Paul's Prayer for the Philippians

Hello Treasure Hunters!

Do you ever get to a passage of scripture and find that for some reason you just cannot stop thinking about it? Sometimes as I read my Bible I will come upon a passage that grabs my attention. I find in those moments there is something about that verse or passage that God wants me to grab hold of… that is what has happened to me with Paul’s prayer for the Philippians found in verses 9-11.

“9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”[1]

In my opinion, praying for one another is an act of love. I can’t tell you how encouraged I am when someone tells me I’ve been in their prayers. Their willingness to petition the Lord on my behalf is so encouraging to me. So I can imagine that when Paul writes I’m praying for you to this church they were comforted and blessed by it. Do you hear his heart? Do not forget he is writing them from prison and yet he is concerned for their needs. What a radical change Jesus brought about in Paul’s life! From Saul the Pharisee whose mission was to destroy Christians to Paul the Pastor who wanted these believers grow in Christ. They mattered to Paul and he knew they mattered to God.

What does he pray for? He prays their love may abound still more and more… Paul’s words are beautiful and it has taken a bit of work for me to wrap my mind around what Paul was saying. I’m a simple girl from Texas and although I’ve been known to use flowery, descriptive language it can’t hold a candle to the vocabulary Paul uses. So, I needed to look up this passage in two different translations. This allows me to see how scholars have interpreted Paul’s words. The first translation I looked at is the New Living and it reads…

“9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ*—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”[2]

The other translation I chose was the Amplified Bible which says this…

“9And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment], 10 So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble]. 11May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized].”

That our love may abound still more and more…that it may overflow mixing with knowledge and discernment… Why… because love must be what balances both. Love is the foundation for everything. In fact, 1 Corinthians 13 (another of Paul’s letters) says in verse 2:

“If I have the gift of prophecy, and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing.”

Knowledge without love is worthless to us, and meaningless to others because its all head and no heart. What happens when we apply knowledge without love? We become judgmental, critical, without mercy, and accusatory. Don’t think so? Consider the Pharisee’s… Jesus often reserved His harshest words for them… why? They knew all about the law – the “you should do’s” and the “you should not do’s”. They knew all about the history of God’s interaction of the Jewish people. I suppose they even thought they had a pretty good idea of the character of God. What they should have learned from the scriptures they had to memorize was this one simple truth… the very essence of God is love. Go to Luke 7:36 and read the story of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus feet and then dried them with her hair at a Pharisees house. Look at how the Pharisee reacts to this woman. Then see how Jesus responds to the Pharisee, and then this woman He treasured.

Love must abound – it must overflow, it must temper everything! As we grow, our love grows in knowledge that comes by not just reading His word, but by experiencing Him. I’ve met many of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that have knowledge but lack love. I hear them make judgmental, critical, condescending comment’s about people we are supposed to love… and honestly I will admit that I am just as guilty and unfortunately probably will be again. I pray that every time I find myself applying knowledge without love, every time I get full of myself Jesus would gently remind me to remove the plank from my eye first. That is why my prayer because of this passage is Lord as I grow please give me more love than you do knowledge so that my words and actions reflect your heart for others.

Love must also be the basis of discernment. What is discernment? It is the capacity to perceive or recognize the difference. It is important so…

“that you may approve the things that are excellent”

If there are things that are excellent then it stands to reason there are also things that are bad… discernment is the ability to know the difference between the two. As believers we must learn to sense and understand what is good, right and pure and seek to act accordingly.

I like to think of discernment as God’s internal alarm system powered by the Holy Spirit because it also protects us. We need to be aware there are people in the world who will try to take advantage of us or who have questionable motives. J. Vernon McGee used to pray driving into his Bible studies that God would help him to discern who he could help and who was there to take advantage of him. I think that is a great prayer… God show me… give your servant discernment and understanding so balanced with love so that I may know what is good, and what is evil. Give me eyes to see the people who genuinely need help, and the ability to know who wants to take advantage of me so that I may be more effective in your work.

If you are unsure of what discernment is Proverbs speaks often of it. My favorite verse is Proverbs 18:15 it says…

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.”

If you don’t know the answer, if you are unsure of what is right, good, or pure; a discerning heart seeks the answer by asking God. The Bible says if we lack wisdom we can ask… if we need guidance we can ask of God who is faithful to answer and to guide us. David prayed for discernment (Psalm 119:125) and so can we.

Verse 10 continues with the second and third reason Paul prays for the Philippians to have love abounding with knowledge and discernment and that is so, “… that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ”

One of these days I want to do a study on every place in the Bible where we find the words “so that”. Why… because they indicate a result – What is the result?

