The Peace River Bible

3 I thank my God in my every remembrance of you, (here and throughout this passage the pronoun "you" is in the plural) 4 in each of my prayers I pray for you with joy 5 remembering that you have been with me in the work and experience of the Good News from the very first day until this present moment. 6 For I am confident of this --that He who began a good work in you will keep perfecting that good work until the day of Christ Jesus.

7 For it is only right that I feel this way about all of you, because you are always in my heart, here in my imprisonment and in my standing in defense of the Gospel (a word meaning "Good News"), sharing with me this unmerited love from God. 8 God will confirm this to be true - I find myself longing for all of you with the inward affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer - that your love may continue to flourish, always growing in knowledge and discernment, so that you may recognize all that which is excellent, 10 so that you may live a sincere and blameless life until the return of Christ, 11 with your soul having been filled with all the right and good things that come by way of living as Christ would live, bringing glory to God and giving reason for others to praise God.

12 I want you to know brothers and sisters, that my present circumstances have proven to be of help in the advancement of the Good News. 13 Because my imprisonment (we believe this to be referring to Paul's house arrest in Rome, though some argue that this imprisonment may have been in either Caesarea or Ephesus) because of my stand for the cause of Christ has become well known among the Roman soldiers and among the Roman authorities. 14 Also, I believe that my imprisonment has inspired and encouraged my brothers and sisters in the work to trust even more in the Lord and to speak the word of God without fear.

15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ out of envy, to create conflict, but some also are preaching Christ out of a spirit of goodwill. 16 The latter brothers and sisters are doing their work out of love, knowing that I was called by God to defend the gospel; 17 the former, they proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition and not out of pure motivation. I sense that they do so to cause me distress during my stay in prison. 18 What is to be made of all this? For whatever reason, whether out of good motivation or not, Christ is being proclaimed. And so I rejoice. And yes, I will keep rejoicing.

19 Why? Because I know this will prove to be my deliverance because of your prayers and because of the providence of the Spirit of Christ. 20 This is my sure expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame, but instead, may I say with all boldness, Christ will be exalted through whatever happens to me, whether I live or whether I die.

21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Memory Verse) 22 For if I live on in this earthly life, this means that I can continue in my work for the Lord. 23 And I do not know which I would rather choose. I find myself drawn between the two. On the one hand, I find myself yearning to depart this world and be with Christ, for that would be a much better world; 24 on the other hand, if I continue my days here on earth, I can continue my work for your sake. 25 Convinced of this latter course, I know that I will remain and continue with you in the cause of your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your confidence in me may abound in Jesus Christ through my returning to you once more.

27 Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether we are together or apart, I will hear reports that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the Good News. 28 So you will not be distressed by those who persecute you. Their persecution will prove to be their own downfall and will prove to be your ultimate salvation - for this too is from God. 29 For the sake of Christ, you have been granted both the power to believe in Him and the courage to suffer with and for Him, 30 experiencing with me much of the same inner conflict that you witnessed firsthand when I was present with you and now that you hear in my words.

Chapter 2

1Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the spirit, any affection and compassion, 2 bring my joy to its fulfillment by being of one mind, maintaining the one love, united in one spirit, intent on one purpose.

3 Do not do anything out of selfishness or vain conceit, but rather with humility, look upon each other as more important than yourself. 4 Do not focus merely on your own personal interests, but also on the needs and interests of others. 5 Have the same attitude as we find in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not believe equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but rather emptied himself, taking on the life of the servant and being human in his existence.

8 Living as man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient, obedient even to the point of giving his life on the cross. 9 For this very reason, God exalted him to the highest authority, 10 so that at the name (the title or position) of Jesus every knee shall bow (demonstrate allegiance, see Isaiah 45) of those who are in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, 11 and that every voice will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 So then, my loved ones, as you were obedient when I was in your midst, you have been even more so in my absence. Continue to work out your salvation with a deep sense of respect and awe; 13 for it is God who is doing this work in you, for this is God's desire to accomplish this work in you and to accomplish this work through you.

