A. How Paul wants the Philippians to live with each other.
1. (1) The basis of Paul’s
exhortation to the Philippians.
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
a. Therefore draws back to what Paul
has built on in Philippians 1:27-30, telling the Philippians how to stand
strong for the Lord against external
conflicts. Now he tells them how to act
against internal conflicts in the
body of Christ.
b. If there is any: This introduces
the basis for Paul’s exhortation to
unity, humility and love among believers.
The idea is that if the Philippian Christians have received the things
he mentions, then they have a responsibility to do what he is about to
describe.
c. If there is any consolation in Christ: Is there any consolation in Christ? Of course there is! Every Christian should know what it is to have Jesus console their soul.
i. Luke 2:25 says that one of the titles for Jesus as the Messiah is the Consolation of Israel. Paul could say in 2 Corinthians 1:5, For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. In 2 Thessalonians 2:16, Paul says that God has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace. Of course there is consolation in Christ!
d. If there is any . . . comfort of love: Is there any comfort of love? Of course there is! Every Christian should know what it is to have Jesus give them the comfort of love.
i. 2 Corinthians 1:3 says that God is the God of all comfort. There is no way He cannot comfort us and no circumstance beyond His comfort. But this is more than comfort; this is the comfort of love.
ii. The word comfort in this passage is the ancient Greek word paraklesis. The idea behind this word for comfort in the New Testament is always more than soothing sympathy. It has the idea of strengthening, of helping, of making strong. The idea behind this word is communicated by the Latin word for comfort (fortis), which also means “brave.” The love of God in our loves makes us strong and makes us brave. Of course there is comfort of love!
e. If there is any . . . fellowship of the Spirit: Is there any fellowship of the Spirit? Of course there is! Every Christian should know what it is to have the fellowship of the Spirit.
i. Fellowship is the ancient Greek word kononia. It means the sharing of things in common. We share life with the Spirit of God that we never knew before. The Holy Spirit fills and guides and moves in our lives in a powerful and precious way. Of course there is fellowship of the Spirit!
f. If there is any . . . affection and mercy: Is there any affection and mercy? Of course there is! Every Christian knows something of the affection of God, and the mercy of God.
g. Paul mentions these things in a manner that suggests to us that they should all be obvious parts of the Christian’s experience. To make his rhetorical point, he could have just as easily said, “If water is wet, if fire is hot, if rocks are hard” and so forth.
i. Each of these gifts – consolation in Christ, comfort of love, fellowship of the Spirit, affection and mercy – are communicated to us both in a direct, spiritual way from Jesus, and from Jesus through His people. But there isn’t any doubt that these are real gifts for Christians to really experience.
2. (2-4) The specifics of Paul’s
exhortation to the Philippians regarding love and humility among believers.
Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
a. Fulfill my joy speaks of a
personal request. Part of the reason
Paul wants the Philippians to take heed to his word is because they should know
that it will make the founding apostle of their church happy.
b. By being like-minded, having the same love,
being of one accord, of one mind together all speak of the same
idea: a deep, abiding, internal unity among the Philippians.
i. This unity is the goal. What follows in Philippians 2:3-4 are
descriptions of how to achieve and practice the unity mentioned here in
Philippians 2:2.
c. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition is the first step to this kind of unity. In the flesh, we are often motivated by selfish ambition or conceit. Much of what we do is not done out of love for others, but out of our own desire for “advancement” or “promotion” (selfish ambition).
i. Paul found it important to say selfish ambition. Not all ambition is selfish ambition, and there is a good ambition to glorify God and serve Him with everything we
have.
d. Let nothing be done through . . . conceit
is the second step to this kind of unity.
Conceit
is thinking too highly of one’s self, of having an excessive self-interest and
self-preoccupation. It could be more
literally translated “empty glory.”
i. A dictionary definition of conceit is “An excessively favorable opinion of one’s own ability, importance, wit,” and so forth. When we do things feeling we are so important, or so able, or so talented, we are out of God’s will. We are working against the unity Paul is pleading with them to have.
e. The next step to the kind of
unity described in Philippians 2:2 is in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than
himself. This is completely
contradictory to the attitude of the world, because lowliness of mind is about the
least attractive thing to the thinking of this world.
i. The ancient Greeks considered lowliness of
mind to be a fault, not a virtue.
