Philippians 1:3-11 has the theme of a thanksgiving and prayer. It will particularly give me an opportunity to discuss sharing, discernment, the unfinished quality of a human life, and the day of Christ.
The thanksgiving is very full, expressing intensity of his feelings. These verses, the epistolary thanksgiving and prayer, set the tone for this letter and introduce many of the important themes. These words indicate not only the strong and long-lasting bond between Paul and the Philippians, but also their mutual trust in the faithfulness of God.
The Philippians gave Paul some sort of material support after he shared the gospel with them, but they seemed also to give of themselves to nurture their relationship with Paul. These beginning verses of the letter are evidence of a deep friendship that has its root in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul loves the Philippians deeply, but he does not idolize them. They have been excellent sharers in his work of the gospel, but they are not perfect. Like Paul, they have not yet finished the race and attained to perfection (3:12); Paul still has prayers for their growth and maturation. This friendship recognizes the good but does not settle there. Instead, this friendship seeks betterment for both Paul and the Philippians. This deep love and desire for improvement is possible because it is rooted in God. In addition, Paul here shows evidence of an interesting dialectic between trust and humility. Paul is extremely confident that God will perfect the Philippians, but he does not allow this confidence to lead into laxity. Instead, he continues to pray for their increased discernment and perfection. Paul’s friendship with the Philippians is grounded in his hope in the God who is working in both their lives.
Paul's sunny mood, even while in prison, may certainly have been an expression of his own internal optimistic disposition and steadfastness at this time in his ministry. Paul was nothing if not emotional. However, the juxtaposition of mood with context serves another purpose as well: In the cities of the Mediterranean world where churches were founded, like Philippi, there was often opposition to the neophyte church from non-Christian inhabitants and competition from other "Jesus" sectarian groups. The initial spirit-filled enthusiasm of the new Christian in Philippi was, in some cases, beginning to wane. Practical day-to-day issues of congregational life were taking their toll. There was division within the community, hence Paul encourages them to be "in full accord and of one mind" (2:2). Apparently Jewish-Christian evangelists who preached circumcision as a faithful requirement were following Paul's itinerary and drawing some of the believers away (3:2ff). Some of the faithful in the Philippian church were becoming confused by their perceived responsibilities to the secular state. Hence, Paul reminded them of their primary citizenship in heaven (3:20). Having learned of some issues that were challenging the faith of the believers, Paul writes to help the Christians in Philippi maintain their own steadfastness.
Although in prison, Paul does not panic. The apostle expresses joyful confidence in a savior and a communion of saints who remain in solidarity with him through the manifestation of the loving purposes of God. Paul pens words of encouragement appropriate to Advent, and every season, when we need to be reassured that Christ is near — often nearer than we suspect. He demonstrates the altruism that comes from those who know something about longing with the compassion of Christ — the compassion that can sustain our suffering through the dark night of our souls, and then equip us to share the joy that comes with the morning of the day of Jesus Christ.
In verse 3, Paul issues his thanks to God. 3 I thank (he sets a Eucharistic tone) my God every time I remember you. Although grammatically this could be rendered as Paul’s thankfulness concerning the Philippians’ remembrance of him, specifically the gift they sent to him (4:10-20), based upon his use of this phrase in other letters, it seems more likely that he is thankful every time he brings the Philippians to mind. The tone of his expression for them even becomes a bit hyperbolic. Paul is 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you. Note the repetition of the word “all” throughout the letter. Joy amid suffering is a recurring theme of the letter. His prayers for the Philippians are not times of struggles and tears, but he voices them with joy. In other places, Paul indicates the frequency of his prayerful mentions of other addressees (Romans 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; Philemon 4), but here he especially highlights not just the repetition but also the joy his memories of the Philippians bring. In verses 5-6, Paul gives thanks to God 5 because of your sharing (κοινωνίᾳ) in (or cooperation toward and in aid of) the gospel (εὐαγγέλιον) from the first day, the founding of the congregation, until now. This denotes cooperation in the broadest sense. Generosity proved the sincerity of their love. Later in the letter, Paul will remind them that they were the only church to share with him after he left Macedonia (4:15). This gift took place following the beginning of the gospel. This seems to indicate that after they heard the gospel for the first time, they showed their true participation in it by sharing with Paul. The Philippians, however, were not seeds that sprouted up quickly and then perished in the heat of the sun. They not only gave Paul a gift at the beginning, but their involvement with the gospel also continued until the present time. