Be Worthy of your citizenship

Philippians 1:26-27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

Issues with Philippians

Philippians are on the cusp of division.

Paul wants them to remain unified together in character and strength in the midst of internal division and external persecution.

Paul is fearful their division will be the end of the church in Philippi. This is the reason this letter is written to the Philippians

Paul wants their life to be worthy of the Gospel. What does this mean?

“Let your manner of life” is a play on words and the Philippians knew it.

The Greek word is πολιτεύομαι, which here can be translated “live as citizens”

Philippians: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary Commentary

In Greek literature the term is used politically of life in a range of ways: “to be a citizen,” “to live as a citizen,” “to act as a citizen (by taking part in political life),” “to share in state government,” “to rule the state,” and “to prosecute the state’s business.”

In light of their citizenship, Paul is reminding the Philippians that they are aliens from a 4th dimension called the kingdom of God. Paul also mentions this later in Phil 3:20. “For our citizenship is in heaven...”

Paul wants the Philippians to be engaged in unity with one another because they are under the ultimate governing structure, the kingdom of God.

What should their citizenship look like?

The word for worthy is ἀξίως, and gives the content what their citizenship should look like.

The Gk. for “worthy” is the adv. ἀξίως, meaning “worthily, in a manner worthy of, suitably,” and occurring six times in the NT, five of which are in Paul—all are followed by a gen., giving an external standard by which the “worthiness” of behavior (περιπατέω) is compared, whether it be worthy of the saints in terms of warm hospitality (Rom 16:1); one’s calling, which is developed with a range of ethical attributes (Eph 4:1); the Lord (Col 1:10); or God (1 Thess 2:12; 3 John 6). The only non-Pauline use is 3 John 6, of sending fellow Christians on in a manner worthy of God, i.e., supplied and refreshed. It thus speaks of conduct appropriate to the ethics of the gospel. Evangelical Exegetical commentary

Their citizenship should be worthy of their reality, the gospel. Paul wants the Philippians, to live out the gospel or to live out their peace with God in their relationships. This is what it means to be worthy.

Philippians: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary Commentary

The Philippians’ false attitudes and disunity are not gospel-worthy, are affecting their life and mission, and stand in opposition to the principles of heavenly citizenship and so must be resolved

Illustration

Early Church Letter to Diognetus

For the distinction between Christians and other men, is neither in country nor language nor customs. 2 For they do not dwell in cities in some place of their own, nor do they use any strange variety of dialect, nor practise an extraordinary kind of life. 3 This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the intellect or thought of busy men, nor are they the advocates of any human doctrine as some men are. 4 Yet while living in Greek and barbarian cities, according as each obtained his lot, and following the local customs, both in clothing and food and in the rest of life, they show forth the wonderful and confessedly strange character of the constitution of their own citizenship. 5 They dwell in their own fatherlands, but as if sojourners in them; they share all things as citizens, and suffer all things as strangers. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is a foreign country. 6 They marry as all men, they bear children, but they do not expose their offspring. 7 They offer free hospitality, but guard their purity. 8 Their lot is cast “in the flesh,” but they do not live “after the flesh.” 9 They pass their time upon the earth, but they have their citizenship in heaven. 10 They obey the appointed laws, and they surpass the laws in their own lives. 11 They love all men and are persecuted by all men. 12 They are unknown and they are condemned. They are put to death and they gain life. 13 “They are poor and make many rich” they lack all things and have all things in abundance. 14 They are dishonoured, and are glorified in their dishonour, they are spoken evil of and are justified. 15 “They are abused and give blessing,” they are insulted and render honour. 16 When they do good they are buffeted as evil-doers, when they are buffeted they rejoice as men who receive life. 17 They are warred upon....as foreigners and are persecuted by the Greeks, and those who hate them cannot state the cause of their enmity.

Pope Clement I et al., The Apostolic Fathers, ed. Kirsopp Lake, vol. 2, The Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge MA; London: Harvard University Press, 1912–1913), 359–361.

A Story about when I was in Africa

I was in a bind and needed to make a call to my ride. This was a time when cell phones where emerging. All we had were the nokia bricks.

As I was getting off the plane, I talked with a guy from the US. THE US, he helped me out because there was a sense of brotherhood.

Elks members share a bond of citizenship

Elks lodge members are great at this. If you an elks you are a brother or sister and automatically you are considered family.

the same needs to apply to us as believers.

Application

We are Christians living in an age of hostility. It is easy to be divisive about small, insignificant things.

We must all remember where we are from. We are all from the same place, with the same citizenship…heaven. We need to live out our peace with God in our human relationships. As Christ has redeemed us, so we must always seek redemption, as much as possible, in our relationships to one another.

We are all different, have different family customs, from different parts of the world, we speak different languages, have different ideas. But we share a commonality, we are from the same place!

Is their someone in your life that you have allowed a petty dispute disrupt your friendship? Maybe its time for a phone call....