“The pagan and the secular idea of manhood is self-assertiveness,
imposing one’s will on others; when anyone stooped to others he did so only
under compulsion, hence his action was ignominious [disgraceful]. The Christian ethical idea of humility could
not be reached by the secular mind; it lacked the spiritual soil.” (Lenski)
f. Esteem others better than himself
rebukes much of the world’s concept of self-esteem. The Bible knows nothing of the idea that we should - and must -
carry with us an attitude of confident superiority in every situation, and that
this is the foundation for a healthy human personality.
i. While we recognize the
intrinsic value of every human life, we can’t deny that the low self-esteem of
some is justified, and based in reality. When we are in rebellion against God, it is fitting for us to
have a low self-esteem.
g. As we esteem others better, we will
naturally have a concern for their needs and concerns. This sort of outward looking mentality naturally leads to a unity among the
people of God.
i. If I consider you above me, and
you consider me above you, a marvelous thing happens: we have a community where
everyone is looked up to, and no one is looked down on!
h. Let each of you look out not only for his
own interests, but also for the interests of others completes the
thought. As we put away our selfish
ambitions, our conceit, and our tendencies to be high-minded and self-absorbed,
we will naturally have a greater concern for the interests and needs of others.
i. Paul doesn’t tell us that it is
wrong to look
out for our own interests, but that we should not only look out for our own interests.
B. Jesus, the ultimate example of humility.
1. Introduction to this section.
a. Many regard Philippians 2:5-11
as a hymn of the early church that Paul incorporated into his letter. Some commentators go so far as to suggest
stanza and verse arrangements for the “hymn.”
This is possible, but not a necessary conclusion; Paul was capable of
such inspired, poetic writing himself (example: 1 Corinthians 13).
b. For reasons which we will
examine later, this passage is often known as the kenosis passage.
2. (5) Paul applies the lesson
before he states it.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
a. Let this mind be in you which was also in
Christ Jesus: Paul will, in wonderful detail, describe for us the mind of Jesus in the following verses. But here, before he describes the mind of
Jesus, he tells us what we must do
with the information.
b. It is all too easy for us to read the following description of Jesus and admire it from afar; God wants us to be awed by it, but also to see it as something that we must enter into and imitate. Let this mind means that it is something that we have choice about.
i. Remember also that this mind is something granted to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:16 says that we have the mind of Christ. But let this mind shows us that it is also something we must choose to walk in. You have to let it be so.
3. (6a) Jesus was in the form of
God.
Who, being in the form of God,
a. In the form of God: This
describes Jesus’ pre-incarnate existence.
We must remind ourselves that Jesus did not begin His existence in the
manger at Bethlehem, but is eternal God.
b. Being is from the ancient Greek
verb huparchein, which “describes
that which a man is in his very essence and which cannot be changed. It describes that part of a man which, in
any circumstances, remains the same.” (Barclay)
c. Form is the ancient Greek word morphe.
It “always signifies a form which truly and fully expresses the being
which underlies it . . . the words mean ‘the being on an equality with God.’”
(Expositors)
i. “Morphe is the essential form which never alters; schema is the outward form which changes
from time to time and from circumstance to circumstance.” (Barclay)
ii. “‘God’ has a form, and ‘Jesus
Christ’ exists in this form of God.” (Lenski)
4. (6b) However, Jesus did not consider
it robbery to be equal with God.
The idea behind this is that the pre-incarnate Christ already possessed equality with the
Father and resolved not to cling to
it in the incarnation.
Did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
a. Did not consider it robbery: The
ancient Greek in this phrase has the idea of something being grasped or clung
to. Jesus did not cling to the
prerogatives of deity.
b. To be equal with God: It wasn’t
that Jesus was trying to achieve
equality with the Father. He had it, and chose not to cling to
it. Jesus’ divine nature was not
something He had to seek for or acquire, but it was His already.
i. Lightfoot writes that it was
not “a prize which must not slip from His grasp, a treasure to be clutched and
retained at all hazards.” Jesus was willing to let go of some of the
prerogatives of deity to become a man.
