Empowered by Joy

Reflections on Paul's Letter to the Philippians

Jeon

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2012
• eBook ISBN: 9781498271103
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

The temptation to give up while running the race of faith is all too real. Despite our best attempts to be faithful witnesses of the gospel of Christ, we oftentimes feel overwhelmed by discouragement and doubt. Empowered by Joy is a devotional inspired by Paul's letter to the Philippians. It focuses on how we can enjoy an endless stream of joy through our relationship with Christ and thus experience power to fulfill our calling to make known the good news of God!

1

Reflections on 1:1a

Fellow Servants of Christ

Paul begins his letter to the Philippians by stating the senders as Paul and Timothy. We don’t want to overstate the significance of including Timothy, but there are at least two points to notice. First, Timothy, likely Paul’s closest missionary companion, shared a special relationship with the Philippians. Luke notes in Acts 18 that Timothy played a special role in the evangelistic efforts in Macedonia, where Philippi is located. For Paul, then, to have omitted Timothy from a letter addressed to the latter’s friends would have been surprising. Second, as we’ll see, the idea of partnership and unity permeates this letter. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that from the outset Paul would mention Timothy as a way of highlighting that even the great apostle recognizes the necessity and value of partnering with other believers for the work of proclaiming the gospel in word and deed.

In our desire to do great things for the Lord, we often adopt an individualistic approach, illustrating the extent of our culture’s influence. Doing great things for God sometimes looks like we’re trying to leave a legacy for ourselves. Paul reminds us here that doing great things for God usually requires partnering with other believers. It’s instructive that even someone as great as the apostle humbly and frequently acknowledged his need for community. Perhaps we have been turned off by our church experiences or other attempts to work with other believers and Christian organizations, and we suppose that we can accomplish more by going solo. This way of thinking deviates from the example we find in Paul.

The term “servant” has two connotations. On the one hand, it connotes—perhaps to the surprise of some—authority. This isn’t simply true for the Old Testament (e.g., Moses, one of the most authoritative figures in Israel’s history, is referred to as the “servant of the Lord” [Joshua 1:1]). Even today, Alfred, the famous butler for Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) has tremendous authority over his household. On the other hand—and I believe this is the connotation the apostle wants to draw attention to here—is that of meekness, humility, and service. It’s worth noting that the only other occurrence of the term is found in Philippians 2:7, where Jesus is described as one who emptied himself and took the form of a “servant.” In describing himself and Timothy as “servants of Christ Jesus,” then, the apostle—who has great authority—is communicating to his audience that servanthood is the best imitation and representation of his master, the ultimate servant-king.

It would be unwise to reduce the imitation of Christ to just one attribute, but none will argue that humility is one of the qualities that should be manifest in every believer. Specifically, just as Christ Jesus revealed himself as a servant who came to seek and save the lost, so too our fundamental identity is that of a servant. In our world, there’s tremendous pressure to be at the top of an organization, whether it’s at work, church, or even at the home. We want to be “number one.” Paul’s self-identification as a servant of Christ Jesus, however, is a healthy reminder that if we indeed belong to the great servant-king, then we are to share in that fundamental identity by pursuing a deeper understanding and practice of what it means to be a servant.

Questions for Further Reflection

1. In your efforts to live for Jesus Christ, how much priority do you place on developing gospel partnerships? Name several people you have partnered with over the years and the work you were able to do as a result of such synergy.

2. Consider the awesome truth that Christ Jesus emptied himself of glory to become a servant. As one who belongs to this servant-king, do you represent him well by exhibiting the character and lifestyle of a servant?

2

Reflections on 1:1b

Between Two Worlds

A wooden translation of 1:1b would have read something like, “To the holy-ones in Christ Jesus in Philippi.” “Holiness” describes a state of being set apart. By virtue of their relationship with Christ Jesus (the theological phrase that’s often used here is “union with Christ,” but more on that later), believers are set apart from their surrounding world while being immersed in their surrounding world. Hence, the irony and depth of meaning in the first half of 1:b: the Philippians, like all believers, are those who, on the one hand, are “in Christ Jesus,” and on the other hand, are “in Philippi.” In short, believers are in the world but not of the world because their identity rests fundamentally in Christ Jesus.

