The Philippians lived in the city of Philippi, which is a city near Neapolis in Macedonia. And these again are Gentiles like the Colossians were.

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Paul and Timotheus So, Paul and Timothy are writing together here, just like Paul and Timothy wrote the Colossians together. “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ; to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. Praise be unto you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you, all making request with joy. For your fellowship and the gospel from the first day until now; being confident at this very thing, that he which have begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

           
Paul is telling the Philippians that he is very confident that they will succeed and overcome and endure till the end, that they will make it. “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I had you in my heart inasmuch as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ.”

           
Paul is saying to these people that he is hopeful that their love may abound and that their good works should abound and that they should excel and be sincere and without offending God, that is pleasing God until the day of Christ coming; “…Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. But I would you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel. So, that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all of the palace and in all other places.”

           
Here, Paul is encouraging the Philippians by telling them that because of the charges against him and his imprisonment, the fame of the whole matter has been spread abroad so that everyone in the palace and the people throughout the land are hearing of his situation and are hearing of the charges against Paul and are becoming familiar with the teachings of Paul, so that his incarceration, his imprisonment is actually working to further the spreading of the Gospel amongst all the people.

           
Verse 14, “And many of the brethren in the Lord, growing confident by my imprisonment or my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” Because of what I'm going through, others are inspired to stand up and speak out fearlessly, knowing that God will take care of his people and that they will receive a reward for their boldness. “Some indeed preached Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also of goodwill.” That is, some people are envious of Paul and they want to compete with him and they want to be known as big men who are doing the same thing or doing a better work than Paul. So, they're competing with him; and others are preaching out of their goodwill because they want to do a good thing and they want to be associated with Paul, in his struggles and in his ministry.

           
The one, the first group preached Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds. This people believing that with Paul imprisoned, they can go around and preach and that Paul will somehow be jealous or be hurt by this or feel that he is being taken advantage of, but Paul is saying quite the contrary, that he is delighted that the Gospel is preached, regardless of who does the preaching. And this is a far different attitude than the attitude that is present in most groups of the church of God today. Most of them say, “Oh you have got to be part of us, a part of our group. You have got to help me. I am the  one and only.” Paul didn’t have that attitude. No, he was glad that the Gospel was preached.

           
Verse 17, “But the other group of people preached out of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.” Knowing that Paul is absolutely committed to the preaching of the Word and they are preaching to help Paul and to encourage him. “What then? Notwithstanding in every way; whether in pretense or in the truth, Christ is being preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and we'll rejoice. For I know that they shall turn to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” The important thing is not who does the preaching. The important thing is that the preaching gets done. “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now, also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be my life or by death.”

           
Paul says, “Let Christ be magnified, whether by the deeds I do in my life or whether by my death.” It really doesn’t matter as long as Christ gets the glory and the Gospel is preached. “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” It is profit. It is reward because he knows that if he dies, his work is done. It is finished. He has completed the race and won the price of the resurrection back again to eternal life this time. “But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor yet, whether I shall choose, I know not. For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart or to die and be with Christ, which is far better; nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”

           
I need to remain alive so that I can help you, teach you, encourage you, and preach the Gospel. It is important that we not throw our lives away for some foolishness. It is important that the lives we have, we live for God and for Christ and that we endure our afflictions and our trials so that we become perfected in Christ, and so that we are our or become an example for others to do likewise. “And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith. That your rejoicing may be more abundant to Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. Only let your conversation or conduct be as it becomes the Gospel of Christ, that whether I am come and see you or whether I be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel; and in nothing terrified or afraid because of your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.”

           
Meaning, that the enemy thinks that because you are not afraid of them and not accept their arguements, that you are foolish and that your strength and boldness is a token of your persistence in wrongdoing. But to you it is a token of salvation because you are not doing wrong but doing right, by keeping the commandments of God and persisting in being strong and adamant in the faith of Jesus Christ and the commandments and the law of God to do His will and please Him.

           
“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.” That is, it is not enough just to believe but you must be a doer of the Word and willing to suffer the consequences for being a doer. “Having the same conflict, which you saw in me, and now here to be in me.” As I'm going through these trials, you should also be prepared to do likewise.

