Showing posts with label Philippians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippians. Show all posts
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Philippians Overview
As I have explained in the past, one of the reasons I am doing this blog is I am curious to see what kind of messages one might get from reading the bible. What might one learn as a take-away. Here is my quick summary of the good and bad from Philippians.
(note: the chapter link takes you to my page on that chapter, the verse link takes you to the verse on biblestudytools.com)
Good:
1:9 Encourage good things for other people
"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,"
1:24-25 Put other's needs above your own
"But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith"
2:4 Be concerned with other people, not just yourself
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
3:12 I'm not perfect, but I'm always striving for perfection
"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own."
4:8 Focus on good things
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things"
4:11 Be content in the good times and the bad
"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."
Bad:
1:18 The bottom line is all that matters
"What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,"
1:23 Death is better than life, I wish I was dead
"I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better."
1:24-25 Wishful thinking
"But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith"
2:8 Obedience is the most important thing
"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
2:12-13 Our fear and trembling is God's pleasure
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure"
2:14-15 Ignorance is glorified
"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world"
3:8 Everything other than Christ is worthless
"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ"
3:9 Faith is a virtue [thanks ReasonBeing]
"and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith"
3:18-19 People who are not like us are evil
"For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things."
4:13 Give credit to overcoming struggles to God
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me"
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Philippians 4
Exhortation, Encouragement and Prayer (v. 2-9)
Euodia and Syntyche are pleaded with to agree in the lord.
I wasn't sure what this section meant, so I went looking for information about these 2 people, apparently they are two women involved in some sort of disagreement. I don't completely see how to glean that from the text, but with it in mind it does seem to be hinted at.
Make your request be known to God and focus on good things.
Again, in the context of them being in a disagreement of some kind, this is Paul's advice on conflict resolution, and it seems good I suppose. In other setting, focusing on good things seems like a good idea.
I was definitely interested in this phrase "let your requests be made known to God". If God is all knowing doesn't he already know your requests? I would argue that this is evidence that when people in the bible speak of God, they aren't meaning the same thing that modern Christians do.
God's Provision (v. 10-20)
When I am in need I can get by through God who strengthens me. I know what it is like to both have absence and abundance, I can be content either way.
I guess the underlying message here is that we should be content in the good times and the bad. That is a good lesson, when bad times come by not to be so downtrodden but instead be happy for what you do have.
I'm not a fan of the idea that he gets through the bad times because he is strengthened by God. When you get through a struggling time, you do it through your own strength and the help of your community. To give the credit to an imaginary friend seems a shame to me.
Paul thanks the Philippians for helping him when no one else would.
In verse 18, Paul mentions a sacrifice for God. I'm mentioning this here because I find it quite curious, but I don't really know what it means. It is possible it is just the fact that they sacrificed some resources for Paul, but I'm not sure I'm convinced of that. What fragrant offering is sacrificed to the lord?
God will supply all of your needs.
This kind of thing seems dangerous to me. They give him stuff and he promises God will take care of their needs. There isn't exactly a cause and effect spelled out here, but it is implied. It makes me think of the prosperity gospel, where they prey on poor people to give them money and God is supposed to return the favor ten fold
Final Greetings (v. 21-23)
Greet all saints in Christ Jesus.
What a strange way to sign off.
For the overview post (If you think I should add or remove stuff from this list please let me know, I think it would make good conversation)
Good:
4:8 Focus on good things
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things"
4:11 By content in the good times and the bad
"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."
Bad:
4:13 Give credit to overcoming struggles to God
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me"
Euodia and Syntyche are pleaded with to agree in the lord.
I wasn't sure what this section meant, so I went looking for information about these 2 people, apparently they are two women involved in some sort of disagreement. I don't completely see how to glean that from the text, but with it in mind it does seem to be hinted at.
Make your request be known to God and focus on good things.
Again, in the context of them being in a disagreement of some kind, this is Paul's advice on conflict resolution, and it seems good I suppose. In other setting, focusing on good things seems like a good idea.
I was definitely interested in this phrase "let your requests be made known to God". If God is all knowing doesn't he already know your requests? I would argue that this is evidence that when people in the bible speak of God, they aren't meaning the same thing that modern Christians do.
