Philippians 1
Greeting to church at Philippiverses 1-2
Paul and Timothy – the servants of Jesus Christ
to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are in Philippi
with the bishops and deacons
Grace be to you and peace
from God our Father and FROM the Lord Jesus Christ
Confidence in continued growth of believersverses 3-8
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you
always in every prayer of mine for you all making
request with joy for your fellowship in the gospel
from the first day until now
Being confident of this very thing
that HE which has begun a good work in you will
PERFORM it until the day of Jesus Christ
even as it is meet for me to think this of you all
because I have you in my heart
INSOMUCH as both in my bonds
and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel
you are partakers of my grace
FOR God is my record
how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ
Paul prays for continued growthverses 9-11
And this I pray – that your love may abound
yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment
that you may approve things that are excellent
that you may be sincere and without offense
till the day of Christ
being FILLED with the FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
which are by Jesus Christ
to the glory and praise of God
Paul being in jail helps spread the gospel of Christverses 12-14
BUT I would you should understand – brethren
that the things which happened unto me
have fallen out rather to
the furtherance of the gospel
SO THAT my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace
and in all other places and many of the brethren in the Lord
waxing confident by my bonds are much more
BOLD to speak the word without fear
Motives for preaching Christ importantverses 15-19
SOME indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife
and SOME also of good will
the one preach Christ of contention – not sincerely
supposing to add affliction to my bonds
but the other of love – knowing that I am set for the
DEFENSE of the gospel
WHAT THEN? notwithstanding – every way
whether in pretense OR in truth
Christ is preached
and I therein do rejoice – yea – and will rejoice
FOR I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer
and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ
Honor of Christ is Paul’s motiveverses 20-26
According to my earnest expectation and my hope
that in nothing I shall be ashamed
but that with all BOLDNESS – as always
so now also Christ shall be manifested in my body
whether it be by life OR by death
FOR to me to live is Christ
and to die is GAIN
But IF I live in the flesh – this is the fruit of my labor
yet what I shall choose I wot not
FOR I am in a strait between two – having a desire to depart
and to be with Christ which is FAR BETTER
NEVERTHELESS to abide in the flesh is
MORE NEEDFUL for you
And having this confidence – I know that I shall abide
and continue with you all for your
furtherance and joy of faith
That your rejoicing may be MORE ABUNDANT in Jesus Christ
for me by my coming to you again
Lifestyle of all believers the sameverses 27-30
Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ
that whether I come and see you – OR else be absent
I may hear of your affairs
that you STAND FAST in one spirit
with one mind striving together
for the faith of the gospel
And in nothing terrified by your adversaries
which is to them an evident token of perdition
BUT to you of salvation and that of God
FOR to you it is given in the behalf of Christ
not only to believe on HIM but also to suffer for HIS sake
Having the same conflict which you saw in me
and now hear to be in me
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy. (1162 “request” [deesis] means prayer, supplication, asking, penury, plea, petition, entreaty, or a wanting)
DEVOTION: Paul was a prayer warrior. He had time to pray. He was in jail often and this gave him opportunity to spend a lot of time in prayer for those who have become believers under his ministry.
When he prayed he makes his desires for believers known to God with joy. His prayer life was full of joy. It make him happy to pray for the needs of those he genuinely cared about because of their service to the LORD.
He knew what the believers needed in each of the churches that he started because he had individuals who were reporting back to him about what was happening in each of the churches even when he could not visit them. He had a good system of communication with his converts. He kept the line of communication even when there were times that he had to correct bad behavior.
Remember he often expressed his love for those he communicated with regarding their spiritual growth. He didn’t write out of a pure teacher student relationship. He cared. There was no distance between his converts and him.
We need to go to prayer for those we care about with joy just like Paul. It should never be a drudgery to pray for those we genuinely love. Some people pray because they think it is their “job” to pray for those they are working with in ministry. That should never be the case.
There are seven board members for Small Church Ministries. I pray regularly for them and their families. It is not because I feel I have to do it but because I love them and their families. There are many people who receive the daily devotionals that I love dearly because I know them closely. There are many that I have never met but pray for on a monthly basis especially if they send requests, so that, I can know them better. I might never meet some until eternity but if a request is made I pray with joy.
This should be the practice of all those who are in ministry. Prayer should be a joy not a “job.”
