Deep Admiration
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Philippians 1:7-11
Philippians 1:7-11
For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.
For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ;
having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.
Christian Community
Verse 7:
Paul had just explained how he prayed for those in Philippians, how he thanked God for them. His joy for them was obvious in his affectionate tongue for the them.
He thanked God for their participation in the Gospel.
Paul is also confident that Jesus would continue to do good work among these saints. Continually, until Jesus would return.
He felt strongly about his brothers and sisters and regarded them as receiving the same grace from Christ. Due to his imprisonment, his defence and confirmation of the Gospel. It is a fascinating statement. Paul is the one who was persecuted for Christ. He is the one who was beaten, locked in chains, and separated. Yet, he considers those in Philippi as receiving the same grace.
Why this strong bond? The church in Philippi did not leave Paul hanging. They were just as much a part of this. It was not as if Paul had committed a crime. He was imprisoned for the cause of Christ.
The Philippian church sent him gifts. Phil. 4:18
Being imprisoned in Rome was different than it is today. If you needed medicine or provisions, it needed to be provided by family or friends.
Today, we have a governmental system that spends billions on providing housing and needs to inmates. But just imagine if that system were not in place.
Prisoners would most likely be executed because there would be no way to care for them all.
They would die in prison from lack of basic necessities.
Doubtful any would live past a certain age.
There would diseases and all types of uncleanliness.
Most would not have family or friends that would provide for them.
Prison in the ANE was not so much a reformation of the prisoner, which rarely works.
On Paul’s first visit to Philippi, he and Silas were beaten and put in prion. (Acts 16)
Paul would often find himself in prison, of varying degrees, which he would eventually end up in Rome in prison, under the care of a Roman Soldier.
“Imprisonment led to dishonor and shame for the imprisoned person, especially if the person was publicly stripped and flogged. Friends and associates were pressured to abandon an imprisoned person.”
- Dan Nässelqvist
Verse 8:
Paul seemed to offer a strange calling to God as his witness. Have you ever said something like this. Maybe it goes something like, “I swear to God...” or “As God as my witness.”
This is a type of oath. What Paul shared was how God examines the heart. So, to make a statement such as this, Paul demonstrated that God has examined his heart, and it has been found true of affection for the church in Philippi. Paul longs to be with his brothers and sisters yes, but he yearns for them.
This deep affection not just came from Paul, but from Jesus Christ. The Greek of affection is entrails. The very innards of Christ Jesus, is the affection Paul demonstrates towards those in Philippi.
In the ancient world, it was believed that one felt with their heart, with their stomach. Paul used this metaphorical language to highlight his deep love for them.
This type of love, this type of affection is a result of Christ like love for one another and true community. Admittedly, this is rarely fostered in the modern western church. We are so consumed with individualism and self-righteousness, that we miss out on opportunities to serve one another and the community.
Think about times when you have served alongside one another, or gathered for fellowship. I’d imagine that you rarely said you wish you had never participated in various church activities like these.
It has been my experience that people share about their yearning to connect more in church community. They come to a church looking for those opportunities. Not just Sunday, but an ongoing connection with others.
This is our community, New Life Community Church. We will not force you to serve or participate, but we will encourage you to get plugged in. Part of our responsibility as leaders is to help facilitate or encourage our strong member leaders to be an example of leading in this way. (Word of caution, to lead anything in this church, where you would be responsible for the spiritual development of others, you would have to be a member. Additionally, any teachings or church related activities, in the church, need the approval of leadership. We take this very seriously).
The goal is to have the affection of Christ Jesus. We should long to be with one another in Christian love.
Overflowing Love
Verse 9:
What is Paul’s prayer?
Verse 3 and 4 note that Paul’s prayers include thankfulness, gratitude, and joy. Paul then added, that their love would overflow.
The idea of overflow, is also understood as growth. Some bible versions use the word abound but this does not quite grasp the nuance of the Greek. To abound means to have a large quantity or amount.
However, Paul’s prayers is, not just have a large amount, but to overflow, to grow continually.
The agape love Paul’s describes is a love that bonds Christians to God and to one another.
Consider
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.
And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
More and More: This repetition signifies the intensity of his prayer that their love would manifest itself in real knowledge and all discernment.
Love should be bound by the endless wisdom of Jesus Christ’s Spirit in our lives. You have a treasure trove of wisdom and wealth of love. You have 24/7 access to this. Why would you not seek His counsel and wisdom?
