Episode 330 -"Be of one mind" - Philippians 2:1-3

Phil. 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

In chapter one, we have read about the apostle Paul’s source of joy and rejoicing. The support that the believers in Philippi have given him from the beginning of his ministry to the present has been a source of joy. Knowing that the gospel was spreading on account of his imprisonment caused him to rejoice. He rejoiced in the hope of release from his imprisonment in order that he might bring the Philippians joy as he helps them progress in their faith.

Now he asks them to “complete my joy” (Philippians 2:2). The way they are to do that is by being of “one mind.” That can be a difficult thing to accomplish. There are plenty of stories out there about churches that have split over a wide range of disagreements and dissensions. Why is that? Simply put, we are still in the flesh and struggle with pride.

The good news is that Paul doesn’t just tell them to get along. He tells them how to do that. Paul understands the challenge. He and Barnabus disagreed over whether to take John Mark on their second missionary journey, after he had earlier abandoned them. (Acts 15:36-41) They weren’t of the same mind at the time. Paul tells them to first think of Christ (Philip. 2:1). Find encouragement in the person and work of Jesus. Consider his love and how the Holy Spirit is what establishes our fellowship. In the opening verses of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he directs his readers to thank God for the many ways he has blessed them, including the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13-14) The idea here is that if they are thinking about Christ and mutually letting the Spirit lead them, their thoughts and concerns should be toward others, and showing love and compassion to each other.

In contrast to that kind of mindset is “selfish ambition or conceit” (Philippians 1:3). Paul instructs them to lay aside their pride, be humble before others, and actively consider how each of them can serve their brothers and sisters in the faith. I believe what Paul is saying here is that if they each think and act in a way that demonstrates their concern for others, even over their own needs and desires, they will be unified.

What sound advice! Perhaps we can reflect upon that advice and apply that. How about if we begin by praying, “Lord, help me think about your love for me and help me set aside my own interests in order to concern myself with the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Episode 329 - "Stand firm with One Mind - Philippians 1:27-30

Phil. 1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

I suspect one reason Paul’s letters are so popular among Christians today is that the principles he gave his original audience resonate with us today. We understand many of them and recognize their merit today. For example, take this instruction in verse 27, “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” I suspect that if we took a random poll among many Christians today in various churches, most people would say “Yes! Amen!”

But what does that look like? Well, Paul explains it. A life lived in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ is one in which believers are collectively “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” He continues, saying that this applies especially when opponents attempt to frighten them. (v. 27-28) If we stop and think about this, it’s pretty easy to recognize this instruction as good in a theoretical sense. But Paul knows that these believers are facing or will face persecution for their faith. That persecution is intended to instill fear and ultimately, to inhibit or stop the spread of the gospel.

Personally, I can’t help but think about the cultural climate in our country today, where there is conflict and fear among people over issues like immigration and other political matters. These issues are leading to conflict and division between our own citizens and even fracturing the unity in our churches. Why is this? I would suggest it is because we are not prioritizing the gospel of Jesus Christ in our churches. Instead, we are prioritizing the espoused ideologies of political parties, believing that our favorite party and candidates will somehow make society better. But that mindset is contrary to what God has revealed about his plan. As believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must truly seek the presence of God’s kingdom with Jesus on the throne. Regardless of our differing opinions about other matters, we must humbly encourage and support our brothers and sisters in the faith for the sake of the gospel. Doing so, Paul says, we send a message to those opponents of the gospel that their opposition to God’s work will be brought to an end and that the believers will be delivered by God.

Let us pray that we will be unified with other believers in standing firm for the gospel in spite of persecution and opposition. Jesus prayed to the Father that his disciples would be one (John 17:11) and we need to follow that example and obey that charge.

