Immanuel - Mankato Bible Class
Study of Philippians – Lesson 2
January 14, 2001
Philippians 1:3-8

Introduction:

Having greeted his readers, Paul enters into the letter itself. The first thing Paul does is declare his thankfulness to God and the joy he has through God’s working among the Philippians.

Verses 3-4: I am offering thanks at [my] whole remembrance of you (pl.). ALWAYS I am making [my] petitions with joy—in connection with those petitions [I’m making] on your behalf.

• "ALWAYS" is in an emphatic position. In these first two verses Paul uses some form of "all/every" 4 times! This is not overstatement on Paul’s part due to excitement. It is, rather, accurately reflective of the relationship between Paul and the Philippian congregation.
• PRAYER—PETITION—THANKSGIVING: Throughout the New Testament there are several words which, at various times, may be translated as "prayer" or as a specific type of prayer. When Paul speaks of "thanksgiving" it is that part of our prayer/devotion life that gratefully acknowledges God’s past mercies and blessings given to us. In verse 4, Paul refers to the kind of prayer that makes a need known and asks for help in that need, i.e., a petition. In 1:9 (lesson 3, next week), Paul will make use of the broadest of terms which encompasses any and all types of prayer.
• Paul’s thanksgiving overflows at the beginning of other epistles too, and for various reasons. When writing the Romans, Paul was thankful "that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world" (Romans 1:8). In regard to the Corinthians, Paul was thankful for the grace of God that had been given to them and which had enriched them (1 Corinthians 1:4f). When Paul thought of the Philippian congregation his whole remembrance was one of thanksgiving.
• Paul was separated from the Philippians, but they were on his mind. Paul’s pastoral heart is evident in his regular prayers on behalf of the Philippians (and the many other congregations and believers). That those prayers could be done with complete joy was a blessing to both Paul and the congregation. READ: Hebrews 13:17

CONSIDER: "The best remembrance of our friends is to remember them at the throne of grace" (Matthew Henry).

Verse 5: [I base my joy] upon your fellowship into the Gospel from the first day until the present time.

• FELLOWSHIP = "sharing in common," a close relationship/association, communion. The Philippians’ fellowship about which Paul rejoiced was their sharing in the Gospel. This also led to the "sharing" of a bond with Paul and all other believers in Christ, but the foundation was the "common ground" which the Philippians had in the Gospel.
• The Philippians CAME INTO this Gospel fellowship when the Holy Spirit brought them to faith. Paul rejoices to know that their "sharing in the Gospel" which began years before (about 10 years prior) was still continuing.
• Paul was not experiencing "joy" in his earthly state—prison, maltreatment, etc. However, Paul could find joy in the Philippians’ fellowship with the Gospel.

"What God has done to others and to the Philippians, gives him reason for thanking his God. In being merciful to the Philippians, God has been merciful to him. Calvin very properly says in this connection, that so many people feel that God is merciful to others, but do not find that He is merciful to them. Would that they had the spirit of Paul! He saw favors rendered to others [as] favors rendered to himself. When we see how God, for instance, gives success to His Word, how His kingdom expands, and heathen nations learn to serve Him; ought not that also fill our own hearts with thanksgiving?" [Wenzel, p. 46]

CONSIDER: how the "fellowship in the Gospel" demonstrated itself in the early Christian Church (cf: Acts 2:42, etc.) and also now.

Verse 6: Having put my confidence in this, namely, that He who began a good work among you will see it through to completion all the way to the day of Christ Jesus.

• Paul expresses complete confidence in the Lord’s abiding mercy and blessing. Paul describes the confidence as something previously created in him, but which is also continuous. Paul’s confidence for the future is not based upon the effectiveness, faithfulness, nor the overall quality of the Philippians. It is based purely upon God. Paul is supremely confident that God will not desert any of His people but will rather complete the work He begins among them. Every child of God has the "right" to this BOLD CONFIDENCE!
• This confidence is ASSURANCE to the child of God, not a LICENSE FOR SIN to the weak or unbelieving. This verse does NOT lend support to the false teaching: "once-saved-always-saved."
• READ: Romans 8:35-39
• When Paul taught the Bereans, they searched the Scriptures to confirm that what he was teaching was true (Acts 17:11). Therefore, what Paul taught had to be verifiable in Old Testament Scripture. READ: Psalm 138:8.

