I thank my God at every remembrance of you,

Always in all my prayer for all of you, bringing with joy (my) prayer,

For your participation in the gospel from the first day even to this day, Being confident that he who has begun a good work in you will do (it) even until the day of Jesus Christ,

Just as I ought to think about all of you, because I have you in my heart in my bonds, in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all, as my partners in grace

God is a witness that I love you all with the love of Jesus Christ,

And I pray that your love will grow even more and more in knowledge and every feeling,

That, knowing the best, you may be pure and unstoppable on the day of Christ,

Filled with the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God

It is wonderful when memories are associated with feelings of gratitude, and these are the feelings that connected Paul with the Christians in Philippi. The memories evoked a feeling of happiness and no regrets.

This passage provides signs and norms for the Christian life.

Firstly, Christian joy. Paul gladly prays for his friends. The Epistle to the Philippians is also called the Epistle of Joy. Bengel commented: "The essence of the message is this: I rejoice, you also rejoice." Let's look at the picture of Christian joy contained in this letter.

1. Joy Christian prayer (1.4) - the joy that we bring our loved ones to the merciful throne of God.

In Not Easy Business, George Reindrop tells how a nurse taught a man to pray and thus changed his life; the dull, irritable and dull person became joyful. The nurse did most of the work with her own hands, and so she turned her fingers into a prayer chart. Each finger symbolized someone closest to her - the thumb, and he reminded her of the people closest to her. The second, the index finger, serves to point at others, and he symbolized to her all the teachers in school and in the hospital. The third finger is the longest, and it symbolized bosses and dignitaries, leaders in all areas of life. The fourth, the ring finger, is the weakest finger, and he symbolized to her those who have problems and troubles and experience pain. The little finger, the smallest and least important, symbolized the nurse herself.

We should always experience deep joy and peace of mind when we lift up our loved ones and other people to God in prayer.

3. Joy in faith (1.25). If Christianity does not make a person happy, then it does not give him anything at all. Sometimes, however, Christianity is made into sheer martyrdom. But Moses' face shone as he came down from the top of the mountain. Christianity is the faith of a person with a happy heart and a radiant face.

4. The joy of the sight brotherly unity of Christians (2.2). The psalmist sang (Ps. 132: 1)."How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together!" There is no world where there is broken human relations and discord between people. There is no more beautiful sight than a closely connected family, or a church whose members are one among themselves, because they are one in their Lord Jesus Christ.

5. Joy suffering in Christ (2.17) At the moment of martyrdom in a fiery flame, Polycarp of Smyrna prayed: "I thank You, Lord, that You have deserved me this day and hour." Suffering for Christ is a privilege, because it gives you the opportunity to prove your faithfulness without fail and to take part in the building of the Kingdom of God. 6. Joy from meeting with loved ones (2.28). There are many partings in life, and it is always joyful to receive news about loved ones from whom we are temporarily separated. A major Scottish preacher once spoke of the joy that a person can bring with a postage stamp pasted on an envelope. We must remember how easy it is to bring joy to those who love us, and how easy it is to excite them, forgetting to send them a message.

7. Joy from Christian hospitality (2.29). There are houses with open doors and there are houses with closed doors. Closed doors are doors of selfishness; open doors are the doors of Christian hospitality and Christian love.

It is a great thing if a stranger or a person in a difficult situation knows the door from which they will not be sent away.

8. Joy a person in Christ (3.1; 4.1). We have already seen that to be in Christ means to live in His presence like a fish in water, like a bird in the air, like the roots of a tree in the earth. It is in human nature to be happy when we are with a loved one. And no one can separate us from the love of Christ (Rom. 8.35).

9. Joy a person who brought the soul of a person to Christ (4.1). The Christians in Philippi are Paul's joy and crown because he served to lead them to Jesus Christ. It is a great joy for parents, for a teacher, for a preacher - to bring others to Jesus Christ, because preaching Christianity is not a duty, but a joy.

10. Joy from the gift (4.10). This joy is not so much from the gift itself, but from the memory associated with it and from the consciousness that someone remembers us and cares about us. We can bring such joy to people more often than we do.

Philippians 1,3-11(continued) 2) Christian sacrifice

Paul expresses confidence (1,6) that God, who began a good deed in the Philippians, will do it so that they will be ready for the day of Christ. This phrase contains an idea that cannot be conveyed in translation. The fact is that Paul uses the words start (enarhesfay) and commit (epithelium) - special terms from the sacrifice ceremony, meaning the beginning and end of the sacrifice.

