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BIG IDEA:

JOYFULLY PROGRESS IN HUMBLE SERVICE TO MAINTAIN A BLAMELESS TESTIMONY

INTRODUCTION:

The path of humble service — seeking the prosperity of others above our own personal interests — is not the path we would naturally choose.  In fact we shrink back from such a challenge.  How can such a life be possible?

Frank Thielman: Paul’s purpose in these two paragraphs is to apply the story of Christ’s humble self-emptying and exaltation specifically to the Philippian situation. Thus he begins the new section with the strong conjunction “therefore” and, echoing his reference to Christ’s obedience in 2:8, refers in the first sentence of this new section to the Philippians’ obedience. The language and themes of the section also show that Paul is turning again to the themes of 1:27–30. He is concerned in both passages that the Philippians live out the implications of their initial response to the gospel, and that they do this whether Paul is among them or absent from them (1:27/2:12). Both passages express concern that the Philippians be unified (1:27/2:14), and that this unity be visible to the unbelieving world outside (1:28/2:15). The two sections also share an interest in the final day (1:28/2:16) and in the experience of suffering for the gospel, which binds the apostle to his friends and apostolic charges in Philippi (1:30/2:17). The concerns of 2:12–18, then, are woven tightly into the fabric of Paul’s larger argument that the Philippians should “conduct” themselves “in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27). . .

In 2:12–18, then, Paul makes two primary points:

  • Working against disunity is a crucial element in working out salvation before a watching world,
  • and the struggle to work out salvation, since it is a sacrifice to God, should be a cause for rejoicing.

Ben Witherington: In three Greek sentences (vv. 12-13, 14-16, and 17-18) Paul builds toward an outburst of joy, joy over sacrifices made by Paul and his converts, climaxing the pathos of this section. Along the way he emphasizes negative examples (the grumbling Israelites) and positive examples (himself and his audience) as the deliberative force of the discourse continues.

Gordon Zerbe: Outline

I.    Active Participation in the Drama of Salvation, 2:12–13

II.   A Community of Character and Mission, 2:14–16

III.  Mutual Rejoicing in the Midst of Suffering, 2:17–18

Moises Silva: The structure of verses 12–18 is clear. We have first a general but powerful exhortation and encouragement to lead obedient lives (vv. 12–13). There follows a more specific instruction to avoid dissension in the community (vv. 14–16). Paul then concludes with an appeal to his own ministry (vv. 17–18). Thus the exegesis will be based on the following outline:

  1. The believer’s work (2:12–13)
  2. Blameless children (2:14–16)
  3. A personal appeal (2:17–18)

I.  (:12-13) PROGRESS — GOD ENABLES OUR PROGRESS IN HUMBLE SERVICE

John MacArthur: In Philippians 2:12–13, Paul presents the appropriate resolution between the believer’s part and God’s part in sanctification. Yet he makes no effort to rationally harmonize the two. He is content with the incomprehensibility and simply states both truths, saying, in effect, that, on the one hand, sanctification is of believers (v. 12) and on the other hand, it is of God (v. 13).

A.  (:12) Our Role in Progress in Humble Service

  1. Motivated by the Example of Christ

So then, my beloved,

Dwight Pentecost: “Wherefore” always introduces the logical application of a truth that has been presented = the example of Christ.

In total abandonment to the will of God for the good of those He loved, He gave up all the rights that He had as the eternal Son of God.  He veiled His essential glory in human flesh, and He went to the cross, not for His own good but because He sought the good of those whom He loved.

John MacArthur: Everything in life requires energy. It takes energy to walk and to work. It takes energy to think and to meditate. It takes energy to obey and to worship God. The point of the present verse is that it takes spiritual energy to grow as a Christian, to live a life that is holy, fruitful, and pleasing to the Lord. The main verb in this verse, katergazomai (work out), specifically calls for the constant energy and effort necessary to finish a task. In 2:12, Paul’s words suggest five truths that believers must understand to sustain such energy: their example; their being loved; their obedience; their personal responsibilities and resources; and the consequences of their sin.

