Philippians Epistle Lesson Common Time (Year A September 18-October 15)
The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from Rome around 62 AD. If so, other letters by Paul of the same period would be Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. The letter indicates that Epaphroditus delivered it. He had come earlier as a representative of the church to visit Paul while he was in prison. With Paul are Timothy, presiding elders, and deacons.
Paul was in Philippi in 50 AD, which is recorded in Acts 16:12-40, and in 55-57 AD, recorded in Acts 20:1-6. It is possible that in this second visit II Corinthians and Galatians were written from there.
The letter is personal. It reveals the unique, close relationship between the apostle and this congregation. The letter is a simple expression of gratitude in response to their loyal affection. Doctrinal or ethical matters do not dominate it. However, there was a rivalry growing. The theological contents of this epistle take the form, not of a treatise, but of a heartfelt expression of his own faith and the faith Paul wishes his brothers and sisters in the church at Philippi to embody and exhibit. Paul knows these people well, and they, him.
As citizens of a specially privileged Roman colony, Philippian residents enjoyed more freedom and rights than others living under Roman rule. Nevertheless, Paul's message had succeeded in converting many of these wealthy, respected citizens to Christianity. In his exhortations, Paul appeals to them as friends, fellow Christians and as proud, respectable citizens of an important community. Although he cannot personally be with the Philippians, the rapport between these believers and the apostle is so congenial that he speaks to them in supreme confidence that they both will understand his words and act accordingly. Paul and the Philippians had worked closely together in the past--they had suffered together for the common faith--and therefore the apostle remains convinced that they would continue to work with him and support him. Paul is so buoyed by this conviction that despite his imprisonment, his absence and his concern over the wrong theology being taught by the Judaizers in their midst, he finds it in his heart to exclaim "rejoice" 16 times throughout the course of this letter. Just as the previous pericope concludes with an exhortation to "live up to what we have already attained," (v. 16, NIV), the last verse issues a similar challenge: "Therefore ... stand firm in the Lord" (4.1). This advice comes on the heels of several observations and instructions.
Martyrdom was a very real hazard for first-century believers. The first-century faithful were far more willing to confront the mystery head-on and discern death's place in life.
We do not why Paul is in prison. He appears unconcerned, indeed perhaps a bit encouraged, by his imprisonment. People know he is in prison because of his message. His imprisonment might help in spreading the gospel.
The letter has a cut-and-paste character. This, coupled with a letter in the second century from Bishop Polycarp of Smyrna to the Philippians testifying to the letters Paul had written them, suggests that this epistle has been constructed from two or more separate pieces of correspondence. The most obvious observation to make concerns the sudden shift in tone found in the very midst of 3:1, where Paul goes from “finally” encouraging the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord” to telling them how it was not “irksome” (RSV) to keep writing to them about the same things. The first two chapters had been filled with thanksgiving, and much of the next two detail problems of divisions within the church. There is also the strange case of Epaphroditus’ involvement in the letter. Before the shift in tone at 3:1, Paul writes about the Philippians’ concern for Epaphroditus whom he is now gladly sending back to them after having recovered from a serious and protracted illness (2:25-30). Epaphroditus reappears later in the letter where Paul thanks the Philippians for a gift they have sent to him through Epaphroditus (4:18). Why did Paul wait so long to acknowledge their gift? How had the Philippians learned about Epaphroditus’ illness if there had not already been some exchange of news between themselves and Paul?
One answer favored by some is to posit that Philippians is not one letter but two, and that most of the latter chapters (3 and 4) were sent first. On this reading, Paul would have first written to the Philippian church soon after Epaphroditus arrived with their gift, thanking them, and also dealing with the tensions there that Paul may have learned about from him. The subsequent letter (mostly chapters 1 and 2) would have been written when further exchanges of news between them had let them know about Epaphroditus’ illness and Paul know about the improvement in the church.
If this reconstruction is correct, then Paul’s imprisonment was some place much closer to Philippi that would have permitted easier back-and-forth communication than Rome. A possibility (even though such an imprisonment is not explicitly mentioned in Acts) would be Ephesus. Given the usual chronology of Paul’s life and ministry, that would place Philippians sometime around 54-55 rather than about a decade later during his final imprisonment in Rome. His hopes to visit them again (1:26) would then have been fulfilled during what is now known as the Third Missionary Journey.
Letter A: 4:10-20 (a letter acknowledging a gift);
Letter B; 1:1-3:1a; 4:4-7, 21-23 (a letter urging unity and joy);
Letter C: 3:1b-4:3, 8-9 (the body of a polemical letter)"
Paul writes Letter B from prison. Most scholars thought of the site of this imprisonment as Rome (by scholars such as C.H. Dodd), in keeping with Acts 28. Recent treatments, however, prefer a location (like Corinth, Caesaria or Ephesus) that fits better with other details of Paul's journeys recorded elsewhere. For instance, parts of Philippians imply that Paul has been there only once. According to Acts 20:1-6, he had gone there twice more. Then he went on to Rome, where he was imprisoned. In addition, in Acts 28, Paul's imprisonment in Rome is said to be only a form of "house arrest." In Philippians 1:19-21, Paul's poignant statements about his hopefulness in the face of despair, and his readiness to be executed should it come to that, sound more reminiscent of an actual prison stay as opposed to house arrest.
Philippians 1:21-30 (Year A September 18-24) raises matters of life and death. It invites a reflection upon what matters to us. Verses 21-26 continue the consideration of his circumstances he began in verse 12. He lives his life in such a way so immersed in his faith that for him to live is for Christ to live. Paul felt his life today connected with Christ so deeply that dying will just bring him and Christ closer. The circumstance Paul faces also leads him to say that his death is gain in the sense of a profit of the life he has lived. The friendship we have with Christ today would continue with Christ in eternity. His present communion with Christ will not end with his death. Rather, his death will mean entering a deeper and richer communion with Christ. Death means intimate contact with Christ. Liberation from this mortal life means closing the gap between this life and life with the risen Lord. Death is the immediate transition from time to eternity.[1] I find that notion powerful. Regardless of the questions that life may bring our way, belief in Christ will bring us to grow in our relationship with Christ in such a way that our lives will be more about Christ than about us. His work in this life is a fruitful one, but his desire is to depart to be with Christ. However, to remain in the weakness signified by its fleshly existence is useful to them as a community of believers. He esteems them so highly that, even though death is a profit or gain for him, he prefers to stay for their sake. He finds himself intricately connected to the Philippians. His expression of this missional partnership is central to the communication he had with them. Here is the harsh reality with death and why it will always be an enemy. It separates those who have formed close bonds through sharing of life, love, and vocation. His concern is what his death means for the Christian mission of his day. He can bring glory to the Lord in his continued apostolic ministry; he can also bring glory to the Lord in the martyrdom of us death. The point is that in life or death, bringing glory to Christ is what matters. The Christian has no reason to fear death.[2] God is the one who has given life, and only God can take it back.[3] In verse 13, he says that his imprisonment has meant the preaching of the gospel filling the city of Rome. He suggests that his martyrdom may be another way to proclaim the gospel. His death might be one more way he can bring gain or profit to the gospel. He may envision that his death as a martyr will lead people to explain the reason for his death. He did not die for a crime. He died for his faithfulness to the gospel.