Episode328-"To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain" -Philippians1v18b-26

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

We stopped the last blog in the middle of verse 18 where Paul states that he rejoices that the gospel is preached by some out of love and good intentions and by others out of selfish ambition. The latter thinks they can cause affliction to Paul. Paul knows that the LORD will use the preaching of the gospel for his glory, regardless of the motivations of the people preaching it.

Paul then repeats that he rejoices. He brings the source of that joy back to his relationship with these believers at Philippi. Earlier, he said that he has joy when he remembers them in his prayers. Now, he rejoices because they are praying for him. His joy is that their prayers and the “help (lit. supply) of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” will “turn out for my deliverance.” (v.19) What is Paul saying here? Is he saying that he believes he will be released from his incarceration? The word “deliverance” is most often translated as “salvation.” If that’s the case, does Paul believe that his future eternal state with the LORD is in question or jeopardy?

Recall that Paul said he was imprisoned “for the defense of the gospel.” (v. 16) Now, in verse 20, he says, “it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” Paul does not know whether he will be released from his imprisonment or be executed. So, he has not received some kind of vision assuring him that he won’t be incarcerated. Furthermore, the context doesn’t support the idea that Paul's spiritual state is in jeopardy either. It looks to me like Paul understands that the intercessory prayer of the Philippians and the presence of the Spirit of Jesus is encouraging him and helping him feel confident that whether he is released from his bonds or executed, he will be successful in the mission the LORD has given him. The LORD is not going to let him fail in this mission, even though the trial that may come will be more difficult. This explanation gets more support from his own explanation. In short, he argues there is a benefit to either his release or his death. If he’s released, he'll be able to share the gospel more. If he’s executed, he gets to be in the presence of Jesus. The latter, he says, is preferable. But he reasons that the LORD still wants to use him to minister to the Philippians. This may be why the translators chose to use “deliverance” instead of “salvation.” Maybe it was this line of reasoning of Paul to lead him to think that he wouldn’t be executed. But, the bottom line for Paul is that he is joyful for their prayers and for the provision of the Spirit who will sustain him and enable him to accomplish the mission the LORD has given to him.

What an example of faith! Concerning an application for us from this text, we might pray the LORD would grant us a similar confidence through our faith and by His Spirit to minister the gospel to others. Perhaps we could also have the sensitivity of the Philippians who were interceding in prayer for Paul. My guess is that we likely know many people who could use our intercessory prayer for whatever challenges they are facing right now. Let us rejoice in the privilege to do that.

Episode 327 - "Rejoice in the Power of God's Amazing Good News" - Philippians 1:15-18

Phil. 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

In light of the circumstances of his incarceration, the apostle Paul’s attitude seems odd. Why? Because he is joyful. Multiple times throughout this letter, words like joy and rejoice will be used to express Paul’s emotional state as he writes under house arrest.

He is joyful in his prayers concerning the believers at Philippi because they have supported him from the very beginning of his ministry. While he doesn’t repeat the word joy or rejoice again in verses 12-14, his emotion is clearly present as he explains to his audience that his imprisonment has led to an even greater spread of the gospel because the imperial guard is hearing it and understands why Paul is imprisoned. In other words, while Paul was the one who was “captive,” it was the imperial guard who was Paul’s captive audience. They had to be him and keep an eye on him, and Paul took advantage of the opportunity.

In verses 15-18, Paul writes that others are taking advantage of the opportunity of Paul’s imprisonment. He explains that there are two groups of people. There are those who are preaching out of a heart of envy or jealousy of the attention given to Paul and perhaps even gloating a bit at Paul’s situation. He explains that they are doing it from “selfish ambition” (v. 17). The other group does it selflessly out of love.