George Hunsinger: With these words (hōste agapētoi mou) Paul returns to his concern that divisiveness be uprooted from the community. Obedience (hypakoē) is the theme that links the hymn just finished to the exhortation now resumed.  The Philippians are not merely Paul’s “converts.” They are his “beloved friends” (agapētoi).  He wishes he could visit them, freed from his chains, even as they long to see him too. If he were present in person, perhaps he could help straighten things out. Yet for the time being he has to be absent, with no guarantee that he will ever see them again. He urges them to be as diligent in resolving their quarrels as if he were on hand to help. Alluding to Christ’s exemplary obedience, surpassing and grounding their own, he exhorts them to be obedient from the heart just as, he adds in encouragement, they have always been obedient.  It is a matter of faithfulness, not to him but to God. It is a matter of being true to the gift of their salvation.

  1. Patterned after a Life of Consistent Obedience

just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,

but now much more in my absence,

Dwight Pentecost: In Paul’s mind, if his presence would put pressure upon them, the  example of the loving suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ ought to put even greater pressure on them.  It was Paul’s greatest desire to please a person.  That was the motive in his personal life, and it was not necessary for that Person to be present.

The extent of obedience should always be consistent since our accountability is not to men, but to God.  The degree of obedience of the child is not determined by what the child does when the parent is present, but by what he does when the parent is absent.

The Philippians did have a good track record in terms of obedience and Paul is quick to soften the impact of his exhortations with appropriate praise

Ben Witherington: The issues in Philippi are not such that Paul needs to offer a stern corrective and a demand for a dramatic change of course. Rather he can build on the positive foundation that exists and strengthen the unity they need to maintain. Paul is not calling them from disobedience to obedience, but rather to continue to live out their obedience to the gospel.

Grant Osborne: He appealed to their lengthy and glorious history of “obedience” to the gospel and the demands of the Lord; from the founding of the church until the present day they had been known for their Christian faithfulness. Most likely that included obedience to Paul’s apostolic teaching. Christ was “obedient to death—even death on a cross” (2:8), and believers were to follow his paradigm in their own lives.

Steven Lawson: Paul explains that their obedience has been “not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence.” This is to say, Paul recognizes that he does not have to be in Philippi, at their side, in order for them to live their Christian lives effectively. Their primary dependence is not on Paul, but on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Philippians cannot use the absence of Paul as an excuse that they do not need, or that it is too hard, to obey the Lord. Though Paul is away from them, he commends them for “always” walking in obedience to God. These Philippians believers began walking in the word when Paul was with them and have continued now he is gone. Though he is not with them now, they must continue down that path of obedience.

  1. Commanded as a Matter of Personal and Corporate Responsibility

work out your salvation

keep working out the salvation of yourselves

Not talking about works earning our salvation — we know we are “saved by grace thru faith and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast“.

Lit. “to carry out to its intended goal, to carry to its ultimate conclusion; accomplish” — speaking not of justification but of the path of sanctification that ultimately leads to glorification.

They could not depend on the Apostle Paul or even on their elders for their own progress in Christlikeness — in a life of humble service (“your own” is emphatic by position)

Why suffer for loving others?  Christ did it and so should we.

Don’t give up when pressure or suffering come — remember it has been granted to us not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for His sake.

William Hendriksen: Their salvation is a process … in which they themselves, far from remaining passive or dormant, take a very active part. It is a pursuit, a following after, a pressing on, a contest, fight, race.

Charles Swindoll: The Philippians are to work out their salvation not in the sense of earning it, but expressing the reality of their salvation through their practical obedience and selfless humility. The emphasis is on sanctification (learning to live more righteously), not on justification (being declared righteous).

Grant Osborne: Some interpreters see the focus as individual salvation, centering on a person’s Christian life as a whole, and others as corporate salvation, centering on the life of the church. The former view aligns with the meaning of salvation in Paul’s other writings, but latter fits closely with the surrounding context in Philippians and the problem of church dissension. In recent years the corporate view has gained support. In secular Greek, sōtēria often could describe the health and well-being of a person or a group, and 1:27 – 2:18 is certainly a corporate context calling for unity and spiritual healing; moreover, the commands are plural, addressing all the believers at Philippi. On the other hand, there are good grounds for a personal thrust. In Paul’s letters sōtēria nearly always means spiritual salvation (Rom 1:16; Eph 1:13; Phil 1:28). While this does not refer only to the original conversion experience, it does refer to the working out of the believers’ salvation vis-à-vis their ongoing Christian conduct. In the New Testament, sōtēria connotes the life in Christ as a whole, including sanctification as well as regeneration. So the plural commands here do not necessarily refer to the church as a whole but to all the people in the church.