5. (7) Jesus made Himself of no reputation.
But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
a. But made Himself of no reputation:
The more common (and well-known) translation of this is that He emptied Himself. From the ancient Greek word emptied (kenosis) comes the idea that Jesus’ incarnation was essentially a
self-emptying.
b. But what did Jesus empty Himself of? Paul will tell us plainly in the following
verses, but we must take care that we do not think that Jesus emptied Himself
of His deity in any way.
i. Some develop the kenotic theory of the incarnation to the
point where they insist that Jesus divested Himself of many of the attributes
of deity - such as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and even suffered
the elimination of His own divine self-consciousness.
ii. Jesus, did not, and could not,
become “less God” in the incarnation.
No deity was subtracted
(though he did renounce some of the rights of deity); rather humanity was added to His nature.
c. How did Jesus empty
Himself? He did this through taking the form
of a bondservant. Jesus did
not empty Himself of His deity, or of any of His attributes, or of His equality
with God. He emptied Himself into the form of a servant, not merely the form of a
man.
i. Taking (labon) does not imply an exchange, but an addition.
d. How did Jesus empty
Himself? He did this by coming in the
likeness of men.
i. We can think of someone who is
a servant, but not in the likeness of men. Angels are servants, but not in the likeness of men. In fairy tales, Aladdin’s Genie was a
servant, but not in the likeness of men.
ii. The word for likeness
here can refer to merely the outward
form of something. While Jesus did have
the outward form of humanity, the outward form reflected His true humanity,
which was added to His deity.
ii. “It was a likeness, but a real
likeness, no mere phantom humanity as the Docetic Gnostics held.” (Robertson)
6. (8) Jesus humbled Himself.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
a. Jesus humbled Himself when He became obedient. This was something that Jesus could only experience by coming down from the throne of heaven and becoming a man. When God sits enthroned in heaven’s glory, there is no one He obeys. Jesus had to leave heaven’s glory and be found in appearance as a man to become obedient.
i. Key to Jesus’ obedience on
earth was the endurance of suffering, again, something He could only learn by
experience after the incarnation. As it
is written: though He was a Son, yet He
learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (Hebrews 5:8)
b. The extent of Jesus’ humility
and obedience is shown by the fact that he went to the point of death, even the death of the
cross.
i. Crucifixion was such a shameful
death that it was not permitted for Roman citizens (such as the people of
Philippi). Any victim of crucifixion
was considered by the Jews to be particularly cursed by God (Deuteronomy 21:23
and Galatians 3:13).
ii. Robertson calls the death of the
cross “The bottom rung in the ladder from the Throne of God. Jesus came all the way down to the most
despised death of all, a condemned criminal on the accursed cross.”
iii. Even the death of the cross shows
that there is no limit to what God will do to demonstrate His love and saving
power to man; this was and forever will be the ultimate.
c. All of this was a great display
of the power of Jesus. Remember that
because of Paul’s past experience among the Philippians, they would be tempted
to think of God’s power as being
expressed only in exaltation and deliverance; not in terms of glorifying God
through humble service and endurance.
i. In this, Paul is reminding the
Philippians that his current place of humble circumstances (his Roman
imprisonment) can still show forth the glory and power of God, even as Jesus
did.
C. Jesus, the ultimate example of exaltation after humility.
1. (9) The exaltation of Jesus
Christ.
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
a. Therefore God has also highly exalted Him:
This is the general heading for the material in the next three verses. These words describe how God has exalted
Jesus.
i. Highly exalted could also be
translated “super exalted.”
b. Given Him the name which above every name:
This not only gives Jesus the Divine Name Yahweh, but also implies that God has
declared that Jesus has the character and person above all other, when we
consider the importance of the Hebrew concept of the name.
c. This verse, with its clear
statement of Jesus’ deity, is powerful ammunition against those who deny His deity.
