"BEWARE OF DOGS" The word "finally," according to Vine, was sometimes used by Paul to mark the close of one part of an epistle. It is a transitional word that actually means, "And for the rest". Paul wanted the brethren to rejoice in the Lord, but ONLY in the Lord. The "same things" he wrote about... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL'S FLESHLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS Paul was not putting down Judaism because he had a low place in it. Here was a man who truly could have, if anyone could, placed confidence in fleshly accomplishments. Paul's list of credentials show he was a Jew in high standing. Lipscomb tells us the Ishmaelite was... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL GAVE UP ALL FOR CHRIST Because of the above list, Paul had once counted himself a spiritual millionaire. At the time he wrote this letter, he saw himself as bankrupt before he found Christ (Matthew 5:3; Mark 8:34-38; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). To become a Christian, Paul had set aside the pr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ULTIMATE GOA1: KNOWING CHRIST The apostle's ultimate goal was knowing Christ. "Know" in scripture usually suggest an intimate relation with someone (see Genesis 4:1). The Christian's purpose is to know Christ, not merely facts about him. Christ's resurrection proved he was the Son of God (Romans... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL DID NOT COUNT HIMSELF AS SUCCESSFUL Despite all the good he had done, Paul could still say he needed to grow in the Lord's service. It will be remembered, from the last lesson, that Paul hoped to attain unto the resurrection from the dead and heaven. The Lord chose Paul to bear the good news o... [ Continue Reading ]
FORGETTING THE PAST Prior to the time he faced death, Paul always had a single-minded purpose. To achieve his purpose, Paul put the past out of his mind. Wiersbe says to forget in the Bible means "no longer to be influenced by or affected by." Christians need to forget past sins, accomplishments an... [ Continue Reading ]
PRESSING ON TO THE PRIZE Having forgotten all that was in the past, the apostle pressed, or stretched forward like a runner trying to break the tape, toward the prize of salvation in Christ (1 Peter 3:14; Ephesians 1:18; Hebrews 3:1). The writer of Hebrews used the image of a race to help his reader... [ Continue Reading ]
BE CAREFUL WHO YOU FOLLOW Paul wanted the brethren at Philippi to follow him in his constant run toward the goal and mark. He also encouraged them to note those who followed a similar course (1 Peter 3:17; 1 Corinthians 11:1). The writer of Hebrews instructed his readers to "Remember those who rule... [ Continue Reading ]
CITIZENS OF HEAVEN The Philippian brethren would have understood very well what the apostle meant when he said a Christian's citizenship is in heaven. Remember that many of the people at Philippi were Roman citizens. A baby born at Philippi should have had its name recorded in Rome. They would have... [ Continue Reading ]