Philippians, Chapter 2
© copyright 1997 Darroll Evans, all
rights reserved
Philippians 2:1 If there be therefore any
consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any bowels and mercies,
These verses deal with unity in God. The Triune God is unified, we too should be
unified.
Let's take the "if" out of the
first verse.
Christians have consolation (Gr. parakleesis-paraklhsiV) "in Christ!"
Christians have comfort (Gr. paramuthion-paramuqion) in His love!
Through the Holy Spirit Christians have fellowship with the
Father!
Because of the Son's sacrifice Christians have the Father's sympathy
and mercy!
Philippians 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye
be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
As in chapter one, Paul refers to calm
delight form of joy.
Paul called upon the Philippians to fulfill
his joy by being unified.
Christianity is unified by one overriding
belief held by all Christians,
"Jesus is Lord."
If you do
not believe that one phrase, you may be many things, but a Christian is
not one of those things.
If we are unified, we will be "likeminded!"
If we are unified, we will have "the same love!"
If we are unified, we will be in "one accord!"
If we are unified, we will be of "one mind!"
That does not in any way mean that we will
have the same job.
We are called to do good works [plural].
Ephesians 2:10---“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them.”
Our unifying goal requires diversity!
Philippians 2:3 Let
nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem other better than themselves.
All Christian works are to be done without
strife, or vainglory.
“Strife” indicates electioneering.
Does your Church run by popular vote in which
self-seeking back-room deals are normal?
"Vain glory" speaks of personal
conceit and pride.
How much of that is evident within the
Church?
All Christian works are to be done in
humility.
Philippians 2:4 Look not every man on his
own things, but every man also on the things of others.
"Every man" (Gr. hekastos-ekastoV)
indicates "each and every" one individually.
It is an inclusive thought for all Christians
and non-Christians.
The second "every
man" takes a different Greek form (ekastoi), but
carries the same thought looking at the collective whole of mankind.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus:
“Mind” speaks of our individual purpose.
Christ lived with a singleness of purpose.
Having the mind of Christ is not an abstract concept!
Having the mind of Christ is the only way we can accomplish our
Christian works.
Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Jesus came to earth as the embodiment of God!
He was "in the form of God."
That means that the Son walked and talked in
the manner of the Father.
The Son is not the Father in a change of
costume.
The KJV says that Christ did not think it to
be "robbery to be equal with God."
"Robbery" indicates something taken by force, or personally
assumed.
“Equal” means similar but not exactly equal
to.
We Trinitarians get hung up on the Trinity
being three absolute equals.
There is order, but absolute unity within the
Trinity.
The Son did not create until the father
spoke.
The Holy Spirit did not move on the waters
until the Father gave the orders through the Son.
That does not negate the Trinity,
it explains how it works in complete harmony.
The greatest confession in all Judaism is---
“Shema Yisrael---Adonai elohenu---Adonai
Echad.”
Deuteronomy
6:4 Hear O Israel, the LORD is God.
The Lord is One.
The Hebrew word translated One is Echad.
It speaks of unity, or “One” as a group,
Father Son, and Holy Spirit.
Genesis
1:26---“God said, Let us
make man in our image, after our likeness.”
The Hebrew sustains the use of the plural
pronouns.
The unity within God is more than language
can express.
Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men:
“Reputation” indicates emptiness.
Christ Jesus "made himself of no
reputation."
The Greek text says that Jesus
"emptied" Himself.
Some falsely speculate that He gave up His
deity.
Jesus Christ cannot give up His personal
relationship with the Father, and neither can we!
However, Jesus did refuse to use His divine
powers.
That was an act of His will!
He could have called more than twelve Legions
of angels, but He did not!
Matthew 26:53---“Thinkest
thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more
than twelve legions of angels?”
That would only have been possible if His
divine powers were still effective---but unused!
A legion was 6,826! 6,826 X 12= 81,912
And, just one angel "cut off"
(annihilated) the Assyrian army.
2 Chronicles 32:21---And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the
mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in
the camp of the king of
Christ Jesus took the form of a servant.
That denotes His outward appearance.
Today, few today desire to take on the
appearance of a servant.
Christ Jesus lowered Himself and "was
made in the likeness of men."
For our sakes, Christ Jesus took on the
resemblance on a man so He could have a first-hand experience of being a man.
It was only in that manner that He could face
all of our daily trials and temptations and overcome our sins.
Hebrews 4:15)---For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin.
Philippians 2:8 And
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus, the Son of God, "humbled
himself" beyond any point that could have been expected. Christ was obedient.
He was submissive even to death. Jesus' death was not some sanitary passing on
His bed at home.
Christ Jesus died the death reserved for an
incorrigible criminal!
He was beaten, bruised, tortured, and then
put on display to be mocked by a "holier-than-thou" bunch of
religious bigots!
His own countrymen put the Son of God on
public display!
And, if we had been there--we would have done
the same thing!
As Jesus looked down from that tree of death,
he cried out to the Father, "Forgive them; for they know not what they
do." The Father told the Son, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the
heathen/Gentiles for thine inheritance. (Psalm 2:8)
Christ’s request while on the cross provides
for our salvation.
