{"id":11854,"date":"2012-06-08T09:33:52","date_gmt":"2012-06-08T16:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/?page_id=11854"},"modified":"2015-03-09T18:52:39","modified_gmt":"2015-03-10T01:52:39","slug":"chapter-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/commentary\/philippians\/chapter-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imitating Christ\u2019s Humility<\/span><\/h3>\n

1-4:\u00a0So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,\u00a0<\/span>complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.\u00a0<\/span>Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of the previous chapter Paul was reminding the Philippians to live a life worthy of the Gospel and to stand united before their opponents.\u00a0In this section Paul continues his appeal to unity, explaining how this unity is to be achieved, by rooting out self-interest, pursing self-advancement and personal prestige (“selfishness”<\/span> and “conceit”<\/span>). Instead, “humility”<\/span> is extolled and Paul encourages them to exalt others, a logical unpacking\u00a0of Christ’s teaching that we should love our neighbour as ourselves.<\/p>\n

I think it is fair to say that this is the recipe for a united, happy church. If everyone is so busy trying to outdo each other in humility and blessing others, there will be little room left for selfishness and confrontation.<\/p>\n

Paul makes this appeal based on the fact that the Philippians are all “in Christ”<\/span>, filled with the “love”<\/span> of God and share in the same “Spirit”<\/span>. He also appeals to them based on compassion (“affection and sympathy”<\/span>), as well as simply because it will make Paul happy (“complete my joy”<\/span>).<\/p>\n

Memory Verse<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/em>Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.<\/span>\u00a0– Philippians 2:2-4<\/span><\/p>\n

Assignment<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nFind joy in humility.<\/strong>\u00a0Inspired by St. Paul’s words to seek the good of others, find some concrete way to bless someone this week, preferably someone whom you don’t like too much. Greet that person every day with a bright smile, buy them a coffee, invite them to lunch, ask about their kids or boring hobby…you get the idea…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5-11:\u00a0Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus…<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul gave an exhortation to unity. He then gave an explanation as to how this is achieved through humility, and\u00a0now he gives the Philippians a model to follow. The model of self-sacrifice,\u00a0par excellence<\/em>, is, of course, Jesus.<\/p>\n

Scholars conclude that, from the linguistic form of the following five verses (6-11), they were\u00a0likely taken from an early Christian hymn. This is why it is known as\u00a0the “Carmen Christi”<\/em> (Latin for “hymn of Christ”<\/em>). Paul is drawing upon this hymn to drive home his point about humility.\u00a0A modern day parallel would be if a\u00a0pastor, while preaching a sermon on God’s goodness would quote:<\/p>\n

“Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound,<\/em>
\n That saved a wretch like me.<\/em>
\n I once was lost but now am found,<\/em>
\n Was blind, but now I see”<\/em><\/p>\n

The hymn itself follows the structure of the life of Christ:<\/p>\n

1. Incarnation:<\/strong>
\n“…being born in the likeness of men…”<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Humiliation:<\/strong>
\n“…he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross…”<\/span><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Exaltation:<\/strong>
\n“…God has highly exalted him…”<\/span><\/p>\n

The hymn itself is really drawing from\u00a0“The Suffering Servant”<\/em> described in Isaiah<\/a>, which describes the\u00a0messiah who, though righteous, submits himself to violence and whose life is poured out for others.<\/p>\n

We are actually extremely fortunate that Paul (by the providence of God) included the Carmen Christi in his letter, since these words are loaded with theology about Christ (Christology), despite the fact that this letter isn’t a theological treatise in the same way as, say, the Epistle to the Romans.\u00a0Through this deeply rich theological hymn Paul is trying to impress upon the Philippians that they should model Christ’s humility. If the all-powerful, infinite God can humble Himself and take the form of a finite human, those in the Philippian church can humble themselves before one another. When we’re called to humble ourselves our natural instinct is to shout out “WHY SHOULD I?!”. This hymn gives the answer – because Jesus already did it for you.<\/p>\n

Memory Verse<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nHave this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus…\u00a0– Philippians 2:5<\/span><\/p>\n

Assignment<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nPray the Litany Of Humility<\/a><\/p>\n