1. That we may be sincere... I love the definition of sincere…

Without deceit, pretense, or hypocrisy… being the same in actual character as in outward appearance; genuine; real…

Sincerity, is “the personal quality of living life from a pure motive without deceit.” (Holman’s Bible Dictionary).

2. That we may be without offense… which is defined as…

The act of creating resentment, hurt feelings, or displeasure and as something that causes sinning or wrongdoing.

Sincerity and offense go hand in hand… Is there something in my life that would cause someone else to sin or to do wrong? Am I lacking sincerity in my faith? Am I living what I believe… not perfectly but honestly? Am I honest enough with others to admit my faults and my struggles? Am I brave enough to say like Paul to my friends, family and those watching me… “yes, I blow it – I want to do right, I try to do right but when I want to do right – sin is right there with me. Thank God for Jesus and the Cross! Thank you for mercy and grace and that salvation is a gift because I can’t be good all on my own”. That is sincerity and if we our sincere in our walk then hopefully we will not offend. So what is the action step – how can I apply this part of Paul’s prayer to my life?

Step 1 – Admit - God show me – search me and know my heart, try me and test my anxious thoughts see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Confess what He shows you, and ask forgiveness.

Step 2 - Ask – God how can I use this area of weakness, temptation or mistake in my life to bring you glory? For example you could ask… Would sharing my struggle with anger help someone else who is dealing with anger? Or - God how can I share overcoming my habit of gossiping with others to encourage them with the same temptation?

Step 3 - Act – Do what He shows you… share your struggles. Testify to God’s goodness. Share your journey with others encouraging and helping them along their journey.

Finally in verse 11 Paul prays:

Verse 11, “May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ*—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.[3]”

Who produces “righteous character”? Jesus – Why… to bring much glory and praise to God. Our changed lives point others to the Father. The fruit of our salvation is the change in our character produced in our lives by Jesus. It should be obvious that we are different because of Christ. When I look back over my life I can see where I have come from – I’m different – I know it – I am not the same person I was before I met Jesus. If it is obvious to me I pray it is obvious to others. Is it obvious? Can others see Jesus in you? That’s Paul’s prayer – changed lives that bring glory to God. I love Paul’s prayer – I think I want to ask the same thing of God for my friends, family, and for me. Let me leave you with these thoughts to ponder… is your love abounding? Is love what guides us? Is it the foundation of knowledge and discernment? Let’s pray that as we grow… as we study, God always gives us more love than anything else. After all… it is love that draws the world to Jesus.

Well, I guess it’s time to move on to chapter two.

Till next time –

Love you guys - CJ


[1] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Php 1:9-11
* Greek with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ.
[2]Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Php 1:9-11
* Greek with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ.
[3]Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Php 1:9-11

Confident in Christ

Hello my friends!

How is your study going? I pray that you are finding new jewels in Philippians. I am, and I would love to hear about what you are finding! Remember, God will use His word to speak to you. He’ll answer your prayer, He’ll speak to your circumstances, and He’ll give you direction. I love to hear how He speaks to my friends through His word because it encourages me in my faith. So don’t be afraid to share your insights, your thoughts, etc. It is how we can learn from each other and share our journeys.

As you have studied chapter one, I’m sure you have noticed certain words repeated in the text. Those are called key words. For example, you might have noticed that Jesus is a key word; Paul refers to Christ 18 times in the first chapter. Other words I have noticed include gospel (6), joy/rejoice (4), prayer (3), imprisonment (4). I also noticed something else as I studied and that is Paul’s confidence. He wasn’t confident in himself… his confidence was in Christ. So being confident in Christ is what I want to talk about today…

I first noticed that Paul is confident of Christ’s work in believers….in verse 6, he says…

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” NKJ

Paul knows that Christ will complete the good work He has begun in the believers. What is the good work? Paul does not specifically say but I believe it is the process of transformation. Christ is in the business of making all things new. When we accept Christ we pass from death to life… we are instantly made new. 2nd Corinthians 5:17 says…

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” NIV

In Christ we are new… that is neat but that is just the beginning! He transforms our lives working from the inside out… He makes our hearts new…

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in your; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:26-27 NIV

In Him our minds and thoughts can be renewed…

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 NIV

The inward change in our hearts and minds is eventually reflected outwardly in our attitude and actions. Others can see the change as we become more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self controlled. (See Galatians 5:22). Of this we can be confident… God is working in us.

This is good news! Maybe you are frustrated with your growth as a believer or maybe you are frustrated with the lack of growth you see in a loved one. We get that way don’t we? We have a special person in our lives that we look at and think “Gee, I wish they would go to bible study with me, or go to a retreat, or be more spiritual, or whatever…” I’ll admit it, I’ve done that… But here is what we must remember… first it is the Lord who begins the work and completes it. Paul says, “He who began a good work in you” – not we. Although God may use us to encourage or as an example, we are not responsible or even capable of changing someone else – only He is… it is His job – not ours. The work, by the way, is done on His time table, not ours. Since the work begins in our hearts and minds… we can’t always see what God is doing in a person. BUT… we can be confident that if they belong to the Lord He is working. He is faithful and will complete it, of that we can be sure. Is there someone you have been praying for? Good… don’t stop trusting that God will complete the work He began.