It may well be that we have a better way of thinking upon these matters, given the notion of a space-time field. We are moving through this field. Space-time provides a structure within which finite things exist. Space-time is a gigantic sphere that has no beginning nor end. God is above this continuum, so our death moves us into this “above” with God entering resurrected space-time. They enter another dimension other than our own. They enjoy the bliss of resurrected space-time, even while we continue in the space-time continuum. We still look forward to the fulfillment of our fallen space-time continuum in God, who is beyond. The resurrection that occurs on the last “day” will occur all around the continuum that we think of as past, present, and future. That moment will transform fallen space-time. Thus, if death cannot separate us from God, time will not do so either.[4]
We do not want good things to end. That is natural. Yet, when faced with an ending or deadline, we become stronger, focused, productive, and positive. Endings are important, even of good things. Finding a way to embrace the finitude and temporality of our lives, the gift of its beginning and end, is not an easy matter, but it might be a sign of our maturing in our life with Christ that we can do so.
Paul is raising an important question. What will we do with the brief time we have here before the end comes for us? People die for their beliefs. The tragedy occurs, however, when we live our lives with nothing that we value so much, for which we would die. When we think of death as distant, it can give us the space and time to calmly reflect upon the pattern our lives are forming. Yet, a sense of the urgency of our end can lead us toward reflecting upon what matters to us, especially as we consider the values by which we live, the people with whom we will associate, those with whom we will share the intimacy of family, and the way we will express our vocation or purpose in life. The heart of Christianity is to enjoy God. We are to have more satisfaction in our life with God than the legitimate but finite and temporary satisfaction we find in anyone or anything else in life. This means that Christianity is not primarily about saving us from Hell and getting into heaven. It also means that Christianity is not primarily about finding a path of life that makes our lives easier or makes us feel better. Christianity is more about having Jesus as your dearest friend. While we will have many joys and pleasures in life, we find our highest joy and pleasure in Christ.[5] Do I today live in a way that exhibits the belief that Jesus is the best friend I have? Is my life about glorifying God by enjoying God more than any other source of pleasure?
“Christ in Me” is a song by Bernie Herms and Jeremy Thomas Camp. I invite you to reflect upon its themes. It contains the following chorus.
So come and empty me
So that it's you I breathe
I want my life to be
Only Christ in me
So I will fix my eyes
'Cause you're my source of life
I need the world to see
That it's Christ in me
That it's Christ in me
We so easily become slaves to what the culture says is important and will bring happiness. We may not recognize that we have become a slave. We search and grasp as if we think we deserve so much more than what we have. Such things this world tells us will make us happy hold us down. We need to throw them off like the chains they are. We have let them become the master of our lives. We have the opportunity for freedom as we live our lives in such a way that the world sees Christ through us.
Philippians 1:27-30 contain an exhortation to unity and courage. Paul now turns to consider the inner life of the community, set against the background of its relation to the world. Only as the church is true to its name will it have an impact on the non-Christian world. Paul directs us to three spiritual exercises that will strengthen our lives for what matters in our life with Christ. Such spiritual discipline is not going be attractive to every person or to every congregation. They are tough, demanding, painful and rigorous. First, they are to lead lives worthy or corresponding to the gospel of Christ, which means a matter of self-discipline that will consist in developing virtue and avoiding vice, it will influence the conduct of the Christian household, which was an extended notion of family that included servants who had skills that helped the household in its financial well-being, and the development of faith, hope, and love. Second, in relation to the community, he wants them standing firm, one in spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, having the courage not to be intimidated by their opponents, who are destined for destruction. If this happens, it will be the action of God among them. Third, they will have the insight that God has granted them the privilege of suffering for Christ as well as placing their trust in Christ. They share in his apostolic suffering. They will replicate the pattern of giving that Christ established. Christ gave his life for others. By implication, the imprisonment and potential martyrdom of Paul follows that pattern. The opposition that this congregation faces follows the same pattern. Even as the resurrection of Jesus invested Christ with lordship, the battle that Jesus began on earth continues in apostolic ministry and in the opposition that the congregation faces.[6] We rightly ponder questions of the relation between suffering and God. This question is one of several reasons faith rather than proof will always be at the heart of Christian life. Much of modern life is aimed at reducing suffering, for which we can all be thankful. Our threshold for pain tolerance diminishes with every generation. Comfort replaces true security. However, Paul is inviting us to see value in our suffering if it is related to our faithfulness to living the life to which God has called us.
Philippians 2:1-13 (Year A September 25-October 1) is an exhortation to harmony and humility, using an early Christological hymn to support the exhortation.
Philippians 2:1-4 introduce the theme by focusing upon the need of the congregation for a shared vision and purpose. He refers to the external principle of their encouragement in Christ, which he assumes is already present, and an inward feeling inspired by Christ of the love that already consoles them, the external principle they already share of sharing in the Spirit, and the internal feeling inspired by the Spirit of compassion and sympathy. Here is the reason that preaching, if it errs, should do so on the side on the side of encouragement rather than scolding. Given the spiritual dangers the community faces throughout the week, leaders and people need the time spent in worship to life spirits up and reminding all why they gather and serve. Here is the basis for his appeal for peace and harmony within the community. He assumes they want to make his joy complete, which he says will happen if in addition to the love they already display they have a shared or common mind-set, centering their thoughts, which would be an example of living a life corresponding to the gospel (1:27). What they share will foster a shared mission. Gathering for worship needs to bolster the commitments, desires, and intentions of those who gather as a community of faith. It reduces the tendency toward a party spirit and unhealthy individualism. Paul then offers a way of life together that embraces the gift of mutual deference, which can lead to compromise and promote the quality of listening to understand. This will mean rejecting the exaltation of self that comes from selfish ambition and conceit. Human nature is such that the pull is always toward an inappropriate focus upon self. We develop opinions and gather others who share that opinion to the point of harming genuine human community. Humility represents an honest appraisal of human life. We are here for such a brief time. The things at which we grasp and cling to so tightly, one day will pass from our hands. Humility recognizes that the things of this earth that take up so much of our time and energy will not be with us forever. The fledgling Christian community was in a dangerous position, so they need to experience the deeper bonds of fellowship and friendship. Although the reason for danger may be different today, the Christian community always experiences danger in relation to the culture in which it lives, for which the leaders need to be alert, making this advice applicable to every generation and culture. "When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together."[7] In reflecting upon the life of Christ, as he will do in a moment, they are to have humility, regarding others as better than they are. They need to look beyond their interests and toward the interests of others. Christians cannot simply take for granted the privilege of living among other Christians. The physical presence of other Christians is a source of joy and strength to the individuals who form their life together. Christians cannot survive as people of faith, hope, and love alone. When the people of God come together to share their lives openly and freely, accepting each other with a kind of unconditional positive regard, there is a sort of social-spiritual 'chemistry' that emerges, and those who come together experience a delightful cohesion and sense of belonging.
