NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 85
page 2069
3:17
v1Co 4:16; 1Pe 5:3
3:18
wAc 20:31
xGal 6:12
3:19
16:18
6:21
aRo 8:5,6
yRo
zRo
3:20
bEph 2:19
cCol 3:1
d1Co 1:7
3:21
eEph 1:19
f1Co 15:43-53
gCol 3:4
4:1
hPhp
1:8
4:2
iPhp 2:2
4:4
jRo
12:12; Php 3:1
4:5
kHeb
10:37;
Jas 5:8,9
4:6
lMt 6:25-34
•
P h i l i pp i a n s
4:6
17 Join together in following my example, v brothers and sisters, and just as you have
us as a model, keep your eyes on t hose who live as we do. 18For, as I have often told you
before and now tell you a
gain even with t ears, w many live as enemies of the c ross of
x
19
Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is t heir stomach, y and their glory is in
their shame. z Their mind is set on earthly things. a 20But our citizenship b is in heaven. c
And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, d 21who, by the power e
that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies f
so that they will be like his glorious body.g
4. Joy in giving
Closing Appeal for Steadfastness and Unity
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, h my joy and c rown,
stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind i in the Lord.
3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended
at my side in the c ause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers,
whose names are in the book of life.
4
Final Exhortations
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! j 5 Let your gentleness be evident
to all. The Lord is near. k 6Do not be anxious about anything, l but in every situation, by
to learn, but we should rest confidently in what we do know. God stays
on the job. He will direct us (Proverbs 3:5-6). We should live up to what
we already know and live out what Christ has taught us. God will provide
the plain teaching we need whenever we need it. (For more on how God
teaches us through the Holy Spirit, see 1 John 2:20-27.)
3:17-21 Paul criticized not only the Judaizers (see the first note on 3:2-3)
but also s elf-indulgent C
hristians—people who claim to be Christians but
don’t live up to Christ’s model of servanthood and s elf-sacrifice. Such
people satisfy their own desires before even thinking about the needs
of others. Freedom in Christ does not mean freedom to be selfish. It
means taking every opportunity to serve and to become the person
God made you to be.
3:17 Paul challenged the Philippians to pursue Christlikeness by following Paul’s own example. This did not mean, of course, that they should
copy everything he did; he had just stated that he was not perfect (3:12).
Rather, Paul was calling them to focus their lives on being like Christ, just
as he did. At the time this letter was written, the Gospels had probably not
yet been widely circulated, so Paul could not tell the believers to read the
Bible to see what Christ was like. Instead, he urged them to imitate him.
That Paul could tell people to follow his example is a testimony to his
character. Could you do the same? What kind of follower would a new
Christian become if he or she were to imitate you?
3:20 Citizens of a Roman colony were expected to promote the interests of Rome and maintain the dignity of the city. In the same way,
citizens of heaven ought to promote heaven’s interests on earth and
lead lives worthy of heavenly citizenship. Too many Christians have failed
to transfer their citizenship to heaven. They still seek earthly pleasures
and treasures instead of heavenly ones. Paul told the Philippians to
remember that they were citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ
lives. Have you transferred your citizenship? How are you promoting
heaven’s interests?
3:21 The phrase lowly bodies does not imply any negative attitude
toward the human body. But the bodies we will receive when we are
raised from the dead will be glorious, like Christ’s resurrected body.
Paul promised this great privilege for every citizen of heaven. Those
who struggle with pain, physical limitations, or disabilities can find this
wonderful and certain hope in the resurrection especially comforting.
(For a more detailed discussion of our new bodies, see 1 Corinthians
15:35-58 and 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.)
4:1 How do we “stand firm in the Lord”? This refers to what Paul has
just taught in 3:20-21. We stand firm by keeping our eyes on Christ,
remembering that this world is not our home, and focusing on the day
when Christ will bring everything under his control. Standing firm means
steadfastly resisting the negative influences of temptation, false teaching,
and persecution. It requires perseverance, holding firm when we are
challenged or opposed (see 1:27-28). Don’t lose heart or give up. God
promises to give us strength of character. With the Holy Spirit’s help and
with the help of fellow believers, you can stand firm in the Lord.
4:2-3 Paul did not warn the Philippian church of doctrinal errors, but
he did address some relational problems. These two women had been
workers for Christ in the church. Their broken relationship was no small
matter, because many had become believers through their efforts. It is
possible to believe in Christ, work hard for his kingdom, and yet have
broken relationships with others who are committed to the same cause.
But we have no excuse for remaining unreconciled. Do you need to
be reconciled to someone today? If you’re facing a conflict you can’t
resolve, don’t let the tension build into an explosion. Don’t withdraw or
resort to cruel power plays. Don’t stand idly by and wait for the dispute
to resolve itself. Instead, seek the help of those known for peacemaking.
4:3 The identity of this “true companion” remains a mystery. It could be
Epaphroditus, the bearer of this letter, or a comrade of Paul’s in prison. It
could also be someone named Syzygus, the Greek word for “companion.”
Paul mentions this person specifically in their role as a peacemaker.
4:3 Those “whose names are in the book of life” are all who are marked
for salvation through their faith in Christ (also see Luke 10:17-20; Revelation 20:11-15).
4:4-5 Ultimate joy comes from Christ dwelling within us. Christ will
come again, and at his second coming we will fully realize this ultimate
joy. He who lives within us will fulfill his final purposes for us.
4:4 How strange that a man in prison could tell a church to rejoice.
But Paul’s attitude teaches us an important lesson: Our outward circumstances do not need to dictate our inner attitudes. Paul was full of joy
because he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ
was with him. Several times in this letter Paul urges the Philippians to
be joyful, probably because they needed to hear this. It’s easy to get
discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant
events too seriously. If you haven’t been joyful lately, let the Holy Spirit
remind you that true joy is found in the Lord and the promise of his
second coming.
4:5 We are to be gentle (reasonable, fair-minded, and charitable) to
those outside the church, not just to fellow believers. This means we are
not to seek revenge against those who treat us unfairly, nor are we to be
overly vocal or demanding about our personal rights.
4:6-7 Imagine never being anxious about anything! That may seem