Luke 23:34---“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” We are the result of Christ's obedience!
Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Many reject this verse, because certain
Ministers use it to teach that "Jesus" is the ultimate
healing name.
They are telling you the truth!
It is!
In ancient times, a person’s name indicated
his/her power and personality.
Jesus means "Yahweh’s
Salvation."
If Jesus cannot or will not heal there is no
salvation, because salvation is spiritual healing.
There would also be no redemption, no
reconciliation, and no justification.
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth;
That is radically powerful and pointed, and
inclusive!
The literal translation is, “Every (all) knee
may bow, that includes all in heaven, in earth, and under the earth.
No person may come to Christ UNLESS
permission is granted by the Father!
And, no person may come to the Father UNLESS
he/she first bows to the Son!
This verse contains one glaring translation
error.
The KJV says, "at
the name of Jesus."
The literal translation is, "‘in’
(Gr. en-en) the name of Jesus."
Every knee may bow to God the Father "in
His holy name” (of Christ the Son).
The
result of the resurrection is that the name of Jesus is above all other names
except the Father’s, and all may now bow in Christ’s name!
Later
in his letter to the Romans Paul looked ahead and declared that every knee
“shall” bow!
Romans
14:11---“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every
knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Bowing is a sign of submission to authority.
Every knee may bow, and in fact every knee
SHALL bow!
The Greek subjective tense in Philippians is
translated into modern English as “may.”
In the name of Jesus every knee may bow.
Isaiah
45:22-23
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and
there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness,
and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall
bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance].
What God puts forward, He brings to pass!
Isaiah
46:11b I have spoken it, I will also
bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
Psalm
110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit
thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
God the Father has exalted God the Son to a
place of extreme prominence!
Due to that exaltation, all may now, in
truth, bow to the Son, to the glory of the Father. Bowing acknowledges that God the Father did
exalt the Son!
Every person that has ever lived shall come
under the authority of the Son (with joy) through the power of the Father!
A result of the resurrection is that Christ
Jesus became the “Savior of all” (1Timothy 1:10)!
Psalm
86:9 All
nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and
shall glorify thy name.
That result is also found in Philippians
2:11!
“Confess” (Gr. exomologeeseetai-exomologhshtai) speaks of
proclaiming in full agreement with joyful praise.
All tongues of all creation may joyfully
proclaim, "Jesus Christ is Lord!"
God gave Jesus a name above all names so that
every knee may bow and every tongue may confess.
We do not bow or confess to a name that is
inferior to any other name.
It will not be a diabolically coerced
confession, because none may from his/her heart proclaim Jesus is Lord unless
by the power of the Holy Spirit!
1 Corinthians 12:3b--- “and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but
by the Holy Ghost.”
Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as
ye 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.
"Work out" means
to accomplish. And, it sounds as
if Paul is promoting salvation by works.
Not so!
We work out (Gr. katergazesthe-katergazesqe), cultivate, or
practice our salvation when the
Faith "OF" Jesus
intertwines itself with our human will to the extent that God's will becomes
our will!
How is that accomplished?
It is accomplished through prayer and study
How are we saved?
The Bible is explicit!
Ephesians 2:8---“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
It is widely accepted that grace is the free
and unmerited favor of God.
The "it" in that verse refers to
"faith!" God gives you the grace!
God also gives you the faith!
It is all of God!
Let's review some really good news.
You are to be confident that He that has
"begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ."(Philippians 1:6)
Why should we exhibit such faith?
Philippians 2:13 For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do
of his good pleasure.
This verse is plain, blunt, and straightforward.
Do not try to read between the lines.
This is an absolute truth for ALL Christians. God the Holy
Spirit resides within us, and it is His will, in accordance with the Father’s
plan for the ages that causes us to do what we do. It is His good pleasure that
brings us joy!
Our salvation is "of God!" Our
faith is “of Christ!” (Galatians 2:16)
Our hope is “of the Holy Spirit”. (Romans
15:3)
It is God Who works in us both to will and to
do of His "good pleasure (Gr. eudokias-eudokiaV)!" According to
the Greek text, it is His good pleasure, His desire, His purpose to give you
the Kingdom! You were created for that purpose!
Luke 12:32---“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good
pleasure (Gr. eudokeesen-eudokhsen) <it pleased Him> to give you the kingdom.”
This verse, Philippians 2:13, is the essence
of Christian life!
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without
murmurings and disputings:
That is good advice!
Grumbling and complaints accomplish nothing!
Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless
and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and
perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
“Blameless” indicates our legal standing, in
Christ, before God.
In the judgment, Satan will have no legal
basis for any accusations against us.
“Harmless” reflects our innocence before the
Father that is brought about through Christ's righteousness.
Do you, as a Christian, beg God for
forgiveness?
Do you beg for something He has already given
you?
Or, do you thank God for what He has done in
your life?
"Sons of God" points to our current
position in Christ!
John wrote that "now are we the sons of
God" (1 John 3:2).
Some folks don't believe that! Others carry
it too far!