6: …who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped…<\/span><\/p>\n

Other translations render this as\u00a0Jesus being in the\u00a0“nature”\u00a0<\/span>of God and the\u00a0“nature”<\/span>\u00a0of a servant. In theology we use both of these terms with very specific meaning. The Greek word used here is “<\/em>morphe<\/a>“<\/em>. The important point is that it is used to describe both the incarnate and pre-incarnate Son.<\/p>\n

The word rendered here as “grasped”<\/span> is the Greek word “harpagmos<\/a>” is not found anywhere else in Scripture. In secular Greek it is used in the context of robbery. There are four main interpretations of word:<\/p>\n

1. Jesus didn’t consider equality with God something he had to aggressively acquire since it belonged to him by nature and right.<\/p>\n

2. Jesus didn’t consider it something he had to cling to at all costs<\/p>\n

3. Jesus didn’t have to seize something he did not already posses.<\/p>\n

4. Jesus didn’t see this power as something to exploit for personal gain.<\/p>\n

These interpretations are not necessarily mutually exclusive.\u00a0The NIV translation renders this verse as\u00a0“equality with God something to be used to his own advantage”<\/span>. I personally prefer the RSV’s\u00a0“a thing to be grasped”<\/span>,<\/em> because this perfectly reverses the Fall. Whereas Adam and Eve grasped for godhood, Jesus did not. In fact, in the next verse we’ll see that he even relinquished some of His divine prerogatives.<\/p>\n

7: …but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.<\/span><\/p>\n

The humility here is expressed in Jesus’ “kenosis” where he “emptied himself”<\/span>\u00a0(“kenoo<\/a>“), or as some translation have it, “rendered void”<\/span>.\u00a0 It is not that the Son ceased being God when He became incarnate, but that he accepted certain limitations of the human condition and restricted his rightful exercise of certain divine abilities while on earth.\u00a0St. Gregory of Nyssa described as a compressing of the Godhead within our smallness.<\/p>\n

As a result of this self-emptying, we reap the reward:<\/p>\n

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” – 2 Corinthians 8:9<\/span><\/p>\n

As pointed out in chapter 1, the word rendered here as “servant”<\/span> is more actually\u00a0“slave”<\/span>, the same word which Paul used to describe himself and Timothy. So we can see that back in the very first verse we had the beginning of what will be an important lesson of this letter – imitation of Christ.<\/p>\n

8: And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is important to realize what an\u00a0ignominious\u00a0death\u00a0crucifixion\u00a0really was. The Romans usually reserved it for slaves and rebels.<\/p>\n

9: Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, …<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result of this self-offering, the Father exalts the Son. He is raised from the dead and enthroned in Heaven in full glory and majesty. This is a common pattern in Scripture: when people humble themselves, God exalts them. For example, in Mary’s Magnificat she says of God:<\/p>\n

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones\u00a0but has lifted up the humble” – Luke 1:52<\/span><\/p>\n

10: ….that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, …<\/span><\/p>\n

When Paul speaks of all knees bowing, he\u00a0is placing Jesus at the centre of Isaiah’s prophecy:<\/p>\n

“By myself I have sworn,\u00a0<\/span>
\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0my mouth has uttered in all integrity\u00a0<\/span>
\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0a word that will not be revoked:\u00a0<\/span>
\n Before me every knee will bow;\u00a0<\/span>
\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0by me every tongue will swear” –\u00a0Isaiah 45:23<\/span><\/p>\n

10: …in heaven and on earth and under the earth, …<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul shows that all of creation will recognize Christ. In the Jewish outlook this encompasses all of the world, including the angels and saints in heaven, humans and animals on earth, together with the dead and demons of the underworld.<\/p>\n

11: and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.<\/span><\/p>\n

And what is this confession? It is that “Jesus Christ is Lord”<\/span>. The term “Lord”<\/span> (“Kyrios<\/a>“) is used in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) for the God’s name.<\/p>\n

“Lord”<\/span> was also the term used in emperor worship. It was for this confession of faith that Christians were persecuted and for which, as we saw in the case of St. Polycarp, Christians died.\u00a0Every knee in the Roman Empire might have bowed to Caesar, but every knee “in heaven and on earth and under the earth”<\/span> will one day bow to Jesus!<\/p>\n

Memory Verse<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\n…who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.\u00a0– Philippians 2:6-11<\/span><\/p>\n

