Verses 1-2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Following the last verses in chapter one where the Apostle Paul encourages the Philippian believers to walk in the Spirit and to be of one mind, he again admonishes them to be Christlike as this will bring him joy to know they are loving one another and that they are in agreement with one another. Remember, the Apostle Paul was in prison. He wanted this church to emulate what they had been taught and to carry on the work he had started among them.
Verse 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
The Greek word translated as “vainglory” is “kenodoxia” and it means groundless, empty pride, or a vain opinion. The Christian believers were to do everything in a humble manner and for the good of others rather than to build up their pride by attempting to get praise from other people.
Application: Pride is sometimes a difficult thing to recognize. The dictionary definition includes, “a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievement of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” There is nothing wrong with recognizing a job well done by self or by another as long as the Christian believer remembers that it is the LORD Jesus who gives the time, talents and treasure to do any job. The pride that causes problems is the dictionary definition of, “the quality of having an excessively high opinion of oneself or one’s importance.” That kind of pride is sin and that kind of pride is hated by the LORD because He knows that an individual is only able to perform anything in any capacity because of Him. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17 So when a preacher or televangelist, a church member or leader attributes their ministry to themselves rather than to the LORD, their pride is sinful. When a Christian musician/performer, physician, housewife, or any other role that can be named attributes their success to themselves, that is sin as it is the LORD that has helped them be successful. Remember that people are only alive because each breath is a gift of the LORD. There is no room for sinful pride in the Christian believer’s life as everything, including their salvation from sin, death and Hell, is a gift from the LORD Jesus Christ. He should receive all the credit and all the glory.
Verse 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Believers are to not only consider and care for and value their own stuff, but to consider and care for and value the things of other people as well, and that includes non-believers and their things. This does not mean to covet the things of others, but to be respectful.
Verses 5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Again, the Apostle Paul urges the Philippian believers to think like and to act like Jesus. Jesus, who was/is God, very God, took on flesh and served all those with whom He came into contact, as well as all those He did not come into contact with during His earthly ministry, and all those who would be born down through the ages. His very death, burial, and resurrection was to serve all people because it was/is payment for the sin of all people and it provided/provides a way to escape the judgement and penalty of sin which was/is physical and spiritual death.
Verses 9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The name, “Jesus”, is not found in the Old Testament as it is the English equivalent of the Greek version of the Hebrew name, “Joshua“. In the Hebrew the name Joshua is spelled Yahowshuwa and it means “Jehovah is salvation”. In the Greek, it is spelled Iesous. It means the same thing, “Jehovah is salvation“. There is a movement today to cease using the name, Jesus, and to use the name Joshua or JEHOVAH. Jehovah means “the existing One”. “And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not know to them.” Exodus 6:2-3 The name, Jehovah, only appears in Scripture four times: the verse above, Psalms 83:18, Isaiah 12:2 and Isaiah 26:4. God appears to be saying in the Exodus verse above that this other name was not known to the Patriarchs, and not implying that Jehovah was His only and official name. There are at least 198 names/titles of Jesus in the Bible, most of which are listed in Cruden’s Concordance published in 1737. Which name is “the name” the LORD has delegated as the only name to be used?
The name “Joshua” first appears in the book of Exodus and is referring to a living man, the son of a man named Nun, and the servant of the prophet Moses. This man is referred to hundreds of times by name in the books of Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges. He was a type of Jesus. Then there is Joshua, the Bethshemite in 1 Samuel 6:18, and Joshua the son of Josedech in the books of Haggai and Zechariah. So the name Joshua was a common name used by the Hebrews without any deity or divine status applied to it. It has been stated before that names used to be chosen based on their meanings. Joshua meant salvation. Because Jesus is the English equivalent of the Greek version of that name, it makes sense that the LORD, when appearing to people in a body of flesh, would use a name descriptive of the purpose of His visitation in the affairs of mankind. The name, Jesus, appears over 950 times in the New Testament, first appearing in the Bible in Matthew 1:1, the very first verse of the New Testament, and last appearing in Revelation 22:21, the very last verse of the New Testament. So if a person speaks English, the name is Jesus. If a person speaks another language, it may be translated, pronounced, and spelled differently. But there is no need for English speaking people to adopt the Hebrew or Greek name. Plain and simple. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Iesous): for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
Application: Verse 9 above states that God gave His only son a name, not many names, by which every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that He is LORD. That name written in the Greek is Iesous or Jesus in the English equivalent. It is that name by which people are to hear and understand the Gospel, people are to be baptized, people are to be healed, and devils are to be cast out. No other name will do. Do the research for yourself and you decide.
Verses 12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
The Apostle Paul knew this church well enough to be able to say that they had always obeyed the Gospel and the example that he himself had given to them, and that they continued to do so even though he was no longer with them. They did not start doing “their own thing” because he was not there to see them or to correct them. They were honorable as a Church and as individuals. Wow! In today’s society, would members of a church be able to continue in doctrine and worship in a pure and truthful manner if the leadership was not present? Interesting thought.
