write the translation
down for people to see. But what struck me was in conjunction with
KHC's comments about John the Baptist having a job description at
birth, and his parents understanding that they were to raise their
son with this call in mind, and how that had to effect the way they
loved him, and raised him. In Paul's comments, how important it is
for us not just to love people but to love them in the way they need
to be loved. I was thinking about my love for my son, as a parent,
that there are times when he needs the preverbial kick in the tushy,
and other times when the pain he received from something he has done
wrong is all the discipline he needs and he just needs a hug and a
statement about "Go and sin no more." And how we need to love people
in the church the same way.We need to love people outside the church
in the same ways as well. We need to pray for our people with a
prayer that is deeply grounded in reality, about their
circumstances. To be guided by a mushy, sentimental kind of love
isn't what will help them to grow or move on to a better place for
them.
Anyway, these are some early ramblings for the sermon.
Susan in Wa.
Here is the Message translation:
"(3)Every time you come across my mind, I break out in exclamations
of thanks to God.(4) Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find
myself praying for you with a glad heart.(5) I am so pleased that
you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming
God's message, from the day you heard it right up to the present.
(6)There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God
who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to
a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.(7) It's
not at all fanciful for me to think this way about you. My prayers
and hopes have deep roots in reality. You have, after all, stuck
with me all the way from the time I was thrown in jail, put on
trial, and came out of it in one piece. All along you have
experienced with me the most generous help from God. (8) He knows
how much I love and miss you these days. Sometimes I think I feel as
strongly about you as Christ does! (9) So this is my prayer: that
your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but
well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and
test your feelings. (10) so that your love is sincere and
intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect
and exemplary, a life Jesus would be proud of. (11) bountiful in
fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting
everyone involved in the glory and praise of God."
I think it is a wonderful interpretation or paraphrase. I especially
like:
(7) "My prayers and hopes have deep roots in reality." (9) "that you
will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately." (10)
so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush."
The people of Philippi had apparently helped Paul's ministry
financially. He seems to feel a sense of unity with them in
ministry. I like the way he approaches prayer in this passage,
gathering from the way he writes about prayer. He says he thanks God
for those people in Philippi. When Paul is a prisoner, they shared
not in his misery, as we might expect, but for sharing God's grace
with him. It isn't until verse 9 that Paul moves to petition for the
people of Philippi.
Perhaps we can use this as a model, and a lesson, for prayer. We
often start letters with "thank you," but do we ever say, "I thank
God for you"? My thoughts are leading toward a sermon on prayer. The
element of future expectation in the pericope, which I see in vv. 6
and 10, make it fit in well with Advent. I don't think we're good at
teaching prayer in the church. This might provide us an opportunity.
Does that make sense? MTSOfan
John, You are right on about the need for knowledge and training in
pray (as Paul teaches here). I am also drawn to vs 10 "to help YOU
determine what is best..." God uses Paul as a tool to help them in
their spiritual sojourn toward a righteous harvest for the glory of
God. It connects well to to last line of the Gospel text (luke
1:79b), "to guide our feet into the way of peace." Golden boy up
north
John, You are right on about the need for knowledge and training in
pray (as Paul teaches here). I am also drawn to vs 10 "to help YOU
determine what is best..." God uses Paul as a tool to help them in
their spiritual sojourn toward a righteous harvest for the glory of
God. It connects well to to last line of the Gospel text (luke
1:79b), "to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Golden Boy up North
Some time ago, God convicted my heart to spend every Saturday
morning thanking God for each person in church one by one by name. I
used to walk around all the places where they'd sit (though I do
this in my mind now) and thank God for the person who usually sat
there, again, by name. This is not a time to pray they'd be more
faithful, or to pray for whatever ails them at the time (though I
often end up doing that), but to just thank God for them.
JG in WI
"I thank my God ... for your partnership in the Gospel." NIV It's a
tremendous blessings when believers in Jesus Christ are 'sharing in
the Gospel.' The partnership is both in blessings that come to
believers thru faith in JX. The partnership is when members of a
Xian congregation (in Philippi or anywhere) share in the spreading
of the message of salvation. Sometimes preachers may feel all alone
- we're not. We have God's gifted people as partners in the Gospel.
JG, I really liked your take on this passage. I had a similar
feeling as I first read it. I have two small churches that are
absolutely full of loving people. We might not do all the right
things all the time, but there's no question that faith and love
abound in my two congregations.
Too many pastors I run into dwell on the shortcomings in their
flocks, but I plan to deliver a message of encouragement and thanks.
I believe that that will preach in this Advent season.
I hope each of you have a blessed season as you bless those you
serve.
Rich in Bama
Here is my outline for the Sunday evening Bible Study on vs. 8-11
entitled, A Prayer for Preparation Intro. A prayer for prepareing
for the day of the Lord v. 10b i.e. advent 1. Abounding Love v 9
(not so much sentiment) For Christ- know him, his will For Others-
know needs and how to help 2. Excellent Character v. 10 discerns
righteousness desires righteousness demonstrates righteousness 3.
Fruitful Service Of Goodness By Grace For God's Glory
the ever alliterate jrbnrnc
In a season when everyone is preparing a Christmas gift giving list,
it is interesting to see what Paul wants God to give the Philippian
Christians. He asks that 1)Their love overflow with knowledge and
insight, 2) They might be pure and blameless, and 3) Their lives
might produce harvests of blessings. These are not personal
atainments but gifts from God. What do you want for Christmas?
Fred in NC