In Philippians 2:5-11 has Paul setting before his readers the example of Christ Jesus for the church in Philippi as to how they ought to treat each other. In inviting them to consider a life worthy of the gospel (1:27), Paul is going to suggest that regardless of any human examples one may find, what Christ did is for Christians is the supreme example of how we are to treat each other. What Paul will say here is of great interest in Christian reflection upon Christology. Yet, we need to remember that the purpose of this section is to support his previous exhortation to the community. Considering what Christ Jesus has done, Paul says, they as readers are to act out their partnership in relation to each other. He knows their relation to Christ will be the strongest appeal he can make when he offers his exhortation to proper Christian behavior and discipleship. Paul writes this letter from prison, using himself as an example of patient dependence upon God. He now shows that Christ subjected himself to the limits of a human life to become Savior. Christ becomes an example of how Christians are to submit to each other. Christ willingly submits to the will of God.
In the process of providing the supreme example of humility, however, Paul will write some of the most important statements regarding who Christ is. The hymn becomes a common confession of the faith of those gathered for worship. It shows that early in the life of the church was a felt need to express through a fixed text that which unites them before God.[8] The image of Christ portrayed in the hymn of verses 6-11 is one of willing submission to the will of God. This text offers what may very well be one of the oldest Christological reflections in the entire New Testament. If this is indeed the case, the theology behind this hymn represents not only Paul’s own thoughts, but also the Christological convictions of the first generation of believers. The hymn is the basis for the theological tradition making a distinction between two phases of the history of Jesus in terms of a state of humiliation and a state of exaltation, based on the preexistence of Christ.[9] Paul either appeals to an early hymn from Antioch, of which we have examples in Colossians 1:15-20, II Timothy 2:11-13, and Ephesians 5:14, or he constructs his own hymn along the lines of the exalted prose of I Corinthians 13.[10] Christian teaching regarding Jesus, Christology, often thinks of two phases of the history of Jesus, referring to the exaltation and glorification of life with the Father, and the humility of his life with humanity. Paul will use a word that has become important to Christian teaching. In Greek, the word is “kenosis.” It will carry a double meaning that is difficult to communicate with any one word in English.
As Paul begins, he urges his readers to allow humility and obedience to shape their lives. He wants them to keep maturing in the faith by setting before them the example of Jesus. He is appealing to what they already know about themselves in Christ. He is urging them to put aside all competition and internal strife. Paul appeals to Christ as the pattern for the behavior of the community. If they listen to Paul, they will have a common, shared approach to each other. Christ will be the heart of that commonality. The basis for his encouragement is their relationship as believers to Christ rather than Torah.[11] Therefore, those who differ can still have unity of spirit that makes them want to put others in the group first and look beyond their personal interests.
Paul describes the first part of the life of Christ, the path of his humiliation. The nature of that humiliation provides a place of debate. The incarnating mission of Christ becomes a pattern for the incarnating mission of local congregations. Paul helps the Philippians remember that Jesus Christ began his life in a unique way. He was in the form (μορφῇ) of God, which, although its background is humanity created in the image and likeness of God, here it refers to the equality of the Son in relation to the Father. The temptation may have been present in the Son to be independent of the Father, but as Adam, created in the image and likeness of God, chose that course, the Son did not. Adam chose independence from God in hope of being like God, having the right to judge matters of right and wrong. By contrast, the Son relinquished divinity for the sake of humanity. The Son refused special privileges, but rather, seized an opportunity for special and sacrificial service. Human destiny is fellowship with God, but taking this destiny into our own hands means with withdraw from that destiny. Our destiny becomes a temptation for us. When we grasp at our destiny as if it were our prey, which we can do through both religious cultivation of our life with the divine or by emancipation from all religious ties, we will miss our destiny. We can achieve our destiny only through acknowledging our distinction from God, accepting our finitude, and accepting ourselves as creatures of God.[12] The Son resisted the temptation to remain within the divine fellowship he already had with Father and Spirit. Rather than remain in that fellowship, the Son emptied (ἐκένωσεν) himself.
