Philippians 1. To Live Is Christ. 

1. How are Paul and Timothy described in this introduction? Verse 1. 

1. The Greek uses the term doulos to describe the two, which refers to one who is enslaved to something or someone. It is often used in high dignity in the NT, namely of believers who joyfully and willingly live under the authority of Christ. Paul describes himself and Timothy as servants or slaves to Christ, meaning they are totally at the disposal of their master, Christ. 

2. Our wills are either slaves to sin (John 8:34) or slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:16). We are either serving Satan or we are serving Christ. We are either serving the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) or the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:11-16). There is no in between, no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).  

   1. We shouldn’t desire to be independent or completely free. We should long to be enslaved to Christ and to do the will of God and have our wills align with His (Galatians 1:10, Psalm 37:4). He has provided everything for us, including our salvation (1 Corinthians 1).

   2. We will always be enslaved to something. 

      1. Who is your master? 

2. Why does Paul emphasize the grace and peace from God? Verse 2. 

   1. We are saved by grace through faith. No work you can do will ever merit salvation. You earn a wage (opsónion), you receive a gift (charisma or charis). This is why it is crucial that we understand God would be just to simply hand everyone their paychecks, eternity under the holy wrath of God. However, He sent Jesus to take the place of His people under His wrath. We don’t deserve this gift, but He’s given it to us; salvation is by grace alone. 

   2. Do not look over the term peace. Being at peace with God is different from the peace of God we receive through prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). 

      1. If we are now at peace with God then we had to have been at war with God (Romans 5:10, Ephesians 2:1-10). While this statement is certainly frightening, the most terrifying part about it is that it also means God was at war with us (Psalm 5:4-10, 1 Corinthians 15:25). 

   3. This adds onto why our enslavement to Christ is not one of an abusive master ruling tyrannically over us, but one of a loving Master who has saved His people and given them what they did not deserve. Those whom God has saved did nothing but sin against their holy Creator, yet He provided a way of redemption for them. This is the beauty and mystery of the gospel.

3. How does what God has done for you affect what you do for others? Verses 3-11. 

4. How deep are we to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Verses 5-7. 

   1. In the Greek the phrase translated “for me to feel” is only one word, phroneó. This means to be absorbed with something or focus sharply on something. Think about a horse with blinders on or the term “tunnel vision.” It is the same Greek phrase used in Romans 8:5 to contrast those in the flesh having their minds set on the things of the flesh and those in the Spirit having their minds set on things of the Spirit. Here, Paul is using it to describe how deeply he cares for the Philippians. We are to have a deep, sympathetic interest and concern for our fellow believers. This should lead to action from the heart and the intellect and is based on the highest interests of others. 

   2. Paul and the Philippians share not only suffering and conflict, but also the grace of God! They share suffering and conflict in that though they are separated by distance (~4608 miles or ~7415 kilometers), they enter into his afflictions through prayer and gifts. Meanwhile, Paul is suffering on the behalf of the churches by being imprisoned for their common mission. They share in the grace of God in that they have the same mission and desires of spreading the gospel, pursuing holiness, and more. This is portrayed by the Greek term koinónia, which translates to “partnership” in verse 5. It carries the idea of having a shared life with fellow believers, which is true fellowship. True believers are one body in Christ with shared sufferings and shared blessings (Ephesians 4:4-6). 

      1. Romans 8 shows us the theology of how those in the Spirit “set their minds” on the things of the Spirit, Philippians 1 shows us the application. 

5. Will God abandon those He has saved? Verse 6. 

   1. John 10:27-30 and Romans 8:26-39

      1. We are given to Christ by the Father. Jesus tells us that no one will snatch us out of His and the Father’s hand. That includes Satan, that includes other people, and that even includes yourself. Reread the list in verses 38-39. There is nothing more powerful than God and His will will be done. 

   2. Ephesians 1:3-14 and Ephesians 2:8-9

      1. We have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, He is the guarantee of our inheritance (salvation). Our assurance is not from anything we have done, but what Christ has done for us. We can rest in assurance because of the perfect nature of our Lord. He has made Himself a ransom for His people and that sacrifice has not been made in vain, it truly does save us. 

   3.  Philippians 1:6 and Psalm 37:23-40 

      1. God does not forsake His people. He will accomplish His will within us. 

6. Another way to think about this is…

   1. When do we inherit eternal life? 

      1. When we come to know Christ! Not when we physically die (John 5:24)! 

      2. “Eternal life is not merely a future hope but is also a present possession.” 

         1. Read the article from TGC for similar examples. 

   2. If we are “born again,” can we be “unborn?” 

      1. Absolutely not! Jesus is both the author/founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)! He is constantly interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25)! 