CHALLENGE: When prayer becomes a “job” ask the LORD to change your attitude. Ask HIM to make it a joy to pray for those under your ministry.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (2005 “perform” [epiteleo] means complete, bring about, to fulfill further, execute, finish, accomplish, or to bring to an end)
DEVOTION: Paul is writing another prison letter to a church he started. He wants this church to grow in their knowledge of Christ. He believes that the LORD wants him to stay on earth and visit the church again to help them mature in the faith. He realized that some people were preaching Christ with the wrong motive and some were preaching Christ with the right motive. He wanted them to realize that he was glad Christ was preached no matter the motive.
His motive in life was to live for Christ alone.
God chose those who believe before the foundation of the world. When HE chose those who were to believe HE began a good work in their live. The LORD has a plan for each believer. HE is going to work HIS plan. Time is not a factor with God. HE lives outside time.
Paul is writing to this church to confirm that they were called of God to be saints. They were to be full of the fruits of righteousness. They were to be bold in the LORD. They were to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ with confidence. God chose them. They were doing what the LORD wanted them to do. They were even supporting Paul while he was in prison.
We can have confidence that there is only one plan for our lives and HE is working that plan. Once God has started a work in our lives, HE doesn’t give up on us. HE is there with us ALWAYS. We need to remember that God is not a human being. Human beings give up on people but God NEVER gives up on HIS children. HE will keep working with us until the day of Jesus Christ.
What day is that? It is the day when Christ returns for HIS own to take them before the bema seat where HE will give out rewards for service to HIS followers. Praise the LORD. Some will have many crowns and rewards. Some will be saved yet so as by fire.
It is our prayer that all those receiving these devotions, will be in the group that will receive many crowns and rewards. We need to work for the day is coming. God may take our life before the return of Christ or HE may have us live until HIS return but in the mean time –we need to be working out our salvation with fear and trembling. God is working in us and through us.
CHALLENGE: Remember there is only one plan for your life and God is working that plan.
: 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment (4052 “abound” [perisseuo] means to be abundant or plentiful, exist in large quantities, excessive, surpassing, be more than enough, to be outstanding, be over and above, or profit)
DEVOTION: There is no stopping a baby from growing into an adult. There might be no intellectual growth but there will be physical growth. There are babies that never develop into adults but that is rare.
Here we find Paul having a desire for those who are believers in Philippi to continue to grow in their knowledge and understanding of who God is and what HE expects of them.
There is no standing still in our Christian life. We are either moving forward or backwards. We can memorize Scripture but if we don’t continue to use it and practice it we will lose it. Our knowledge of Jesus Christ should be one that increases with age.
The sad fact is that many people in church have been their forty years or more and are still at the baby stage of their growth in knowledge and understanding of what God expects of them.
A pastor comes along and instructs them in what is necessary in service to God and they look at him as if he is from another planet. They either don’t want to grow or they never received Jesus Christ into their life or both. Paul wants his converts to grow and become good servants of Christ.
That is the desire of all good Biblical pastors. They can’t force people to grow but they can encourage them strongly. Are you someone who is happy right where you are in your Christian life and you don’t want to learn any more truth? If so, you are not being obedient to Jesus.
CHALLENGE: Change your thinking to fit into what Scripture expects of you. It will give you confidence in how much the LORD wants to use you for HIS glory.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will (2784 “preach about” [kerusso] means announce, tell, make known, to make proclamation, to be a herald, always with the suggestion of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed, to publish, or used of the public proclamation of the gospel and matters pertaining to it)
DEVOTION: Paul knows and wants all believers to know that there are good preachers and bad preachers in our world. Good preachers want to preach because of their genuine love for the LORD and HIS Word.
The bad preachers want to hurt those who believe in the Bible. They will preach only for the purpose of personal gain. They want to have everyone looking up to them as great individuals. They really want to hurt those who are genuine in their preaching but contradicting what the Bible really states. They change the standard to one that tells individuals that God will take them just the way they are without any change.
The Bible teaches that if someone is a genuine believer there will be change. Each year the individual should learn more about what it means to be Christ-like in their actions. There should be less strife in their relationships with fellow believers. They should be able to give a good defense of the gospel.
Remember that there are teachers who teach that sin really isn’t all that bad. In fact, they will try to say that you can live as you please and God will accept you anyways. They are wrong and leading many to hell for eternity with their false teachings.