Shining as Lights in the World<\/span><\/h3>\n

12:\u00a0Therefore, …<\/span><\/p>\n

Whenever we see a verse beginning “Therefore…”<\/span>, we must ask “What’s it there for?”<\/em>. The author is about to explain something which is a consequence of what has gone before. Therefore we should review the preceding text to remind ourselves of what was previously said. In this case, Paul had been exhorting the Philippians to unity and humility and using Jesus as the perfect example of humility.<\/p>\n

12: …my beloved, …<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul uses a term of endearment. This shows his closeness to the Philippians.<\/p>\n

12: …as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, …<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul affirms that the Philippians have always been obedient to him, but like before encourages\u00a0them to continue.<\/p>\n

12-13: …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul’s urges his readers to renew their efforts to live out the gospel and pursue Heaven (“work out your own salvation”<\/span>). This assumes therefore that while works are not involved in our initial salvation<\/a>, they have a role in our final salvation. A brief survey of Scripture yields the following:<\/p>\n

(a) Persevering in good works<\/strong><\/p>\n

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” – Romans 2:7<\/span><\/p>\n

(b) Striving for holiness<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” – Hebrews 12:14<\/span><\/p>\n

(c) Fighting against the forces of evil<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil\u2019s schemes.” – Ephesians 6:11<\/span><\/p>\n

(d) Fighting against the selfish demands of the flesh<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.\u00a0Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.\u00a0Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.\u00a0No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul tells the Philippians that they should work out this salvation “with fear and trembling”<\/span>. He says this because of the seriousness of the task at hand – our very salvation. St. Augustine (in “On Grace and Free Will”) wrote that Paul added this caution the Philippians against boasting in their good deeds\u00a0since (as we saw in Chapter 1) it is God who works them in us.<\/p>\n

Memory Verse<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\n…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure\u00a0– Philippians 2:12-13<\/span><\/p>\n

14-15:\u00a0Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, …<\/span><\/p>\n

The quote here (\u201cchildren of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation\u201d<\/span>) comes from the “Song of Moses”<\/em><\/a> in which Moses criticizes the Israelites for their disobedience and ingratitude to God during the Exodus:<\/p>\n

“They have dealt corruptly with him,<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>they are no longer his children because of their blemish;<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>they are a perverse and crooked generation.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0– Deuteronomy 32:5<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul’s reference to “grumbling”<\/span> and “questioning”<\/span>\u00a0are also reminiscent of the Exodus:<\/p>\n

So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, \u201cWhat are we to drink?\u201d<\/em>…In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron…But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, \u201cWhy did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?\u201d<\/em> – Exodus 15:24; 16:2; 17:3<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul is applying the moral sense of this Old Testament passage to warn\u00a0the Philippians against grumbling.<\/p>\n

16-18: …holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul encourages the Philippians to be steadfast in their fidelity to the Gospel (“the word of life”<\/span>) so that Paul’s work among them will not have been wasted. As we saw earlier, the\u00a0“day of Christ”<\/span>\u00a0is Judgement Day.<\/p>\n

17-18: Even if I am to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice<\/strong> with you all.\u00a0Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice<\/strong> with me.<\/span><\/p>\n

The “libation”<\/span>\u00a0here is sometimes rendered “a drink offering”<\/span>. These were sacrifices of wine and oil poured out in the Temple every morning and evening<\/a> as the lambs were sacrificed. In saying this, Paul once again speaks of himself in sacrificial terms and says that the Philippians should be joyful in this.<\/p>\n

Memory Verse<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nDo everything without grumbling\u00a0or questioning\u00a0– Philippians 2:14<\/span><\/p>\n

Timothy and Epaphroditus<\/span><\/h3>\n

19: I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Timothy is the same Timothy in the introduction to this letter, the young man who helped Paul found the church at Philippi.\u00a0Paul wants to send him to Philippi, for the sake of the Philippians, but also so that Paul is encouraged with news from the Philippians.<\/p>\n

Timothy was a constant companion of Paul, recruited during Paul\u2019s 2nd missionary journey<\/a>\u00a0and who\u00a0traveled with Paul on the subsequent 3rd missionary journey.<\/p>\n