14 In all that you do, do so without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may prove yourselves to be innocent and without blame, children of God with reputations that are above reproach in the midst of a generation filled with perversion and dishonesty, among whom you shine as luminous stars in this dark world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that when Christ does return I will have plenty of reason to glory knowing that I did not run this race in vain nor do this work in vain. 17 But even if I must give my life as a sacrifice in service of your faith, I still will rejoice with you and 18 I hope that you will rejoice with me, if that sacrifice must come to be.

19 And it is my hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you in the near future, so that he might bring me encouragment with news of your well-being. 20 For Timothy above all others shares me a genuine concern for you. 21 for all the others care only about their own interests, not the interests of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know of Timothy's well-proven reputation, that he has served with me in the spreading of the gospel, much like a son working in his father's business. 23 Therefore as soon as I sense how things will be with me, I will send Timothy to you. 24 And I am trusting in the Lord that I too might soon be with you. 25 In the meantime, I believe I need to send to you Epaphroditus (a Roman name meaning "beloved of the goddess Venus"). My brother in the faith, my fellow worker and fellow soldier in the cause, who has also served as your messenger and has ministered to me on your behalf, has been longing to see you again and was worried because you heard that he had been ill. 27 And it is true, he was near death, but God's mercy on him and on me as well, has restored him to health so that my sorrow of his loss would not have added to my already present sorrow. 28 Thus I have eagerly asked him to return to you, so that you may receive home with rejoicing and that he might care for you on my behalf. 29 Welcome him back with joy, and continue to hold others like him in highest regard 30 because Epaphroditus came close to death in doing the work of Christ, risking his life to fulfill the mission you had for him to do - to be your caring presence when you were not able to do so.

Chapter 3

1 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To repeat these things to you does not trouble me for it is for the sake of your safety.

2 Beware of the dogs (in ancient Hebrew culture, a derogratory, more properly referring to wild, scavenging animals), beware of workers of evil, beware of those who keep demanding that the Gentile converts be circumcised (the ancient sign of the covenant between God and the Hebrew nation, performed on the males of that society - see Genesis 17:1-14). 3 Why? Because we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God (see Jesus' teachig on this in John 4:7-24). and glory in Christ Jesus, and place no confidence in this ritual of circumcision of the flesh. 4 If anyone could have confidence in this birthright, it would be me. 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old according to our Jewish tradition. I was born a member of the nation of Israel, in particular of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. 6 As to my respect for our Jewish Law, I was a Pharisee (a denomination of Judiasm that emphasized the rigorous and strict keeping of the Hebrew Law). As to my being zealous for the faith, I was a persecutor of the church. As to being a person who lived rightly according to the Law, I was blameless.

7 But whatever I gained by all this, I have set aside for the sake of Christ. 8 Let me state it even more emphatically, when I compare those things with the worth of knowing Christ Jesus, they seem insignificant. I am more than willing to leave those ways behind if in so doing, I gain Christ. 9 In being found in Christ, I no longer find my own righteousness in my keeping of the details of the Law, but I am made righteous by faith in Christ, a righteousness bestowed upon me through the means by which faith provides. 10 This faith allows me to know Christ personally, to experience his living presence through the power of the resurrection, and to even share in Christ's suffering, even to share in his death, 11 in order that I too may experience the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already been perfected, but I press onward so that I may know what Christ Jesus has already done for me. [12 ...so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. NASB] 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not see myself as already having already achieved this, but there is one thing I do. I forget what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead. 14 I press onward toward the goal, seeking the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Memory Verse) 15 Let those of us who are mature have this attitude. And if any of you have within you a differing attitude, God will reveal this to you as well. 16 So let us all keep on living by the same high standards that we have already practiced.

17 Brothers and sisters, follow my example and watch those who live according to the pattern that you have observed in Timothy and me. 18 For there are many who, though they say are followers of Christ, are, in truth, enemies of Christ. Do not follow their way of doing things, 19 for their ways will lead to destruction, their appetites are their god, their glory will be their shame, and their minds are focused on earthly matters. 20 Remember that our citizenship is in heaven, from where our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, will come, 21 who will transform us from this humble state into His glorious state by the exercise of His power over all things, to bring all things to himself.