In the Greek sacrifice procedure, there was such a conception ritual. A torch was lit from the fire on the altar and lowered into a bowl of water to cleanse it with the sacred flame; with purified water they sprayed the victim and people in order to sanctify and purify them. This was followed by the so-called euphemia, sacred silence, during which the sacrificer had to offer a prayer to his god. Then they brought a basket of barley, and a few grains were poured onto the sacrifice and onto the ground next to it. All these actions were the beginning sacrifice and the technical term was the verb enarhesfay, used here by Paul. Verb epithelium, which Paul uses here to mean commit, complete, used to refer to the entire ritual of sacrifice. Paul's entire proposal is imbued with the atmosphere of the ritual of sacrifice.

Paul views the life of every Christian as a sacrifice ready to be sacrificed to Jesus Christ. The same picture rises before our eyes when Paul calls on the Romans to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. (Rom. 12: 1).

The day of Christ's coming will be like the coming of a king. On such a day, subjects should present gifts to the king to demonstrate their love and their loyalty. Jesus Christ wants to receive from us only one gift - ourselves. Thus, the highest duty of man is to make his life worthy of being sacrificed to Him. Only the grace of God can give us this ability.

Philippians 1,3-11(continued) 3) Joint Action by Christians

This passage places strong emphasis on joint actions of Christians. Christians have a lot in common.

1. Christians - partners in grace. They all owe the grace of God.

2. Christians - partners in spreading the gospel. Christians are united not only by a common gift, but also by a common task, and this task is to spread the gospel. Paul uses two words to refer to Christians' work for the gospel: he speaks of protection and approval evangelism. Protection (apology) - it is his defense against outside attacks. The Christian must be ready to defend the faith and explain the hope that is in him. Statement (beboposis) evangelism is strengthening it from within, instructing Christians. Christians are to advance the gospel by protecting it from the attacks of enemies and strengthening the faith and holiness of their fellows.

3. Christians - partakers in suffering for the gospel. Whenever a Christian is called to suffer for the Gospel, he must find strength and consolation, remembering that he is one of the great brotherhood of people in all ages and in all generations, in all countries that suffered for Christ, but did not renounce their faith.

4. Christians - partners with Christ. V 1,8 Pavel has a very vivid phrase. Its literal translation is as follows: “I love you [at Barkley: I am hungry for you] entrails Jesus Christ ". In the Greek text, the insides - splaghna. Splaghna - this is the upper part of the viscera: heart, lung, liver. The Greeks believed that this is where feelings and emotions are located. Thus, Paul says: “I love you with the compassion of Jesus Christ Himself. I love you as Jesus loves you. " One commentary on this passage states: “The believer has no other feelings of love and compassion other than the feelings of love and compassion of his Lord; his pulse beats in unison with the pulse of Christ; his heart beats and trembles with the heart of Christ. " When we are truly one with Christ, His love spreads through us to our fellows, whom He loves and for whom He died. The Christian is a partner in the love of Christ.

Philippians 1,3-11(continued) 4) Moving Christianity forward and its ultimate goal

Paul prays that the love of the Philippians will increase more and more every day (1,9.10). This love is not mere sentimentality. It must grow in knowledge and feeling, so that, knowing the best, people can better and better distinguish between good and evil. Love is the road to knowledge. When we love a subject, we want to know more and more about it; when we love a person, we want to know more and more about him; as we love Jesus Christ, we want to know more and more about Him and about His truth.

Love is always sensitive to the mood and feelings of the loved one. He who recklessly and awkwardly hurts the feelings of a loved one does not love him at all. Whoever really loves Jesus feels His will and His desires; the more we love Him, the more we will instinctively avoid evil, and the more we will desire good. Paul uses the word dockimazin, translated in the Russian Bible as knowing the best. Word docimazane in Greek it was used as a term for checking the purity of a metal. True love is not blind: it gives the ability to distinguish between false and true and true.

Thus, the Christian himself will become pure and will not be a stumbling block for others. The word used in the Greek text eilikrines, translated as clean - very interesting. The Greeks considered two possible origins of this word, each of which evokes very vivid associations. Eilikrines may come from eile - sunshine, or from crineine— judge, and can mean that which withstands the test of sunlight without showing any flaws. This word means that the Christian character can withstand any light directed at him. Another possibility is as follows: eilikrines comes from the word eilene, which means to rotate, as in a sieve and, thus, sift until it is completely cleaned of any impurity. Likewise, the Christian character is cleansed of all evil until it is completely pure.