God's Provision (v. 10-20)
When I am in need I can get by through God who strengthens me. I know what it is like to both have absence and abundance, I can be content either way.
I guess the underlying message here is that we should be content in the good times and the bad. That is a good lesson, when bad times come by not to be so downtrodden but instead be happy for what you do have.
I'm not a fan of the idea that he gets through the bad times because he is strengthened by God. When you get through a struggling time, you do it through your own strength and the help of your community. To give the credit to an imaginary friend seems a shame to me.
Paul thanks the Philippians for helping him when no one else would.
In verse 18, Paul mentions a sacrifice for God. I'm mentioning this here because I find it quite curious, but I don't really know what it means. It is possible it is just the fact that they sacrificed some resources for Paul, but I'm not sure I'm convinced of that. What fragrant offering is sacrificed to the lord?
God will supply all of your needs.
This kind of thing seems dangerous to me. They give him stuff and he promises God will take care of their needs. There isn't exactly a cause and effect spelled out here, but it is implied. It makes me think of the prosperity gospel, where they prey on poor people to give them money and God is supposed to return the favor ten fold
Final Greetings (v. 21-23)
Greet all saints in Christ Jesus.
What a strange way to sign off.
For the overview post (If you think I should add or remove stuff from this list please let me know, I think it would make good conversation)
Good:
4:8 Focus on good things
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things"
4:11 By content in the good times and the bad
"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."
Bad:
4:13 Give credit to overcoming struggles to God
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me"
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Philippians 3
Righteousness Through Faith in Christ (v. 1-11)
Paul says once again that we gain righteousness through faith in Christ and not through our own works. He discusses how he used to be very powerful and was perfect from the perspective of the law, but he gave it all up to follow christ. In the last couple verses, he says he will do whatever he can to share the sufferings of Christ and become like him in death so that he can attain the resurrection from the dead.
This is more glorifying faith. What you do doesn't matter, what you think does. Following the law doesn't help you, just having faith. That is all that really matters. I guess the implication is that once you have faith you will do good things anyway, so that's why following the law doesn't matter. I'm not sure this bears out in reality though, people being good and people having faith in Christ seem to be independent variables.
This last bit is interesting, he wants to share the sufferings of Christ so he can be resurrected. So ultimately his motivation is selfish. I guess most of what we do is ultimately selfish on some level, but something about the way it is spelled out here makes me a bit uneasy. Also, he talks of being resurrected from the dead. This feels fundamentally different to me than our common conception of going to heaven. "resurrection from the dead" sounds to me like coming back to life here on earth, not living on in heaven.
Straining Toward the Goal (v. 12-21)
I am not perfect, but I am eternally striving toward perfection. Join me in this way of thinking.
This message I like quite a lot. It fits into the message of being humble that we have seen a few times. Don't assume you are perfect, work to better yourself.
v.18-19 Many are enemies of the cross, their end is destruction, their god is their belly, they glory in their shame with their minds set on earthly things.
This doesn't seem quite as bad as some verses in the past, I think because it starts with people who are "enemies of the cross" and then follows that they are bad, rather than starting with them simply being not Christian and then saying they are bad. I still think this is a bad message, it basically says that people who are not like us are evil. It sets people up to hate those not like themselves. This is obviously a bad thing.
For the overview post (If you think I should add or remove stuff from this list please let me know, I think it would make good conversation)
Good:
3:12 I'm not perfect, but I'm always striving for perfection
"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own."
Bad:
3:8 Everything other than Christ is worthless
"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ"
3:9 Faith is a virtue [thanks ReasonBeing]
"and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith"
3:18-19 People who are not like us are evil
"For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things."
Paul says once again that we gain righteousness through faith in Christ and not through our own works. He discusses how he used to be very powerful and was perfect from the perspective of the law, but he gave it all up to follow christ. In the last couple verses, he says he will do whatever he can to share the sufferings of Christ and become like him in death so that he can attain the resurrection from the dead.
This is more glorifying faith. What you do doesn't matter, what you think does. Following the law doesn't help you, just having faith. That is all that really matters. I guess the implication is that once you have faith you will do good things anyway, so that's why following the law doesn't matter. I'm not sure this bears out in reality though, people being good and people having faith in Christ seem to be independent variables.
