Philippians 1: 3-11

Until I started doing inductive Bible study, I had no idea how rich and powerful words can be for the understanding of a part of Scripture. Going through one verse at a time, or a sentence or two at a time really challenged any presuppositions I may have had. And definitely helped to clear up things that just seemed full of….words. Words strung together, often in Paul’s run-on sentence style!

It’s apparent in verses 3-11 that Paul had a close relationship with the believers in Philippi. That church was established during Paul’s 2nd missionary journey (with Silas) around AD 51. It was the first church to be established in Europe. *just as an aside, scholars believe that Paul wrote this letter in AD 60-62, and so had developed a decade long connection with the church there*

We read in the account of Luke in Acts 16: 6 and ff, that Paul and Silas (and Timothy) were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.” Talk about God’s sovereignty and control in play! They had ZERO choice. Paul receives a divine vision telling him to head over to Macedonia. And he rightly concludes that God was pointing him there to preach the Gospel in Greece. It’s here in Acts 16 that we read of Lydia’s conversion, the exorcism of a demon possessed slave girl, and the conversion of the jailer and his household.

This letter, as mentioned before, is full of Paul’s joy. In just 9 verses we find these words: joy, heart, grace, affection, love, knowledge, discernment, excellent, pure, blameless, fruit of righteousness. Particularly with respect to the believers there, he remembers them with thankfulness and joy in “all my prayers for all of you. I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel….”

Paul uses the word partnership – koinonia – which comes from the noun koinonos, describing an associate, a partner, a companion. Koinonia is a partnership – with the connotation that the Philippian believers are his co-workers! It also has the meaning “a gift jointly contributed – a collection as showing an embodiment and proof of fellowship”, (Blue Letter Bible app), aka: financial support. We can deduce this because in chapter 4:14 Paul thanks them for the gifts they sent. So, Paul’s heart and affection is with them – because of their koinonos! In verse 7, Paul writes, “for you are all partakers with me of grace…” Grace is getting what we do not deserve: salvation. Paul and these Gentile Christians are equals because they are united in Christ.

What do Paul’s prayers include?

1. he wants their love to increase along with knowledge and discernment
2. he wants them to know what upright Christian living is – that which is good and excellent.
3. because he wants them to have the goal of becoming pure and blameless when Christ returns.
4. he wants them to know – to remember that they are already righteous before God through Jesus Christ.

And just in case they (and we!) think that all of this will be or is because of their own work, or Paul’s work, he writes in verse 6: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Other translations use “confident”. As the Biblical Theological Study Bible says, “It’s Paul’s confidence in God’s sovereignty that leads not to inactivity, but to prayer for what he knows God will do. Paul knows that the Philippians perseverance in the faith and the gospel fruit they bear are the work of God Himself, which endures right up to the day of Jesus’ return.” This should remind us of the amazing truth that God – through the Holy Spirit – gave them (and us!) faith to accept the Gospel of Christ preached to them by Paul. Acts 16:14 says, “The Lord opened her (Lydia) heart to pay attention what was said by Paul.” Not only that, but their assurance in remaining faithful to the end is only because of Jesus! When we believe in Jesus as our Saviour, we have the assurance that our salvation is secure in him, and him alone. This reminds me of the beautiful-we-should-sing-it-more hymn “Rock of Ages” where in verse 2 it says, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.”

In verse 7, Paul tells them that they are “partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” Meaning, they didn’t abandon him, or lose faith, or disband in fear. They stood with him in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel. The only way they, and we, can do this is through grace given us through the Holy Spirit.

One of my favourite words in Greek is “splagchnon“. 🙂 This is the word translated “affection” in verse 8. This word has the uniquest of meanings. It actually refers to the bowels/intestines. What? At that time, it was commonly believed (by the Greeks) that the bowels/intestines were the seat or place of the more violent passions, such as anger and a deep, deep love. To the Jews (and in Hebrew) the bowels were the seat of the tenderer affections, especially kindness, benevolence, compassion 0ur heart. But Paul is not referring to just his own compassion and love, although that was part of it I’m sure. A careful reading of verse 8, “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” tells us that he longs for them with the affection, love, compassion of Jesus himself in whom all those attributes are pure, sinless, and holy. That’s a divine, perfect affection!

