PHILIPPIANS 2:16

November 13, 2011FIRST BAPTIST CHURCHJACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

*The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Copyright © Moody Press and John MacArthur, Jr., 1983-2007

*Wiersbe Expository Outlines

*J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

*Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)

*Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

The theme of

Philippians is:

JOY!

Philippians 2:16

16“holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.”

“Holding fast” is from epecho, which is perhaps better rendered "holding forth," as in the King James Version.

The context of the present text makes clear that the point is not believers' remaining faithful to (holding onto) God's truth,

but rather their sharing with others (holding out) the redeeming Word that brings eternal life.

Don’t keep the faith, spread it!

The “word of life” refers to Scripture and, more specifically, to the Gospel. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit Who gives life;

the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" (John 6:63).

When many professing followers then turned away, Jesus asked "the twelve, 'You do not want to go away also, do you?'"

Peter responded, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life" (John 6:66-68).

Many years later, the apostle John opened his first epistle by declaring, "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes,

what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life — and the life was manifested,

and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us" (1 John 1:1-2).

Philippians 2:16

16“holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.”

It is important to note that the day of Christ is not synonymous with another similar term, the Day of the Lord, which focuses on the punishment of the unrepentant wicked.

God is going to ask everyone two questions:

1)What did you do with My Son?

2)What did you do with the resources I gave you?

Paul reminded the Thessalonians, "You yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

The Day of the Lord:While they are saying, 'Peace and safety!' then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape" (1 Thess 5:2-3; 2 Thess 2:1-8).

But the day of Christ will be solely for believers to judge their works (Phil 1:6,10).

It will be a time of judgment, in the sense that believers will "appear before the judgment seat of Christ,"

and the focus will be only on rewards, not punishment, "so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad"2 Cor 5:10;1 Cor 3:8;3:13-14

Philippians 2:17-18

“But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”

When believers see another Christian living out God's standards triumphantly, they are encouraged.

Phil 2:17-30 presents three men whose lives are exceptional patterns for godly living.

These three — Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus — were together in Rome at this time.

Paul was a prisoner in his own rented quarters and though chained to a soldier, he was free to carry on his work unhindered (Acts 28:16,30-31).

Timothy, the apostle's son in the faith (1 Tim 1:2), had been with him for some time.

Epaphroditus had been sent from the Philippian church to bring financial support for Paul and to minister to his needs.

The men were knit together geographically, spiritually, and ministerially in a common cause.

Each was passionately devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ, not consumed with his own interests. For the Lord's sake, each had risked his health, his freedom, and even his life.

Although all three exemplified the qualities Paul has previously stressed, each also reflected distinct personal and spiritual characteristics.

Paul might therefore be described as the sacrificial rejoicer, Timothy as the single-minded sympathizer, and Epaphroditus as the loving gambler.

Love compelled Paul to serve unreservedly and sacrificially.

He was keenly aware that he had a special calling, giftedness, and empowerment for which the Lord would hold him accountable. He wrote of that accountability to the Corinthians:

"Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy" (1 Cor 4:1-2).

Because of that accountability, Paul exercised self-discipline: "I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified" (1 Cor 9:27).

He was confident "that in the day of Christ he would have reason to glory because he did not run in vain nor toil in vain“ (Phil 2:16).

One cannot help wondering why Paul had such great confidence in his own example.

Most believers would be reluctant to offer themselves as an example, believing it would be presumptuous and prideful. But the Holy Spirit empowered Paul to that confidence.

Because Paul was Spirit led and obedient, he did not have the self-conscious sense of inadequacy that the majority of believers possess.

Though he was humble and had a deep sense of his weakness (1 Tim 1:15 chief), he could still use himself as an example because his motives were pure and his life holy. (+ or – influence?)

With both sincerity and genuine humility he therefore could admonish the Corinthians, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor 11:1; 4:16).

“Even if” is more appropriately rendered "because I am being poured out as a drink offering." That whole phrase translates the single Greek word spendo, which means "to be poured out as a libation" (2 Tim 4:6).

Paul's example was evident in the price he was paying in pouring out his life to God like an Old Testament drink offering.

Paul was not here speaking of his eventual martyrdom.

The present tense clearly indicates that he was speaking of his current experience as a prisoner in Rome.

He saw his life, not his death, as his ultimate act of sacrifice to the Lord. He was a living sacrifice, not a dead one (Rom 12:1).

Both Jews and Gentiles would have understood the implied imagery of a drink offering, or libation, a ritual that was familiar to many ancient people (Lev 23:18,37; 2 Kings 16:10-16; Jer 7:18; Hos 9:4).

After placing the sacrificial animal on the altar, the priests would take wine (or sometimes water or honey) and pour it either on the burning sacrifice or on the ground in front of the altar.

That act symbolized the rising of the sacrifice into the nostrils of the deity to whom it was being offered.

Service translates leitourgia, which was most commonly used of religious service and is the term from which the English word liturgy derives.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul used it of financial offerings given for "supplying the needs of the saints" (2 Cor 9:12).

Like Peter, Paul saw all believers as being priests of Jesus Christ, "living stones, who are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5).

The Philippians were partners with Paul in sacrificial service to God (1:25-30; 4:10-19).

They were suffering severely for their faith in an extremely hostile pagan environment.

The more the church grew, the more it was resented and persecuted.

Paul went on to explain, "To you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (1: 29).

Service to the Lord is in itself a privilege and a cause for rejoicing.

Believers are to rejoice not in spite of their suffering for Christ but because of it (Acts 5:41), knowing that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim 3:12).

Believers' greatest joy comes at the point of greatest sacrifice, because serving God is the supreme purpose of their existence.

Unfortunately, many believers experience joy in much the same way as the world does.

When circumstances are favorable, they are happy; but when circumstances are unfavorable, they are sad and sometimes resentful.

The only things that bring them joy are those that promote their own interests and welfare.

But when believers seek to do the Father's will and please Him, they view sacrifice for Him with joy.

The reason many of us know little about Paul's kind of joy is that we know little about his kind of sacrifice.

It is difficult for self-centered, worldly believers to understand how missionaries can live for years under primitive, demanding, and often dangerous conditions yet still maintain their joy.

Through it all they rejoice, because, like Paul and the Philippians, they offer their lives as a continual sacrifice to God.

They have learned that the greater the sacrifice, the greater the joy.

They have the same attitude as Peter and the other apostles who, after being flogged and ordered "not to speak in the name of Jesus, . . .

went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:40-41).