This last bit is interesting, he wants to share the sufferings of Christ so he can be resurrected. So ultimately his motivation is selfish. I guess most of what we do is ultimately selfish on some level, but something about the way it is spelled out here makes me a bit uneasy. Also, he talks of being resurrected from the dead. This feels fundamentally different to me than our common conception of going to heaven. "resurrection from the dead" sounds to me like coming back to life here on earth, not living on in heaven.
Straining Toward the Goal (v. 12-21)
I am not perfect, but I am eternally striving toward perfection. Join me in this way of thinking.
This message I like quite a lot. It fits into the message of being humble that we have seen a few times. Don't assume you are perfect, work to better yourself.
v.18-19 Many are enemies of the cross, their end is destruction, their god is their belly, they glory in their shame with their minds set on earthly things.
This doesn't seem quite as bad as some verses in the past, I think because it starts with people who are "enemies of the cross" and then follows that they are bad, rather than starting with them simply being not Christian and then saying they are bad. I still think this is a bad message, it basically says that people who are not like us are evil. It sets people up to hate those not like themselves. This is obviously a bad thing.
For the overview post (If you think I should add or remove stuff from this list please let me know, I think it would make good conversation)
Good:
3:12 I'm not perfect, but I'm always striving for perfection
"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own."
Bad:
3:8 Everything other than Christ is worthless
"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ"
3:9 Faith is a virtue [thanks ReasonBeing]
"and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith"
3:18-19 People who are not like us are evil
"For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things."
Monday, September 17, 2012
Philippians 2
Christ's Example of Humility (v. 1-11)
You should not be selfish or self-centered. Be concerned with other people's issues as well as your own.
That is good stuff. If only everyone would follow that instruction.
Another thought was that I'm not so sure that Jesus was that humble all told. There were certainly times when he was humble, like when he washed his disciples feet (although he was proving a point at the time). But there were also times when he let Mary use expensive ointment to anoint him. I haven't really thought about this much, but when I think back to the stories about Jesus, humble is not the word that comes to mind. Thoughts?
Jesus humbled himself by being born in the likeness of men.
Wasn't man created in God's image? How is Jesus humbling himself by taking the form of man which is made in the image of God? I think the only way this makes sense is if his quality has gone down like when you make a copy of a copy.
Jesus humbled himself by being obedient to the point of death. You should follow this example.
I think it is interesting that he is focusing on obedience here. There are certainly things worth dying for, but obedience? Is obedience something that is so important that people should obey even if it causes their death? sounds like something a tyrant would want. This of course reminds me of the binding of Isaac, but perhaps that is just because I watched non stamp collector's new video today.
Lights in the World (v. 12-18)
You have always been obedient, so if I am gone you should work out your own salvation with trembling and fear, God works in you for his good pleasure.
Well that is terrible. Keep being obedient even if I am gone, just focus on that trembling and fear and you will be fine. Also, what is the deal with our fear being God's pleasure?
Don't question things, you should be innocent and blameless so that I [Paul] won't feel I wasted my time.
I swear I'm not making this up.
Timothy and Epaphroditus (v. 19-30)
Paul is going to send Timothy to see the philippians because he is the only one who will be genuinely concerned for their welfare for everyone else seeks their own interest. He will also send Epaphroditus, a fellow minister and soldier.
Putting those 2 things together, is Epaphroditus going to be self-interested. If I was a Philippian, I might say "why don't you just go ahead and only send Timothy then."
For the overview post (If you think I should add or remove stuff from this list please let me know, I think it would make good conversation)
Good:
2:4 Be concerned with other people, not just yourself
Bad:
2:8 Obedience is the most important thing
2:12-13 Our fear and trembling is God's pleasure
2:14-15 Ignorance is glorified
You should not be selfish or self-centered. Be concerned with other people's issues as well as your own.
That is good stuff. If only everyone would follow that instruction.
Another thought was that I'm not so sure that Jesus was that humble all told. There were certainly times when he was humble, like when he washed his disciples feet (although he was proving a point at the time). But there were also times when he let Mary use expensive ointment to anoint him. I haven't really thought about this much, but when I think back to the stories about Jesus, humble is not the word that comes to mind. Thoughts?
Jesus humbled himself by being born in the likeness of men.
