Philippians 2:1

Introduction

There are two words within Philippians 2:1 (“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies”) that we need to know and some background information, if we are to understand what Paul is saying and where he intends to go in chapter 2.

The first word is “if.” There are four “if’s” in v.1. In New Testament Greek, conditional sentences are classified into four types:

 First Class Condition - Is considered the 'Simple Condition' and assumes that the premise…is true for the sake of argument.

 Second Class Condition - Is known as the 'Contrary-to-Fact Condition' and assumes the premise as false for the sake of argument.

Third Class Condition - Traditionally known as the 'More Probable Future Condition', the third class condition should actually be split into two different categories, the 'Future More Probable Condition' (indicating either a probable future action or a hypothetical situation) and the 'Present General Condition' (indicating a generic situation or universal truth at the present time).

Fourth Class Condition - Is usually called the 'Less Probable Future Condition' and does not have a complete example in the New Testament. The fulfillment of this condition was considered even more remote than the s also in the optative mood.

The condition of the “ifs” in v.1 is classified as first condition. This means that the assumption of these conditional statements are true. Wuest’s Word Studies writes: “One could translate (the if as) ‘since,’ or ‘in view of the fact.’ The four things mentioned in this verse are not hypothetical in their nature. They are facts.”

In the Christ Centered Exposition on Philippians, it says: “The ‘if’ refers to certainties, not possibilities. Together, these motivations remind believers of the cords of love that bind them together as God’s people.”

The second word is “therefore.” In v.1 “therefore” serves as a bridge that goes in both directions. It takes us back to Philippians 1:27, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” The assembly in Philippi was to stand fast in one spirit and with one mind strive together; therefore, seeing this is true “fulfill ye my joy” in v.2. As the word “therefore’ looks forward the idea is: therefore, since you have “consolation in Christ…comfort of love…fellowship of the Spirit…bowels and mercies” in your life, “fulfill ye my joy” in v.2.

This leads us to essential background information that will be helpful in our understanding. Based on the language that Paul closed chapter 1 with (Stand fast in one spirit and with one mind strive together), and the direction of chapter 2, there appears to be a degree of disunity within the church. It does not seem likely, that this disunity was created by sin because Paul did not reference sin.

For example, churches in Galatia were being led to redefine the gospel of Jesus Christ by Judaizers who were invested in adopting Mosaic rituals into the means of salvation. Paul’s responds to this sinful act in Galatians 1:6–9 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul called the Corinthian church out for not dealing with fornication and possibly other disorderly conduct within the church. He says that their unwillingness to deal with sin within the church meant they were puffed up and not mourning sin (v.2), and glorying in the wrong activities (v.6).

However, in Philippians, he does not connect their division to sinful acts. Later in this epistle, he brings up two ladies in Philippians 4:2 that were disunited. He wrote: “I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.” Paul did not say that this disunity was created by Euodias or Syntyche’s sin but not having the same mind.

Disunity can be caused by sin, but often disunity’s cause is differences of opinion or interpretation of facts that is not in and of itself sin. An example: “Several years ago a Dallas church decided to split. Each faction filed a lawsuit to claim the church property. A judge finally referred the matter to the higher authorities in the particular denomination. A church court assembled to hear both sides of the case and awarded the church property to one of the two factions. The losers withdrew and formed another church in the area. 

“During the hearing, the church courts learned that the conflict had all begun at a church dinner when a certain elder received a smaller slice of ham than a child seated next to him. Sadly, this was reported in the newspaper for everyone to read. The church became the laughingstock of the community.”

William Barclay argues that the Philippians disunity was brought about by their passionate faithfulness as as church, which based on what Paul has written about the church may be true. He writes: “the one danger which threatened the Philippian church was that of disunity. There is a sense in which that is the danger of every healthy church. It is when people are really in earnest, when their beliefs really matter to them, that they are apt to get up against each other. The greater their enthusiasm, the greater the danger that they may collide. It is against that danger Paul wished to safeguard his friends.”

regardless of the specific causes of disunity. Instead of calling out sinful activity, he addresses both sides of the division(s) with the same truth. Therefore, the likely culprit of their division(s) was not sinful, in and of itself, but personality clashes from people who were unwilling to work together for the glory of God. If I implement my observations of personality conflict within churches, the division could have been caused by not measuring up to people’s expectations (they do not do thinks you way or they do not think the way you think), discrediting or being critical of other people’s work, or being excessively demanding of people. Contingent on Paul making general statements that would apply to both sides of the discord, it is likely that each side of the division had the same attitude towards the other.

How does Paul go about dealing with disunity in the Philippian church in chapter 2? This morning, we will see the first stage:

Experiences of grace

Philippians 2:1 “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies.”