         1. Read the Got Questions article for more information.

7. What is hope? Verses 12-14. 

   1. “The two most common Hebrew words for hope are the noun tiqvah [תִּקְוָה] and the verb yachal [יָחַל]. Taken literally tiqvah refers to a cord, but when used figuratively it aligns with yachal and means to desire, expect, or wait. The Greek uses the noun elpis (ἐλπίς) and the verb elpizó (ἐλπίζω). While elpis refers to a sense of trust or confidence in an expectation, elpizó is actively anticipating and expecting. These also appear in the Septuagint (the Greek OT) as translations of tiqvah and yachal, respectively. 

   2. Translating this into English we can refer to hope as a confident expectation of something good. Steven Lawson describes hope as “a confident expectation of what is going to happen in the future. There is no doubt. It is a rock-ribbed confidence. Here is another word, “assurance.” It is a confident assurance. You can bank on this.”” - Luke Marriner, Hope Against Hope. TO BE REWRITTEN. 

1. Hebrew tiqvah is pronounced tik-vaw' and yachal is yaw-chal'. 

2. Greek elpis is pronounced el-pece' and elpizó is el-pid'-zo. 

2. Write up on hope from Romans 4, write up on God’s providence. 

3. Though Paul is in chains, the Word of God is not (2 Timothy 2:9). 

8. Where is our hope as believers? 

   1. One of the clearest passages on this is Romans 4:18. 

   2. Despite everything in the world telling him there is no way he is going to have a child, especially with his wife Sarah, Abraham did not place his trust in what the world was telling him. He knew that true hope cannot be found in the world. 

      1. Abraham was ~75 when God promised that he would be the father of many nations and ~100 when Isaac was finally born. His wife was also very old and anything in the world would be telling them there is no chance they are having any children at that age (2 Corinthians 5:7). 

   3. The first hope is in God, the second is in anything outside God. It is so wonderful that we have a God who is not only sovereign but who is good. Now I hope it’s clear God hasn’t made a covenant with any of us about being the father of many nations, but we can certainly trust Him to come through on all of His promises which He has made in His Word to His people. 

9. Is this how we talk about hope today?

   1. No, it is most certainly not. 

   2. “This meaning has been blurred and tainted over time to a point where most people use hope to describe nothing more than wishful thinking. We make claims such as, “I hope this test goes well tomorrow,” “I hope I get this job offer,” “I hope I get married someday,” and so on, but is this hope? No. How can you have a confident assurance that your test will go well? How can you have a confident assurance that you will get the job offer? How can you have a confident assurance that you will be married someday? You cannot have hope in fallible sources, there must be an infallible source of truth to give us such strong assurance, to give us true hope.”” - Luke Marriner, Hope Against Hope

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10. How does this affect our outlook on the sins of others and the trials they bring into our lives? Does this further our dependence upon God? Verses 15-18. 

    1. We must realize we cannot control the actions of others. We can do everything in our power to help our brothers and sisters in Christ resist temptation and fight for purity and righteousness, but we cannot make the choices for them. 

    2. We cannot mess up the will of God, but we certainly must want to be aligned with His will (Romans 12:1-2). Therefore, if another believer sins against us then we must realize God permitted it to pass. This does not excuse the sin, but it does force us to rely on God to use it for His glory and the good (sanctification) of His people (Romans 8:28). 

11. Is our hope in specific outcomes or is it in the providence of God? Verses 19-20. 

    1. “God does not intend for us to see ourselves, or any part of the world, as cogs in the wheels of an impersonal mechanism. The world is not a machine that God made to run on its own. It is a painting, or a sculpture, or a drama. The Son of God holds it in being by the word of his power (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3).” - John Piper, Providence, Pgs. 19-20. 

2. The Lord is in full control and is personal with His creation. 

3. Ultimately, our hope is in God and not in any specific outcome. Even if what we pray for does not come to pass, we will still praise Him. 

   1. Our hope submits to God’s will. 

12. What does it mean that to live is Christ and to die is gain? Verse 21. 

    1. God has placed us here to live a life of service to Him. He has prepared good works for us and it is our joy to follow in them (Ephesians 2:10)! 

       1. The Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms both start out by saying man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!

    2. When explaining why it would be counted as gain to die, Charles Spurgeon writes, “...for then he would be delivered from all suffering. And he would find, above all, his Savior, and be a partaker of His glory.” 

    3. To live is Christ → To die is gain. This is because it’s the same plane. 

    4. To live is ____. There is no continuation, what people are living for will no longer be there if it’s not eternal. This is why people fear death. 