2. (10-11) The subjection of the
whole creation to Jesus.
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
a. That at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow: Not
only is Jesus exalted by the Father, but the whole world is brought into
submission to the Son.
i. “Paul does not imply by this a
universal salvation, but means that every personal being will ultimately
confess Christ’s lordship, either with joyful faith or with resentment and
despair.” (Kent)
b. Paul’s words those in heaven,
and of those on earth, and of those under the earth are intended to
convey the absolute totality of all creation recognizing the superiority of
Jesus Christ.
i. He is drawing on Isaiah 45:23: I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone
out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee
shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
Notice that in Isaiah, it is to Yahweh that all knees bow and
tongues confess. In Philippians it is
to Jesus, showing that Jesus is
Yahweh.
c. The combination of tongues
confessing and knees bowing gives evidence that the idea is a
complete submission to Jesus, both in word and in action, and one that is
required of all.
i. The totality of this
recognition of Jesus’ deity and exaltation has caused many to envision this
happening in formal way after the final
judgment, when every creature, in heaven and hell, is required to bow their
knees and make the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.
d. “He has always (in Paul’s view)
shared in the Divine nature. But it is
only as the result of His Incarnation, Atonement, Resurrection and Exaltation
that He appears to men as on an
equality with God, that He is worshipped
by them in the way in which Jehovah is worshipped.” (Expositors)
i. So, there is a sense in which
Jesus returned to heaven with more than He had when He left. Not only did He return with His humanity
still added to his deity (although a resurrected humanity), He also returned
with the recognition planted among men of who He was and the worship He
deserved - something unknown until the Incarnation and the full revelation of
His person and work.
ii. “He might have used the
miraculous powers inherent in His Divine nature in such a way as to compel men,
without further ado, to worship Him as God.
Instead of that He was willing to attain this high dignity by the path
of humiliation, suffering and death.” (Expositors)
e. All this must be seen in
reference to the humiliation described in Philippians 2:6-8; our tendency is to
long for the exaltation, but to forsake the humiliation.
f. The confession of Jesus Christ
as Lord
reminds us to consider the great significance of this word kurios, especially as it was be understood by the early church, who
used the lxx as their Bible -
where kurios was consistently used to
translate the tetragrammaton, standing for the name Yahweh.
i. We also should not miss the
significance that at a later time in the Roman Empire, all residents of the
Empire were required to swear an oath of allegiance to the Emperor, declaring
that Caesar is Lord, and burning a
pinch of incense to an image of the emperor.
Though the Roman state saw this only as a display of political
allegiance, Christians rightly interpreted it as idolatry - and refused to
participate, often paying with their lives.
ii. Paul has no doubt who is
really Lord - not the Caesar whom he will stand trial before; Caesar may be a high name, but it is not
the name above all names, the name which belongs to Jesus Christ!
g. Remember that Paul did not give
this description of Jesus just for the theological education of the
Philippians.
·
He gave it to equip them to endure the hardship they
were experienced.
·
He gave it help them to understand Paul’s hardships.
·
He gave it to help them to practice real Christian
unity in the midst of hard times.
i. This picture
of Jesus has helped them to understand how to assess the ministry of Paul,
which seemed “weak” at the present time.
ii. This picture
helped them to understand the context of God’s revelation of power - how God
delights to show His power through humble actions.
iii. This picture
has equipped them to act in a way towards each other that will promote unity in
the body of Christ.
iv. This picture
has shown them how to follow Jesus’ pattern of patient, humble obedience -
something Paul will call them to continue in the following verses.
D. Paul’s exhortation to the
Philippians.
1.
(12) Working out your own salvation.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
a.
Therefore . .
. as you have always obeyed: We should not miss the connection
between the obedience Jesus showed (Philippians 2:8) and the obedience Paul
expects of the Philippians (Philippians 2:12).
b.
Work out your
own salvation: We know that Paul does not mean “work so as to earn your own salvation.” Such a statement would contradict the whole
of Paul’s gospel.
c.