This would be an opportunity for Paul to encourage the Philippians to identify those in the first group and discipline them. But what does he say? “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” (v. 18) Wow! Paul didn’t excuse the motivations of the envious group. But his perspective is that “Christ is proclaimed,” and then he states, “and in that I rejoice.” (v.18)

There are two things from this that strike me as important to own and learn to act upon. The first thing is to have a kingdom perspective on every circumstance in life. Trust that while people are doing things from evil motivations, God is in control, and his ultimate will is not hampered by people’s attitudes and motivations. The second is closely related: the power of the gospel's message does not lie in the motivations of its speakers. Paul believes that people may have the absolute worst motivations in sharing the gospel, but God can and will still make an impact on the hearts of those who hear it. This reveals an important truth about the gospel. We are not the ones responsible for convincing people of the truth of the gospel. We are simply responsible for sharing the message that Jesus died on the cross to take the judgment for our sin upon himself. He was buried, and on the third day he rose from the dead. He is presently with the Father in heaven and will someday return to raise us who’ve trusted in Jesus to be with him eternally. Jesus’ death creates a peaceful relationship between God and us. Secondly, it gives us hope of eternal life.

Let us rejoice in this tremendous privilege and gain courage to do this, knowing that God is the one who does the hard work in people’s hearts and minds.

Episode 326 - "Paul's perspective on his incarceration" - Philippians 1:12-14

Phil. 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Before I begin discussing this section, I realized there was something in our text last week that I failed to comment on, and I think it's important. In verses 9-10, Paul writes to these believers that he desires their love to abound. Why? He explains beginning in verse 10, “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

To be “pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” What is that about? It’s about the return to earth of Jesus Christ. The second physical return of Jesus to earth is a core doctrine of the Christian faith. What did Jesus command his disciples to do before he gave them the Great Commission? He said, "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34-35) Paul has taken this command and encouraged the believers at Philippi to increase that abundantly for when Jesus returns, it will be “to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11) and not to their shame.

It makes me think how people would feel if Christ returned today to find many believers who identify with Jesus but have decided to hate or be at odds with their fellow believers over politics or other matters of this age. We need to abound in love towards others. That doesn’t mean we lay aside convictions and opinions. It means we don’t despise them or withhold compassion and care.

OK. Now, onto today's text. Once again, let me remind you that Paul is incarcerated. So, it’s interesting what he says in verse 12. He wants the Philippians to understand that his incarceration has not hindered the spread of the gospel. In fact, it’s done quite the opposite. Because of his incarceration, he’s getting opportunities to speak with imperial guards of the Roman Empire. I think Paul is saying that some of these people with power are hearing the gospel and some are even believing it. Paul understands the implications of that. Those people will, in turn, have more opportunities to spread the gospel themselves.

The significance is not missed by other believers who have interacted with Paul because he adds that some of them have become “more confident in the Lord” and are “much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (v. 14)

It almost sounds like the Lord knows what he is doing. Of course, that last statement was made tongue-in-cheek. The Lord does know what he is doing. He is in control. Paul’s imprisonment was neither an accident nor outside of God’s control. Paul sees the positive things that are happening through these circumstances and desires to see how they work in the spread of the gospel.

There are a few good things for us to meditate on this week. Let our love abound more and more, and let us pray and praise God for all the circumstances in our lives that lead to the spread of the gospel and the glory of God, regardless of how undesirable the circumstances may be.

Episode 325 - "Paul's joy from the believers at Philippi" - Philippians 1:3-11

Phil. 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

After his greeting, Paul begins to share what is on his heart to the believers at Philippi. Paul thanks God for these believers through prayer as he remembers them. This “remembrance” is not simply a recollection of this group of people. These believers have made an impact on Paul. If someone asked you if there was someone who made a positive impact on your life, it likely would not be difficult to remember who that person or people were. They would immediately cause you to smile, and you could quickly describe why they were important to you. Why is that? It’s because you don’t forget them. They come to your mind often. This was the case for Paul concerning these believers.

Recall that Paul is currently incarcerated. His situation is not a happy one. Yet, Paul is filled with joy (a common theme in this letter) as he remembers the impact the Philippians have had and continue to have in his life and ministry.