3-11 There is a beautiful tenderness in these words of Paul. We tend to imagine Paul as the bold and stalwart crusader, courageous and strong-willed. And this he certainly was. But here in the autumn of his ministry, the well-seasoned veteran, begins to experience and deeply appreciate his years of loving ministry now being returned to him through the love of church members. There is nothing more beautiful in an aging Pastor's life, nothing more cherished, nothing more humbling, than to experience Christ's love from those souls to whom you first brought the love of Christ.

Paul often speaks of the love that grows. We tend to think of love as something you have or you don't, something that is or isn't. But the dimension of love that we receive from the heart of God when we allow ourselves to experience such divine love, this love is a living, growing love. It seems to be in the nature of God and all that God creates - this need to grow and to mature. Even the apostle Paul, this great man of God, his love and his faith, his character and his understanding, they grew through the years.

12-20 Years earlier, Paul wrote to the then yet-to-be-visited Church in Rome, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 NASB) Now, years later, as he sits imprisoned in Rome, Paul lives out that very message. Whether he travels freely or whther he is imprisoned, the Good News of Christ Jesus is proclaimed. Whether other preachers in Rome preach out of the purest of intentions or not, the Good News of Christ Jesus is being proclaimed.

The message is clear. Whatever circumstances come your way, do not be defeated by them, but rather somehow turn those circumstances, with the help of the Lord, into a cause for rejoicing. The promise is this. If we remain faithful to the ways of God, then we and the Lord can turn those difficult times into an opportunity filled with significant purpose and ultimately to be proven to be of significant worth.

This message is not lost on the people of the Philippian Church to whom Paul writes. They too are going through hard times. However, the persecution and resultant poverty have not diminished their spirit. In fact, their working together through hard times has both taught them how to care for each other in time of need and enabled them to exemplify to the world about them, the beauty of the love of Christ.

Whatever happens, the love of the Lord shall prove victorious!

21-30 Paul might seem rather melancholic in this confession of his inner reflection. But instead Paul is finding strength and courage in his understanding that he cannot lose. If the Roman authorities execute him, then he lives on with Christ in the world to come; if his life is spared, then he can continue his work for Christ here on earth. With this realization within his soul, Paul gives witness to those experiencing Roman persecution in Philippi that, in the end, there is nothing the Romans can do to defeat them and their cause.

Paul gives them a word of hope. "I am planning on being with you sometime in the future..." But in his unspoken thoughts, he may be adding "... either there in Philippi or in the realm to come."

Then Paul speaks to a recurring theological theme found often in his mature years of ministry ... "The Ethic of the In-the-Meantime". Early in his ministry, Paul is driven by a frantic expectation that Christ would be returning in the very near future - maybe today. As the years go by, Paul gathers a perspective that grows more and more concerned with the way we are to live in Christ even if the Lord might not come back until tomorrow. The Ethic of the In-the-Meantime is the embracing of the call to live the life of Christ on this earth until that day - whenever that day might prove out to be - finally comes. For it just might be possible that some of us may die before the Lord returns. The younger Paul focused on the immediate, instant conversion of souls, the more experienced Paul added to this, the long-term growth and maturity of those converted souls.

2.1-11 Paul explores the nature of Christ in this famous passage of Scripture. And in defining the nature of Christ he is also defining the nature of the Christian's Christ-like character and the Church's Christ-like spirit.

Paul begins by appealing to his understanding that the Church, the community of believers, is to live as the ongoing life of Christ. There is a one, certain life that we share together, and that is the life of Christ. Though we as Christians are many and diverse, there is a common life that we are all to share - and that is the life of Christ.

This passage is sometimes called the "Kenosis Hymn", kenosis - being a technical word in theology referring to the self-emptying of his divinity on the part of Christ so that he might be fully human among us. Paul uses this theological understanding to emphasize that the life of the Christian and the life of the Church is to be one lived as a humble servant. We have been called to live the life of Christ, not for our own glory, but for the sake of others and for the glory of God.

It is amazing, how often we forget this essential and central aspect of the Christian life - we are called to live a life of self-giving, self-sacrificing, self-emptying service to God and others. In the end, THIS is our glory!

2.12-18 Paul finally comes to the issue that surely was on the minds of the Philippian church members - the possibly martyrdom of their beloved Teacher. Paul had been arrrested by the Roman authorities. Already other Church leaders, even a number of the original twelve apostles, had been executed at the hands of the Romans. Would Paul be next?