CHALLENGE: We all have to examine our motives to see if they are pure. God will instruct us if we ask HIM.
:23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (360 “depart” [analuo] means 1 to unloose, undo again; 2 to depart, break up, to depart from life, to return)
DEVOTION: Paul did not express any fear in dying. That is because he knew that when his body died, two things would happen: (1) his soul/spirit would instantly go to be with the Lord, and (2) his body would be physically resurrected at Christ’s return. This is completely contrary our culture’s fear of dying. You hear people saying either (1) this life is all you get, so you’d better get all you can this go around, and (2) after we die, we are annihilated, and that is the end of our existence (no eternal existence).
Paul wanted the Philippian believers to know that there was a hope for them in what they were going through after this life. He wanted them to see how he was going through suffering (remember that Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter) as an example to them how to act when they went through suffering. And the worst thing that could happen to them would be that they would die for their faith.
Paul’s view was that his death would not mean anything more than his departure from the believers who he knew were in Philippi. We think of a departure being associated with some form of transportation (car, bus, airplane). So we realize that departure from one place implies that there is a destination elsewhere. Paul is clear that his ultimate destination is heaven with Christ, and therefore he is not afraid to witness to those around him.
CHALLENGE: Are we fearless in our witnessing to others, especially in the setting of suffering? How can we embrace our suffering in a way that makes us better witnesses for Him? (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member))
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Paul thanks Godverse 3
Paul prays for the church at Philippiverse 4
Requestverse 4
Pray their love may aboundverse 9
Philippians praying for Paulverse 19
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Gospelverses 5, 7, 12, 27
Wordverse 14
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 2, 3, 8, 11,28
God our Fatherverse 2
Begun a good work in believersverse 6
Glory and praise of Godverse 11
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesusverses 1, 2, 6, 8, 11, 19, 26
Christverses 1, 2, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18-21, 23, 26, 27, 29
Jesus Christverses 1, 6, 8, 11, 19, 26
Christ Jesus verse 1
Lordverses 2, 14
Lord Jesus Christ verse 2
Day of Jesus Christverse 6
Bowels of Jesus Christverse 7
Day of Christ verse 10
Preach Christverse 15
Christ may be magnifiedverse 20
Gospel of Christ verse 27
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spiritverse 19
Spirit of Jesus Christ verse 19
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Philippiverse 1
Palaceverse 13
Jail in other placesverse 13
Adversariesverse 28
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Envyverse 15
Strifeverse 15
Contentionverse 16
Not sincerely preachverse 16
Add affliction to saintverse 16
Pretenseverse 18
Adversaries of the gospelverse 28
Token of perditionverse 28
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Servantsverse 1
Saintsverse 1
Graceverses 2, 7
Peaceverse 2
Thanksgivingverse 3
Prayerverse 4
Requestverse 4
Joyverse 4
Fellowshipverse 5
Confidenceverses 6, 14, 25
Good workverse 6
Love may aboundverse 9
Abound in knowledge and judgmentverse 9
Approve what is excellentverse 10
Sincereverse 10
Without offenceverse 10
Filled with fruit of righteousnessverse 11
Understandingverse 12
Boldnessverses 14, 20
Speak the word without fearverse 14
Preach Christverses 15, 16, 18
Preach Christ of good willverse 15
Preach out of loveverse 17
Preach in truthverse 18
Rejoiceverses 18, 26
Deliverance through prayerverse 19
Expectationverse 20
Hopeverse 20
Lifeverses 20-22
Joy of faithverses 25, 27
Conversationverse 27
One spiritverse 27
Stand fastverse 27
One mindverse 27
Faith verse 27
Not terrified of adversariesverse 28
Salvationverse 28
Believeverse 29
Sufferverse 29
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Paulverses 1, 7, 8, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23
Bonds
Defense of gospel
Confirmation of gospel
Church is partakers of his grace
God is his witness
Rejoice in preaching Christ
Earnest expectation
Hope
Not ashamed
Magnify Christ in his body
Fruit of my labor
Between two desires
Be with Christ which is far better
Timothy (Timotheus)verse 1
Servants of Jesus Christverse 1
Saintsverse 1
Bishopsverse 1
Deaconsverse 1
Fellowship in the gospelverse 5
Defense and confirmation of the gospelverse 7
Brethrenverses 12, 14
Furtherance of the gospelverse 12
Preach Christ – good willverses 15, 18
Preach Christ – loveverse 17
Defense of the gospelverse 17
Gospel of Christverse 27
Faith of the gospelverse 27
Last Things (Future Events)
Day of Jesus Christverses 6, 10
Deathverses 20, 21, 23
Perditionverse 28
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QUOTES regarding passage