There is nothing that permits a man to say that there is a strong hand from some place that is going to save men. We are to boldly stand on the Word of God and proclaim that it is Jesus Christ who is coming to resolve the world’s problems. And that if we were to keep God’s commandments today many of those problems would begin to be resolved now. We should not be ashamed of Christ; we should be bold to speak the truth and to tell people the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

           
Chapter 2, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercies fulfill ye my joy that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind that nothing be done through strife or vain glory which is self-glorifying, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.” Yes, we were to esteem other people as being better than ourselves. We are not to be high-minded and lifted up and occupying the lofty heights in our own minds. We are to be humble in our relationship with God and in our relationship with other people.

           
“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also should be concerned about others, let this mine be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation.” That is, he was with God, He was God the creator and He was equal with God. But in verse 7, “He made himself of no reputation.” He gave up His glory. He gave up His God-ship and took upon Himself a form of a servant. . And was made in the likeness of men, “and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto the father even to the death,” even to the death of the cross of the stake.

           
“Wherefore God also has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is our Lord to the glory of God, the Father.” And your Lord is the person that you obey. “And everyone shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” And everyone shall obey him and He obeys the Father so that means that everyone will also be obeying the Father. “Wherefore, my beloved as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

           
Don’t sit back and do nothing letting other people figure it out just following along. No, you must zealously and strongly and intensively study the Scriptures, seeking the things of God and seeking your God with respect and with fear and trembling, fearing to offend God and wanting and loving to please Him. “For it is God which works in you; both to do and to will all of his good pleasure.” God’s will is worked out in you by the doing of His pleasure. “Do all things without murmuring and disputing or complaining that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke,” without unrebukable because there is nothing in you worthy of being rebuked.

           
“In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you may shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.”

           
“Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. That is if I die in the service to you, I rejoice over it. For the same cause, also do ye joy and rejoice with me, but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state.” He is saying that he wants Timothy to go and learn about their situation and come and report back to him so that he can be comforted, knowing that they are still faithful. “For I have no man likeminded who will naturally care for your state,” that is he cares for you the way I do.

           
“For all seek their own and do not seek the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But you know the proof of him, that as the son with the Father. He has served with me in the gospel.” Timothy has served Paul, like the son serves his father whom he loves.

           
Verse 23, “Him therefore I hope to send presently, as soon as I shall see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. Yet I suppose it necessary to send unto you Epaphroditus, my brother and companion in labor and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants; for he longed after you all and was full of heaviness because you had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick and near to death, but God had mercy on him. And not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.”

           
So, this person was very ill, and when he recovered and he found out how much his illness had distressed others, he himself was very distressed over that. “For indeed he was sick and near unto death, but God had mercy upon him and not on him only, but God had mercy upon me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him therefore, the more carefully that when you should see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.” That is when I know that you see him recovered, you will be happy and that will also make me happy, that you are happy. “Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such in reputation because for the work of Christ he was near unto death, not regarding his life to supply your lack of service toward me.”

           
This is a very important statement here. Paul is saying that this man was serving me to the point where he became so ill that he nearly died because he was making up for your lack of help and your lack of support. This is a very special person and notice here very carefully how Paul is a very carefully and very diplomatically pointing out to these Philippians that they were not giving him the support they should and that one fellow was acting to support him, to help him in every way and that one person made up for the lack of support from this whole group, and he was trying to inform these people and shame this people into realizing their lack of boldness in Christ and their fearfulness that being associated with Paul and supporting Paul, the prisoner.

           
This is about Paul being imprisoned and in bonds and these people in Philippi, being afraid to support him and being afraid to boldly stand up and preach the Gospel, lest they also be imprisoned. And Paul is very carefully and diplomatically pointing out to them that they need to be bold for the things of Christ. They need to be bold for the Gospel. They should not be afraid. They should be fearless and with great courage, stand on the Word of God. Stand on the rock of Jesus Christ because it is God and Christ who are able to save them ultimately from destruction. And men cannot do anything to them unless God permits it and God can save them, and if he chooses not to, he will raise them up on that day.

           
Paul here is really encouraging people who lack the courage to stand up on the Word of God and to lay it out and preach the Gospel. There was a man who once went around saying, “I tell you we need a strong hand from some place.” This man was not preaching the Gospel. He was afraid and ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ. And I tell you that Christ will be ashamed of him in the kingdom if he has not repented of that. And I sincerely hope that he has, but we should not be ashamed of the name of Christ and we should not be ashamed of the Gospel and of the faith and of the truth of God.