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work (apostolic ministry or their conversion) among you will bring it to completion (ἐπιτελέσει) by the day of Jesus Christ. This perseverance is not due to some inner tenacity of the Philippians, but, in Paul’s view, is the work of God. This passage contains two references to “the day of Jesus Christ” (1:6, 10). This notion is evidence of an early Christian appropriation of the Old Testament expectation of the Day of the Lord, in which Jesus Christ will act as the judge of all (1:10; 2:16; 3:10; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9). Anticipating the advent of Christ is not a matter of private piety as much as it is more fully the concern of a community committed to sharing in the gospel “from the first day until now” and into the future toward “the day of Jesus Christ.” Mindful of the ongoing power of the first Christ event, Paul focuses here on anticipating Christ’s Second Coming, particularly in terms of the dynamic that the seeds of God’s purposes planted in the Philippians will come fully to fruition in accord with the return of Christ. Christ’s future advent presently beckons Christians to participate and grow in the gospel. Reinforcing the sense of expectation related to the day of Jesus Christ is a Eucharistic tone related to thanks (v. 3), abundance (v. 9), and the harvest — literally, fruit — of righteousness (v. 11). For Paul, the promise of the eschaton always shapes the present. Furthermore, whatever is occurring in historical time is really an unfolding of God’s ultimate design. What God started God will also bring to completion. This passage calls upon the reader to hold fast and await the coming of the “day of Christ.” What counts is not so much whether one can name the beginning of the encounter with Christ, but that one should live because of the penetration once effected in the life of an individual. God is the one who began the work. What matters is that this work, once begun, should go forward to its completion. One will never live based on that penetration, as though it were simply in the past and over with, but in such a way that it is always in front and afresh.[1] Most of us do not like any of our projects to receive the label of “unfinished.” Sticking with something until its completion is a virtue. However, it is one thing to have unfinished jobs around the house. It is quite another thing to realize how unfinished we are as individuals — how far short we fall of the goal of being the persons God calls us to be. Yet, Paul is reminding us that our lives are unfinished even at death. Completion will come with the day of Christ. The completion of the work of God is not up to us. God will bring the work of God to its completion, a notion that includes the reconciling and redeeming work of God in us. In verses 7-8, Paul goes on to indicate why it is right for him to be so thankful for the Philippians and so confident about their progress. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, first, because you hold me in your heart.[2] Paul acknowledges the deep connection they have with each other. The apostle has an intimate regard for them. Paul will mention some rivalry to him as their mentor (1:15), so this reminder is appropriate. The church in Philippi is a community of which Paul is particularly fond. Second, a clearer explication of the nature of the fellowship the Philippians have held with him since the beginning. Their cooperation or sharing provides good reason for his confidence in them. He reminds them of the deep level of sharing they have, using a metaphor expressing perfect union: for all of you share (συνκοινωνούς) in God’s grace with me. Paul then expresses the pain of imprisonment as he points out that they share the grace of God both in my imprisonment and, possibly referring to his trial, in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. We can note the paradoxical nature of sharing. They share the grace of God, even while they share in the struggle, conflict, and suffering that maintaining a faithful witness entails. The days when Christians will be systematically singled out for their faith and persecuted and tortured because of them is still decades away. However, as Acts and his other letters give us evidence, Paul disrupted the economic enterprise (Acts 16:19) of individuals at times and seemed to arouse Jewish inhabitants and other non-Jewish citizens of cities throughout Asia Minor. These disruptions drew the attention of the concerned Roman political and military leadership. Therefore, while for the Roman magistrates Paul was in prison for a "disturbing of the peace" charge, for Paul his impending court date is nothing less than an opportunity for an "apologia" of the kerygma. Paul is suffering for Christ on behalf of the churches. The church shares the afflictions of his apostolate. The Philippians have stood by Paul in challenging times. Paul's imprisonment serves as an appropriate object lesson: Confrontation and hardship are not evidences of failure; they are proof of faith's success. Furthermore, although it is not explicit, Paul's imprisonment serves as an implicit reminder of one of his central metaphors - that of the body (I Corinthians 12; Romans 12; Ephesians 4). Believers, because the bonds of faith and mutual affection connect them, share fully in the triumphs and tragedies of their constituent parts. The mood of this passage is one of thanksgiving (again a formulaic epistolary theme, see Romans 1:8), joy and confidence, even though Paul is in prison and is awaiting trial before Roman magistrates. 8 For God is my witness, not a surprising statement when we remember that he is preparing to make his case in court, how I long[3] for all of you with the compassion of[4] Christ Jesus. Paul still desperately misses his friends. His longing has a deep connection to Christ, a longing that may carry with it a mystical meaning.[5] However, it could also refer to Jesus’ love for others in his earthly ministry, where Jesus shown compassion on the crowds (Matthew 14:14). He shows pastoral concern. Moreover, expansion on the reality of compassion could lead to considerations of shared patience and even suffering as the body of Christ on the way to celebrating the joy of Christ’s arrival — remembering that shared sorrow is half sorrow, while shared joy is joy that one can double. In his imprisonment, Paul is very thankful for all the Philippians have done for him, and he trusts that God will continue to build up their faith. In verses 9-10, instead of focusing upon the outcome of his hearing, or highlighting his own tribulations as he does elsewhere (I Thessalonians 2:2; II Corinthians 1:8), Paul the prisoner urges his friends to press on in love and not allow the pressures of opposition to sway them. The thanksgiving section has clearly established the depth of the friendship; now Paul moves to articulate a prayer for the congregation in Philippi. Paul’s prayer is a list of things that crescendos to the glory and praise of God. 9 Further, this is my prayer, that your love may overflow (abundance is a Eucharistic