In reality it is an error to make this an either/or; it is a both/and. Paul was instructing every member of the Philippian church to work out the implications of their own salvation or life with God by working with the other members to achieve peace and harmony within their church. It is essential for every believer to work at their Christian walk as part of the corporate body of Christ. Interpreters generally agree that there is an eschatological element in this—that believers are to live in the present in light of the future end of history, when Christ will return and abolish this age of sin and discord.

Tony Merida: What does it mean to work out one’s salvation? Surely there are hundreds of implications of working out the life-changing salvation that God has wrought in our souls. But to work out your salvation simply means to follow the example of Christ. In the Christ hymn, Jesus has given us the pattern for obedience. He has shown us what humble, others-focused, God-glorifying obedience looks like. That’s the kind of life that we are called to live as believers. Does your life look like Philippians 2:6-8? Are you praying and striving for growth in humility, personal holiness, selfless service, and sacrificial mission by the power of God’s enabling grace?

We might wish we could find a shortcut, some special diet to grow in Christlikeness, but following in the footsteps of Jesus requires daily taking up our cross. My (Tony) son James once looked at the picture on a particular cereal box and asked me, “If I eat this cereal, will I become a football player?” I said, “You need a bit more than cereal to become an athlete.” The fact is, there are no shortcuts to becoming a professional athlete. It requires discipline and long workouts. So it is with the Christian’s growth in Christlikeness. We can’t take a pill or eat kale and automatically turn into perfectly sanctified individuals. We must work out our salvation every day by the grace of God.

This is a challenge—a long obedience in the same direction. We live in a fast-paced, fast-food, microwave, Internet culture, but sanctification is a slow process. We are often drawn to mega conferences and flashy events, but God has called the Christian to the day-in, day-out process of growing in Christlikeness. It’s easy to show a spark of enthusiasm at an event; it’s quite another thing to live faithfully and consistently when no one is watching and when no one cares. May God rekindle in us a passion for ordinary obedience, day to day, following the pattern of Jesus.

George Hunsinger: In the present tense, while there is only one Saving Agent, there is more than one acting subject. God operates in the faithful, even as they also “cooperate” with his saving work, but only God, not the faithful, actualizes the grace of salvation. They cooperate with this grace by actively receiving or partaking of it, as well as by attesting and mediating it, but they do nothing to constitute or deserve it or even to make it possible. They are active in appropriating, but not in effecting, this grace. Every act of appropriation is itself a gift. God acts in and through the faithful, even as they act in and through him. But the status of their respective actions is not the same. While the faithful may be subsidiary acting subjects, cooperating with grace under grace, God alone is the Saving Agent by whom grace is made effectual. In the present tense he performs his work of grace in the faithful by moving them through their free consent “in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Col. 1:9).

  1. Manifested with the Attitude of a Humble Servant

with fear and trembling

Possibly an idiomatic expression of the times

Cf. 1 Cor. 2:3; 2 Cor.7:15; Eph.6:5

Cf. hostess wanting to make sure everything is just right for a distinguished guest.

Opposite of being high-minded and proud and arrogant and self-confident.

Gordon Zerbe: The phrase with fear and trembling (v. 12) implies reverent loyalty, not a nervous anxiety to do one’s duty or a posture of cowering before some angry God. This phrase was idiomatic for an attitude of obedience (2 Cor 7:15) and humble service (1 Cor 2:3; cf. Eph 6:5; Mark 5:33).

Ben Witherington: These words suggest that God is present with them and observing their behavior, and so they should act as if God is in their midst and behave!

John MacArthur: Knowing that he serves a holy and just God, the faithful believer will always live with fear and trembling. Fear translates phobos, which describes fright or terror (cf. Matt. 14:26; Luke 21:26; 1 Cor. 2:3) as well as reverential awe (cf. Acts 2:43; 9:31; 2 Cor. 5:11; 7:1). Trembling is from tromos, which refers to shaking and is the word from which the English word tremor derives. Both of those are proper reactions to the awareness of one’s own spiritual weakness and the power of temptation. The Lord seeks such an attitude in His children, as His words in Isaiah 66:2 indicate: “To this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

An important Old Testament truth is “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10; cf. Prov. 1:7; 9:10). This is not a fear of being doomed to eternal torment, nor a hopeless dread of judgment that leads to despair. It is rather a reverential fear, a holy concern to give God the honor He deserves and avoid the chastening of His displeasure. Such fear protects against temptation and sin and gives motivation for obedient, righteous living.