28 Paul does not want the Philippians to be terrified in any respect by their opponents. The noble character of their cause and the recognition that Christ is on their side should cause believers to avoid the unreasoning terror that prevents intelligent effort. Who were these opponents? Some have insisted that the reference could not have been to Jews because the Jewish population of Philippi was too small (Lenski, p. 755). This ignores the fact that hostile Jews often dogged Paul’s steps and caused trouble in the churches he founded. Such was the case in other Macedonian churches (Thessalonica: Acts 17:5; Berea: Acts 17:13). In the light of Paul’s discussion in 3:2–6, it seems clear that Jewish hostility was present. But there is nothing in 1:28 that restricts the reference to Jewish opponents. What is virtually certain is that these were external foes, not false teachers within the church. It is most likely that Paul was speaking generally of adversaries of the church of whatever kind. Whether Jewish or pagan, they usually employed the same tactics, and the need for unity and courage among the believers was crucial.
Failure of the church to be intimidated by enemies was a token of the ultimate failure of the enemies of God. The adversaries may not have recognized this, but it was nonetheless a sign that their attacks were futile and that the church would prevail. This sign or token was intended for the adversaries (not to the adversaries and the believers, as the rendering in KJV based on an inferior textual reading suggests), but it was a sign to them of how things: their ultimate destruction and the salvation of the believers. “And that by God” refers grammatically neither to “salvation” nor to “sign” (both of which are feminine nouns, for which the feminine form of “that” would be required, rather than the neuter, which was used), but to the entire fact that believers have been granted courage from God to stand firm in their struggles and so are demonstrating their salvation. (Kent, H. A., Jr. (1981). Philippians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, p. 119). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
28. Terrified (πτυρόμενοι). Only here in the New Testament. Properly of the terror of a startled horse. Thus Diodorus Siculus, speaking of the chariot-horses of Darius at the battle of Issus: “Frightened (πτυρόμενοι) by reason of the multitude of the dead heaped round them, they shook off their reins” (17:34). Plutarch says: “The multitude is not easy to handle so that it is safe for any one to take the reins; but it should be held sufficient, if, not being scared by sight or sound, like a shy and fickle animal, it accept mastery.”
Which is (ἥτις ἐστὶν). Seeing that it is.
An evident token (ἔνδειξις). Only here, Rom. 3:25, 26; 2 Cor. 8:24. Lit., a pointing out. Used in Attic law of a writ of indictment. A demonstration or proof.
To you of salvation (ὑμῖν). Read ὑμῶν of you. Rev., of your salvation.
And that of God. Rev., from God (ἀπό). Lightfoot finds here an allusion, in accord with striving together, to the sign of life or death given by the populace in the amphitheatre when a gladiator was vanquished, by turning the thumbs up or down. “The christian gladiator does not anxiously await the signal of life or death from the fickle crowd. The great Director of the contest Himself has given him a sure token of deliverance.” (Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 427). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)
“Terrified” is from a word used of the terror of a startled horse. The Greek word translated “adversaries” gives us a picture of these enemies of the gospel, namely, “those who are entrenched in their opposition against” you. These were the pagan Greeks at Philippi who were idolators and very devout. These would oppose a faith which forbade idolatry. “Which” refers to the fact of the Philippian saints not being terrified. It has in it a qualitative aspect, emphasizing the nature of the act. The words “evident token” are the translation of a Greek law term, denoting proof obtained by an appeal to facts. Thus the failure of the saints to be terrified by the antagonism of their adversaries, was clear evidence of such a nature as to convince these pagans that they were on the road to utter destruction, and clear evidence of the salvation of the Philippian believers.
The word “that” refers back to the words “evident token.” This clear evidence was from God, on the one part to the pagans, on the other to the believers. Vincent connects the words “evident token” with the phrase “that of God;” “Lightfoot finds here an allusion, in accord with striving together, to the sign of life or death given by the populace in the amphitheater when a gladiator was vanquished, by turning the thumbs up or down. ‘The Christian gladiator does not anxiously await the signal of life or death from a fickle crowd. The great Director of the contest Himself has given him a sure token of deliverance’.” (Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Php 1:28). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.)