Next I noticed that Paul is confident that his imprisonment has furthered the gospel…verse 12

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” KJV

The things which have happened to me have furthered the gospel. Wow! What an amazing statement Paul makes. Paul is in prison in Rome chained to guards, constantly under watch, having lost his freedom… and yet he can say that his trouble has actually furthered the gospel. What the enemy had meant for evil, God turned to good. How? Well, first the palace guard and the rest knew that Paul’s chains were for Christ. People who were first gentiles and second Roman guard and palace officials were hearing about Christ from Paul. How many of them came to know and believe in the Lord Jesus because of Paul’s chains?

Second, the brethren became bolder in sharing Christ because of Paul’s imprisonment. Perhaps they saw his joy, maybe they heard of his confidence but the brethren became more confident because of his chains and shared Christ… how many Roman citizens heard of Jesus because of Paul’s chains? Even those who disliked Paul and wanted to cause him trouble preached Christ and so Paul rejoiced in his suffering… knowing that through it people were hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of Paul’s chains people would be in heaven, and disciples were confidently sharing the truth… God was glorified.

What happens when we face trials and troubles? Do we act in a way that glorifies the Lord? Do people see our faith? Do we walk through it with a sense of joy knowing that God will use the situation to grow our faith and can use it to encourage someone in their faith? Maybe we are not in prison for our beliefs, but some of us are imprisoned by bodies that are sick or frail; some of face trials with our children or our marriage; some of us are facing financial troubles; some of us feel imprisoned by difficult situations… whatever we are facing can you see Christ in your circumstance and can others see Christ through your circumstance? If not, stop and ask God to show you what He wants you to learn from the trial you are facing. Ask Him so that you can share with others what Christ is doing not just in the good times, but in the difficult times as well.

Lastly I noticed that Paul is confident that to remain is for the benefit of others… verse 25-26

“And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.” NKJ

Paul was confident that He would be set free because it would benefit the believers. Paul knew that God had a purpose for his life. He would continue in that purpose, teaching the believers helping them progress in their faith and joy of faith and sharing Christ with the lost sheep until God was ready for him to come home. Paul was driven and knew his reason for living. For Paul, to live was Christ and to die gain… to live was to serve the Lord. It was to continue with his life mission to go and to tell and encourage believers. To die… to die was to be instantly with Jesus… the one he lived for, his everything.

I want to be as confident as Paul was in the work Christ is doing in me and in those I love. I want to be confident that my trials and life experience can encourage others and point them to Christ. Finally, I want to walk confidently and faithfully in my life purpose and mission.

Let me ask you a question in what or in who are you confident? In what trials and troubles has God shown himself faithful? How does that experience increase your confidence in Christ’s work in your life? Have you shared your experience with others in similar circumstances?

Well, I know that we have been on chapter one for a while but why don’t we take one last look for a few days and then we will move to chapter two? I’ve got a few thoughts on verses 9-11 and 27-30 that I’d like to share. So this weekend I’ll make a final post for this chapter. That will give us a few days to share our insights with each other.

I’m enjoying this study and I hope you are too… if you have yet to post a comment please don’t be shy. You don’t have to register; you can post a comment simply by clicking on the comment bar at the end of this message… I know we would all love to hear from you. If you have any prayer requests, our small group will be happy to pray for you too. I have one… health! I’m still fighting this cold, and my hip (which I injured over the winter) is hurting… I’ve been hiking lately – which is exciting but I need to be more patient and not push it… and patience is one of those fruits that God is still developing.

Anyway, I love you guys and look forward to hearing from you.

XO,

CJ

Philippians Overview

Hello My Fellow Treasure Hunters -

I hope you are as excited as I am to study the book of Philippians! I'm looking forward to sharing our Insights with each other. Before we get into the text let's take a minute to go over the first tool of Bible study which is observation. We always want to read the text... read slowly and as you read ask yourself these important questions...

Ask Who - Who wrote the letter and who is it written to? In this case we learn from chapter 1 verse 1 that the letter was written by Paul, Timothy was with him and it was written to "all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons." Don't you just love that in Christ we are saints? By the way, the letter or Epistle, was written sometime in AD 60 - 62 and was written while Paul was in prison in Rome.

Ask What - What is the subject, what is the reason for writing, what is happening? What does the text tell you about the people he is talking to or about? What do you learn about the situations or events going on? What lessons are being taught?