B.  (:13) God’s Role in Our Progress in Humble Service

John MacArthur: 5 essential realities concerning God’s part in sanctification:

  1. His Personhood
  2. His Power
  3. His Presence
  4. His Purpose
  5. His Pleasure
  1. Sovereign Initiative

for it is God who is at work in you,

Gives us hope and assurance

D. A. Carson: God is not working merely to strengthen us in our willing and acting. Paul’s language is stronger than that. God himself is working in us both to will and to act: he works in us at the level of our wills and at the level of our doing. But far from this being a disincentive to press on, Paul insists that this is an incentive. Assured as we are that God works in this way in his people, we should be all the more strongly resolved to will and to act in ways that please our Master.

  1. Sovereign Enablement

 a.  Graciously grants the DESIRE to live a life of humble service in harmony with God’s good pleasure

both to will.

b.  Graciously grants the POWER to carry out that desire

                            “and to work for His good pleasure

word = “effective energy” — only used of supernatural power in the NT

D. A. Carson: God’s continuous, gracious, sovereign work in our lives becomes for us an incentive to press on with fear and trembling.

Frank Thielman: Paul perhaps recognized the danger, nevertheless, that someone would take his statement to mean that believers cooperate with God in the process of salvation and that if they did their part, God, meeting them halfway, would do his. So in verse 13 Paul explains that salvation comes entirely at God’s initiative and that God provides both the will and the ability to accomplish “his good purpose.” Paul’s emphatic way of putting this (“it is God who works in you” rather than simply “God works in you”) and his care in pointing out the divine origin of both the ability and the very will to put this ability at God’s service show how concerned he is that his statement in verse 12 not be misunderstood. Although the Philippians must work out their salvation, their salvation does not come at their own initiative. They should work out their salvation with a seriousness appropriate to those who look forward to salvation on the final day, but they should remember at all times that the whole process leading to their acquittal on that Day is theirs neither to initiate nor to complete. It is God’s from first to last (cf. 1:6).

Moises Silva: The point is that, while sanctification requires conscious effort and concentration, our activity takes place not in a legalistic spirit, with a view to gaining God’s favor, but rather in a spirit of humility and thanksgiving, recognizing that without Christ we can do nothing (cf. John 15:5) and so he alone deserves the glory. Perhaps the finest interpretive summary of Phil. 2:12–13 comes from John Murray (1961: 148–49):

“God’s working in us is not suspended because we work, nor our working suspended because God works. Neither is the relation strictly one of cooperation as if God did his part and we did ours so that the conjunction or coordination of both produced the required result. God works and we also work. But the relation is that because God works we work. All working out of salvation on our part is the effect of God’s working in us. . . . We have here not only the explanation of all acceptable activity on our part but we also have the incentive to our willing and working. . . . The more persistently active we are in working, the more persuaded we may be that all the energizing grace and power is of God.”

George Hunsinger: In any case grace operates in the hearts of the faithful (en hymin) in such a way that they appropriate God’s effectual willing and working in and with their own receptive willing and working.  Grace, as Paul sees it, enables them not only to overcome all rivalry and conceit among themselves but also to withstand any persecution from the outside world. It frees them for love and obedience in times of adversity, even as Christ was loving and obedient in adversity, not only for their sakes but also for the sake of the world.

II.  (:14-16) SHINE — MAINTAIN A BLAMELESS TESTIMONY AS A CHILD OF GOD

Paul advocates 6 Keys to maintaining a blameless testimony:

A.  (:14) Good Attitude — Do Not Spoil Your Testimony or Undermine Your Unity

Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

Danger lies in wait to ruin our testimony

Do all things” — everything that is required to humbly submit to others and serve them in the body of Christ.

Some people try to avoid temptation by sitting life out as a spectator; not taking the risks of Christian ministry.

Paul says “Get involved; Be aggressive in seizing every opportunity for humble service.”

Tony Merida: Grumbling causes us to lose our distinctive character, or in the words of Jesus, our “saltiness” (Matt 5:13-16). Consequently, we will lose our effectiveness. Realize, then, that others are watching you. Others are listening to you. What are they seeing, and what are they hearing? Are we standing out like bright stars in a dark sky? This is Paul’s concern as it pertains to grumbling. He has the watching world in view. We will shine like stars, and like a city on a hill, when our conversation remains blameless, pure, and faultless.

