Philippians Week 3

Philippians 1:18-26

Read Passage and make observational notes

Share one observations

What is your understanding of 1:21

Recap

We have the letter set up and then we see Paul encourage the discouraged Philippians, that all is not lost, but the Gospel is going forth and despite the whole situation, he is unshaken!

Verse by Verse Exposition

Walk through the text slowly

18 as a Job 13:16 allusion

Septuagint with Logos Morphology Chapter 13

καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἀποβήσεται εἰς σωτηρίαν

Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, 28th Edition Chapter 1

τοῦτό μοι ἀποβήσεται εἰς σωτηρίαν

21 as a popular but only half baked verse (in understanding), link its connection to 20.

The “Yes, and I will rejoice” is continuing the thought from the previous pericope/paragraph.

The “for” could be thought of as “because.” So we can think “Because I know that through your prayers...”

“Deliverance” is the emphasis of this sentence.

This happens through the prayers of the saints and by the support of the Spirit. In short this means that our perseverance is going to happen (1:6) and it is going to happen in part by the means of the prayers of the saints and by the Spirit of Christ.

When we read “deliverance” I think we should probably think “salvation.” Now, there are two viable interpretations here. One is that this is a physical deliverance from prison. The other is that this is our future salvation. I think the most likely interpretation is the latter, but both are viable.

My reasoning is:

Paul uses the word translated here “deliverance” in a way to communicate deliverance, potentially in 2 Timothy 2:15. While he uses it to communicate “salvation” 43 times.

Deliverance occurs no matter what happens to Paul

Suffering does not mean deliverance but suffering does lead to eschatological salvation

Verse 20-21 talk about death as if it is a reality that Paul could face, though he doesn’t think it will happen (v22-26).

Paul prays for the Philippians, for their standing on the day of Christ (v9-11).

You can disagree with me. If you want more information on the other interpretation, see Gerald Hawthorne’s or George Guthrie’s commentary.

There is a direct quotation of Job 13:16 (verbatim from the Greek Old Testament), which parallels Job’s suffering at the hands of his friends to the suffering of Paul in prison, and both men say that they will be saved on the last day.

Jim Hamilton says on the quotation of Job 13:16, “It seems that Paul is seeing himself as an installment in the pattern of the righteous sufferer, exemplified by Job, fulfilled in Christ, continued in Paul.”

When we read “as it is my eager expectation and hope” we should notice that there is a connective word in the Greek, which we can think about like the phrase “according to.” So we could say, “That is according to my eager expectation…” or “In accordance with…”

Notice the anticipation in verse 20. “eager expectation and hope.”

We can think about v20-21 like this, “I know I will be saved in the end because I have a hope in never being ashamed, more than that I have full confidence in every moment that Christ is made much of in my life or in my death. Again, whether by my living or by my dying Christ will be made much of. BECAUSE, to me, nothing matters more to me than Christ (He is the whole occupation of my life/I find nothing more satisfying than Him) in my life and when I die, I will be with Him.”

The two interpretative keys for these two verses is “as it is” in verse 20 connects itself to verse 19, and “for” in verse 21 means “because.” That is, it’s giving us the means of Christ being glorified. This is really important.

“I will not be at all ashamed” is referring to his future trial in Rome specifically, but also is speaking more abstractly too (speaking generally).

“body” most likely means “life,” as this better fits the more abstract nature of which Paul writes here, that is, “now as always” and “whether by life or death.” Sure this could be taken only physically, meaning his vindication in Rome, but still is less likely. All in all, it’s broader than just our physical body, but our whole life.

John Piper on verses 20-21 says, “God is glorified in us, when we find Him more satisfying than everything we have in life and everything we will lose in death.”

In verse 22, notice the switch or distinction between “body’’ in verse 20 to “flesh” in verse 22. These are both exegetically significant words.

“Flesh” is trying to communicate physical limitations. So we may think, “the physical limitations of this life in this pre-glorified body.”

In the beginning of verse 22, 23, and 24 Paul gives a cue saying that what he’s saying in the verse is a new thought/development on the same topic. (This is coming from the word δὲ which not translated here, and that is the correct choice!)

In verse 25, Paul grammatically cues us that verse 25 and verse 24 are equal in content.

In verse 26, Paul cues us that this is the effect of 22-25.

In verse 22-26, we see Paul almost think out loud. He isn’t sure (v22-23), then he thinks that staying here is necessary for the Philippians (v24), so he knows he will stay, so that Christ will be glorified (v25-26).

In verse 24, we see the contrastment of being with Christ and continuing to life in the body, with the word, “flesh.” See comments on verse 22.

In verse 26, the phrase “have ample cause to glory” is one word in Greek, but the idea is that “in order that your boasting in Christ may increase…”

The boasting is in Paul’s coming to them, and of course this is by the providence of God, so the boast is truly in Christ.

Think about it like this, someone shares the gospel with another person and the person who is shared with, comes to faith. You’re excited, but your excitement isn’t based on the person who shared the gospel, but the work of the Spirit.

This whole section is the very essence of what Gospel-centered, Biblical, Christ-centered, God-intoxicated living is.

Ask questions of the text

Overview

First in 1:12-18 we get Paul tell us that despite his situation, the Gospel is going forth, and in that he rejoices! Here in 18-26, we get an abstract/conceptual understanding of why Paul feels that way.