Philippians 1:27-18

Paul Explains What God requires Of Them As His People And As Citizens of Heaven Who As A Result Of Believing Have Been United With Christ In His Humiliation And Exaltation (Philippians 1:27 to Philippians 2:18).

Having assured them of his prayers and concern for them, and having satisfactorily explained the current situation as it affected him, Paul now turned his attention to exhorting the church to themselves ‘live like citizens worthy of the Gospel' (Philippians 1:27). That is, they are to live like citizens of Heaven (Philippians 3:20) in such a way that they demonstrate that they are worthy of the Gospel, ‘which (through the cross) is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe' (Romans 1:16). And he did it in terms of what he had commended them for and what he had prayed for them, that is, in terms of their sharing in common (‘fellowship') with him in establishing the Gospel (Philippians 1:5; compare Philippians 1:27), and in terms of their partaking in the same gracious working of God as he had in defence and confirmation of the Gospel (Philippians 1:7; compare Philippians 1:27 b), stressing the need at the same time for them to be established in a wise and righteous love for one another (Philippians 1:9; compare Philippians 2:1).

Following that he then explains what is required of them as a result of this. They must so respond to the gracious working of Christ and the Spirit (Philippians 2:2) that they have one united mind (Philippians 2:2), ‘the mind of Christ' (Philippians 2:5) as they walk in the way of the cross and resurrection. And with that in mind he sets before them in context the great example of the One Who Himself trod in God's way, and died and rose again (Philippians 2:6), an example into which they are to enter fully. He is the Author and Trek Leader of their salvation, leading many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10), and they are to follow Him in the way of the cross, participating with Him in it, knowing that thereby they will also participate in His glorification (compare Romans 8:29). He wants them to recognise that whatever situation or persecution they face, as a result of having died with Christ and having been raised up with Him (see Philippians 3:10), it will be something that He Himself had already faced, and something which must determine the set of their minds. Thus:

1) As a result of the incentive of the exhortation and advocacy of Christ on their behalf, and their joint experience of the Holy Spirit, they are to walk as He walked in complete unity with each other and in deep concern for one another (Philippians 2:1; compare Philippians 1:9).

2) They are to have the same mindset as He had, emptying themselves (in their case) of all that the world offers, and walking in the way of humility and death, with the result that God will finally fully vindicate them as he vindicated Christ.

3) They are as a result to ‘work out' their salvation with the greatest care by living Christlike lives, because God is at work in them through Christ to achieve this very purpose, the willing and doing of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12; compare Philippians 1:6; Philippians 1:27 b).

4) And they are to do this in order that they might be true lights in the world, a beacon to those who are in darkness (Philippians 2:15), and evidence of the fact that his ministry was of God (Philippians 2:16), sharing with him in the joy of suffering for Christ, whether he be offered up by martyrdom or not (Philippians 2:16; compare Philippians 1:5; Philippians 1:28).

While it is not made explicit here (as it is unquestionably made explicit in Ephesians 1:19 to Ephesians 2:7), the inference is clearly intended that they will fully share with Christ, not only in His humiliation, but also in His glorification, an inference confirmed in Philippians 1:6; Philippians 1:10; Philippians 3:10. Having the mind of Christ will have the final result of sharing in the glory of Christ.

Note that, as is evident from an analysis of the passage, the whole passage is carefully balanced, centring around Christ's own sufferings on the cross, while at the same time emphasising His final vindication and glorification, things which are to be the mainspring of their own behaviour, The whole idea is to focus their eyes on the crucified and exalted Christ Whose lead and example they must follow and participate in, and Whose mind set they must have, recognising that, as in His case, all that would happen to them would then be of God.

Analysis.

a Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing made frightened by the adversaries, which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation, and that from God, because to you it has been granted on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer on his behalf, having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me (Philippians 1:27).

b If there is therefore any exhortation (encouragement, advocacy) in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, make full my joy, that you be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind (Philippians 2:1).

c Doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself, not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others (Philippians 2:3).

d Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped (Philippians 2:5).

e But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7).

f And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8).

e For which reason also God highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name (Philippians 2:9).

d That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10).

c So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works within you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12).

b Do all things without murmurings and questionings, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world (Philippians 2:14).

a Holding forth the word of life, that I may have of which to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain nor labour in vain. Yes, and if I am offered on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all, and in the same manner do you also joy, and rejoice with me (Philippians 2:16).

Note that in ‘a' they were to live as true citizens of Heaven, (whether he be present with them or absent), unafraid of earthly sufferings, and striving for the faith of the Gospel, recognising that these things evidenced that their salvation was genuinely from God, because by it was being demonstrated that it had been granted to them both to believe on Him and to suffer on His behalf, thereby sharing with Paul in the sufferings that he endured, and in the parallel they were to show forth the word of life (the faith of the Gospel) as evidence of the fact that Paul's ministry was genuinely of God, and also to joy in his sufferings if he was to be offered on the sacrifice and service of their faith, (whether in service or in martyrdom) fearlessly joying and rejoicing together with him. In ‘b' they are to be of one mind and sharing in one love, as a result of the advocacy of Christ and their fellowship with the Spirit, and in the parallel are to do all without murmuring and disputing, as unblemished children of God who are lights in the world. In ‘c' they are to put all their effort into their concern for one another, and in the parallel they are to ‘work out' their salvation with greatest care, because it is God Who is at work within them. In ‘d' they are to follow the example of Christ Who being God by nature did not seek to cling on to His status of quality with God, and in the parallel they are to observe how in consequence every knee would consequently bow to Him and every tongue confess Him as LORD to the glory of God the Father. In ‘e' they are to observe how He emptied Himself by taking the nature of a servant, and became in all things like a man, and in the parallel God would as a result highly exalt Him, and give Him the Name above every name. Centrally in ‘f' this was due to His going to the uttermost in being obedient to death, even death on a cross.

It will be noted how the whole of what is expected of them is founded on, and built up around, what Christ Himself had done for them as the true servant of God Who humbled Himself and gave His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45), for that is the Gospel (Philippians 1:27) that they are to be worthy of. They are to die with Christ in order that He might live through them (Philippians 3:10; Romans 6:3; Galatians 2:20).