Wasn't man created in God's image? How is Jesus humbling himself by taking the form of man which is made in the image of God? I think the only way this makes sense is if his quality has gone down like when you make a copy of a copy.
Jesus humbled himself by being obedient to the point of death. You should follow this example.
I think it is interesting that he is focusing on obedience here. There are certainly things worth dying for, but obedience? Is obedience something that is so important that people should obey even if it causes their death? sounds like something a tyrant would want. This of course reminds me of the binding of Isaac, but perhaps that is just because I watched non stamp collector's new video today.
Lights in the World (v. 12-18)
You have always been obedient, so if I am gone you should work out your own salvation with trembling and fear, God works in you for his good pleasure.
Well that is terrible. Keep being obedient even if I am gone, just focus on that trembling and fear and you will be fine. Also, what is the deal with our fear being God's pleasure?
Don't question things, you should be innocent and blameless so that I [Paul] won't feel I wasted my time.
I swear I'm not making this up.
Timothy and Epaphroditus (v. 19-30)
Paul is going to send Timothy to see the philippians because he is the only one who will be genuinely concerned for their welfare for everyone else seeks their own interest. He will also send Epaphroditus, a fellow minister and soldier.
Putting those 2 things together, is Epaphroditus going to be self-interested. If I was a Philippian, I might say "why don't you just go ahead and only send Timothy then."
For the overview post (If you think I should add or remove stuff from this list please let me know, I think it would make good conversation)
Good:
2:4 Be concerned with other people, not just yourself
Bad:
2:8 Obedience is the most important thing
2:12-13 Our fear and trembling is God's pleasure
2:14-15 Ignorance is glorified
Friday, September 14, 2012
Philippians 1
I'll start by linking to the wikipedia page. Apparently there is pretty wide agreement that this was actually written by Paul, unlike Ephesians which apparently many suspect was a forgery. There is apparently general agreement that it was written around 62A.D., although some argue it could be as early at 50. Not the type of details I typically focus on, but interesting nonetheless.
Greeting (v. 1-2)
Not much here, just a greeting. It does mention Timothy as well as Paul. I'm guessing that means that when Paul visited the Philippians, Timothy was with him as well. Not sure if this matters much but it seems like something to keep an eye on.
Thanksgiving and Prayer (v. 3-11)
Basically Paul has a bunch of good stuff to say about the Philippians. He thanks God for his time with them, he mentions them in his prayers. He basically wishes good things for them, he says their love should abound, he says he hopes they are blameless for the day of Christ, which I think means he wants them to get into heaven. There are a few good verses there that would work well in one of those inspirational posters. I suppose there are a couple options that would be good for my summary, I'll focus on 9 I guess.
Something I found interesting was he mentioned his imprisonment. It doesn't sound like he was imprisoned by the Philippians, it sounds more like he was either thinking of them for strength while he was imprisoned, or maybe he was imprisoned with him.
The Advance of the Gospel (v. 12-18)
Paul has been put in prison and it has resulted in the gospel being spread. Some preach from good will out of love for me. But other preach from envy and rivalry intending to inflict me in my imprisonment. Whether in pretense or in truth, I am happy that Christ is being proclaimed.
So basically the ends justify the means. All he cares about is that Jesus is being talked about, he doesn't care by who or how. You have to expect that if someone is preaching about Jesus our of rivalry, he is probably doing it an manner that Paul wouldn't like. But all that matters is the bottom line. Jesus is being talked about so he's happy. When someone is arguing for a position I agree with but their logic is terrible it drives me crazy.
I suppose a counter-argument here could be that he is just looking at the bright side. "At least Jesus is being talked about". But I would think Jesus being talked about in a false manner would be worse than him not being talked about at all. Isn't silence preferable to the spreading of lies?
To Live Is Christ (v. 19-30)
Paul is hoping for deliverance (he must be writing this letter from prison). If he lives he will be of great help to the Philippians, but part of him would rather die and be with Jesus. Since living will be of great service to many people, he is sure Jesus will help him through. He instructs those reading to live a worthy life whether or not he returns.