But the Christian is not only pure, he is also aproscos - he will never be another person's stumbling block. There are impeccable people, in themselves without any flaws, but so strict that they alienate people from Christianity. The Christian himself is pure, but his love and kindness attracts other people to the Christian path, and never repels anyone.

Finally, Paul points out the ultimate goal of the Christian life: to live in order to glorify and praise God with your life. The Christian knows and testifies that he is what he is, not from his own efforts, but solely by the grace of God.

Philippians 1.12-14 Bonds break down barriers

I wish you, brethren, that you know that my circumstances have served to the greater success of the gospel,

So that my bond in Christ became known to the whole praetorium and to all the rest,

And most of the brothers in the Lord, being encouraged by my bonds, began to preach the word of God with greater courage, fearlessly.

Paul was in prison, but the prison not only did not stop his missionary work, but, on the contrary, expanded it. Bonds have broken down barriers and barriers. To convey the meaning of a phrase great success in evangelism (1.12) Paul uses a very lively word, prokop, which was used specifically to indicate the advancement of an army or an expedition. This is a verbal noun from a verb procoptein, which means cut down on the offensive, or cutting down trees and undergrowth, removing any obstacles that might hinder the advance of an army. Paul's imprisonment did not close at all, but opened the doors for him to new areas of work and activity, into which he otherwise would not have fallen at all.

Paul, seeing that he would not find justice and justice in Palestine, turned to the emperor: every Roman citizen had the right to do so. At one time, Paul was taken under a military escort to Rome; upon arrival there he was handed over to the commander and he was allowed to live separately with the soldier who guarded him (Acts 28.16). Ultimately, although Paul was still under guard, he was allowed to live on his own in the premises he rented. (Acts 28.30), in which he could receive everyone who wanted to come to him.

Paul says that his bond in Christ was made known to all praetoria and everyone else. Latin word praetorion can mean both a place and a group of people. When it denotes a place, it has three meanings.

1. Originally it meant the headquarters of the commander in the military camp, a tent or tent, from which he gave orders and directed military operations.

2. Then it began to denote the residence of the commander, and, therefore, it could also denote the residence of the emperor, that is, the palace, although such uses of the word are rare.

3. Then they began to designate a large house or villa, the abode of a very rich or influential person. In this case, the word praetorion cannot have any of these meanings, because Paul lived in his rented apartment, and it would be meaningless to believe that there could be rented apartments in the imperial palace.

And so let's turn to another meaning of the word. Pretorion - it is a group of people. In this sense, it means the Praetorian Guard, or the barracks in which the Praetorian Guard was quartered. We can ignore the second of these meanings, because Paul could hardly rent an apartment in the Roman barracks of the Praetorians.

The Praetorians were the Roman Imperial Guard. It was founded by Emperor Augustus and was a select military unit numbering 10,000 people. Emperor Augustus kept it scattered throughout Rome and the surrounding cities. The emperor Tiberius gathered her in Rome in a specially built and fortified camp. The Emperor Vitellius increased its population to 16,000. The Praetorians served for twelve, and later for sixteen years. At the end of this period of service, they received Roman citizenship and a large monetary reward. Later, the Praetorians became the personal guard of the emperor, and even later - a real state problem. They were all concentrated in Rome and the time had come when the Praetorians became the workers of the emperors. They could, if necessary, forcefully impose their will on the masses. Paul in Rome was handed over to the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard, their commander.

Paul repeatedly refers to himself as prisoner and located in bonds. He informs the Roman Christians that, although he did nothing contrary, he was transferred prisoner (desmios) from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans (Acts 28.17). In Philippians, Paul repeatedly speaks of their bonds (Phil. 1,7.13.14). In the Epistle to the Colossians, he says that he is in bonds for Christ's sake and asks the Colossians to remember his bonds (Col. 4,3.18). In Philemon, Paul calls himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ and speaks of bonds for the gospel (Flm. 9,13). In the Epistle to the Ephesians, he once again calls himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3.1).