Paul is realistic that this sacrifice for the sake of the cause just may come to be. Thus Paul takes a few moment to take care of business in case this IS the end of his earthly ministry. He plans to see them again; he plans to continue work with them; but if destiny proves otherwise, he counsels the Philippian brothers and sisters to continue to obey God's teaching and to continue to work on maturing in the faith on their own. Work together. Do not get caught up in petty complaining abot this or that and do not waste time in futile arguments. If Paul's life is sacrificed, he wants them to rejoice in the midst of their tears. Do not fear for there is no way he can defeated. If he dies, he will be with Christ in the glory to come; if he lives, he will be able to work with them awhile longer. He offers to them this advice. In the face of fear, rejoice! In the face of fear, rejoice!

2.19-30 Deeply moved by the loving care the Philippian church, Paul, as is often the response by those who have received love, wants to provide for their care as well. He hopes to send to them his disciple, protege, and co-worker, young Timothy. Mentioned in the opening greeting of this letter, Timothy had become Paul's right hand man. Timothy, whose name means "the honoring of God" , had been a convert to the faith on Paul's first missionary journey through the region of present day Turkey. To send Timothy would have been a great act of love for surely Paul was now in need of his support. Though we are not given the details, Paul has become disenchanted with some of the other preachers of the Gospel. In his eyes, they have become self-centered, seeking more their own glory than the glory of Christ. It happens. It happened then and it happens now.

Paul then gives words of praise for their messenger, Epaphroditus. He may have been a servant of a member of the Philippian church or he could have been a devout worker in their midst. With his distinctively Roman name, he must have been a recent convert to the faith, but a man Paul is eager to praise. Epaphroditus risked his life in service to God. He is one of countless numbers of faithful servants, even heroes of the faith, that we now only catch but a glimpse. I am sure this servant of God performed much holy service during his lifetime, but history has left us with a few brief sentences written by a most appreciative Paul. The history of the Church has only a few apostle Pauls but, thankfully, the history is filled with ministering servants such as Epaphroditus.

3.1-11 Now halfway through this letter, Paul begins to counsel with forthrightness his Philippian congregation as to the issues they are facing. He begins with his often used prescription for tough times, he nearly shouts off the page the imperative, the command, "REJOICE!" For Paul, joy is not something given to us by the circumstances around us, but rather joy is something that we bring to life within our own souls by a conscious act of the will. We rejoice on command. This can go against our common sensibility, but Paul does hold to the principle of human psychology - feeling follows thought. Now to the particular issue at hand.

The Philippian church, because of the constituency of its locale, appears to have been primarily comprised of Gentile converts to the faith. Other Pauline churches seem to have had a more even balance of Jewish converts and Gentile converts. In the formative years of the early Church, a large share of the Jewish converts did not abandon their Hebrew and Biblical traditions. As many of us in a simliar circumstance might argue, "Are not the ways of God for all time? Did not even Christ say that he came not to change the Law but to fulifll it?" As it has been true in all ears of Christian history, there was a struggle between the old guard and the new guard, between the conservative and the progressive, between the old light and the new light. Sometimes referred to as Judaizers, there were those of the old ways that converts to this new form of Judaism known as the Way of the Messiah, who passionately believed that all converts, even those with non-Jewish backgrounds, ought to be circumcised. Paul has come to the conclusion, in spite of his own deeply held Jewish practice, that Christianity for those of Jewish heritage will take one form, the Christianity for those of Gentile shall take another. For the Gentiles, the mark of the covenant known as circumcision, will be understood in spiritual terms - their circumcion will be one done in the heart. Their mark of the covenant with God will be found in a change in their inner self and not a change of their physical flesh.

For Paul, a very devout old-schooler, to offer this new understanding must have been a profound exercise of spiritual courage. He must have often prayed, "Lord, I pray that I am guiding these new believers in the proper way." To follow God into more perfect, fuller, clearer understanding of God's will can be unnerving, for we tend to cling to the ways we first learned. We find comfort there. But we must remember that God has always continued to reveal His truth throughout the passing centuries of His divine history and our human history. It is called "revelation". God continues to reveal more and more of the mystery.

3.12-21 There are times when Paul takes the long way around the tree in his efforts to explain theological understandings. We have one such passage here. His words and sentences can leave one rather unsure of what this first generation Christian theologian is trying to say.