Paul stresses that the Son stripped himself of his divine privileges and status and took on the responsibilities, limitations, and status of a human being, indeed of a servant among human beings, the lowest of the low. [13] In other words, we should read this passage in a social way, considering the given social order in Philippi. Just as Paul is not asking the Philippians to give up their Roman citizenship and the identity which comes with that to truly be a citizen of the heavenly commonwealth, so he is not suggesting that the Son gave up his heavenly identity to be a human being. What he gave up was his privileges and status to self-sacrificially serve others and even die for them. The Philippians are also to take on the mindset of Christ and so not view their social status and privileges as they have in the past, which should lead to different and more self-sacrificial behavior. Rather than remain in the fellowship with the Father and the Spirit, the Son emptied (ἐκένωσεν) using a term that has received attention in the attempt to clarify what is took place in this transaction. Further, he took the form (μορφὴν) of a slave, was born in human likeness (ὁμοιώματι), and was found in human form (σχήματι) or appearance. The transaction undoubtedly means he emptied himself throughout the course of his life in service to others, Paul thus underlining the exhortation to not look to one’s own interests but to the interests of others (v. 4). A dramatic picture of this is the foot-washing episode in John 13:5-17 (Origen, Cyprian). The historical path of the life of Jesus was that of self-emptying. He showed the love of God for humanity by becoming one with humanity. Paul places in explicit contrast the form of God and the form of a servant. He places in stark contrast the form and equality with God to the form of a slave and the likeness of humanity. Thus, he is also referring to the transaction of self-emptying as the path of the pre-existent Son entering earthly existence, showing how the fully divine Son became the historical Jesus of Nazareth. Such a kenotic Christology communicates the self-emptying that the Son voluntarily offered on the cross. It begins with the Son, in living and eternal relationship with the Father and Spirit, who set aside his divinity to become human. Kenosis at this level reveals the distinction of the Son from the Father and subordination of the Son to the Father. The divine Son completely identifies with sinful humanity. Equality with God was the not his goal, so he took on a form not originally his own and adopted that form to the extreme as the Son identified with humanity. This act of divine self-emptying was the path for the divine to enter the world of humanity without becoming unlike the divine. In fact, to say it philosophically, the self-emptying of the Son becomes the path for the self-actualizing of the deity of the Trinitarian God in relation to the world and comes into being through this self-actualizing.[14] In such self-offering and self-humiliation, the Son remains divine, showing that God does not become a stranger to God by this process of self-emptying in Jesus of Nazareth. To say it personally and devotionally, the Trinitarian God shows humanity what God is like by showing up in the one who lived his life as a servant, Jesus of Nazareth. The Son sets aside the equality of divine life with Father and Spirit, but through his obedience during his earthly life remains the Son. The fullness and completeness of his obedience reveals Jesus as the pre-existent Son. Yet, we also see the course of the earthly life of the Son as one of self-emptying as he lives in obedience to God. The human life of Jesus contrasts with Adam, who disobeyed God and hid from God. He forfeited his fellowship with God, while Jesus during his life remained in fellowship with the Father and the Spirit. Adam wanted to be like God by turning from God and choosing a path for himself. Jesus emptied himself in his obedience and thus remained in the likeness of God as the Son. The course of the life of Jesus is one of self-emptying and humbling that led to the cross. Thus, the hymn embraces both the path of the pre-existent Son and the path of the earthly life of Jesus. The result is that such self-emptying, such kenosis, is a genuine expression of divinity. If you want to see what God is like, look here, at the kenotic life of the Son. Kenosis becomes the free expression of the will to love. It reveals the core of divine reality, that God is love. The form of a servant concealed divine glory. Kenosis fulfills Isaiah 52-53 as the servant willingly undergoes suffering and humiliation for the sake of others. The divine essence offers itself freely for the reconciliation and redemption of the world. His death “for us” is in solidarity with the Father and in solidarity with humanity. We can see divine majesty in the cross. Jesus was Lord most meaningfully in the depth of his life as a servant of the Lord and in serving others. Thus, self-emptying here is not a decision to stop being divine, but a decision to show what it really meant to be divine. Rather than exploiting or taking advantage of his divinity, the Son became human in and as Jesus of Nazareth, regarded his equality with God as committing him to the course he took: of becoming human, of becoming Israel’s anointed representative, of dying under the weight of the world’s evil. This is what it meant to be equal with God. As you look at the incarnate son of God dying on the cross the most powerful thought you should think is: this is the true meaning of who God is. He is the God of self-giving love.[15] The allusion to Isaiah 53:12 seems clear, where the suffering servant pours out his life to the point of death. Yet, he also humbled himself by setting aside his divine equality to adopt the human form of existence. Such self-emptying becomes an expression of divinity. His equality with the Father was not the only possibility for the Son. In actualizing this other possibility, the Son shows the true essence of divinity. Such self-emptying is the free expression of the will to love. It shows that God is love. The Son accepted a form in which the world would not recognize, and in which concealed divine glory. The suffering servant of Isaiah 52-3 undergoes suffering and humiliation for the sake of others. Yet, he also charted the course for the new human being in humbling (ἐταπείνωσεν) himself and becoming obedient (ὑπήκοος) to the point of death. As the Son lived in obedience to the Father, he set himself apart from humanity and in the process showed what human beings can become. He states in poetic form here what he argued in Romans 512ff, that the course of the life of Jesus of Nazareth was one of obedience, which set him in sharp contrast with Adam. His obedience as a human being reverses the effect of the disobedience of Adam. The humble and obedient Son sheds light upon the original situation of Adam and therefore our human nature and our destiny in relation to God.
Paul adds to the hymn a typical theme of his that the obedience of the Son extended to death on a cross. He did not just die a normal death. He died one of the most terrible deaths imaginable — death on a cross. The course of the pre-existent Son and the course of Jesus of Nazareth unite in the self-humbling involved in the cross.[16] A careful reading of the hymn makes it clear that Christ emptied self, served, and died — without promise of reward. The extraordinary fact of Christ’s act was that at the cross the future was closed. The door was locked; his obedient service came at the bitter end.[17] The grave of Christ was a cave, not a tunnel. Christ acted in our behalf without view of gain. That is precisely what God has exalted and vindicated: self-denying service for others to the point of death with no claim of return, no eye upon a reward.[18] Paul sees in the cross an action of God in Christ.[19] The life of Christ, in the special sense that his death was “for us,” is a journey to this death. Yes, he lived in solidarity with others. More importantly, he lived in solidarity with God.[20] We see divine majesty in the cross. Jesus was never greater as Lord than in this depth of servanthood that led to the cross.[21] Paul has offered to his readers an astoundingly humble and obedient act of Incarnation and crucifixion as supreme examples of the kind of behavior he is advocating.[22]
The Christological tradition closely followed this hymn. It understood the Incarnation of the Son as his course toward the humiliation on the cross. The Incarnation of the Logos is completed on the cross. Jesus is born to face his passion. He has fulfilled his mission once his Father abandoned him on the cross. One cannot speak of a theology of the Incarnation without it leading to a theology of the cross. God became the kind of human being we do not want to be as the outcast, accursed, and crucified. Yes, behold this man. It becomes a confession of faith that recognizes the humanity of God in the dehumanized Jesus on the cross. Behold, here is your God, hanging upon the cross. The Incarnation is the humiliation of God, where God is fully at one within God and fully at one with the dehumanized other. This death corresponds to the divine nature in contradiction of the abandonment that occurred on the cross. Yes, Jesus is the image of the invisible God, but this means that God is like this, the one who is with the dehumanized other. God is glorious in this self-surrender. God is powerful in this form of helplessness. God is fully God in this dehumanized form of humanity. Everything Christianity has to say about God is found in this, the Christ event. The Christ event is an event in God as well. God has acted and has gone on to suffer. In this event, God is love with all the being of God. The being of the divine encompasses the human being. The event of the cross in the being of God is both trinitarian and personal. Christian theology begins with the person of Christ and understands the relationship of the death of the Son to the Father and the Spirit. The entire doctrine of the kenosis, the self-emptying of God, attempted to understand the divine being in process. The divine being enters into the suffering of the Son and in so doing is and remains completely divine. As such, theology must be able to question the traditional theory of the immutability of God and the impassibility of the divine nature. The cross forces us to reflect upon death occurring in God.[23]
Paul then describes the path of the exaltation of the Son in his resurrection and ascension. Christian communal life is one that anticipates the future, eschatological exaltation of Jesus Christ with all human beings and of all creation. By implication, then, we need to ask ourselves if we are properly exalting Christ today in anticipation of this promised future. The Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it this way: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” His exaltation confirms that he lived in obedience to the mission God gave him. It confirms that he was the obedient Son of the Father.[24] This ancient hymn views the resurrection and ascension as a single event of exaltation.[25] Only his resurrection from the dead gave the Crucified the dignity of Lord.[26] The result of this exaltation is that all creation will properly honor the one crucified and thereby shamed. He fulfills the meaning of name, Yahweh saves. The risen Lord has the authority to rule. The risen Lord is now preparing the way for that rule.[27] Confessing Jesus Christ as Lord honors the glory of the Father and enhances the confession of the one God. [28] Thus, as the hymn (1870) put it:
At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess Him King of glory now;
’Tis the Father’s pleasure we should call Him Lord,
Who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
As another hymn (1916) phrased it:
Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.