There are a few things in this section that jumped out at me, both good and bad. One thing is that he is putting the good of someone else above his own wishes, that is certainly a good thing. On the other hand, his desire that he is overcoming is a wish to die and be with Jesus. This is a danger of preaching a paradise after death, if you are going through hard times, why not just hope to die and be in a better place? If that possibility isn't in your mind I think you'd be more apt to focus your attention on making your situation better. To be fair, in this instance he is in prison so there are probably not a whole lot of opportunities for him to make things better for himself, but this impulse is a danger outside of this particular situation.
The wishful thinking also bothers me a little bit. He thinks Jesus would want him to get out of prison and help these people, so he's just convinced it will happen. Again, he's in prison so there's probably not a whole lot he can do, but this mentality in everyday life could keep people from being proactive about improving their lives. "If Jesus wants this for me he'll make it happen." How many times have you heard statements along those lines?
For the overview post (If you think I should add or remove stuff from this list please let me know, I think it would make good conversation)
Good:
1:9 Encourage good things for other people
1:24-25 Put other's needs above your own
Bad:
1:18 The bottom line is all that matters
1:23 Death is better than life, I wish I was dead
1:24-25 Wishful thinking
Greeting (v. 1-2)
Not much here, just a greeting. It does mention Timothy as well as Paul. I'm guessing that means that when Paul visited the Philippians, Timothy was with him as well. Not sure if this matters much but it seems like something to keep an eye on.
Thanksgiving and Prayer (v. 3-11)
Basically Paul has a bunch of good stuff to say about the Philippians. He thanks God for his time with them, he mentions them in his prayers. He basically wishes good things for them, he says their love should abound, he says he hopes they are blameless for the day of Christ, which I think means he wants them to get into heaven. There are a few good verses there that would work well in one of those inspirational posters. I suppose there are a couple options that would be good for my summary, I'll focus on 9 I guess.
Something I found interesting was he mentioned his imprisonment. It doesn't sound like he was imprisoned by the Philippians, it sounds more like he was either thinking of them for strength while he was imprisoned, or maybe he was imprisoned with him.
The Advance of the Gospel (v. 12-18)
Paul has been put in prison and it has resulted in the gospel being spread. Some preach from good will out of love for me. But other preach from envy and rivalry intending to inflict me in my imprisonment. Whether in pretense or in truth, I am happy that Christ is being proclaimed.
So basically the ends justify the means. All he cares about is that Jesus is being talked about, he doesn't care by who or how. You have to expect that if someone is preaching about Jesus our of rivalry, he is probably doing it an manner that Paul wouldn't like. But all that matters is the bottom line. Jesus is being talked about so he's happy. When someone is arguing for a position I agree with but their logic is terrible it drives me crazy.
I suppose a counter-argument here could be that he is just looking at the bright side. "At least Jesus is being talked about". But I would think Jesus being talked about in a false manner would be worse than him not being talked about at all. Isn't silence preferable to the spreading of lies?
To Live Is Christ (v. 19-30)
Paul is hoping for deliverance (he must be writing this letter from prison). If he lives he will be of great help to the Philippians, but part of him would rather die and be with Jesus. Since living will be of great service to many people, he is sure Jesus will help him through. He instructs those reading to live a worthy life whether or not he returns.
There are a few things in this section that jumped out at me, both good and bad. One thing is that he is putting the good of someone else above his own wishes, that is certainly a good thing. On the other hand, his desire that he is overcoming is a wish to die and be with Jesus. This is a danger of preaching a paradise after death, if you are going through hard times, why not just hope to die and be in a better place? If that possibility isn't in your mind I think you'd be more apt to focus your attention on making your situation better. To be fair, in this instance he is in prison so there are probably not a whole lot of opportunities for him to make things better for himself, but this impulse is a danger outside of this particular situation.
The wishful thinking also bothers me a little bit. He thinks Jesus would want him to get out of prison and help these people, so he's just convinced it will happen. Again, he's in prison so there's probably not a whole lot he can do, but this mentality in everyday life could keep people from being proactive about improving their lives. "If Jesus wants this for me he'll make it happen." How many times have you heard statements along those lines?
For the overview post (If you think I should add or remove stuff from this list please let me know, I think it would make good conversation)
Good:
1:9 Encourage good things for other people
1:24-25 Put other's needs above your own
Bad:
1:18 The bottom line is all that matters
1:23 Death is better than life, I wish I was dead
1:24-25 Wishful thinking
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