He explains that their “partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” is a particular source of his joy and gratitude. What does that mean? Well, it would seem that it began when he first shared the gospel with them. They received it and, in turn, have helped him continue the ministry of sharing that gospel in the known world. This partnership, which we’ll learn about later in the letter, was financial or material support.

It would be easy to just say that he is thankful for the money they’ve given him for his support. But the letter seems to convey that Paul is aware and joyful that their gifts are more than just money. Notice in verse 9 that he recognizes their gift came from a heart of love.

Throughout his ministry, Paul experienced a wide spectrum of responses. Some wanted to and attempted to kill him. But these believers welcomed it and wanted to help the continuing spread of the gospel. This was not a one-time gift. They actively provided for him as he traveled to share the gospel and sent gifts to sustain him in his imprisonment. It seems fair to say that these believers had the same attitude about Paul as he had about them. Paul had made an impact on them by explaining the gospel of Jesus Christ to them, and their reception of it effected the love of Christ to Paul in response. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.

Paul writes that his prayer is that what God has done in their lives will continue to grow, and then affirms his confidence that as they continue to respond according to the love of Christ, they will be brought to the spiritual maturity the LORD has intended for them.

So, what can we learn from this? I believe the message is this. When we receive the love of God found in Jesus, it should effect in us a thankful and joyful heart such that we want to respond by acting in a loving way to others. That is the “fruit of righteousness” Paul speaks of, which leads us to mature in our faith and prepares us for Christ’s return.

Episode 324 - "Paul's letter to the church at Philippi" - Philippians 1:1-2

Phil. 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

Phil. 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul in the early 60s AD. It is one of four letters (Ephesians, Philemon, and Colossians) that he wrote while under house arrest. His incarceration was due to charges brought against him that stirred up people, and spoke contrary to the Jewish Law and against the temple. (Read Acts for Paul’s story of his conversion and ministry leading to his arrest.)

Some of Paul’s letters convey a clear message that his intended recipients have gone astray in their faith and worship and need correction. This letter to the church in Philippi (a city in Greece), is primarily a letter of encouragement.

He opens this letter by stating that this message is coming from himself and his disciple Timothy. Even though Timothy is younger and a disciple of Paul, Paul identifies them both as “servants of Christ Jesus.” This identifier is something we should not overlook. The Apostle Paul is often considered one of the most important and influential people in the Christian faith. Yet, he considers himself essentially a slave of Jesus Christ. In our society today, it is not uncommon for people to identify themselves with specific terms they believe elevate them as superior to others, rather than demeaning them. These identifiers might come in the form of denominational affiliation (Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, etc.), systematic theological convictions (Calvinist, Arminian, other) or other terms that may reflect cultural tendencies such as “Christ follower” or Christian. Think about what would happen in our society if those of us who claim to believe in and follow Jesus thought of ourselves and acted as though our primary identity was to do whatever Jesus might want us to do, and not concern ourselves with being “better than” or “more right” than others around us.

Paul then addressed his intended audience. They are all the saints, including those who serve in a specific capacity to the church. What Paul is about to share in this letter applies to every single believer at Philippi. Given that the Church has identified this letter as inspired by God and to be treated as holy Scripture, it would seem reasonable to suggest that, whether Paul understood it or not, the LORD wants us to receive the message of this letter as well. As with any other Scripture written to a specific audience, we ought to use discretion and discernment in how we do that.

After addressing all the saints in Philippi, Paul gives us a summary of what is on his heart for these believers. He wants them all to receive and experience grace and peace “from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” What a concise, but amazing expression of encouragement from Paul.

I write this blog post on January 1, 2026. Often, at the close of one year and the beginning of another, we reflect on the past as we anticipate what may come. We are aware of the challenges and trials of recent years and understand that the new year will bring its own set of trials. Yet, we seek and desire hope. What better encouragement than to anticipate God’s favor and peace that He offers through Christ Jesus.

May God’s favor and peace be upon you this coming year.