A praise song poetically recounts the course of the ancient hymn.
Lord, I lift Your name on high
Lord, I love to sing Your praises
I'm so glad You're in my life
I'm so glad You came to save us
You came from heaven to earth
To show the way
From the earth to the cross
My debt to pay
From the cross to the grave
From the grave to the sky
Lord, I lift Your name on high
The Son emptied himself (kenosis) of divinity to become one of us, to show us the path of obedience to God, while yet remaining divine. The implication is that as Adam experienced temptation and disobeyed, the temptation of the Son was to remain within the divine fellowship he already had with Father and Spirit. Yet, out of love for humanity, he became one with us. He willingly endured the shame of the cross to remain obedient to God. He was in solidarity with the Father, even as he gave his life in solidarity with us. This example of Jesus leads to our reflection upon discipleship, for we need to willingly put aside our rights and serve each other. This path of discipleship does not seek honor the way human beings do. Rather, one receives honor as a gift from God through the promise of eternal life with God.
The point Paul is making is not just a statement about who God is. Rather, his point is that if God is like that, then you are to be of the same mind and attitude in your life. If the Son had this kind of kenotic love, then we are to be of the same mind and have the same love, namely, a kenotic mind and love. That is the discipleship challenge Paul offers us. What might such a life look like? It will invite us to look at life differently.
To receive blessing, be a blessing to others.
To receive love, give love.
To receive honor, first be humble.
To live truly, die to yourself.
To gain the unseen, let go of the seen.
To receive, first give.
To save your life, lose it.
To lead, be a servant.
To be first, be last.
Grasping at things and people is a natural human trait. We think we gain some significance to our lives if we can bring certain things and relationships in our sphere of influence. This is true. We express our worth and dignity by engaging the world around us. It becomes sinful when we grasp and cling to things and relationships in a way that asserts our superiority over others. One of the difficult life lessons we need to learn is that our worth and dignity does not have to be at the expense of others.
One way of imagining maturity in life is to think of approaching life with an open hand toward others. Grasping and clinging represent a basic anxiety and lack of trust. We cannot genuinely care for others while at the same time grasping and clinging to the things that we think give our lives meaning and significance. Yet, one day, we will leave the things at which we grasp as we enter eternity. Humility and generosity represent an honest appraisal of this human life. When we approach life with an open hand, we willingly empty ourselves of personal claims and become open to others. When we reject grasping at life, we free ourselves to accompany others in their journey through life, rejoicing with them, suffering with them, and bearing their burdens. Grasping at life can be a lonely way of life. Emptying ourselves of such claims, we approach life with greater humility and love. I have a suspicion that Jesus himself emptied himself of his unique position with God, willingly bearing the burdens and sins of others, even to the point of a cross. God honors this life of emptiness, humility, and love.
Philippians 2:12-13 continues the exhortation to lead lives worthy of the gospel and to stand firm in one spirit (1:27). The catalyst for such a life is becoming partners in spiritual growth and co-creators of a new life. The theme of the powerful hymn was humility and obedience. As the Son obeyed the Father, they have always obeyed him while he was present, so no in his absence they should challenge any anxiety they have toward salvation, but with fear and trembling, in which God is at work, enabling them to will and work to please God. They depend upon God for their salvation, which later theology would describe as the working of prevenient and cooperative grace. Life itself is not easy. We know this because we see so many people find the path to happiness and fulfillment in life so difficult to discover. If it were so close we could touch it and see it clearly, more of us would embrace it. Most of us go through stages in our lives when we are clueless as to what will bring our lives happiness and fulfillment, or even running the opposite direction. All this is even more true when we embrace the faith proclaimed in the gospel and seek to lead a life corresponding to it. The path of discovering how our unique lives will correspond to what the gospel calls us to be and to do will not be easy. Yet, if we have determined that our intention and action will be toward pleasing God, we have made the most significant decision of our lives.
Philippians 3:4b-14 (Year A October 2-8) consist of warnings against errors, but in the process learn some personal spiritual biography that illustrates why his opponents are going down the wrong path. His life is testimony to the conclusion he has drawn that Torah is not the path to right standing with God. We can infer that his opponents thought that at least some of the Jewish Law remained authority for Christians. Paul will offer the course of his life as a testimony of the falsity of that claim.
The passage raises an important question for us as readers. Is there anything we have had to switch off to see the prize set before us in Christ? In fact, do we desire Christ so much that we are willing to reorder our lives around him? In what ways do we view suffering in this life as participation in the suffering of Christ? How would doing so change our view of suffering? The passage raises the question of the vision we have for our lives. It raises the question of the passion that guides our lives.
In his case, his religious life gave him much about which to boast. He had been an observant and obedient Jew. Some signs of this were the privileges of birth. He arranges in ascending order four clauses that describe the privileges inherited by the apostle apart from his own act or will. First was his circumcision on the 8th day, second was being part of the people of Israel, third was being part of the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe of the first king of Israel, Saul, and from whom he received his name, and fourth, he knew the language and customs of the Jewish people. These advantages of birth provide the foundation, while he chose another dimension of his religious life in being part of the most observant sect of his time, the Pharisee. He interpreted Torah strictly and organized his life around it. Further, when a dangerous teaching arose that said to Jews that Jesus was the promised Messiah, he zealously protected his Pharisee sect and, in the process, protected the special place given to Torah. The fact that he persecuted the church caused Paul pain. He admits that he was unfit for God to call him to be an apostle, as in fact the least of the apostles, due to his persecution of the church of God (Romans 15:9). He admits that he violently persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. In that context, he also testifies that he was zealous for the traditions of his ancestors (Galatians 1:13-14). Further, I Timothy 1:13 also describe him as a blasphemer, a persecutor of the church, and a man of violence. He led a life of scrupulous observance of Torah.