John MacArthur: I once heard a sociologist observe that the typical modern young person lives in a state of sullen discontent, continually dissatisfied with things as they are. Part of the problem, he suggested, is small families, in which fewer children are able to demand more of their parents’ attention and do not have to share anything with brothers and sisters. Combined with affluence and materialism, that situation tends to produce selfish, self-indulgent children who are never content with what they have. Instead of bending to the needs of the family, as is necessary in larger families, the family bends to them. Absent parents, gone to work, shop, and play, try quick fixes for their children’s demands, usually giving them what they want to stop the conflict. Children in that situation have little desire to grow up, realizing that adult society will not cater to their every whim. They want to postpone the responsibilities of a job, marriage and family, and other such commitments as long as possible, because those things demand a considerable degree of conformity to others. When such children become adults and don’t get what they want when they want it, discontentment increases, as do frustration, anger, anxiety, and complaining.

Discontentment also breeds impatience, another defining characteristic of our times. Among the seemingly endless causes of impatience, and often hostility, are long lines, interruptions, talkative people, rude people, high prices, traffic jams, inconsiderate drivers, and crying babies. The last two have actually become causes of serious crime. Inconsiderate drivers often produce road rage, which, with increasing frequency, results in gunfire and even murder. Crying babies have led to child abuse, which occasionally results in the murder of a helpless baby. . .

Believers’ failure to willingly, even joyfully, submit to God’s providential will is a deep-seated and serious sin. Discontentment and complaining are attitudes that can become so habitual that they are hardly noticed. But those twin sins demonstrate a lack of trust in His providential will, boundless grace, and infinite wisdom and love. Consequently, those sins are especially odious in His sight and merit His discipline.

But Do Not Spoil Your Testimony:

  1. By Grumblings

Background = OT grumblings of children of Israel in the wilderness

  1. By Arguments  

R.C.H. Lenski: evil rationalizing thoughts and calculations (Rom. 1:21; 1 Cor. 1:20)

Not referring to quarrels that would disrupt unity among brothers; but grumbling at the disagreeable hardships of life and persecution.

Other commentators feel that the context of the epistle deals with quarrels among the brothers that destroy church unity and would mar Christian testimony.

Ben Witherington: Murmuring and disputing or arguing are not the sorts of behavior that promote community unity. Avoiding such behavior is one of the ways one becomes blameless, pure, and faultless children of God (which, again, is family language, not friendship language), and so they will stand out as starkly in the midst of their agonistic culture as stars in a night sky. An allusion to Dan. 12.3 is possible here.

B.  (:15a) Good Character Reflecting Your Identity as Children of God

that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent,

children of God above reproach

  1.  Blameless — nothing people can censure you for
  2.  Pure; innocent — unmixed; unadulterated — devoid of matters foreign or improper to a pure heart
  3.  Children of God — ones who faithfully reflect the image and nature of their Father; this is where the emphasis lies
  4.  Without blemish; no flaws (cf. the absence of defects in sacrificial animals)

C.  (:15b) Good Contrast– to the Evil Environment and Perverse Peer Pressure

        that Wage War Against a Blameless Testimony

in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,

Grant Osborne: The body of Christ is to be the polar opposite of the wilderness generation—pure rather than warped, blameless rather than crooked. The new Israel will continue God’s original purpose in choosing Israel, serving as “a light for the Gentiles” (Isa 49:6). The character of this crooked world is described in Romans 1:21: “Their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” God has placed his people in the midst of this sin-sick world so that his truth may rescue these perishing people. Through the witness of the church, “the light shines in the darkness” (John 1:5), but it is essential that the purity of that witness be maintained. As Paul puts it here, “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” Jesus is the “light of the world” (John 8:12), and his followers are called to be the same (Matt 5:14).  . .  Believers are to shine so brightly that the people of the world are mesmerized, but that will not happen if the lens of our witness is marred by petty bickering. We are light-bearers, and through us the light of God must radiate forth and fill the sky with the beauty of God. Paul challenges us here to be united in the beauty and glory of our witness.

D.  (:15c) Good Goal– Be a Shining Star for Christ

among whom you appear as lights in the world,

Be a lighthouse in your community with worldwide impact thru participation in the body of Christ in the midst of such darkness.