The illustration that’s often given to clarify this point goes something like this. Suppose you’re a citizen of one country having to reside temporarily in another country for study (perhaps you’re an exchange student) or for work (perhaps you’re an expat). On a fundamental level, your citizenship and identity rest with your country of origin. Nevertheless, you’re temporarily living in another world. Similarly, believers are those whose fundamental identity is in Jesus and whose citizenship is in heaven. Still, for the time being, they also live in this world (in the case of the Philippians, Philippi).

Two additional observations regarding this short verse: First—perhaps at the expense of reading too much into the text—it’s worth noting that Paul adopts the sequence of being “in Christ Jesus” before being “in Philippi.” It may have been his subtle way of reminding the recipients of this letter that their primary identity rests not in their immediate and tangible surrounding but in their mystical union with the risen Lord. Second, this dual identity is shared with all the saints. Hence, Paul is careful to include the adjective “all” and to make special note of “the elders and deacons.” Just as Paul accentuates the importance of recognizing Timothy as a fellow servant of Christ Jesus, so too the Philippians are to remember that they sojourn in this life with other believers. This perspective stands in clear contrast to some sort of rugged, individualistic view of the Christian faith, as if the only thing that matters is one’s personal relationship with Jesus.

Admittedly, it’s difficult not to be influenced by our surroundings. Most of us have struggled with this since our youth. If a particular type of clothing or accessory became popular in grade school, then we wanted to make sure that we weren’t left behind. Similarly, even when we’re grown adults we experience the need to keep up with those around us. If your friends are suddenly buying a condo, you feel that you should be doing the same. If your colleagues at work have adopted a certain lifestyle, you want to do the same in order to fit in. To be sure, we tend to deny that this is the case. But the truth is that while living in the world we can’t help but become of the world.

Paul’s description of the Philippians isn’t intended to suggest that as believers we should isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Rather, we’re to remember, through mutual exhortation and reproof, that we are to march to the beat of a different drummer. Given that our identity is in Christ, we are to live like Christ while being very much immersed in this world. Is this difficult? Absolutely! Most Christians likely suffer from amnesia: the minute they’re in the world they forget that they are called to think, feel, speak, and act differently as servants of Christ. This is why regular time reading and reflecting on scripture and praying—and especially fellowshipping with other believers—is so important as we live between two worlds. Through these means of grace we are to remember that first and foremost we are “in Christ” and then “in x-y-z.”

Questions for Further Refle...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Reflections on 1:1a
• Chapter 2: Reflections on 1:1b
• Chapter 3: Reflections on 1:2
• Chapter 4: Reflections on 1:3–8
• Chapter 5: Reflections on 1:9–11
• Chapter 6: Reflections on 1:12–14
• Chapter 7: Reflections on 1:15–18a
• Chapter 8: Reflections on 1:18b–20
• Chapter 9: Reflections on 1:21–26
• Chapter 10: Reflections on 1:27–28
• Chapter 11: Reflections on 1:29–30
• Chapter 12: Reflections on 2:1–5
• Chapter 13: Reflections on 2:6–11
• Chapter 14: Reflections on 2:12–13
• Chapter 15: Reflections on 2:14–18
• Chapter 16: Reflections on 2:19–30
• Chapter 17: Reflections on 3:1–3
• Chapter 18: Reflections on 3:4–8
• Chapter 19: Reflections on 3:9
• Chapter 20: Reflections on 3:10
• Chapter 21: Reflections on 3:11
• Chapter 22: Reflections on 3:12–16
• Chapter 23: Reflections on 3:17—4:1
• Chapter 24: Reflections on 4:2–3
• Chapter 25: Reflections on 4:4–7
• Chapter 26: Reflections on 4:8–9
• Chapter 27: Reflections on 4:10–14
• Chapter 28: Reflections on 4:15–20
• Chapter 29: Reflections on 4:21–23