He was from Asia Minor with a Christian Jewish mother (\u201cEunice\u201d<\/em><\/span>) and a Greek (probably Pagan) father. \u00a0He also had believing grandmother<\/a> called “Lois”<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Timothy was the co-sender of six of Paul\u2019s letters (2nd Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, as well as this letter). Tradition asserts that Timothy was the first bishop of Ephesus and was martyred there as an old man.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nQ1.<\/strong> Who is the “Timothy” mentioned here? What do you know about him?
\nQ2.<\/strong> What is Paul soon going to tell Timothy to do?<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em><\/strong><\/span>
\nImitate Paul by encouraging a friend or family member to reach and to someone whom you think would benefit from a phone call or a visit.<\/p>\n

18-22: I have no one like him, who will be genuinely anxious for your welfare. They all look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But Timothy\u2019s worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul sings Timothy’s praises, saying that he genuinely cares for the Philippians and they know this.<\/p>\n

Paul speaks of Timothy as a\u00a0<\/em>“son”<\/span>\u00a0and regards himself as his spiritual “father”<\/span>. Paul also regards himself as a\u00a0father to the Corinthians<\/a>, Titus<\/a>\u00a0and Onesimus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nQ1:<\/strong> Who in your life do you know who is genuinely concerned for your welfare? For whom are you genuinely concerned?
\nQ2:<\/strong> How does Paul describe Timothy here?<\/p>\n

23-24: I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me; and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself shall come also.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of Timothy’s care for the Philippians (“therefore”<\/span>), Paul reiterates that he hopes to send Timothy to them. He’s not sure of how things will turn out with his captivity, but Paul hopes to see the Philippians soon himself.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nQ1:<\/strong>\u00a0What is Paul hoping to do soon?<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/strong><\/em>
\nFind joy in sharing your news and bringing news to others.<\/strong>\u00a0Contact someone you haven’t spoken to or seen in a while. Send them a postcard, an email, a Facebook message, pick up the phone… Aim to brighten up that person’s day from your contact with them \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

25:\u00a0I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, …<\/span><\/p>\n

Epaphroditus was\u00a0the messenger\u00a0from Philippi who brought the\u00a0Philippian’s “gift”<\/span> to Paul (“your messenger and minister to my need”<\/span>). Paul is now sending him back to Philippi to deliver this letter and update the congregation with his latest news.\u00a0Paul describes this man in warm terms, calling him a “brother”<\/span> and a “fellow worker…soldier”<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nQ1:<\/strong> Who was “Epaphroditus”?
\nQ2:<\/strong>\u00a0In what terms does Paul describe him?<\/p>\n

26: …for he has been longing for you all, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.<\/span><\/p>\n

While he was with Paul, Epaphroditus fell ill. The Church back in Philippi heard about this somehow and were worried about him. This, in turn, made Epaphroditus anxious for the Philippians. This is a sign of love between Epaphroditus and his home church.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nQ1:<\/strong>\u00a0Why was\u00a0Epaphroditus anxious?<\/p>\n

27: Indeed he was ill, near to death.\u00a0But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Epaphroditus’ illness wasn’t minor, it was near-fatal, although he survived. Paul saw this as God’s mercy, both on Epaphroditus and Paul, who felt responsible for him.<\/p>\n

28: I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice<\/strong> at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.<\/span><\/p>\n

We have another “therefore”<\/span>! Paul explains that he wants to send Epaphroditus back to the Philippians so that their joy may increase, but also so that Paul will be less anxious for him.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nQ1:<\/strong>\u00a0Why\u00a0is Paul sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi?<\/p>\n

29-30: So receive him in the Lord with all joy<\/strong>; and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete your service to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is possible that some might have viewed Epaphroditus’ mission as a failure due to his early return home and for the anxiety that he caused Paul due to his illness. However, Paul wants to\u00a0make it very clear that the Philippian messenger\u00a0should be received with “joy”<\/span> and “honour”<\/span>. He notes that Epaphroditus risked his life for\u00a0the fulfillment of this mission which Paul regards as “the work of Christ”<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nQ1:<\/strong>\u00a0How does Paul say the Philippians should receive Epaphroditus?
\nQ2:<\/strong>\u00a0Do you regard even the simplest things you do for others as “the work of Christ”<\/span>?<\/p>\n

Background<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Chapter 1<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Chapter 2\u00a0|\u00a0Chapter 3<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Chapter 4<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imitating Christ\u2019s Humility 1-4:\u00a0So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,\u00a0complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.\u00a0Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.\u00a0Let each of you<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":2011,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-fullwidth.php","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11854","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11854"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55972,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11854\/revisions\/55972"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}