The Impact of a Blameless Testimony — a Picture helps you to visualize the successful implementation of the Biblical principle.

It is possible for us not to be shining as brightly as we should because something is clouding or obscuring our testimony.

How will the world ever see the light if the light does not shine brightly?

Gordon Zerbe: The imagery of shining as bright lights in the world also recalls the imagery of Isaiah in which the people of God are a “light to the nations” (Isa 9:2–7; 42:6–7; 49:6; 58:8–10). Paul adjusts the text in Daniel by identifying their shining, not in heaven (ouranos, sky or heaven), but “in the kosmos,” focusing on the earthly world of humanity. The messianic polis has an identity oriented to God’s current regime in heaven (Phil 3:20). But its missional vocation is squarely in the midst of the terrestrial world, and its destiny is in this world transformed (3:21; cf. Rom 8:18–25). Outsiders, even enemies, are always potential insiders.

Dennis Johnson: When our commitment to obedience begins to reflect Jesus’ costly commitment to obedience for us, that simple shift from self-centeredness to Son-centeredness causes our lives to shine like stars in a midnight sky. In view of the tensions that exist in the Philippian church—rivalry, conceit, preoccupation with one’s personal interests—Paul has a very specific form of obedience in mind.

E.  (:16a) Good Stability and Mission — The Source and Power of a Blameless Testimony

holding fast the word of life,

  • Source — we need the content
  • Power  — we need the content in its efficacy

1st Option — “Holding fast the Word of Life” in peseverance; this

would fit as a grounds for Paul’s boasting in the day of Christ

Other option — “holding forth the Word of life” in evangelism;

this would closely parallel what precedes

Both are true; you must continue to give attention to observing the Word of life yourself in order to be able to offer it to others.

Gordon Zerbe: Paul draws attention to what they hold securely in their hands, connoting both how they maintain their own stability, yet also how they interact with hostile adversaries. In the first case, they are holding on in the sense of standing firm in the face of external opposition, continuing with the Greek text of Daniel 12:3 that Paul draws upon (“Hold strong to my words”). The image is roughly synonymous with standing firm together and striving [fighting] together with the loyalty-faith of the gospel (1:27; 4:1). The word of life is the gospel of Messiah, the sole foundation for their citizenship practice and the only security for their destiny.

But the phrase also seems to imply what armaments are in their hands as they face a hostile nation. Instead of taking up arms in the ordeal, they take up the word of life, fighting God’s warfare of love with “weapons” appropriate to the gospel of Messiah. The image reminds us of Paul’s language of “weapons of warfare” as the virtues that Jesus loyalists display even to adversaries. In particular, Paul refers to struggling “with the weapons of justice-righteousness for the right hand and for the left” (2 Cor 6:7 AT) or “taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:17; cf. Rom 6:13; 12:21; 13:12; 1 Thess 5:8–9; 2 Cor 10:4; also Phil 4:5).

F.  (:16b) Good Encouragement — The Importance of Our Blameless Testimony to Our Spiritual Leaders — Paul’s own stake in this matter

so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory

because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

Desire to see his ministry proved effective in the lives of others rather than futile;

Paul has invested a lot of hard work and sacrifice in their spiritual growth;

The true results will be manifest at the day of Christ.

Grant Osborne: Paul is using two metaphors: (1) athletic imagery, describing the race of life in order to depict the great effort needed to finish well in ministry (see 1 Cor 9:24–26; Gal 2:2; 2 Tim 2:5; Heb 12:1–3); and (2) the image of manual labor and the hard work needed to make a living. In both images Paul depicts a great deal of effort, potentially with no gain to show for it. If the Philippians were to self-destruct, all of Paul’s efforts would have been for naught, and he would be filled with shame when he stood before the Lord. His prayer was that this outcome would not come to pass, that these people would indeed respond, find healing before the Lord, and become the light-bearing witness in Philippi they were meant to be.