Application: Most of today’s evangelical church establishments teach that once a person is saved, they will always be saved, regardless of circumstances or personal choices. If a person falls away, the explanation is given that the person was not “saved” in the first place. Of course, there is no way to determine anyone’s salvation until they achieve room temperature and pass from this life into the next so this is not a valid argument or explanation. Only God knows the true condition of an individual’s heart. So based on the verse above it seems that the Christian believers in Philippi, who apparently were already doing everything right, were told by the Apostle Paul to “work out their salvation with fear and trembling”. The Greek word translated as “work out” is “katergazomai” and it means to perform, accomplish, or achieve, to bring about, to fashion, or to do that from which something results. Notice that the process is ongoing, not instant and final. Asking Jesus into an individual’s life is the first step towards salvation and eternal life in Heaven, but failure to remain in agreement with Him will not result in salvation from sin, death and Hell. The Christian walk is just that: moving forward in the Faith and in the knowledge of the LORD Jesus Christ and His Word. It is not to be taken lightly. In fact, the Greek word translated as “fear” in the verse above is “phobos” and it means fear, dread, terror, or that which strikes terror. The Greek word translated as “trembling” is “tromos” and it means a quaking with fear, and the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements. So the “easy believe-ism” that is taught in many evangelical churches today is wrong, plain and simple. Being a Christian believer takes work and commitment and the help of the LORD, “which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”, from the moment of conversion to the moment of physical death. Then salvation is completed.
Verses 14-16 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Most people have experienced walking into a room of fellow co-workers, family, or perhaps a church setting where people are all quietly discussing something and the discussion abruptly stops when walking in. This is murmuring and disputing. If the topic cannot be shouted abroad for all to hear, it should not be discussed at all by the Christian believer. Jesus never said or did anything behind the backs of others and He never created discord because of His words unless His words of truth upset the corrupt religious elites of His day. There can be no blame or blot upon the name of Jesus or upon His followers if believers speak the truth in love only.
Application: The Apostle Paul described the nation Israel as a crooked and perverse nation. Today this writer can rightly state that, not only the modern nation of Israel, but all the nations of the Earth are crooked and perverse. They have all abandoned the One who created them, who holds their breath in His hands, who blesses them with all things, and who loves them. The words of the Apostle ring truer today than they did thousands of years ago when this book/epistle to the Philippians was penned. Those people who are called and chosen and obedient to the commandments of the LORD Jesus Christ need to pray without ceasing, preach the Gospel to whoever will listen, and look for the second and final return of the Savior to this Earth (the day of Christ) to usher in judgement for sins and the end of the corruption of the Devil and his fallen angels. And then, like the Apostle Paul, every Christian believer can rejoice in the day of Christ that they have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain, the reward being eternal life in Heaven.
Verses 17-18 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
The Greek word translated as “offered” is “spendo” and it can be used figuratively of one whose blood is poured out in a violent death for the cause of God. Since Paul was in prison for preaching the Gospel and upsetting the religious Jews, death was a real possibility and he was prepared for it. Likewise, the believers in Philippi needed to understand this and to also understand they could be killed for the cause of Christ also.
Verses 19-23 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. 20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. 22 But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. 23 Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
Timothy was to be sent by the Apostle Paul, most likely to carry this epistle/letter to the Philippian church and to check upon their welfare so that he could report back to Paul. He could be trusted as he was a faithful servant to both Paul and to the LORD. The Apostle Paul described their relationship as that of a father and son.
Application: “I have no man likeminded” is a terribly sad statement from the Apostle Paul. During his lengthy ministry, Paul saw people come and go in the ministry, people who professed faith in Jesus and who then went off in their own strength and failed to walk with the LORD. They abandoned the true Gospel for a false one or abandoned the Gospel altogether to live as the pagans or unbelievers lived. As King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” Today’s Church is no different to that which was functioning in the Apostle Paul’s day. Some people are sincere and some are not. Some are seeking their own things and using the cover of the ministry to obtain them, and some are not. The true Christian believer can ask the LORD for the discernment necessary to see the difference and to avoid fellowship with those people who are false.
Verses 24-25 But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. 25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
The man, Epaphroditus, is only mentioned in Scripture in these verses and in chapter 4, verse 18 of this epistle. His name means “lovely”. Apparently he was a messenger for the Apostle Paul and carried information and any financial gifts to and from the churches.
Verses 26-30 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. 27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: 30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me. (Philippians 2)
It is not known what sickness Epaphroditus had, only that it was a result of his work for the LORD and for the Apostle Paul. Apparently he had a personal/emotional connection to the Philippian church and was therefore sent by Paul to be with them. This man was another hero of the Faith.