Keep in mind, the “ifs” in v.1 speak of certainty and assurance. It is not that maybe they experienced these graces from God but since they have experienced these graces from God. Every Christian experiences these graces from God. If they do not, then his argument that begins in v.2 falls apart. What are these graces that all Christians experience?

Consolation in Christ. The word “consolation” means “calling to one's side or one's aid which can be for the purpose of providing solace, comfort, consolation, exhortation, encouragement.” Based upon what follows, the general consensus of Paul’s point is exhortation and encouragement. Usually, exhortation is attached to preaching. A Christ follower will have an acquaintance of being preached to from the God’s word and encouraged by truth. The preaching and encouragement will be within the sphere of Christ. Christians will be convicted, confessing, strengthened, and encouraged through God’s word because they are “in Christ.”

The exhortation and encouragement comes from God’s word, and not good feelings or positive confessions. Paul writes in Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Laboring and toiling in life brings hope only when we are exhorted, comforted and encouraged in the scriptures.

Some time back there was a game show called “Who wants to be a millionaire.” The contestant had to answer a series of questions correctly that would put them into higher tiers of money won, eventually capping out a one million dollars. If a contestant was stumped on a question, they had three different lifelines they could use to help them with the answer. They could not reuse a lifeline. In the game, the lifeline was not always sure to give them the right answer.

In life, God’s word is the lifeline of encouragement and hope. There is no other lifeline than God’s word. We need encouragement to say no to sin and hope that there is a better life waiting for us on the other side of the Jordan River. The Bible is God’s lifeline to downtrodden and discouraged Christians who need a spiritual “pick me up.”

Encouragement and being exhorted are vitally importnat to fight off sin. The writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort (or encourage) one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Consider just how important God’s word is to “consolation” for the believer. Paul writes to Timothy who is the lead pastor of the church in Ephesus in 1 Timothy 4:13, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” The word “exhortation” is the same word for “consolation” in Philippians 2:1. God’s word should be read for the purpose of doctrine and among other things, encouragement.

If the scriptures are essential for the Christian to be encouraged and given a fresh hope in Christ, then why do so many Christians seek outside sources for encouragement and hope? John MacArthur wrote: “Exhortation (or encouragement) challenges people to apply the truths they have been taught. It warns people to obey, in light of the blessing to come on them if they do, and the judgment if they do not.” Many Christians want encouragement and hope on their terms but not God’s. They want to have the blessings of “consolation in Christ” without the precepts of God’s word. Tragically, this has led to a lukewarm, Laodicean like Christian environment today.

I need to shift for a moment in our consolation being in Christ. Brian Bill wrote regarding the importance of “consolation in Christ” and not simply regular or secular consolation. His point is encouragement comes from knowing that we are united in Christ. “Since you have encouragement from being united with Christ. The word ‘encouragement’ means ‘to come alongside to support and help.’ This consolation that comes from Christ was predicted by Simeon in Luke 2:25: ‘He was waiting for the consolation of Israel…’ We should be encouraged because we are commended by Christ and never have to face condemnation from Him as Romans 8:1 states: ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’”

Comfort of love. The word “comfort” is a close relative to “consolation.” The theme of “comfort” has more tenderness than “consolation.” Vincent Word Studies defines “comfort” as “a word which comes to the side of one to stimulate or comfort him.” W. E. Vine wrote: “that tender cheer, imparted as the effect of ‘love.’” God’s love has brought unspeakable and immeasurable tenderness to the Christian. John MacArthur wrote: comfort “portrays the Lord coming close and whispering words of gentle cheer or tender counsel in a believer’s ear.”

The concept of the Lord whispering gentle words to His children comes from 1 Kings 19:10–12. Elijah, who had been passionately faithful to Jehovah had reached a point of exhaustion and despair both mentally and spiritually. It did not seem to matter what God did or what His word says, Israel still hated Jehovah. The continued resistance by Israel brought Elijah to the lowest point of his recorded public ministry. He was ready to throw in the proverbial towel. In this context, he says to the Lord: “…I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”

The small still voice is not our feelings or emotions; rather, it is God’s word. How does this happen? The Holy Spirit, who guides us into the truth (John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come”), which is God’s word (John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth”), reveals truth of a scripture text or reminds us of a scripture text (John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you”) at the most appropriate time.