Max Anders: Paul looks forward to witnessing the progress these Christians will make in their lives. They are the reason for his ministry. He wants the concluding scene of history to show that his life had meaning. As he stands at the final judgment to hear God’s evaluation of his life, he wants to hear that the Philippians have indeed been the stars of the universe. Then his ministry will not be without meaning or empty. He will have run life’s race victoriously. He will have completed his life’s occupation successfully. He exhibits a similar anticipation in 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20: “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

III.  (:17-18)  REJOICE — FELLOWSHIP IN JOY MUST ALWAYS DOMINATE OUR FELLOWSHIP IN SACRIFICIAL SERVICE AND SUFFERING

A.  (:17a) Fellowship in Sacrificial Service and Suffering

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering

upon the sacrifice and service of your faith,

D. A. Carson: Then, if Paul has to give up his life, his sacrifice is merely a kind of libation poured out on top of their sacrifice. Such a libation is meaningless unless it is poured out on a more substantial sacrifice. But their Christian living is that sacrifice; Paul’s martyrdom–should it occur–or the pains, sufferings, and persecutions he faces as an apostle are the complementary drink offering poured over theirs.

William Barclay: Paul was perfectly willing to make his life a sacrifice to God; and, if that happened, to him it would be all joy, and he calls on the Philippians not to mourn at the prospect but rather to rejoice. To him, every call to sacrifice and to toil was a call to his love for Christ, and therefore he met it not with regret and complaint but with joy.

Grant Osborne: In referring to a sacrifice to God, Paul probably had in mind three different levels: (1) primarily, his possible execution (after the decision in his trial is handed down), representing a drink offering as his blood is poured out in sacrifice for the Philippians to God; (2) the suffering and sacrifices Paul had been making in his ministry, as he ran and labored (v. 16) for the believers’ sakes; and (3) the Philippians’ sacrificial service for God. The first two levels belong together. Paul was thinking of his many years of suffering and service in his apostolic ministry, but his present-tense statement (“I am being poured out as a drink offering”) especially points to the culmination of his ministry in possible martyrdom. Note the parallel in 2 Timothy 4:6: “I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.” Paul was uncertain whether he would be executed and actually believed he would be released (1:25), but either way he was pouring himself out on behalf of the Philippians. Here he is saying that “even if” his life of sacrificial service were to end in the near future with his death, he would rejoice in the privilege of serving the Philippian church. This is a beautiful and powerful message. If Paul were asked to pour out his life’s blood for the cause of Christ, he would joyfully consider this a drink offering to God. In the same way the drink offering completed the sacrifice, his death would complete his sacrificial service of ministry for the believers’ sakes.

The third level in the sacrificial imagery comes in the phrase “on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith.” Paul was pouring himself out for the Philippians as they were pouring themselves out for God. Later in this letter, he speaks of their sacrificial service both to himself and to God (2:30; 4:18), so his point is that he would gladly give his life for these people who were faithfully serving the Lord. As a drink offering, his sacrifice would complete both his sacrificial service and their own. The Philippians’ service was two-fold, encompassing their faithful witness in hostile surroundings (1:27–30) as well as the gifts they had sent to Paul (4:14–18). They had served him and the Lord in both ways, and he was grateful. He viewed their life of faith and service as an acceptable sacrifice to God and saw himself as privileged to offer his sacrificial ministry—and perhaps his life—as a libation to God, completing the believers’ faithful service.

B.  (:17b-18) Fellowship in Joy Must Be the Dominating Tone

I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 And you too, I urge you,

rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

Gordon Zerbe: There is another new element to Paul’s rejoicing: it is a mutual rejoicing in solidarity with each other, emphasized with a verbal redundancy: I rejoice [chairō] and rejoice together [synchairō, co-rejoice, rejoice mutually] with all of you. That is, he rejoices doubly, both in his own person and in solidarity together with all his beloved in Philippi. As before, all emphasizes the inclusive solidarity of the entire group of “saints” in Philippi (1:1, 4, 7 [2x], 8; 1:25; on unity, 2:2–5).

Grant Osborne: Whatever transpires, God’s people are called to joy—which would make a good title for Paul’s letter to the Philippians. The idea actually flows from a theology of suffering, as every trial that tests our faith provides a cause for rejoicing (Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 1:6). We can have joy in our hardships because we know that God is sovereign over all our circumstances and will turn everything around for our good (Rom 8:28; the whole of Heb 11). The key is the difference between happiness and rejoicing. We are happy when things are going the way we like, but we are not expected to be happy in painful experiences (Heb 12:11). Joy, on the other hand, is based on the presence of God and his eschatological promises. So when trials come we might not be happy, but we certainly rejoice, having confidence in God’s goodness and faithfulness to us.