1:28. Paul wanted his readers to live courageously for Christ in the midst of opposition and persecution. True, they would be opposed but this should not frighten them in any way. Instead they were to be reminded at such times that their own victorious Christian response would be a sign that their opposers would eventually be destroyed. At the same time it would be a sign that the saints of God would be delivered by God Himself. This assurance would doubtless be the Holy Spirit working in their hearts. (Lightner, R. P. (1985). Philippians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 652). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
“Don’t be alarmed by your opponents!” The word Paul uses pictures a horse shying away from battle. To be sure, nobody blindly runs into a fight; but then, no true believer should deliberately avoid facing the enemy. In these verses, Paul gives us several encouragements that give us confidence in the battle.
First, these battles prove that we are saved (Phil. 1:29). We not only believe on Christ but also suffer for Christ. Paul calls this “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). For some reason, many new believers have the idea that trusting Christ means the end of their battles. In reality, it means the beginning of new battles. “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).
But the presence of conflict is a privilege; we suffer “for His sake.” In fact, Paul tells us that this conflict is “granted” to us—it is a gift! If we were suffering for ourselves, it would be no privilege; but because we are suffering for and with Christ, it is a high and holy honor. After all, He suffered for us, and a willingness to suffer for Him is the very least we can do to show our love and gratitude.
A third encouragement is this: others are experiencing the same conflict (Phil. 1:30). Satan wants us to think we are alone in the battle, that our difficulties are unique, but such is not the case. Paul reminds the Philippians that he is going through the same difficulties they are experiencing hundreds of miles from Rome! A change in geography is usually no solution to spiritual problems, because human nature is the same wherever you go, and the enemy is everywhere. Knowing that my fellow believers are also sharing in the battle is an encouragement for me to keep going and to pray for them as I pray for myself.
Actually, going through spiritual conflict is one way we have to grow in Christ. God gives us the strength we need to stand firm against the enemy, and this confidence is proof to him that he will lose and we are on the winning side (Phil. 1:28). The Philippians had seen Paul go through conflict when he was with them (read Acts 16:19ff), and they had witnessed his firmness in the Lord. The word “conflict” gives us our word “agony” (agonia), and is the same word that is used for Christ’s struggle in the Garden (Luke 22:44). As we face the enemy and depend on the Lord, He gives us all that we need for the battle. When the enemy sees our God-given confidence, it makes him fear.
So, the single mind enables us to have joy in the midst of battle, because it produces in us consistency, cooperation, and confidence. We experience the joy of “spiritual teamwork” as we strive together for the faith of the Gospel. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 72–73). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Ver. 28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries, &c.] Not by Satan, though a roaring lion, for Christ is greater than he; nor by the world which Christ has overcome; nor by false teachers, though men of art and cunning; nor by violent persecutors, who can do no more than kill the body; let not the power, the rage, the cunning, or the violence of one or the other, move, discourage, or affright from a close attachment to the Gospel and the truths of it: which is to them an evident token of perdition; when men wilfully oppose themselves to the truth, and shew a malicious hatred to it, and hold it in unrighteousness, and either turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, or persecute it with rage and fury, it looks as if they were given up to reprobate minds, to say and do things not convenient; as if they were fore-ordained to condemnation; and were consigned over to destruction and perdition; and very rare it is that such persons are ever called by grace: but to you of salvation; when men are reproached and ridiculed, are threatened and persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, and are enabled to take all patiently, and persevere in the truth with constancy, it is a manifest token that such are counted worthy of the kingdom of God; that God has a design of salvation for them, and that they shall be saved with an everlasting one: so that the different effects of the opposition of the one, and the constancy of the other, are made use of as so many reasons why the saints should not be terrified by their enemies: ’tis added, and that of God; meaning either that the whole of this is of God, as that there are adversaries, heretics, and persecutors; this is by divine permission, and in order to answer some ends and purposes of God, and the perdition or everlasting punishment of such persons will be righteously inflicted upon them by him; and that the constancy, faith, patience, and perseverance of the saints and their salvation, are all of God: or it particularly respects the latter, the salvation of those who persevere to the end; this is not of themselves, or merited by their constancy, patience, and perseverance, but is God’s free gift. The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, join this clause to the beginning of the next verse thus, and this is given of God to you, &c. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 129). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Marc recommends the God Guy or Gal Bible for those in their twenties. His two sons were not too interested in reading and they are reading this version of the Bible which is the English Standard Version with helps.