Paul’s prayer was that their love, would overflow, from the abundance that can be received from the Spirit.
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
What is the antithesis of this overflowing love? When we seek the world’s idea of love. When we seek our own self-love and put ourselves above those in whom our love ought to be directed.
Knowledge of love only comes from God above. Without God, love does not exist. Have you ever pondered this deep existential thought?
If we are just part of a meaningless evolutionary process, than love cannot exist. On the basics of fallacious evolution, love cannot, as a by-product exist. Evolution seeks to see the fittest to survive. Multiplying is not a by-product of love, it becomes a necessity of the system. Evolution does not need love to continue in its void of an empty conclusion.
Agape love comes from God, it is what He created out of. It is why we continue to exist, it is why He sent His Son to die for our sins. Because he is infinitely loving, we will be with Him in eternity, those who have received Him as their Savior.
There is not one single term to refer to God’s unending love. The closest we have might be:
Omnibenevolence: God is all-good and infinitely loving to all creation.
I could coin the term Omniagape: Which would signify that God is all loving, with agape. A love that is manifested from Him alone, because He is the embodiment of agape.
Let these verses sink in to your heart and mind. Meditate on them, memorize them, live them out.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Being Sincere and Blameless
Verse 10:
This is a continuation of verse 9. Paul wanted their love to overflow in real knowledge and all discernment, so they could discover (approve of what matters or search out) those things which are excellent.
When you have the agape love of Christ, when you have His Spirit, you are given the knowledge to discover what He desires of you, what He says is excellent. Not what you think is good, or right, or loving, or excellent. He is the author of wisdom, we need to seek it out, discover it, search for it.
When you receive the Spirit, you don’t just automatically have all wisdom and knowledge. However, you have the gift to seek it out more and more each day.
This comes through living out what He has commanded you. Searching the Scriptures for His truth. The more you engage with this reality, the more you understand what it means.
Paul then used two words here:
sincere and blameless
pure and blameless
the Greek word for sincere/pure is
εἰλικρινής (eilikrines) - unmixed, pure, without alloy, without hidden motives
εἴλη (eilē): Likely derived from "sunlight" or "brightness."
κρίνω (krinō): To judge, discern, or examine.
means to judge in the light. Seems obscure right?
In Greek thought, a person who was considered εἰλικρινής, had a pure heart, they had the highest integrity, and were considered trustworthy.
In Philippi, on the streets of the marketplace, there would be vendors of pottery. A prospective buyer would take a vase or water pot and hold it up to the light, to see if there were any flaws, any cracks.
Often the maker, to cover the flaws, would fill the cracks with a wax like substance, which would end up melting at some point, due to heat.
The seller would be one of deception. He would not embody εἰλικρινής. he and his work were not pure and authentic.
Have you ever heard of Japanese Kintsugi?
It is the art of taking broken pottery and using gold, silver, or platinum and filling the cracks. Mainly gold.
The pottery is quite beautiful, highlighting the flaws. Even with the flaws the art is still functional and still serves a purpose.
I am using a metaphor here. We are filled with flaws and are broken pottery. Thanks be to God, who has exposed our sin, because of His commandments, and we are in need of mending. He used the purest of refined gold (Jesus Christ), to put us back together.
Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross creates in our lives a type of Kintsugi.
Now, instead of being broken pottery, without true purpose. You are used for His good work. You have been made εἰλικρινής, you are sincere and blameless because of what He has done.
Paul called those in Philippi to discover this and live it out until the judgement Day of Christ.
“The character described possesses such clear moral perception that it is enabled to welcome and understand and love the ‘highest’ when it sees it.” - R. H. Strachan
“The goal and ultimate standard of human conduct is the judgment-seat of Christ—‘the day of Christ.” - R.H. Strachan
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, let your love overflow more and more, until He returns. Your life ought to be the embodiment of sincerity and blamelessness.
Verse 11:
Paul concludes his thought by noting you have been filled with the fruit of righteous.
Scholars note that we are either the recipients of Jesus’ righteousness or is in the character of keeping with the fruits of the Spirit, being sincere and blameless through love until Jesus returns.
Both are are complementary in nature.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
This was made manifest in your life by Jesus Christ.
To God is given all glory and praise for this. Amen.