Work out your
own salvation: What Paul does
mean is he calls the Philippians to put forth real effort into their Christians
lives. This is not to work
their salvation in the sense of accomplishing it, but to work out their salvation - to see
it evident in every area of their lives, to activate
this salvation God freely gave them.
i.
“The believer must finish, must carry to conclusion, must apply to its fullest
consequences what is already given by God in principle . . . He must work out what God in His grace has worked in.” (Muller)
ii.
“He exhorts as if he were an Arminian in addressing men. He prays as if he were a Calvinist in
addressing God and feels no inconsistency in the two attitudes. Paul makes no attempt to reconcile divine
sovereignty and human free agency, but boldly proclaims both.” (Robertson)
d.
Now much more in my absence: In context, Paul asks for this
Christian work ethic (not a works ethic) to be promoted all the more because of his absence.
e.
With fear and
trembling: Paul’s idea is not that we should live our Christian
lives with a constant sense of fear and terror, but that we should live with a
fear of failing to work out your own salvation.
2.
(13) God’s work in you.
For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
a.
For it is God
who works in you: Paul here gives the reason why Christians must work out
their salvation with fear and trembling - because God is working in them.
b.
God . . .
works in you: The idea is that since God has done and is doing a
work in you, you have all the more responsibility to work diligently, with fear
and trembling, regarding your own salvation and walk with the Lord. God’s work in us increases our responsibility, it doesn’t lessen it in any way.
i.
Those who take God’s sovereignty and working and use them as an excuse for
inaction and lethargy are like the wicked and lazy servant of Matthew 25:24-30.
ii.
Those who are really God’s servants use their understanding of His sovereignty
and omnipotence as a motivation for greater, more dedicated service to Him.
iii.
Paul has in view both human choice and God’s sovereign power. When Spurgeon was asked to “reconcile” the
two, he replied, “How do I reconcile friends?”
c.
Both to will
and to do: God’s work in us extends to the transformation of our will,
as well as our actions (to do). But this is not a passive transaction, in light of the original
exhortation to work out your own salvation.
d.
For His good
pleasure: This is the motive behind God’s work in our lives; He does
so because it gives Him pleasure to do it.
3.
(14-16) Practical ways to obey Paul’s exhortation.
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
a.
Do all things
without complaining and disputing: There is a good deal of dispute
among commentators as to if this complaining and disputing refers to problems
among the Philippians (such as mentioned in Philippians 2:1-4) or if this refers
to their attitude towards God. Perhaps
they resented God because of their present conflict (Philippians 1:27-30).
i.
Because Paul specifically uses terms that were used to describe Israel’s
complaining towards God during the Exodus, it is probably best to see the complaining and
disputing as describing their attitude towards God.
ii.
Emphasis in the command falls on the words all things, which is actually the first word of
the verse in the ancient Greek text.
b.
That you may
become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault: Through the display of a non-complaining
spirit, we show ourselves to be true followers of God.
i.
Harmless
can have the thought of “pure” or “unalloyed.”
But it translation as harmless is
also justified (it is the same word used in Matthew 10:16).
e.
In the midst
of a crooked and perverse generation: This seems to be a reference
back to Deuteronomy 32:5: They have
corrupted themselves; they are not His children, because of their blemish: A
perverse and crooked generation.
i.
Paul means that they should not be like rebellious Israel, who were constantly complaining and
disputing with God during the wilderness sojourn.
f.
Among whom
you shine as lights in the world: Notice that this is not an
encouragement to do something; it is a simple statement of fact. The Philippians (and we) are lights in the world; the only question is, “how
well are we shining?”
i.
“Not lights merely, but luminaries,
heavenly bodies. But this can hardly be satisfactorily given
in an English version.” (Alford)
g. Holding fast the word of life: Holding fast could also be translated holding forth. Which is the more accurate sense here? Both are true and Paul could have meant it in this dual sense. We hold fast - in the sense of holding strong - the word of life, and we also hold forth the word of life.
i.
“It is not so much the conduct of the Philippians that justifies the assertion
that the shine as luminaries, it is their having
life’s Word. This Word makes them
luminaries irrespective of what the world judges about it and about those who
have it.” (Lenski)
h.
