Philippians 1, continued
Philippians 1:1-11 – “I have you in my heart”
- Philippians 1:10 – The “day of Christ” is probably referring to the judgment. See Philippians 1:6; 2:16.
Philippians 1:12-20 – “Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice”
- Philippians 1:12-13 – Paul’s imprisonment gave him the opportunity to speak to the guards. It also emboldened other people to keep preaching the gospel. Paul’s positive attitude set the tone for others.
- Philippians 1:19 – The “Spirit of Jesus Christ” is probably the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 1:21-30 – “to live is Christ and to die is gain”
- Paul is not dreaming about the luxuries of life.
- Two different philosophies:
| Bryan Johnson | The apostle Paul |
|---|---|
| “Don’t die” | “to die is gain” |
| dontdie.bryanjohnson.com | Philippians 1:21 |
- Philippians 1:24 – If I continue to live …
- Will sinners stand a better chance of knowing Jesus?
- Will brethren be better off?
- Will my spouse benefit from my companionship?
- Will my kids be strengthened in the faith?
- Philippians 1:27 – See Ephesians 4:1
- Philippians 1:29-30 – See II Timothy 3:12.
Philippians 2
Philippians 2:1-8 – Be united, and be humble like Christ.
- Philippians 2:7 – This passage has been used for centuries to argue that Jesus did not use attributes of deity.
- But that cannot mean He emptied Himself of the attributes of Deity.
- Jesus was justified in accepting worship (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38)
- Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:3-12; Luke 7:48)
- Jesus performed miracles by His own power (Luke 2:11; John 5:21)
- Just as Jesus humbled Himself, if we are to be His disciples, we should humble ourselves.
- But that cannot mean He emptied Himself of the attributes of Deity.