There are two passages that go into more detail about these bonds. V Acts. 28.20 Paul says about himself that he surrounded by these bonds; and the same word halusis he also uses Eph. 6.20, when he speaks of himself as about executing the embassy in bonds. In this word halusis we find the key to our problem. Halusis was a short chain, with which the prisoner was chained by the wrist to the warrior guarding him, so that it was impossible to escape. Paul was handed over to the commander of the Praetorians, awaiting trial by the emperor. He was allowed to rent an apartment for himself, but in this rented apartment for himself day and night there was a warrior who guarded him, to whom he was chained all the time by these halusis. The soldiers, of course, performed such watch duty according to some schedule, and for two years, one by one, all the sentries of the imperial guard were supposed to be in the guards of Paul. And what an opportunity that gave Paul! These soldiers listened to Paul's sermons and spoke to their comrades. Can there be any doubt that during these long hours Paul necessarily began a discussion about Jesus with the chained soldiers with him?

The confinement opened up for Paul the opportunity to preach the gospel to the best military unit in the Roman army. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear from him such words that his bonds were conducive to the preaching of the gospel. All the Praetorian Guard knew why Paul was in chains, many of the Praetorians were touched by the story of Christ, and the news of this alone breathed new courage into the brothers in Philippi to preach the Gospel and testify about Christ.

Philippians 1.15-18 The most important proclamation

Some, it is true, out of envy and arrogance, while others preach Christ with good disposition:

Some, out of ambition, preach Christ not purely, thinking to increase the weight of my bonds;

Others, out of love, knowing that I was appointed to defend the gospel.

But what before? No matter how they preach Christ, feignedly or sincerely, I rejoice in that, and will rejoice.

Paul's big heart speaks here for sure. His imprisonment served as a further impetus for the preaching work. Some people loved Paul, and when they saw him in prison, they doubled their efforts to preach and spread the gospel in order to negate the negative impact of his imprisonment. They knew that his greatest joy would be to see that the case was not harmed by his absence. Others were moved, as Paul put it - eritheus, and preached from their own personal motives.

Erithea - a very interesting word. Originally it simply meant work for a fee. And a person who works exclusively for pay works from low motives. He only thinks about his own profit, and therefore this word began to denote a careerist striving for some position for self-praise, and gradually this word began to be associated with politics, and it acquired a meaning recruit supporters for the position. They began to denote the selfish and selfish ambition of a person who seeks to advance and did not disdain for this by any means. Now, there were those who preached even more diligently now that Paul was in prison, because it seemed to them that his imprisonment was sent from God to reduce his influence and authority.

Paul was unfamiliar with jealousy, envy, and personal resentment. As long as people preached Jesus Christ, he did not care. For him, only one thing was important - that they preach Jesus Christ. How often do we have feelings of personal resentment when someone achieves prominence, or trust that we do not yet have. Too often we see a person as an enemy simply because he criticized us or our methods. Too often we believe that a person cannot do anything useful just because he does it in a different way from us. Too often, we question the faith of others simply because they are expressing their faith in other terms. Paul is a great example for us. He put business above all personalities; for him, only one thing was important - that they preach Christ.

Philippians 1.19.20 Happy ending

For I know that this will serve me for salvation through your prayer and the assistance of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

With my confidence and hope that I will not be ashamed of anything, but with all boldness, even now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Paul is convinced that his position will serve him in salvation. Even his imprisonment and even the almost hostile preaching of his personal enemies will ultimately serve to his salvation. What does Paul understand by salvation? In Greek it is - soteria, and here we have three meanings.

1. It can make a difference safety, and in such a case Paul says that he is quite sure that the whole work will end with his release. But this is hardly the meaning of this, because Paul goes on to say that he is not sure whether he will live or die.

2. It can mean his salvation is in heaven. In this case, Paul says that his behavior in this situation will serve as a testimony to him on the Day of Judgment. And therein lies a great truth. In any situation - having received opportunities or facing a choice - a person acts, proceeding not only from the momentary, but also from the point of view of eternity. A person's reaction to any situation in life is a testimony in eternity for or against him.

3. But the word soteria may also have a broader meaning. It can mean health, general good condition. It may well be that Paul is talking about difficult circumstances leading to the best for him, both in this world and in eternity. "God put me in this position, and God wants all this, with all the problems and difficulties, to benefit me and contribute to my happiness in this world, and my joy and my world in eternity." Paul knows that in this situation he has two great supports.