           
We should have courage and stand on that solid rock, that solid foundation of Jesus Christ and almighty God our Father and we should seek to please our Father in all things, regardless of what anybody else thinks. By this, I don’t mean that you should walk down the street and grab everybody you see by their shirtsleeves and start preaching at them. What I mean is that if you are in a position where the subject comes up, you should explain the hope that you have fearlessly, not being afraid that they might not agree with you, not being afraid that they might be offended, not afraid that they might ridicule you. You should just say, “Well, I believe this because the Bible says such and such and I believe in Christ because of this or that,” and explain yourself and stand your ground. You don’t have to be a pest or a problem, just pushing yourself at everyone, but when the subject does come up, you should deal with it with courage and not be trying to obfuscate and dilly-dally and dither around. But you should stand with courage. If you go up to a Buddhist or a Muslim, or anyone of any other religion, they are, not afraid to tell you what they believe and they're not ashamed of it.

           
They know what they believe, they feel that they're right and they are happy to explain themselves. Why are you then a follower of God the Father and Jesus Christ so fearful and so ashamed that you cannot mention the name of Christ and you cannot dare explain the reason for the hope that you have. When we are in a position where we are called upon or asked to explain something, we should do so without being fearful. Without saying, “Oh well, go to this website or talk to those people or -- oh, I don’t know how to explain it.” You should know how to explain it. You want to be a king and a priest in the kingdom of God and you can’t even explain a simple reason or answer a simple question for the hope you have, then you'd better start studying and you better get on your knees to God and you had better ask for that faith and that courage that comes from a true love of God, and a true love for the things of God.

           
Chapter 3, “Finally my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” That is you should be encouraged in these things; for safety lies in the things of God. Stop and think about it. It is God who has the power to resurrect you. It is God who has the power to save your life. It is God who has the power to deliver you from your enemies and from your troubles in this life. Why would you be ashamed of such a strong tower, such a fortress of great strength, such a rock, a solid rock, the solid foundation of your salvation? Why would you be ashamed of this? I'll tell you why, because you're not close to Him.

           
You are not seeking the things of God. You don’t set your heart on the things of God. You're going through the motions because you think it is a means to getting a reward or that you feel you have to. But you're not really dedicated to it. You need to get on your knees, go to God with a whole heart and ask Him for His Spirit. His Spirit is the spirit of power and it is a spirit of self-control; to control your lust and your habits and your physical desires. It is also the spirit of power and of courage, because it is a courage based on a knowledge of the truth, and if you really know the truth and are really convinced that something is true, then you're going to have that good old-fashioned guts to stand up for what you know to be the truth.

           
You need to seek God and you need to ask Him for His Spirit, the spirit of knowledge and understanding and courage and strength and power and self-control. And when He gives you His Spirit, you will then have the strength of character and the courage to stand up and be counted and if you cannot stand up and be counted now, it’s because you don’t have enough of God’s spirit. It’s as simple as that, and that is something that needs to be worked on. And I hope that no one is taking this in a sense -- personally I'm not trying to point at anybody or any individual and yet we should all take it personally because we all need a little bit more understanding, more knowledge. We all need more courage and more power and more strength.

           
Verse 2, “Beware of dogs…” Now in 1611, King James English the word dog referred to a homosexual and that is because a dog will try and mount anything, including your leg, if it can get away with it. And because dogs, or many dogs have an uncontrolled sexual drive, those human beings who have an uncontrolled sexual drive or lust, are referred to as dogs. This is not a modern saying. It’s not something I invented. It’s the language that was used in 1611. And the term dogs here refer to homosexuals. “Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision.” That is the circumcision. “For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh, who have no confidence in the things of man, who have no confidence in carnal things or physical things. Our confidence is in God. We rejoice in God and we are circumcised in heart.

           
“Though I might also have confidence in the flesh.” Paul is saying he might have confidence in the flesh because he is physically circumcised being a Pharisee of the Pharisees. “If any other man thinks that he had whereof trust in the flesh, I more. “

           
Being a Pharisee of the Pharisees, Paul was thoroughly taught in all the tradition and all of the various aspects of Mosaic Judaism and of not only the words and Law of Moses, but in the traditions of the Pharisees, which is quite another thing from the Law of Moses and the words of Moses. The traditions of the Pharisees often made the law of God of no effect as they reasoned in circles around the law of God. And Paul is saying, “I am,” or “I was really big in this Pharisee thing. I was circumcised the 8th day of the stock of Israel. I am of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law,

Paul says he was a Pharisee, consumed with zeal for the Pharisees and persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, I was blameless. I kept the commandments and all the traditions and I was blameless in those things. “But what things were gain to me,” that is I felt these things were gain as I strove after them. “Those, I counted a loss for Christ.”