13. Do you groan for the future glory? Verses 22-26. 

    1. C.S. Lewis was right when he said, “We are far too easily pleased.” 

    2. We cannot get so caught up in the things of this world that we forget about the glory that is to come. We should long for heaven, knowing that it is far superior to what we have here on earth. We must use the things of this world wisely, not setting our eyes and time on them, but on Christ. 

    3. We must tell others about what the Lord has done! 

       1. For more information on the Doctrine of Heaven, click here: 

11 The Doctrine of Heaven.pdf

14. Why are we called to walk in a worthy manner? Verses 27-28. 

    1. This clearly presents the concept that we do not walk worthy so that God will love us, rather we walk worthy because He loves us. We do so out of gratitude, not out of a desire to earn more heavenly brownie points.

15. Practically, what is a worthy walk? Describe your answer. 

    1. Humility (KJV uses lowliness), or tapeinophrosune in Greek, refers to an inside-out virtue produced by comparing ourselves to the Lord (rather than to others). This keeps up from self-exalting (self-determining, being self-inflated). For the believer, humility means living in complete dependence on the Lord, i.e. with no reliance on self (the flesh). Humility is possibly a fruit of the Spirit…

       1. It can also be used to describe how we should act in service, putting the needs and desires of others above our own (Philippians 2:3-4). 

    2. Gentleness, or prautés  in Greek, refers to meekness, or the characteristic of having some degree of power yet being able to restrain it, being reserved. 

       1. You may want to scream at your friend for being an idiot, yet we must have a spirit of gentleness even when admonishing someone. This does not mean that we can’t be stern, but that we must do so out of love for the other person and not out of pride. Also a fruit of the Spirit… 

    3. Patience (KJV uses longsuffering), or makrothumia in Greek, refers to being slow to anger, true patience/longsuffering is also a fruit of the Spirit…

    4. Bearing (anechó, enduring or tolerating) with one another in love (agapé, unconditional and self-sacrificial love). This love is also a fruit of the Spirit…

    5. If you haven’t noticed by now, walking in a worthy manner means that we will have fruits of the Spirit evident in our lives, we are not of this world (John 18:36)! 

16. Why does Paul describe suffering as being granted to us? Verses 29-30. 

    1. In Greek the phrase translated “for it has been granted to you” is only one word, charizomai. This means to show favor or give freely. We must recognize that trials are in fact a blessing when they bring us closer to God, that is why Paul writes that it has been granted to us. 

       1. “Trials are intended to make us think, to wean us from the world, to send us to the Bible, to drive us to our knees. Health is a good thing, but sickness is far better if it leads us to God. Prosperity is a great mercy, but adversity is a greater one if it brings us to Christ.” - J.C. Ryle.

    2. God has shown us favor in giving us suffering, for not all can endure it. It provides such a wonderful way to grow closer to the Lord and make His goodness known to those around us who see or hear of our suffering. 

       1. “All could not stand the fiery ordeal. They would speak rashly and complainingly. So the Master has to select with careful scrutiny the branches which can stand the knife.” - Meyer. 

    3. One of the clearest passages on this is Romans 8:18. We need to understand that our afflictions in this lifetime are so miniscule compared to the glory that is to come, so much so they aren’t even worth comparing to this coming glory. 

       1. “We tend to focus upon our sufferings, but only glance upon the future glory. We must reverse this. We must only glance upon our sufferings, and stay gazing upon the future glory, if we are to be strong in the Lord and stable in our Christian life rather than collapsing every time a trial comes.” - Steven Lawson. TO BE REWRITTEN. 

17. What are three massive points in Philippians 1? Verses 1-30. 

    1. Joy in our enslavement to Christ. 

    2. Joy in our assurance in Christ. 

    3. Joy in our suffering for Christ. 

18. Resources: 

    1. ESV Study Bible (ESB). Crossway. 

    2. ESV Reformation Study Bible (RSB). R.C. Sproul. 

    3. CSB Spurgeon Study Bible (CSB). Lifeway. 

    4. The MacArthur Bible Commentary John MacArthur. 

    5. Enduring Word Bible Commentary David Guzik. 

    6. Philippians Commentary R. Kent Hughes. 

    7. Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth John MacArthur. 

    8. Thanking God for Other Christians Shepard Thoughts.  

    9. Preservation and Perseverance The Gospel Coalition. 

    10. Perseverance of the Saints - is it biblical? Got Questions. 

    11. Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary Ralph P. Martin. 

    12. A Theological Wordbook of the Bible Alan Richardson. 

    13. Layman's Bible Book Commentary Malcolm O. Tolbert. 

19. Sermons: 

    1. Philippians, Vol. 01 (1:1-2:2) 

    2. Romans 8:18 The Groaning and the Glory