1. He can draw on the prayers of his friends. One of the most beautiful moments in Paul's letters is when he asks his friends over and over to pray for him. “Brethren,” writes the Thessalonians, “pray for us” (1 Fairy. 5.25)."So pray for us, brethren, that the word of the Lord may be spread and glorified." (2 Thess. 3,1.2). He says to the Corinthians: "With the assistance and your prayer for us" (2 Cor. 1:11). He writes that he is confident that through the prayers of Philemon he will be given to his friends. (Flm. 22). Before Paul embarks on the perilous journey to Jerusalem, he asks in Romans (15,30-32), so that they pray to God for him.

Paul never considered himself too great a man who did not need the prayers of his friends. He never spoke to people as if he himself could do everything, and they could not do anything; he always remembered that neither he nor they could do anything without the help of God. And it would be good for us to remember that. When people have grief and sorrow, the greatest consolation for them is the thought that someone is raising a prayer for them to the throne of grace. When a person has to make an effort, or make a heartbreaking decision, he is empowered by the thought that others remember him before God. When people venture into the unknown and are far from home, it is good to know that the prayers of those who love them cross continents to ascend them to the throne of grace. We cannot call a person our friend if we do not pray for him.

2. Paul knows he can rely on the help of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that He will be with us to the end of the age.

In this situation, Paul has only one hope and only one certainty [Barkley: expectation]. For expectations Paul uses a very powerful and unusual word. Before Paul, no one used it, and it is quite possible that he himself created it. This word apocaradocia. Apo - means far from; kara - the head; dokein - to look; a apocaradokia - it is a passionate, intense gaze that does not pay attention to everything that does not rush to the desired object.

Paul hopes that he will not be ashamed and will not remain silent, neither because of cowardice, nor because everything seems useless. Paul is confident that in Christ he will gain the courage never to be ashamed of the gospel, and that through Christ his labors will bear fruit that all people will see. New Testament commentator Lightfoot writes: "The right to speak freely is a symbol and privilege of a servant of Christ." Courageously speaking the truth is not only privilege servant of Christ, but also his duty.

Thus, Paul courageously and fruitfully seized upon the opportunity presented to him. Christ will be exalted in him. It doesn't matter what becomes of him; if he dies, he will receive a martyr's crown; if he lives, he will be given the privilege of continuing to preach and testify of Christ. In the beautiful expression of one commentator, Paul says here: "My body is an instrument in which the glory of Christ is shown." This is the great responsibility of the Christian. Having taken the side of Christ, we either magnify or dishonor Him with our lives and our behavior. A leader is judged by his companions, and Christ is judged by our behavior.

Philippians 1, 21-26 In life and death

For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.

If life in the flesh bears fruit for my work, then I do not know what to choose.

I am attracted by both: I have a desire to be resolved and to be with Christ, because this is incomparably better,

And staying in the flesh is more necessary for you

And I know for sure that I will stay and remain with you all for your success and joy in faith, so that your praise in Christ Jesus may be multiplied through me, at my second coming to you.

Paul was in prison awaiting trial and fully understood that either he would survive or he would die, but he did not care. “Life,” says Paul in his great phrase, “is Christ for me.” For Paul, Christ was the beginning life, because on that day on the road to Damascus, he kind of began to live again. Christ was continuation life, because there was not a day when Paul did not live in His presence, and in terrible moments Christ was with him to encourage him (Acts 18, -9.10). Christ was the end life, because life always leads to His eternal presence. Christ was inspiration life; He was the driving force of life. Paul believed that Christ gave him purpose life, because He made him an apostle and sent him to convert the Gentiles. Christ gave him force for life, because in absolute weakness he was given from the immense grace of Christ. For Paul, Christ was reward life, because for him the only worthy reward was a close relationship with his Lord. If Christ had been taken from the life of Paul, then he would have nothing else left.

“For me,” says Paul, “death is a gain.” Death was for him the entrance into the immediate proximity of Christ. Paul considered death to be a dream, from which all people will awaken during the general resurrection in the future (1 Cor. 16, -51.52; 1 Thess. 4.14.16); but the moment the breath of death touched him, Paul believed that death was not a dream, but a direct transition into the presence of his Lord. If we believe in Jesus Christ, then death is for us - unity and reunion: union with Him and reunion with those whom we loved and lost for a while.