CONSIDER: What does v. 6 tell us about coming to faith? What does v. 6 tell us about staying in faith? What is the day of Jesus Christ? How does the confidence described in this verse relate to the ongoing blessings of Baptism?

This statement [v.6] is full of comforting strength to the Christians, since it shows them that every Christian can and shall be certain of his salvation. This certainty is an essential characteristic of faith." [Kretzmann, p. 296]

From our Confessions…

"…Thus the Spirit of God gives ‘witness’ to the elect ‘that they are the children of God’ and when they ‘do not know how to pray as we ought,’ He intercedes for them ‘with inexpressible groanings’ (Romans 8:16-26). In the same vein Holy Scripture also assures us that God who has called us will be so faithful that after ‘He has begun the good work in us’ He will also continue it to the end and complete it, if we ourselves do not turn away from Him, but ‘hold fast until the end the substance which has been begun’ in us. For such constancy He has promised His grace (1 Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6ff; 2 Peter 3:9; Hebrews 3:14). [Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article XI, ¶ 32-32 ~ Tappert translation]

"…many ‘receive the Word with joy’ but after that ‘they fall away again’ (Luke 8:13). But the reason for this is not that God does not want to impart the grace of perseverance to those in whom He has ‘begun the good work.’ This would contradict Paul in Philippians 1:6. The reason is that they willfully turn away from the holy commandment, grieve and embitter the Holy Spirit, become entangled again in the filth of the world, and decorate their hearts as a tabernacle for the Devil so that their last state will be worse than the first (2 Peter 2:10; Luke 11:24, 25; Hebrews 10:26; Ephesians 5:3-11,18). [Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article XI, ¶ 42 ~ Tappert translation]

• JUST AS: Paul’s thanksgiving, joy, and confidence concerning the Philippians are all results of having the Philippians "in his heart." Paul notes that it is right and proper for him to be thanking and petitioning God on behalf of the Philippians because they are in his heart and he is, thereby, showing them a Christ-like concern and love. Similarly, the fellowship which Paul and the Philippians share in the Gospel also rightly leads Paul to the confidence he expresses in verse 6.
• PARTNERS: Literally: "those with one another in a fellowship" … "those who share in a fellowship." The Philippians were not direct partners of Paul’s bonds, but they shared in them because Paul was a brother in Christ, imprisoned for the faith. They shared further in his bonds by sending him a gift for his need. The work of defending the Gospel and establishing it in the hearts of sinners was a work Paul and the Philippians shared, even though they were not geographically working together.

Do you agree?: "Our Gospel partnership is higher and nobler than ordinary earthly relationships, but too often we tend to regard the precious Gospel partnerships of our congregational and synodical memberships too lightly. We are inclined to look on these partnerships, not as precious blessings, but as tiresome burdens and obligations. Only rarely do we regard the individuals with whom we share this partnership as special. Our relationships with all our fellow believers, our attitude toward our synod and its work and the enthusiasm and the zeal with which we go about the tasks the Lord has assigned to us could be significantly improved. We need to see those relationships as the apostle Paul saw them, as elements of our blessed partnership in the Gospel. That, in turn, would make our whole spiritual lives more positive and more joyful." [People’s Bible Commentary, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, p.21

• READ: Psalm 133
• THE GRACE: Paul is specific. The grace which Paul, the Philippians, and we share is the favor and goodness which God has shown to us. It is undeserved, freely given, and expects nothing in return.
• LONGING GREATLY…DEEP-SEATED-FEELINGS OF CHRIST JESUS: The emotion and deep longing which Paul describes is "lust" when misdirected toward sin. The deep-seated-feelings (the affection and compassion felt in the bowels—the seat of emotions) are those that moved Christ to have compassion on the multitudes when they were like sheep without a shepherd (cf: Matthew 9:36)…that moved Him to offer Himself on the cross for our sins. Paul was moved by a Christ-like love toward those to whom He was bonded by Christ’s love. "The love, therefore, which [Paul] has in his heart for the Philippians is a love of a much higher kind than natural love and affection. It is a love that has been poured into his heart by the tender mercies of Christ" [Wenzel, p. 49].
• PAUL’S OATH: Paul declares God as his witness regarding his longing for the Philippians (he speaks in a similar way in Romans 1:9). Was this an unnecessary oath and therefore a sin?