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Paul's Joy in the Progress of the Gospel (1:3-30)Paul's Prayer for the Philippians (1:3-11)Paul's great affection for the Philippians is apparent in his opening prayer of thanksgiving. The Philippians have all along been Paul's partners in the gospel, from the very first day (1:5) to his current imprisonment (1:7). In response, Paul's prayer is that they would grow in their knowledge and love (1:9-11). He is confident that God will accomplish his prayer for: He who began a good work… will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6) The Benefits of Paul's Imprisonment (1:12-26)The Gospel Has Been Promoted (1:12-18)The Philippians would have been very concerned about Paul's imprisonment. Paul writes to assure them that his imprisonment has turned out to be a blessing, for it has resulted in the furtherance of the gospel (1:12). First, the entire praetorian guard has heard the gospel (1:13). Secondly, his incarceration has emboldened others to preach the gospel (1:14). Some who have been emboldened are preaching the gospel with wrong motives. But this doesn't concern Paul, for regardless of their motives, at least the gospel is being preached (1:15-17), and this brings Paul great joy (1:18). Assurance of God's Deliverance (1:19-26)Paul is sure that the Philippians' prayers for him will be answered and he will be delivered from his current situation (1:19). But his deliverance may or may not be freedom from prison. Paul says that he will be delivered by God in one of two ways: either in life or in death (1:20). For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21) If Paul is freed from prison, he will be joyful, for he can continue to preach the gospel and perhaps come and visit the Philippians. If he dies, he will be with Christ (1:23). The choice between these two forms of deliverance is a tough choice for Paul. He's not sure whether it is better to live or die. But for the sake of the Philippians, he decides it might be better to live so that he can come see them again (1:26). Paul's Exhortation to the Philippians (1:27-30)Nonetheless, whether he lives and is able to come visit the Philippians, or if he dies, Paul encourages his readers to “walk in a manner worthy of the gospel.” That way if he comes to visit or not, he will hear of their united effort to promote the gospel (1:27). Exhortation to Unity and Humility (2:1-18)The Call to Humility (2:1-4)Paul moves to explain what it means to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel, and specifically in regards to their united effort for the gospel. Paul uses a series of “if” statements in verse 1. Grammatically, the “if” statement could be translated more fully, “if this is true, and you know it is…,” or “because.” The Philippians are to live in unity with each other because:
These things, therefore being true, the Philippians then ought to be of the same mind, united in Spirit and intent on one purpose. What is that purpose? It is the promotion of the gospel (1:27b). This is accomplished by not acting out of selfishness or vain conceit, but instead acting in humility (2:3). Humility is defined by Paul as regarding others as more important than yourself and looking out for the interests of others ahead of your own interests. When we live in humility towards one another, it promotes the gospel. When we don't, it hinders it. Paul himself is a living example of this, for though he is in prison, he is glad to be there for the sake of the gospel. He has put aside his own interests and his own comfort for the sake of others and for the sake of the gospel. The Example of Humility (2:5-11)Not only has Paul served as an example of humility, but Jesus himself serves as an example (2:5). Jesus, in humility, put the interests of others first in order to not just promote the gospel, but to create the gospel! As Paul shows the example of Christ, he writes perhaps one of the most profound Christological passages in all of scripture. Christ's Emptying (2:5-8)Understanding Jesus humility requires first that we understand what he gave up in order to accomplish the gospel. Before coming to earth as a human, Christ “existed in the form of God.” That is, as the second member of the trinity, Christ was part of the God-head, and he was equal with God and had all the rights and authority of God. But Christ did not hold dearly or grasp desperately to His rights and His authority. He willingly let go of his equality with God, emptying himself of his divine rights (2:6) There is much debate as to what it means that Jesus emptied himself. Of how much of his divine nature did he let go? In becoming human there are aspects of his divinity that had to be set aside, certainly. We know that as a human, Jesus was not longer able to experience his eternality and his omnipresence, for human flesh can only exist in a specific point in time and space. The scriptures also give hints that Jesus also gave up some of his omniscience (Matthew 24:36). Clearly, Jesus did not retain all of his divine omnipotence, for as a human he became tired and hungry. Instead, Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit to empower and direct him. While scholars debate this, we must never let Christ's emptying cause us to think that Jesus was any less divine. His emptying was voluntary, and He could have, at any time, of his own will, decided to revoke his emptying and regained the fullness of his divine character. Furthermore, Paul's main emphasis isn't defining what Christ gave up, but the purpose of his emptying. The real issue isn't what Jesus left behind, but what he became for our benefit. Christ gave up equality with God in order to become a human and a bond servant, and to die, not just any death, but death on the cross (2:8). His emptying of his divine rights and authority went beyond just taking on human flesh, but continued towards dying the humiliating death of a common criminal, so that humanity might be saved. Christ humbled himself so that humanity might be lifted up. Christ's Exaltation (2:9-11)But when we willingly humble ourselves for the sake of others, God promises He will lift us up. This is a fundamental principle of Christianity: those who are humble will be exalted by God. Those who are proud will be humiliated by God. This proves true in Christ, for because he willingly gave up his own rights as God, God exalted Him above every other name (even the name of God the Father), so that everyone will recognize Jesus as the Lord. God the Father humbly exalts his Son above himself, and in the process He Himself will be glorified (2:11b). Further Exhortation for Humility (2:12-18)So then, the Philippians are to follow the example of Christ. In so doing, they will be “working out” their salvation with fear and trembling. This doesn't mean doing works to earn salvation. Instead, working out has the meaning of “exercising.” Paul is calling upon us to exercise our salvation. We are to live out our salvation, conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel (1:27). God is working in us, so we are to work that out in daily living. What does the exercise of our salvation look like? First, it results in a humility like the humility of Christ. Secondly, it results in no grumbling or disputing. When we work out our salvation, the church becomes focused on one purpose: the promotion of the gospel. The church becomes a light in the midst of darkness (2:16). Paul reminds the Philippians of his example, for he is being “poured out as a drink offering” (2:17). He is living the life of humble sacrifice as Jesus did. He is encouraging the Philippians to live that same life. If they do, they will receive the same joy as Christ and He (2:18).
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