The religious man, the man devoted to Torah, was also a violent man. The transformation that occurs in him makes him an apostle of reconciliation and peace. At a specific moment, his conversion, he set aside that which gave him so much pride as if it were economic loss because of Christ. He regards his Jewish heritage and anything else in which he might consider an advantage as loss. As he writes this, he is in prison, having lost his liberty for Christ. Things once considered valuable are nothing to him, as he rebalances the accounting book of his life. What has become of value is knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord. His perception of what made anything a gain or loss has changed. Thus, for the sake of comparison, he considers anything that one might think of an advantage as rubbish to gain Christ, the most precious thing of all.
Paul will move from the testimony of the transformation of his life to the kerygma, the basic themes of his preaching. Paul will mention his favorite theological topics. He elaborated on this in II Corinthians 2-7. He is now a part of Christ, contrasting that righteousness he has through faith in Christ (πίστεως Χριστοῦ) from that which comes from the law. Such faith or trust that opens one to the presence of the grace of God is the only type of righteousness that matters to Paul. In this simple phrase, he summarizes the argument in Galatians and Romans. By becoming “in Christ,” the believer shares in the righteousness of Christ. Such a statement contains the basis for the doctrine of justification, of which faith is the means of justification rather than its source. This notion of an exchange of places between the innocent Jesus, executed as a sinner, means the manifestation of the righteousness of God in those whom Christ represents before God. Yet, such an exchange of places occurs only as sinners for whom Jesus died let their lives link to the death of Jesus.[29] As he continues with summarizing his kerygma, he uses the language of commitment. He wants to know in a personal way Christ and the power of his resurrection, for it will transform his life and give his life power. He considers it a gain in his life that he can share (κοινωνίαν) in the suffering of Christ, becoming like or conformed to him (συμμορφιζόμενος) in his death. His life is conforming or forming to that of Christ through the suffering he presently experiences. His apostolic ministry involved much suffering. He applies the cross of suffering that led to the cross of Jesus to his experience of suffering as an apostle. His theology of the cross entails discipleship as fellowship with Christ in his suffering. Paul expounds upon the theme of baptism as union with Christ in his suffering, death, and resurrection in Romans 6:3ff. In that sense, faith and baptism belong together.[30] To engage in a discipleship process of becoming like the Son is to participate in the sufferings of Christ. Such a statement is not just a reference to persecution, although for Paul it did mean that and for many Christians in the world it still does mean that. The experience of faithful discipleship in a secular culture will have its own form of persecution, even if it is as simple as the easy dismissal of Christ, whom the follower of today considers every bit as precious as did Paul. However, Paul seems to speak broadly of the struggle against sin, Gethsemane, and Calvary. It expresses the faith/union relation between Christ and believer. The fellowship of the suffering of Christ implies a communal event. The suffering occurs together for the sake of and the name of Christ. The suffering of believers participates in the suffering of Christ. Christ is present with us in our suffering. His expectation and hope is in the direction of resurrection. The context suggests that Schleiermacher was right to say that the Christian hope of life beyond death has its basis here on the fellowship of believers with Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus means participation already in the salvation of eternal life.[31] Paul not only understands the ends of Christian faith to be superior to all else (sharing in the power of the Resurrection) but that the means of Christ's life also offer a superior model to those who proclaim their faith.
Moving from a summary of his kerygma, he returns to the effect upon his life. He will shift the imagery from commerce to athletic competition. Such language reminds us as readers that the Christian life is goal oriented and future directed, as we will find in an athletic contest or in a successful competitor. Another variation of this theme is in I Corinthians 9:24-25. The present struggle in training and discipline prepares one for the contest. His has, obviously, not yet attained the goal of resurrection, but he presses on to make it his own, for Christ has made Paul part of the risen Christ. He forgets what is behind and repeatedly strains forward to what lies ahead, he continually and in a determined fashion presses toward the goal for the prize, which is Christ. Just as the winner of a contest stands on a pedestal to receive the crown or prize, so will those who are in faith relationship and union with Christ receive the prize of eternal life. Suffering is finite and temporal. No contest is infinite in duration; nor is a human life. The Christian situation is a provisional one.
Phil 4:1-9 (Year A October 9-15) contain advice Paul offers to congregations of all times and places in living the Christian life. In the process, he reminds readers that Christians live their lives in the Lord. He will offer advice on a personal conflict, aphorisms, and even a guiding principle, that will lead Christian life to be a genuinely happy one.
Phil 4:1 Paul indicates his deep affection for them, as if he were homesick for them, as if they were his victory crown. He urges them to stand firm. The context of verses 2-9 encouragements, appreciations, and greetings.
Phil 4: 2-3 contain an appeal to two women for unity. His sadness at their disagreement is clear. He writes to them as though they are on equal footing, thus, refusing to place one above the other. The local community of faith can drown in a sea of trivialities. Personality conflicts, petty disputes, and small-minded people sometimes consume us. This is the only time in the letter that a specific cause of disunity is addressed. He is skillful in the way he mentions the issue. Its brevity contributes to keeping it focused on unity in a broader theological context. Paul has mentioned the need to have the same mind in other parts of the letter (1:7, 2:2, 5, 3:15, 19, 4:2, 10, but also II Cor 13:11), mind-set that derives from their mutual connection to the Lord. Focusing upon 2:2, he is urging them to share in the humility and self-emptying attitude that Christ had. He writes to them as though they are on equal footing, thus, refusing to place one above the other. His concern is for reconciliation and unity in the Lord, which, if we read closely the letter of Paul, is a major concern in all his letters. He refers to Clement and others who are his co-workers as having their names written in the book of life, even if the records of history pass them by.
Women were important in the churches Paul superintended. He considered them important in the missionary enterprise that captured his apostolic calling.[32] These women were some of the most visible and active leaders in the church. In Acts 16:14-15, the home of Lydia becomes the first meeting place for the congregation in Philippi.
Phil 4:4-9 is an appeal to prayer and virtue.[33] Paul outlines the attitudinal characteristics that should be evident in the lives of those whose faith is in Christ. It reads like a combination of benediction and an exhortation to cheerfulness.