Although Paul suffered imprisonment because of the gospel, he reminded the Philippians that this had resulted in the greater spread of the gospel. Paul is picturesque: “Progress: views an army of woodcutters cutting a road through an impenetrable forest (Kenneth Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament). Paul had blazed a trail for the gospel in the royal courts of Rome! The praetorian guard, special Roman soldiers, now heard the gospel. Since Paul was chained to a guard twenty-four hours a day, they heard his prayers, conversations with other Christians, letters dictated …. God used these events to spread the good news! Perhaps we ought to consider our unusual paths as being God-ordained for the spread of the gospel. (September 27, Living The New Testament by Paul Enns)
Another of MY outlines for this chapter:
Calling to Ministry verse 1- 2
Confidence in Ministry verse 3- 6
Partners in Ministry verse 7- 8
Maturity in Ministry verse 9- 11
Circumstances in Ministry verse 12- 14
Message of Ministry verse 15- 18
Length of Ministry verse 19- 24
Reason for Ministry verse 25- 26
Lifestyle in Ministry verse 27- 30
Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan.
INSIGHT
When Satan tempts Jesus, he offers Him things which God has already promised to give to Jesus. The things are not wrong in and of themselves, but they are not in God’s time or in God’s way. Each time Jesus rebuffs Satan, He does so with Scripture. Each time Satan offers Jesus something, Jesus’ reply is, “No, because it is written . . .” To be victorious, we must know Scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual warfare, to see through the tricks of Satan. (Quiet Walk)
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GOD’S PEOPLE
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
John 17:10
Why are Christian people not of the world? It is because they are God’s people. “I have manifested thy name”—to whom?—“unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me” (John 17:6). That is the answer. That is the first and indeed the ultimate explanation, the one that includes all the others.
The importance of this doctrine can be seen at a glance in John17. Whenever our Lord repeats a thing, we can be quite sure that He regards it as absolutely vital. We are familiar with the fact that whenever He introduces a statement by saying, “Verily, verily” we ought to pay unusual attention to it. So if He repeats a statement frequently in a short space, we can be equally certain that it is something that we should lay hold of very firmly.
Now you notice how He repeats this thought in John 17:6-19. We have noted it in verse 6, but we have it again in verse 9: “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” In verse 10 He says, “And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them,” and then again in verse 11, “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”
Finally, in verse 12 He says, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” Nothing, then, ought to establish in our minds the all-importance of this doctrine and teaching more than that.
A Thought to Ponder: Why are Christian people not of the world? It is because they are God’s people. (From Safe in the World, pp. 33-34, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The Duty of Rejoicing
“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” (Psalm 5:11)
It may seem strange to think of rejoicing as a Christian duty, but the Scriptures do contain many commands to rejoice, and many of these are given in circumstances of grief or danger, as is the case of our beautiful text verse.
“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), Paul wrote from a Roman dungeon. In the upper room the night before He was to die on a cross, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). And then He said: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2). But then He said again: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).
If David could rejoice while fleeing from murderous enemies, if Paul could rejoice while chained unjustly in a Roman prison, if the disciples could experience fullness of joy while facing martyrdom, and if the Lord Himself “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2), then our Christian duty of rejoicing in all circumstances may not be such an unseemly command after all.
We can rejoice, as our text reminds us, “because thou defendest them.” Furthermore, He Himself provides the joy, for “the fruit of the Spirit is…joy” (Galatians 5:22). It is not that the Christian will never know sorrow, for Christ Himself was “a man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). But He also was a man of joy and, in Him, we can be like Him—“as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery Winston Churchill
Carl shares (NY) An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama’s socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.
The professor then said, “OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama’s plan”.. All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A…. (substituting grades for dollars – something closer to home and more readily understood by all).
After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.
The second test average was a D! No one was happy.
When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.
As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.
To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed. Could not be any simpler than that. (Please pass this on) These are possibly the 5 best sentences you’ll ever read and all applicable to this experiment:
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
Can you think of a reason for not sharing this?
Neither could I.
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