PASTOR’S CORNER, David Hoffman, First Church of the Nazarene, Liberal
The apostle Paul wrote a letter during his Roman imprisonment to the baby believers at Philippi to encourage them in their faith in Christ. Philippi was named after King Philip II of Macedon, who was the father of the famous general Alexander the Great.
The city known as Philippi became famous as a major Roman colony in which many Roman soldiers retired and lived to protect the empire from warlike barbarians who would try to invade the Macedonian region. It served as a border city in the mountainous pass to repel illegal migrants or aliens from infiltrating the Roman empire with their terror tactics. Paul responded to the “Macedonian call” while at Troas. The Holy Spirit providentially prevented Paul from his travels to the “province of Asia [Minor]”, Mysia and Bithynia during his second missionary journey. During the night vision at Troas, he heard “a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” (Acts 16:6-10) For Paul, the encounter was a divine appointment, not a disappointment!
Paul identified himself and Timothy as the senders of the missionary thank-you letter meant to encourage, inspire and instruct the new baby believers. Paul had been sentenced to prison with false allegations and persecution by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. For two years, Paul experienced freedom to share the gospel to all who came to visit him during his house arrest. The Judaizers, or legalists, also attacked him for his preaching, since he emphasized the grace of the Lord Jesus Paul gratefully thanked the Philippians for the love gift and offering they sent to him after they learned that he was in Rome under Praetorian Guard. He encourages them to stand firm and be joyful in the midst of their own persecution. He utilizes the word joy or other forms of the word such as joyful and rejoice 16 times in the epistle. Since few Jews lived in Philippi, no synagogue existed. Therefore, Paul does not quote any Old Testament verses for any references.
Instead, he evangelizes and encourages the Gentile believers. Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, became Paul’s first convert. (Acts 16:13-15) She invited him to her home after she and her entire household were baptized. Next, when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison at Philippi for healing a slave girl being paid as a fortune teller, they sang songs to God at midnight despite just having been stripped, beaten and severely flogged as well as placed in the inner cell with their feet fastened in the stocks. The purpose of such treatment was for torture rather than just for the sake of extra security.
God convicted the Philippian jailer’s heart for the cruel treatment. He responded to Paul and Silas’s prayer and worship by singing hymns to God, not to mention the violent earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison so much that their chains fell off. He woke up and attempted suicide thinking his prisoners had escaped. Paul told him not to harm himself. The jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. Then, he inquired, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved – you and your whole household.” Because his sins were washed away by God’s grace, the jailer washed their flogged wounds, and his family were baptized. He was filled with joy!
1. Initiation into saving faith, 1:3-6
In verses 5 and 6, Paul alludes to the “first day” of his partnership with the Philippians then to his confidence as a Christian that “HE who began a good work in you . . .” Just as Genesis 1:1 tells us about the beginning of creation in which God spent 6 days (each day from evening until the next morning), Paul explains that God establishes a re-creation in a believer’s heart by His grace.
Re-creation, or salvation, involves change in our moral nature due to the forgiveness of sins! It is a spiritual transformation. Praise the Lord! Romans 12:2 says it is a metamorphosis, or a change in form. Spiritual and moral growth will follow. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” We are radically changed in our minds and hearts. A caterpillar changes into a beautiful butterfly, and a tadpole changes into a frog.
2. Continuation in saving faith, v. 7-9
The Bible not only emphasizes saving grace but also God’s keeping grace. Faith is man’s response of personal trust to appropriate and apply what God did both for us and in us by His saving grace. Paul tells us in verse 6, “carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
One could say, “Be patient with me because God is not finished with me yet. I am still under construction!” God is faithful in sustaining grace with our continual progress of growth to be more Christlike. God still grows and strengthens us to “conform to His image” (Romans 8:29) as well as to be “transformed into His likeness” (II Corinthians 3:18). We teach our children the song “He’s Still Working on Me” to make me what I ought to be. It took Him just a week to make the sun, moon, and stars . . . Jupiter and Mars. But he is still working on me.
Does a baby stop growing at conception? NO! He or she is just getting started. Someone said, “Christians are like nails. The harder you hit them, the deeper they go.” Paul embraced his suffering as a Roman prisoner even though he was a Roman citizen. He praised God for the pain because he wanted to reflect Jesus. Other examples include Joseph, Daniel, Jeremiah and so many more. All of the disciples except John died a martyr’s death.
Paul’s prayer in verses 9-10a is “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best ...”
After we encounter Christ and accept Him as personal Savior and Lord, our experience must be dynamic due to growing in grace. We cannot be static. Christian love is not sentiment but rather commitment! Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice and obey; we are accountable.