So that I may
rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain:
The idea that Paul’s work may some how end up to be in vain was a troublesome
thought to him. He knew that his work
really abided in people, so that if
those people did not continue on strong with the Lord, there was a sense in
which his own ministry was in vain.
i.
Paul looks forward to the day of Christ, and on that day he wants to
see and to know that his work was fruitful.
This was something he could only be assured of if the Philippians
continued to walk with the Lord.
i.
This is the true heart of a shepherd - to have few burdens for one’s self, but
many for others, and being content not just with one’s own relationship with
God, but longing to see others walking with the Lord.
4.
(17-18) Paul as an example of his own exhortation.
Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
a.
Poured out as
a drink offering: Paul alludes to a practice among both Jews and
pagans in their sacrifices. They poured
out wine, or sometimes perfume either beside (as in the Jewish practice) or
upon (as in the pagan practice) an animal that was sacrificed to God or pagan
gods.
i.
This is the drink
offering, accompanying another sacrifice, is mentioned in Numbers
15:4-5 and 28:7.
ii.
The grammar of I
am being poured out is in the present tense. Paul indicates the possibility that his
execution may be immanent.
b.
On the
sacrifice and service of your faith: The ancient Greek word
translated service
is leutrogia. It means “service to God or His cause . . .
any priestly action or sacred performance.” (Muller)
i.
So, in Philippians 2:17, we have a sacrifice, a priest, and accompanying
libation which makes the sacrifice even more precious.
ii.
Since the
sacrifice and service are connected with the faith of the Philippians, it is
best to see Paul’s picture describing them as the “priests” and their faith as
the “sacrifice,” to which Paul added (and thereby enriched) his martyrdom as a
drink offering.
c.
I am glad and
rejoice . . . you also be glad and rejoice with me: Paul looks
forward to what may be his imminent martyrdom, and expects the Philippians to be glad and
rejoice with him. Paul isn’t
being morbid here, asking the Philippians to take joy in something as
depressing as his death. But he does
ask the Philippians to see his death as something that will bring glory to God
- a theme repeated from Philippians 1:20.
i.
Paul’s life was going to be a sacrifice for Jesus Christ, either in life or in
death. This was a source of gladness
and joy for Paul, and he wants the Philippians to adopt the same attitude.
ii.
Again, we come to the consistent theme of Philippians: joy. But this is joy based
not on circumstances (quite the opposite, really), but based in the fact of a
life totally committed to Jesus Christ.
E. Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus.
1. (19-22) Paul writes about
Timothy and his soon anticipated visit.
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.
a. But I trust in the Lord: This
shows Paul’s heart of true reliance upon the Lord. He wants to see Timothy among the Philippians, but recognizes
that it will happen God’s way and in God’s timing.
b. Paul wasn’t expecting problems
from the Philippians, as if they were one of his “problem churches”; instead, he
expects that he will be encouraged when I know your state.
i. Contrast this with the attitude
Paul conveys to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 13:2-3. The Corinthian church had much worse
problems than the Philippian church had.
c. Who will sincerely care for your state:
When Paul sends Timothy, he sends his best, a man who showed a pastor’s heart,
that has greater concern for his sheep than himself.
i. Paul recognizes just how rare
this kind of heart is when he observes For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ
Jesus.
2. (23-24) Paul repeats his desire
to come to the Philippians in person, not only to send Timothy to them.
Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.
a. I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also
come shortly: Perhaps Paul is being careful to avoid the accusation,
“Paul wants to send Timothy because he really doesn’t want to be here himself.”
3. (25-26) Paul writes about
Epaphroditus and his coming to the Philippians.
Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
a. Epaphroditus came to Paul from
the Philippians as a messenger, and became sick while he was with Paul.
b. Your messenger and the one who ministered to
my need: This indicates that Epaphroditus brought a gift of
financial support from the Philippians to Paul (Philippians 4:18).
i. Ministered has in it the idea of
a priestly service. When Epaphroditus
brought the support money from the Philippians to Paul in Rome, he brought a sacrifice.