theme) more and more (genuine love, of course, would stop nowhere, for it will always find ways to increase) with knowledge and full insight (or discernment) 10 to help you to determine what is best (in moral decisions or what things are most necessary). The fulfillment of the prayer is they will be able to discern and practice Christian life as a believing community. The approving of excellent things is in accord with the existing situation, of course. We need sensitivity to the will of God because the existing situation is one filled with demonic possibilities. Paul refers to knowledge and testing, and thus, does not limit himself to instinctive feeling. Of course, the decision of God stands above the existing situation. The point at issue is the mutual relationship between this, that, or the other possible line of action in this situation and the divine command. We find such commands in central passages ethical passages in the Bible, such as the Ten Commandments, the list of virtues and vices, the fruit of the Spirit, and the love of God and neighbor. While such commands provide direction, they do not determine what God might command in a particular ambiguous situation on the frontiers of ethical dilemmas. Thus, Paul invites us to consider the various possibilities of action open to us in the existing situation. Yet, the relevant question is whether we can adopt this or that particular possibility in the confidence that the relation between it and the divine command will be positive and therefore the action will be in accord with the purpose of God.[6] Thus, Paul is promoting the empowering for one’s own independent judgment, a theme that will be an important part of the Reformation guided by Martin Luther and John Calvin.[7] When they are able to decide between the important and unimportant in life, they will be ready to give account of their lives. Thus, through independent judgment of what is best, the result will be that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless (also I Corinthians 1:8, a congregation with which Paul had much to correct). Such purity and blamelessness will come on that day, 11 having produced the harvest (a Eucharistic theme) of righteousness in their presence experience that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. In the face of internal division and external opposition, the priority of the faithful then and now is to continue to produce such a harvest. Only as far as the life of the believer binds itself with the life in Christ, does the righteousness of Christ become the believers. It must be by its nature fruitful. The only true aim of human endeavor is the manifestation of Christ’s power and grace. Since the prayer is for righteousness in their present experience, the prayer is a challenge for self-examination. Given the similarity of this prayer with the prayer for the Corinthians, we can see that for Paul, whether the believers are intimate participants in every aspect of his ministry or in need of serious scolding, his confidence remains in God who begins and will complete the development of righteousness in the lives of the members of his congregations. All are accountable to God, the ultimate judge of our actions. It is the final Day of Judgment that Paul challenges the faithful to prepare for. He does want them distracted by the minor inconveniences of division within the body or a temporal and secular legal hearing. To state it again, for Paul, the promise of the eschaton, the last day, always shapes the present. Furthermore, whatever is occurring in historical time is really an unfolding of God's ultimate design. What God started God will also bring to completion. The believer understands that internal division and external opposition are but signs of the passing of the ages. When we consider the reality of the returning Christ, we need to remember that in it, the Father will manifest Jesus as the Lord to the glory of God the Father.[8]
Paul urges that we become conscious of our accountability on the day of Christ. Many preachers are uncomfortable with this theme. One preacher tells this story. Early in his ministry, he and his wife went to the funeral of a relative of someone in his church. It was at a little country church, a denomination with a style of worship quite different from his own. The funeral sermon consisted of the preacher whooping and shouting to the congregation: “It’s too late for old Joe. He’s dead! He might have wanted to give his life to God, to join the church. Can’t now. He’s dead!” The preacher noted, “I thought to myself, What a comfort this must be to the grieving family.” “Joe’s time is up. But your time, brothers and sisters, is not up. If you are going to give your life to God, do it today. If you are going to get your life right, do it now. There is still time!” The preacher was disgusted. On the way home he told his wife how insensitive, manipulative, tacky that funeral sermon was. She agreed. It was insensitive, inappropriate, and manipulative. “And worst of all, it was true.”[9]
Paul discusses sharing in several ways. Healthy Christian community consists of genuine sharing. I share a well-known preacher story. A man has a dream; he dies and goes to hell. While in hell the man notices there are many tables, and starving people are sitting all around the great tables. There is hot food to accommodate all tastes on the table. Nevertheless, people are starving. In hell, they are starving with food torturing them right before their eyes. While all this food is right before them, people are starving to death. Each person has a six-foot-long fork in his left hand, and a six-foot-long spoon in the other hand. The people in hell cannot get to the delicious food, because the forks reach beyond their mouths. Forks are too long. Too big. The next night, the man dreams of going to heaven. When he gets to heaven, he sees tables as far as the eyes can see. The tables are full of hot, wonderful food. Now the man is very troubled, for he sees that each believer has a six-foot -long fork in his left hand, and a six-foot-long spoon in the other hand. It is beginning to look like the same dream all over again. Yet, there is a difference. All the people here are full and satisfied. Then, he understood why. In heaven, as they sat at the table, each person fed the person on either side. The difference between heaven and hell was giving and love!