Phil 4:4-7 offers some aphorisms. Aphorisms are short, pithy, memorable sayings intended to provide some guidance in life. Proverbs is full of them, but we find them scattered throughout the Bible. We also find them scattered throughout life. They can look at life from varying perspectives. Thus, “A rolling stone gathers no moss” suggests that we are to keep moving forward. Yet, “Look before you leap,” suggests pausing before you take the next step. Both are good bits of wisdom applied properly to specific situations. I came across a few more.
- Practice moderation in all things.
- Do not sweat the small stuff.
- Life is too short to hold a grudge.
- Do not ask others to do what you are not willing to do yourself.
- Give a day's work for a day's pay.
- Do what is right; two wrongs do not make a right.
- Pick your battles.
In this case, aphorisms become brief exhortations at the close of this letter. They are reminders of truths they already know.
First, he wants them to rejoice. These were not the best of times for Paul. He was in jail for his faith.[34] These were not the best of times for the Philippian church. The local Roman government authorities persecuted them for their faith.
I want to take the occasion of this brief admonition to reflect upon the notion of happiness and joy in life. If you are a Christian, you might feel some embarrassment at being happy. Paul is encouraging us toward a joyful, happy approach to life. What do you think of happiness? Some very well-regarded people have thought deeply about it. Thomas Jefferson thought about it enough to put it in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Christopher Gardner has an interesting reflection on the preamble:
It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?
The discussion of happiness began in ancient Greece. At the web site pursuit-of-happiness.org, a section is on the history of happiness, and an important part of that history is Aristotle. The Greek word that most people translate as "happiness" is eudaimonia, and, like most translations from ancient languages, this can be misleading. The main trouble is that we often conceive of happiness (especially in modern America) as a subjective state of mind, as when one says one is happy when one is enjoying a cool beer on a hot day, or is out "having fun" with one's friends. For Aristotle, however, happiness is an end or goal that encompasses the totality of one's life. It is not something that one can gain or lose in a few hours, like pleasurable sensations. It is more like the ultimate value of your life as lived up to this moment, measuring how well you have lived up to your full potential as a human being. Philosopher Martha Nussbaum used the term “human flourishing” to communicate this notion of happiness. For this reason, one cannot really make any pronouncements about whether one has lived a happy life until it is over, just as we would not say of a football game that it was a "great game" at halftime (indeed we know of many such games that turn out to be blowouts or duds). For the same reason we cannot say that children are happy, any more than we can say that an acorn is a tree, for they have not yet realized the potential for a flourishing human. As Aristotle says, "For as it is not one swallow or one fine day that makes a spring, so it is not one day or a short time that makes a man blessed and happy."[35] In conclusion, according to Aristotle, what is happiness?
- Happiness is the ultimate end and purpose of human existence.
- Happiness is not pleasure, nor is it virtue. It is the exercise of virtue.
- Happiness arrives at the end of one’s life. Hence it is a goal and not a temporary state.
- Happiness is the perfection of human nature. Since man is a rational animal, human happiness depends on the exercise of his reason.
- Happiness depends on acquiring a moral character, where one displays the virtues of courage, generosity, justice, friendship and citizenship in one's life. These virtues involve striking a balance or "mean" between an excess and a deficiency.
- Happiness requires intellectual contemplation, for this is the ultimate realization of our rational capacities.
Is being happy a worthy goal? Most of us want to be happy, but, especially if we are Christians, we may have a suspicion that happiness is something a little too self-centered to be a divinely blessed pursuit.
I think of sermons I have heard, and preached, perhaps based on this text from Philippians, where one delineates carefully the difference between happiness and joy. Joy, we say, is a true satisfaction in the Christian life -- a kind of gladness in the Lord that is not dependent on fluctuating feelings or the circumstances of our life. Paul even says joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Happiness, on the other hand, we say, is a condition tied to our circumstances and feelings, which can come and go, and is thus an unimportant objective. At least, that is how we in the church -- and, to some extent, in the broader culture -- usually spell it out.
However, we may not have read our Bibles carefully, because the Scriptures, far from being down on happiness, tout it. In fact, the word often translated in our English Bibles as "blessed" can just as correctly be -- and sometimes is -- translated as "happy." (Compare Psalm 119:1 in the NRSV and NIV; compare Matthew 5:3 in the NRSV and CEB.) For centuries, church theologians, including such notables as Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas, wrote in praise of happiness, considering it a blessing from God on the righteous.
John Wesley was among thinkers of the 1700s in England who promoted happiness as a legitimate goal for Christians. To be happy is to be holy. Happiness is a feeling that comes from doing what pleases God. When our lives fit the way God called us to be, we are happy in the sense that we have a life one can evaluate as good and upright, we are personally and deeply satisfied and we lead a life suited for God.
The Old Testament Hebrew word rendered in English as happiness/blessedness is asher. The New Testament Greek word for the same is makarios. Their meanings are similar, but the reason Bible translators cannot agree to use either happy or blessed is that there is no single English word that fully translates the Hebrew and Greek words. In order for us to understand what the Bible means by these words, we have to think of "happy" (the feeling of satisfaction) and "blessed" (God's favor) together. When God evaluates what we are doing as good, and thus favors us, we are in the best position to feel satisfied with our life. Certainly, the psalmist knew that. The Psalms opens with these words: "Happy [Blessed] are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the LORD ..." (emphasis added).
The point is that the pursuit of happiness is a godly activity.
A second aphorism relates to the quality of being gentle, kind, and magnanimous (Phil 4:5). Such gentleness suggests yielding or giving way to another. In II Corinthians 10:1, Christ is gentle. In I Timothy 3:3, bishops are to be gentle. In Titus 3:2, he is to encourage the people to be gentle and courteous to all. In James 3:17, gentleness is one of the characteristics of the wisdom from above. In I Peter 3:17, masters are to be gentle. Such behavior contrasts with violence, quarrelsomeness, and harshness. Gentleness is non-retaliatory. It promotes peace. It suggests flexibility in the face of conflict. It even suggests a deliberate strategy of adaptability and accommodation that the situation of this congregation may demand. Such a mindset is behind the introduction to the Christ hymn in 2:6-11, where he encourages the congregation toward compassion and tenderness, adopting the same attitude toward life as Christ had. Such a spirit of accommodation during a violent situation is always a risk. Such a virtue formed community solidarity. Paul proclaimed a new people, a new nation formed by Jesus Christ in which there were no longer Jew nor Greek, free or slave, male and female (see Galatians 3:28). The practice of adaptability was essential for the formation of a community made up of people quite used to making just such distinctions.[36] Paul urges this community of faith not to enter a power-based relationship between itself and culture, which would be the result of engaging the culture through condemnation. It would alienate the community from their neighbors. Paul recommends a program of accommodation and adjusting as much as possible. He wanted them to join where they could.