           
I traded them all for my faith in Christ. “Yea, doubtless and I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things.” That is I've lost the respect of the other Pharisees and I have lost their support and their admiration, and I've lost everything that I held dear and I now count them, but dung. In the original language, Paul used a stronger word. Paul used a very much stronger word; this is the translator’s euphemism for what he originally had said. That I may be with Christ and be found in him and not having any righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which is of God by faith that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made confirmable unto his death. Paul says that he was called to take part in suffering and to die for the faith because he had persecuted the church in the past.

           
And “if by any means I might attain unto him and to the resurrection of the dead,” he is willing to die or suffer or do anything to attain unto the resurrection of the dead. “Not as though I have already attained, either we're already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I'm apprehended of Christ Jesus. I am seeking to follow Christ and to understand these things and to recognize Christ and that he would recognize me. I will not be ashamed of him and he will not be ashamed of me. “Brethren and I count not myself to have apprehended or understood, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth under those things which are before I pressed toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

           
It is very important that we understand how much we have been forgiven. It is also very important that we realize that we have been forgiven and that we accept that forgiveness and we do not feel guilty and we do not let a great burden of guilt weigh us down and destroy us. We must accept that forgiveness and understand that we are made clean through the forgiveness and the sacrifice of Christ. We must put the past out of our minds and go forward to build a new life, a new life free from the burden of guilt that sin brings. If we are always carrying around  guilt, “Oh I'm so sorry I did this or that.” And we let it weigh us down and discourage us, you know that is just a real problem for a lot of people and we have to realize that is, in a certain sense; not fully accepting the love and forgiveness of Christ. We have to be able to put aside and put away that thing we have repented of and go forward, with faith, knowing that we have been forgiven, knowing that we have been made clean and that we are now pure and therefore, we should build a new life filled with the purity of Christ; by keeping the commandments of God, and we should not build again that sinful life that we had before. Yes, we should avoid sin, but no, we shouldn’t let all of this heaviness of guilt destroy us and prevent us from going forward. We should never let the past destroy the future. We need to press toward the high mark of the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

           
“Let us therefore, as many as would be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk the soul as you have asked for an example. For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross or the sacrifice of Christ, whose end is going to be destruction, whose God is their own bellies, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” That with their carnal minds, they care only about the things of the flesh and the things of this physical world and they do not care about the things of heaven or the things of God. “For our conversation or conduct is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body, our physical bodies which are subject to decay and death,  that may it be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

           
Chapter 4, “Therefore my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Euodias and I beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also and with other of my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, rejoice. That your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful or overly concerned for nothing but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.

           
“And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and there be any praise, think on those things. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard, and seen in me, do them. And the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at the last, your care of me has flourished again.” Here, Paul says,” I am rejoicing because your spirit has been revived and you are caring for me once again. Your care of me has flourished again, where in me you were also careful or concerned but you lacked the opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of a want for I've learned that whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content, I know how both to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I'm instructed both to be full and to be hungry to abound and to suffer need.

           
“I can do all things through Christ, whose strengtheneth me. Notwithstanding you have well done, that you did communicate with my affliction. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but you only for even in Thessalonica you sent once and again unto my necessity.

           
Not because I desire the gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all and abound. I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Salute every saint in Christ Jesus; the brethren which are with me greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

           
This letter to the Philippians encourages them to stand on the Word of God and to be filled with courage, to stand up and be counted and to be ready to give an answer for the faith and the hope that they have and not to be ashamed of the things of God or of Christ. And he thanks them for having had their attitude of giving and supporting  revived. They had sent gifts and supported Paul in the past and when he ended up in prison, they were deeply concerned about that and afraid. And after some time, their caring and their love for him and for the Gospel revived and began to flourish and they sent him more support and more help. And Paul thanks them for this, while very gently chiding them and encouraging them to be faithful and to be strong, and not to be ashamed of the Gospel, or to be ashamed of Christ, or ashamed of their faith; but to be strong and full of courage and to depend upon and rely upon their God.

James David Malm
copyright 2010