One can have confidence amid the various struggles of Christian community because the hope for the day of Christ. Shared sorrow is half sorrow. Shared joy becomes double. The Christian life is not just a matter of private piety. The Christian life has great concern for a community committed to sharing the gospel. Wherever possible, our attitude toward the community needs to take the courageous stance of thankfulness and praise. The community is not perfect, but neither are we. If God begins the work in us and must bring the work to completion, “now” is far from perfect. We grow as we can hold the other person in our hearts. Such sharing reminds us of our mutual accountability in the Christian community. American Christians can seek spiritual wisdom and counsel from many places. However, if we have a relationship with some others in the church in which we hold each other in our hearts, it helps to keep us within the sphere of the influence of Christ. Further, when we share, suffer, and have conflict as we advance the good news, we receive the grace of God. Such connecting with others opens the door to God in new ways. Our prayer for others in the community is for the increase of love, knowledge, and discernment in moral matters. We do need knowledge and discernment. Part of our prayer is to ask for the listening ear. We must not shrink from the word that corrects and admonishes. We may need to allow time for an image of ourselves to arise before us that causes us to pause and reconsider a word that we hear which challenges us to deeper consecration and higher resolve. We can have confidence in what God has given us in Christ. We can have confidence in this communion of saints who remain in solidarity with each other through showing the loving purpose of God. Generosity shows the validity of love. Generosity comes from those who know something about longing with the compassion of Christ. Christ is nearer than we suspect he is. The compassion of Christ sustains us through suffering and equips us to share the joy. Expansion on the reality of compassion can lead to considerations of shared patience and even suffering as the body of Christ.
Paul stresses that God begins and completes the work of God in us. Recognizing the unfinished nature of our practice of faith is a good thing. Think of an unfinished building. It is between the beginning and the completion. It looks today only like a shell of what it shall be. Yes, it may seem like we are walking darkness. Yet, we have the stubborn hope that if we just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. We may wait, watch, and work, but we do not give up.[10] We learn that a single mistake is not what we should confuse with the final mistake.[11] Most of us will go through times when it took all our strength not to have run away.[12] Recognizing the unfinished quality of a human life should help us to live life with humility, recognizing that we are not all that God intends for us to be. This humility should make us gracious and willing to listen in our dealings with others. It should make us beware of certainty. The unfinished nature of our knowledge means that our opinions are not the last word on the topics of life. Some of our notions may even turn out to be “half-baked” — which is a synonym for unfinished. It should make us work on growing in love. We do that by saying yes as God reveals new things to us that we need to convert to go forward in our relationship with Christ and with others. Consistency in the Christian life is not usually the outcome of our initial commitment to Christ. Rather, it comes slowly and sometimes even painfully through subsequent submissions to God’s call.
No, my God’s not done
Making me a masterpiece
He’s still working on me
He started something good and I’m gonna believe it
He started something good and he’s gonna complete it
So I’ll celebrate the truth
His work in me ain’t through
I’m just unfinished.[13]
[1] Barth, Church Dogmatics IV.3 [71.2] 518.
[2] The NRSV translates the Greek "because you hold me in your heart" - however, it is likewise proper to translate the Greek "because I hold you in my heart." Either translation will do. The first reminds the Philippians of their affection for Paul, and therefore checks the enthusiasm of some of the community who may be looking elsewhere for spiritual mentoring as is evidenced in 1:15. The second reminds the Philippians of Paul's affection for them. Paul founded the community and experienced a powerful display of the Holy Spirit as he and Timothy were in prison (see Acts 16:12-40).
[3] This verb is often used to express longing or missing someone.
[4] Translating the Greek phrase that literally means “in the vital organs” or “in the bowels” of Christ Jesus.
[5] Lightfoot.
[6] Barth, Church Dogmatics II.2 [38.1] 639, although Barth would probably disagree with me on some of this.
[7] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 128.
[8] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 627.
[9] William Willimon.
[10] Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Anchor Books, 1995), xxiii.
[11] F. Scott Fitzgerald.
[12] Dag Hammarskjöld, Markings (Random House, 1982), 4.
[13] —“Unfinished,” sung by Mandisa, genius.com.
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