What is the significance of comfort of love that comes from the “still small voice” of the Lord? P.G. Ryken says it best: “In his weakness, anything more than a gentle God would have been too much for Elijah to bear. After all, he is the God of wind, earthquake, and fire. Sometimes God’s Spirit is in the wind, rushing and blowing about the earth. Sometimes God is in the earthquake, shaking the earth to show his power. Sometimes he is in the fire, as he was at Mount Carmel, when lightning fell from heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice. But there are times when the glory of God is too much for any human being to take. His power is a terrible reality, and sometimes we simply want to know that he is our friend. This is what God revealed to Elijah” in 1 Kings 19:12 “And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” He reveals Himself the same way through His word today when we are exhausted, tired and emotionally drained, His word is a source of comfort and strength.

If we are to benefit from the “comfort of love” provided by the God of love (1 John 4:8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love”), then we have to remove outside voices that prevents us from hearing God’s “small still voice.”

“Before refrigerators, people used ice houses to preserve their food. Ice houses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the ice houses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer.

“One man lost a valuable watch while working in an ice house. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the ice house during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch.

“Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. ‘I closed the door,’ the boy replied, ‘lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.’ Often the question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are being still enough, and quiet enough, to hear.”

Fellowship of the Spirit. “Fellowship” means “partnership, participation, or intercourse.” Wuest’s word studies defines the word as speaking “of a common interest and a mutual and active participation in the things of God in which the believer and the Holy Spirit are joint-participants.” The word speaks of togetherness and intimacy. This is more than an idle phrase but reality for every Christian. As one theologian wrote fellowship with the Spirit “is a blessed reality, not merely a beautiful idea.”

God through the person of the Holy Spirit has partnered with Christians to fulfill God’s will. Consider the amazing blessing of working in concert with God the Holy Spirit to bring into reality God’s will. The partnership is the Holy Spirit empowering us to accomplish the task, and our obedience to God’s leading.

It is an amazing feeling to know you are part of something great. I am still very grateful for the opportunity I had to participate in Desert Shield/Storm, even though it has been 35 years. Partnering with God through the Holy Spirit is the most significant having a part of something in the history of the world.

The bond that ties this partnership is God’s love for us and our love for Him. Paul writes in Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” John writes in 1 John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.”

Bowels and mercies. Bowels “originally referred to the upper abdominal viscera especially the intestines, which the ancients regarded as the seat of affections and emotions, such as anger and love…The phrase "I feel it in the pit of my stomach" is a modern parallel. In Luke 1:78 the same Greek word for “bowels” is translated as “tender,” which is attached to mercy. In 2 Corinthians 7:15 , “bowels” is translated as “inward affection.” In Philemon 1:7, the word is translated as heart.

The Greek word for “bowels” “is the strongest Greek word for expressing compassionate love or tender mercy and involves one’s entire being. It describes the compassion which moves a man to the deepest depths of his being.” This perfectly describes God’s affections towards us. The “deepest depths” of His eternal being has infinite affections towards us. The seat of God’s emotions has divine tenderness and love for those who have converted to Christ.

The question is how can God have this much affection towards people that are vile and utterly wicked? Consider how the Bible describes us in our natural state. Romans 3:10–20 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

During Solomon’s prayer of dedication in 1 Kings 8:38, he said: “What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:” The word for plague has as a concept leprosy. Sin is compared to flowing leprosy that comes from our heart.

In relation to God, we are not very lovable people, which magnifies the question: how God could ever have tenderness and love towards us? The answer is Jesus Christ. Paul writes in Romans 5:6–8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Paul explains how Jesus is the answer in Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” His death removed our curse for sinning against God. Every Christian has truly experienced God’s innermost affections and love.

We do not just the receive the “bowels” of God, but we are on the receiving end of “mercies.” It is not just one kind of mercy we receive, but a multiplicity or mercies from our loving God. Solomon writes of God’s mercies in Lamentations 3:22–23: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Paul writes of the wealth of God’s mercy in Ephesians 2:4–5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” God is not penny-pinching dispenser mercy.

Peter describes the mercies of God as abundant in 1 Peter 1:3–4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.”

God’s affections and mercies are not to be understood as two separate actions, but one action that has two adjoining parts. Christians of all walks of life know what it is to have the intimate affections and mercies of God.

Conclusion

“Ray Pritchard sums up Phil 2:1 this way…The ‘ifs’ of verse 1 express truths that the Philippians would readily assent to:

Yes, they had been encouraged by their union with Christ.

Yes, they had experienced God’s love.

Yes, they had enjoyed the fellowship of God’s Spirit.

Yes, they had received an outpouring of mercy from God.

“Well, then, says Paul, in light of all that, it shouldn’t be such a great thing to ask that you maintain the unity God has given you. The underlying principle here should be noted. All Christian duties flow naturally from God’s kindness to us. It’s not as if God says, ‘Do this and I will bless you’ but rather ‘I have blessed you, now do this.’”