Paul speaks of the ultimate goal of the Christian's life. The ultimate goal is to be with Christ in heaven and to be as Christ here on earth. Paul is a Resurrection-focused Christian. As far as we know, Paul did not witness the crucifixion of Jesus, nor even encountered Jesus during his earthly ministry. Rather Paul first encounters Jesus as the risen Christ, in the experience of hearing Christ's voice in the midst of a dramatic spiritual experience on the road to Damascus. This is the Christ Paul knows. Thus he most often speaks of Christ in terms of the resurrection. The Christian experiences resurrection in the death of the old self and the birth of the new self in the life-changing experience of baptism. The Church experiences the resurrected Christ in the ministry of the Christian community as it lives out the ongoing life of Christ on this earth.

Paul is keenly concerned that the believers continue to perfect their Christ-likeness - not as a way to earn their salvation but that the Risen Christ might be more perfectly represented here on earth.

Paul is obviously concerned that certain Christian teachers are leading the new believers done the wrong course. In these verses, the concern seems to be not so much their doctrines of the faith, but the patterns of their living. The specifics are not mentioned. Instead he puts himself on the line and encourages the Philippian Christians to follow his example. This bold instruction includes a sober challenge to his own life. In so asking them to model their conduct after his conduct, Paul is challenging himself to live by the highest standards. It was true then and it is true now - Christians have always been called to live by the highest standards, for there are those who follow our example to live as Christ.

This higher standard is reached, this full maturity, this perfection in Christ-like love, somewhat by our serious devotion but more so by the transforming presence of Christ's risen Spirit within us and among us.

4:1-9 (The first verse of chapter 4 may be more properly placed at the close of chapter 3. We must remember that our traditional chapters and verses were not included in the original and early versions of the Bible. These were a much later editorial addition to assist in the management of the Scripture.)

Paul lifts a rallying call to his Philippian brothers and sisters, "Stand firm in the Lord!" He then deals with some specific concerns. Paul had heard that two of his Church leaders in the Philippian congregation are in conflict with each other. Wherever people are gathered together, it happens -- even in Churches. He appeals for them to gain harmony by seeking a common understanding in Christ. These women, Euodia and Syntyche, along with a man named Clement, are mentioned only here. We know nothing else about them, but their names are forever recorded. 'Tis a regret that they are remembered only for this. But we should be encouraged in also being told that their names, the record of their faithfulness, is recorded in the books of heaven.

Paul quickly runs through a list of key thoughts to remember. Keep rejoicing, intentionally. Be gentle with others. Be conscious that the Lord is nearby. Instead of worrying, talk to God about it. Always be thankful. Fill your minds with noble thoughts. Focus on the excellent and praiseworthy things in life. Follow his ways, practicing what he has taught them both by his word and his example. Do these things and you will find peace in both your soul and your church.

Paul's counsel has been proven over and over again to be profoundly effective.

4:10-23 As this letter begins to draw to its close, Paul grows intimate with his loved ones in Philippi. They have collected a love offering to care for his needs while he is imprisoned. This act of compassionate care brings joy to Paul's heart, but that joy is mixed with a certain disappointment that none of his other churches has reached out to provide for his need. Paul reassures the brothers and sisters of the Philippian church that he has learned how to be content whether he has little or has more than he needs. His strength to survive whatever life might bring is found in his relationship with Christ.

In closing, Paul offers a greeting and a prayer of blessing for the Philippian brothers and sisters. He calls them 'saints.' In this usage, one ought not interpret it to mean that they were of exceptional godliness, but rather the word 'saints' referred to all faithful believers, the holy ones made holy by Christ's presence in their lives. To reassure his distant disciples that he is not alone, he sends greetings from the saints in Rome, adding the surprising note that some of them are members of Caesar's household, quite possibly soldiers in the Roman garrison.

The final prayer of blessing or benediction is one all Christians might offer to others, "May the grace, the unmerited love, of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." There is signifiance in observing that in Paul's final words he uses the plural form of the pronoun, you. It carries the emphasis that there is not only a spirit within the individual but there is also a spirit within the community. He prays that the spirit within the congregation is one filled with Christ's grace.

Amen.