Ask When - When did the events take place or when will they take place? For example, in Revelation we know that those events will happen at a future time...

Ask Where - Where is Paul?

Ask Why - Why did He write the letter? Why is he talking about a subject or event?

Ask How - How will something happen? How does it affect people, etc?

Now... understanding the background or the history of the church in Philippi will open up our understanding of the letter. The church was founded during Paul's second missionary journey. The account is found in Acts 16...

16 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Ac 16:1-15

So what do we learn from this passage about the church in Philippi and how it began?

1. First we learn that Paul was traveling with companions that included a young fellow by the name of Timothy. When Paul writes to the Philippians he includes Timothy in his greeting... they knew him.
2. That Paul and his companions were prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in Asia and the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to enter Bithynia which was a region along the northern edge of Asia Minor fronting on the Black Sea. God had other plans for Paul and where he wanted him to go to preach. I just love that it is God who ordains our steps.
3. Paul received a vision of a man from Macedonia begging him to "come" and "help" them. Macedonia was part of the Roman empire. See Map link: http://unbound.biola.edu/acts/index.cfm?lang=English&item=second
4. From Troas Paul and his friends sailed to the continent of Europe where his first stop was Philippi. We know that Philippi was a city that had a large population of Roman citizens... many were retired military men who had been given land in the vicinity and who in turn served as a military presence there. (NIV Archaeological Study Bible C 2005 Zondervan)

Now let's stop for a second because this is EXTREMELY important. This is the first time the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ was preached in Europe. God had amazing plans, preventing Paul from going to Asia, and enter Bithynia, was part of spreading the good news further than it had been before. I can't imagine what an exciting time this must have been!

Paul arrived in Philippi and on the Sabbath went outside the city looking for a place of prayer. Why did they go outside the city? Apparently there were so few Jew's in the city that it didn't have a synagogue... in that time in order to establish a synagogue there had to be 10 married men. Paul seeing in his vision a man from Masadonia instead finds a group of women praying beside the river. Could he have been the answer to their prayers? Could the prayers of this little band of women been why God prevented Paul from going to Asia? I just love that God hears our prayers and moves to answer them in ways that we can't even imagine!

What do we know about this group of women... well, we know that one of the women in particular was a worshipper of God, named Lydia a business woman who was a dealer of purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. As Paul and his friends sat down and began sharing the gospel "the Lord opened her heart to respond to God's message" she received Jesus and was baptized (along with her entire household)... and that was the beginning of the church in Philippi.

Friends, let me just stop and say that we, women, have a very important role to play in God's plan to call all mankind to Himself. Do you realize just how important you are in God's plan? It takes both men and women to do the work of the gospel... What you have to offer, your gifts, talents and resources are of great value and needed in the body. Never ever forget that.

Lydia opened her home to Paul and the boys and it became the first house church in Europe... and in my opinion, this Church held a very special place in Paul's heart. He loved them, and they loved him. Notice the affection that he has as he writes his letter to them. In Chapter 1 Verse 5 of Philippians Paul talks about his joy at remembering the "very first day until now." No doubt thinking back to the humble beginnings of this amazing church and how they have grown.

You should know this is my favorite New Testament letter. I love the relationship Paul has with this church, more than that I love the encouragement it has given me over the years.

Well, let me ask you a few questions... As you read chapter one what is going on? What is the tone of the letter Paul writes? What words do you see repeated? What verse jumps off the page at you... let's call this our memory verse because I believe there is a reason God brings it to your attention, and it is good to memorize those verses.

Read this chapter through a few times. Don't rush, take your time. Take notes, and if you have a question put a question mark beside the verse and just keep thinking it through...

Now a few ground rules - try not to look at commentaries. They are simply someone else's opinion of Scripture... God wants to talk to you. He wants to reveal His word to you. Prayerfully examine the scriptures asking for insight and He will give it to you. Trust me... you will be amazed at what you learn!

You can use a dictionary... I keep Webster's right near my desk... there are dictionaries on line if you don't have one... just google one. After you have prayerfully examined the chapter look up words in the dictionary to understand their meaning if you need to... I do this all the time.

Don't forget the tools of the treasure hunter - my favorite bible study tools are map colors, highlighters, and different colored pens. I love to circle, highlight, and mark the text. Now if it freaks you out to write in your bible then go to http://www.blueletterbible.org/ and print off a copy that you don't mind marking on. I promise the rewards for doing this will be huge!

Don't forget to post your thoughts and finds so we can talk about them. In the next few days, I'll post some more background on what we know about some of the members of this church. Don't be shy about posting your comments... one of the most exciting fun things to do is to discover the treasure in God's word together.

XO,

CJ

PS - Please pray for me as I have a horrible sore throat and fever.