In verse 9, Paul prays that their love would abound. The Greek has several words to describe love. As you know, in the English language, the word love is used indiscriminately. “I love my cat”, “I love this show”, “I love steak”, “I love my spouse”. The word Paul uses here is “agape“. This is unconditional, sacrificial love and Biblically refers to a love that God is (1 John 4:8,16) and that God shows (John 3:16, 1 John 4:19). It’s a love that serves others with humility and selflessness – which Paul will further talk about in Chapter 2. It’s a love that is a conscious choice of self sacrifice for the benefit of another, (this is in contrast to the Greek word “philia” which is brotherly, friendship love). Paul is saying that he wants their sacrificial love for God and each other to increase. Stagnation, not growing in faith and love, is something Paul warns against in other letters. A stagnant love is not true love in the Agape sense. And this love increases along with knowledge and insight.

Verse 9: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment…”. The NASB uses “real knowledge”. This is the Greek word “epignosis” which means to have precise and correct knowledge of things ethical and divine. {Wikipedia (I know!!) compares epignosis with gnosis, another word for knowledge. Gnosis being abstract and absolute knowledge, and epignosis a practical or more literal knowledge. J.B. Lightfoot describes it as a “larger and more thorough knowledge.” } The word for discernment is “aisthesis” and means judgment, cognition, perception of intellect. Epignosis and aisthesis speak then of both correct understanding, but also being able to judge that understanding, especially in terms of that which is moral and ethical. Why? So that we can perceive what is best according to what the Word teaches. So that we grow in faith which leads to abounding love. We could say, discernment is the good use of knowledge. And we should have a longing, a yearning to know God’s Word more, to know God more, so to love God more, so to worship and exalt God more! And all we need to do is ask God for this. This prayer is praying with His will, which He will give. James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

But Paul’s not done yet. (we are getting close, though! 🙂 ) He says that the above will help us to prove that which is excellent. Later on in chapter 4:18, he writes: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things”. Knowing what is “excellent” will cause us to be “pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Other translations will use “sincere and blameless”. Just a bit more Greek 🙂

The word for sincere is “eilikrines” which means tested as genuine- pure, sincere, unsullied. It’s from the word “heile” – the sun’s ray, and “krino” – to distinguish, decide, determine, pick out, choose. So “eilikrines” can be defined as judged by sunlight – found pure when unfolded and examined by the sun’s light. Isn’t that a vivid word picture to understand the word sincere or pure? It’s not a perfection, but it sure is close. The word for blameless is “aproskopos“. Actively it means inoffensive, or not leading into sin; passively it means faultless, not led into sin, void of or without offence. To be pure and blameless for the day of Christ is only able to be accomplished by growing in love, knowledge, discernment, and understanding what a Christian life looks like. No, this does not achieve salvation. But it certainly is a part of being made holy as Christ is holy, How? Only through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Lastly, verse 11. Here’s how the NLT translates it: “May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” I find this to be worded very well. It encapsulates the message Paul has written in verses 6-10!

Conclusion:

Verses 3-11 is chockful of goodness, with many riches to be mined. And this is just my own reading of it. I am sure that if I read commentaries and such on this section, there would be so, so much more to glean! In it we see the beauty of partnership in the Gospel (vs 3-5),God’s sovereignty and good pleasure (vs 6), what a Christian life looks like – what the goal is (vs 5,7,9,10), the importance of knowledge and discernment and growth in love (vs 9,10) and the ultimate goal of life in Christ. (vs 11).

The strong themes of love, joy, and thanksgiving are all through Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi,

Grace and peace!

as an aside, I use the app “Blue Letter Bible” for understanding Biblical languages in the most teensiest way possible, The Strong’s Concordance is the standard for definitions of Hebrew and Greek words, which Blue Letter Bible uses. I am not a student of the languages and likely never will be. Therefore, my understanding etc is not going to be on point every time.