We are NOT now immortal sons of God!
Paul wrote, "this
mortal must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:53).
Some try to take the "manifestation of
the sons of God" statement found in Romans 8:19 and superimpose it on 1
John 3:2.
There are sons of God on earth today, but
there are no scripturally or spiritually manifest sons of God!
John wrote, "we
shall be like him" (1 John 3:2).
He did not say that we are now like Him.
Shall is a future imperative.
It is not present tense.
In that day---we shall put on immortality.
We cannot superimpose tomorrow’s truth on
today’s circumstances.
This verse also warns that we live "in the midst of a crooked and perverse
nation."
If Paul thought that the Philippians of his
day lived in a perverse society---what would he think of us today?
It is with that backdrop that we are to be
"lights in the world."
What does light do?
Does that sound like a silly question?
Okay---what does light do?
It just shines!
Light does not struggle against darkness!
It just shines!
Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of
life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,
neither laboured in vain.
Our shining is done by holding forth, or
exhibiting the word of life.
We exhibit the Christian life to non-Christians.
Our goal in shining is to "rejoice in
the day of Christ."
Philippians 2:17 Yea, and if I be offered
upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
Paul could see the outcome.
He knew the "sacrifice and service"
godly obedience requires.
When Paul said, "I joy and
rejoice," he was referring to an inward delight that is happy but calm.
Philippians 2:18 For
the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
Because of that joy, he asked the Philippians
to "rejoice with" him.
In the Greek text, this rejoicing carries the
same feeling as the "joy" in verse 17.
Because Paul rejoiced in his service to
Christ and to the Church, he called upon the Philippians to "rejoice
with" him.
Philippians 2:19 But I trust in the Lord
Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort,
when I know your state.
Do you know that you cannot do it all?
We need to work together for the common good
and toward a common goal.
Paul was intent on sending Timothy to
Philippians 2:20 For I have no man
likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
The reason he chose to send Timothy was
because he had no one who was "likeminded" on his staff.
Good help was hard to find even in biblical
times!
Philippians 2:21 For
all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.
Selfishness is not confined to worldly
affairs. It is often evident within the church.
Philippians 2:22 But ye know the proof of
him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.
”Proof” implies a person’s tested character.
Timothy had been tested by events and passed
the tests.
Philippians 2:23 Him therefore I hope to
send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go
with me.
“Presently” means forthwith, or as soon as
possible.
Philippians 2:24 But I trust in the Lord
that I also myself shall come shortly.
"I trust in the Lord" is a
wonderful phrase.
Does it apply to you?
Paul’s true desire was to go in person, but
that would take time, and we do not know if he was allowed to fulfill his
desire in this matter.
Philippians 2:25 Yet I supposed it
necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but
your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
This is the most important benign verse in
Paul’s writings.
It revolves around an unknown man named
Epaphroditus.
“Necessary” means indispensable. Just think
about it. Sending a no name like Epaphroditus to
If you had the choice of sending Billy
Graham, David Jeremiah, or John Q. Nobody to take control of a major ministry,
who would you send?
Paul sent a person who had no major Church
pastorate.
He sent a person with no major TV ministry,
and no major mailing list to get donations, and no doctorate after his name.
Could it be that the Holy Spirit sent Epaphroditus
to
We may have hit on something!
Not only was Epaphroditus sent to
That sounds innocent enough.
But, look again. “Messenger” (Gr. apostolon-apostolon) means
Apostle!
Do you mean that some no name country bumpkin
was an Apostle?
That is what Paul said!
Here is the Young’s Literal translation of
this verse, “And I thought [it] necessary Epaphroditus -- my brother, and
fellow-workman, and fellow-soldier, and your
apostle and servant to my need -- to send unto you”
I know very well that the most Bible
translators do not go along with what I just wrote, but none of them are close
to being Paul, and Paul said that Epaphroditus was an Apostle!
Among Orthodox Christians, Timothy is also
considered to be an Apostle.
Philippians 2:26 For
he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard
that he had been sick.
Epaphroditus had a spiritual passion for the
well-being of the Philippians.
He had been sick---very sick, but that did
not stop his concern for the gospel.
Does that sound like Paul himself?
The two men, Paul and Epaphroditus, had a
passion for the gospel in common.
That is a strong bond.
Philippians 2:27 For
indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him
only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
In his illness, God had mercy on Epaphroditus
(and Paul). Epaphroditus’ death would have brought great sorrow to Paul.
God is kind to His children.
Philippians 2:28 I sent him therefore the
more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be
the less sorrowful.
“Carefully” (Gr. spoudaioteroos-spoudaioterwV) actually means eagerly. Paul was eager to send
Epaphroditus.
Philippians 2:29 Receive him therefore in
the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
Paul asked the Philippians to
"receive" Epaphroditus with all gladness, or joy.
He also asked them to respect those such as
Epaphroditus.
Philippians 2:30 Because for the work of
Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of
service toward me.
Due to Epaphroditus’ work for Christ he had
come close to death.
On a human level that is sad, but death is
not a valid Christian concept!