Shifting from aphorism to statement of a guiding principle of the Christian life, we are to live with the awareness that the Lord is near (Phil 4:5). Such a guiding principle intends to provide guidance broadly and deeply in the life of the person and community. If this is an ontological statement, the nearness of God is not temporal but eternal, and it is precisely through prayer that one recognizes God as near. The Lord is near to you now, even if you do not feel it or believe it. Based upon this nearness, therefore, he can offer some short and memorable pieces of advice for his readers.
Since the Lord is near, the third aphorism is that we have no need to worry about anything (Phil 4:6), for this suggests lack of trust. Worry can function like an addiction. We are familiar with worry, so it feels safer than real life does. If we worry, we must think that at some level the terrible things we imagine will not happen. For example, we have already given ourselves the pain of failure through our worry, so we might escape such pain in real life. We can worry about the way time keeps slipping away, and too often we sense that we have wasted the time we have. Our worries crowd out the reasons we could have for offering praising and giving thanks.
Meher Baba (1894–1969) was a mystic from India who would communicate something like this to his followers in the West: "Do your best. Then, don’t worry; be happy in My love. I will help you.” Bobby McFerrin saw the quote and wrote a song that in 1988 that became the first a cappella song to make it to number one. One verse catches theme:
Now there, is this song I wrote
I hope you learned it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy, be happy now.
Fourth, in contrast to worry, offer prayer and make requests that arise out of a sense of need to God with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6), showing that gratitude is the starting point and context of all Christian prayer.[37]Gratitude is to move through all our prayers, an attitude that arises from the ontological sense of the nearness of the Lord.
Fifth, adopting such perspectives will enable us to experience the peace of God (Phil 4:7). Such peace flows from confident well-being. Given the situation of Paul in prison, such peace does not arise out of a change of circumstance, but from the intimate connection with the Infinite and Eternal God that we have established through our prayers. The peace of which Paul writes arises out of our personal faith relationship with God.
In Phil 4:8-9, Paul makes an appeal for virtue. He will emphasize a close connection in Christian life between thought and action, doctrine and practice. We can think of this list as part of the various lists of virtues Paul will present in his letters. He wants his readers to strive to make these virtues part of their lives. Such lists were part of the first century moral philosopher’s method of teaching. The true, the opposite of which is deception, is the unconcealed. We are to recognize and develop the honorable, venerable, dignified and deeply respected. The just refers to what is right, equitable, innocent, and holy. The pure refers to the innocent and modest. The pleasing refers to the lovely, acceptable, and deeply prized. The commendable refers to what is reputable, admirable, and that which is spoken well of. Paul could list more virtues, so refers to anything that has moral excellence, goodness and graciousness and that is worthy of commendation and approval. These are the things about which Paul wants them to think. Human beings have it in them to recognize such virtues and act in accord with them. Human beings in individual and corporate life bear the image of God. Every culture is a way of saying that every culture bears that image in a unique way. The result is that Paul saw some overlap with the moral philosophy of the day. He might even have thought of Prov 23:7, which suggested that as people think in their hearts, so they are in their lives. If we focus on thinking, we are focusing upon that to which our minds give attention. If we give it attention, we will at least consider doing it. If we do not give it attention, we will dismiss it. If we can give our attention to it continually, we will believe. If we believe, we will do.[38] I would urge prayerful reflection and meditation on such virtues, asking the simple question of whether they are growing in our lives. Paul concludes with the exhortation that if they keep doing what they have learned, received, heard, and seen in him, the God of peace will be with them.
The most significant trouble with guiding principles is how easy it is to forget them, or at least forget to put them into practice when we need them. The circumstances of life can so bog us down and overwhelm us that our hard-won bits of wisdom do not spring to mind. Such is the challenge of aphorisms and guiding principles, which is also, why we need such simple, memorable reminders of the persons God wants us to be.
[1] Pannenberg Systematic Theology Volume 3, 546, 577-8.
[2] Barth Church Dogmatics III.2 [47.5] 640.
[3] Barth Church Dogmatcs III.4 [55.2] 404.
[4] Douglas Campbell, Pauline Dogmatics, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2020, location 3198-3256,.
[5] Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams (2010), 174.
[6] Pannenberg Systematic Theology Volume 3, 605.
[7] Robert Fulgham, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
[8] - Oscar Cullman, The Earliest Christian Confessions, ET 1949
[9] Panennberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 308.
[10] (See Gordon D. Fee, "Philippians 2:5-11, Hymn or Exalted Pauline Prose?" Bulletin for Biblical Research 2 [1992], 29-46.)
[11] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 68-9.
[12] Pannenberg, Systematic Theoogy Volume 2, 230.
[13] Ben Witherington III, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Eerdmans, 2011), 143-144.
[14] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1, 421.
[15] N.T. Wright, Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (SPCK, 2004), 102–103.
[16] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 375-7.
[17] (Karl Barth, The Epistle to the Philippians, pp. 59–60).
[18] —Fred B. Craddock, Philippians (John Knox Press, 1985), 42.
[19] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 439.
[20] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 424.
[21] Barth, Church Dogmatics II.1 [31.2] 516-8, II.1 [30.2], 397, IV.1 [59.1] 180, IV.2 [64.2] 150-1.
[22] According to Gordon D. Fee, "Philippians 2:5-11, Hymn or Exalted Pauline Prose?" Bulletin for Biblical Research (1992),
[23]
[24] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 452.
[25] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 354.
[26] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 283..
[27] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1, 312.
[28] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1, 266.
[29] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 428.
[30] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 232, 257.
[31] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 534, 568.
[32] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 390.
[33] Verses 4-7 are part of what some scholars call “Letter B” and verses 8-9 are part of “letter C,” for those who accept that canonical Philippians is a composite letter.
[34] Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians from a prison cell. His greatest desire, to continue traveling and preaching the gospel in new and distant places, was apparently a lost cause. He sat old and ill in a jail, only able to write letters of encouragement and counsel to those he had already reached.
[35] (Nicomachean Ethics, 1098a18).
[36] (See Clarence E. Glad, Paul and Philodemus: Adaptability in Epicurean and Early Christian Psychagogy, vol. 81 in Supplements to Novum Testamentum [Leiden and New York: Brill, 1995], 1-14.)
[37] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 207.
[38] Nelson Price, How to Find Out Who You Are.
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