And so Paul was torn between two desires: "I am attracted by both." However, he uses the verb bluehomay, which is used in relation to a traveler trapped in a narrow gorge, when on each side there is a stone wall and it is impossible to turn in either direction, and he is forced to go straight ahead. He himself would like to go to another world and be with Christ; but because of his friends and because of what he could do with them and for them, he wanted to stay in this life. And then the thought comes that the choice is not for him, but for God.

“I have a desire to be resolved,” says Paul. In the Greek text resolve - it analoguein.

1. This word has the meaning to take off from the camp, let go of the guy wires, pull out the jokes, and go further. Death is going forward. It is said that during World War II, when Germany launched a massive bombardment of English cities, and the air force was the only defense of England, and the pilots sacrificed their lives, no one said about the pilot that he was killed, but they said about him that "He has been transferred to another location." Every day we pass a part of the way and approach home, until, finally, the last camp in this world is removed forever, and we move to a permanent residence in the world of glory.

2. This word means - to untie the mooring ropes, set the sails and set off on a journey leading to eternal refuge and to God.

3. This word has the meaning to solve problems. Death brings the decisions of all life. There is a place where answers to all earthly questions will be given and received, and where those who have had patience will eventually understand everything.

Paul is convinced that he will remain and will abide. " There is a play on words in Greek that could be conveyed somewhat by the words "I will and abide." Stay - in greek menaine, a stay - paramenein, and therefore “I will and abide”, if it conveys partly a play on words, but does not convey their meaning. The fact is that menayne means just stay with, a paramenein (pair in greek - near) means - wait next to the person, always ready to help him. Paul wants to live not for himself, but for those whom he can help further.

Thus, if Paul remains alive and comes to them and sees them again, then, thereby, he will give them a reason to increase the praise of Jesus Christ. In other words, they will be able to look at him and see in him a shining example of how a person can, through Christ, fearlessly and with his head uplifted, endure the worst. Every Christian must believe so that people can see what Christ can do for people who have committed their lives to Him.

Philippians 1, 27-30 Citizens of the Kingdom of God

Only live worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or not, I may hear about you that you stand in one spirit, striving with one accord for the gospel faith,

And do not be afraid of opponents in anything, this is for them an omen of destruction, and for you - salvation And this is from God,

Because for the sake of Christ you have been given not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.

The same feat that you saw in me and now hear about me

But one thing is important: no matter what happens to them or to Paul, the Philippians must live a life worthy of their vow of the gospel of Christ. Here Paul chooses his words very carefully. He usually uses Greek peripateane, what literally means walk around, pace. Here he uses the word polythevesfay, What means to be a citizen. Paul wrote from Rome.

Philip was a Roman colony, and Roman colonies were small parts of Rome scattered all over the world; their inhabitants never forgot that they were Romans. They spoke Latin, dressed in Roman, gave the members of their city government Roman names - no matter how far from Rome they were. Thus, Paul says the following: “We are well aware of the privileges and responsibilities that come with Roman citizenship. You well know that even in Philippi — so far from Rome — you must still live and act like the Romans. So remember that you have an even higher debt. Wherever you are, you must live as befits citizens of the Kingdom of God. "

What does Paul expect from them? He expects them to stood in the same spirit. The world is full of Christians who quickly give up their positions and silence their Christianity as soon as difficulties arise. Real Christians stand firm; no environment can break them. Paul waits from the Philippians unanimity; one spirit should bind them as brothers. Let those in the world quarrel among themselves; Christians must be one. Paul expects from them be indestructible. Evil often seems impossible to overcome, but a Christian should never give up hope or give up. Paul expects from them calm fearlessness. In times of crisis, others may be nervous and fearful; the Christian will still be calm. If the Philippians are like that, they will set an example to the world that the pagans themselves will feel aversion to their way of life, realize that Christians have something that they do not have, and will strive for the best.

Paul is not suggesting that it will be easy to do. When Christianity first came to Philippi, they saw Paul struggle. They saw Paul beaten and imprisoned for his faith (Acts 16: 19-24). They know what he is putting up with now and what to expect. But let them remember that the military leader sends the best soldiers to carry out the most difficult task, and that it is an honor to suffer for Christ. There is a story about a French veteran who sees a young recruit in dire straits, trembling with fear. "Come on," said the veteran, "and together we will do a great job for France." Paul tells the Philippians, "The battle has begun for you and for me — let's do a wonderful thing for Christ."

Philippians 2.1-4 Reasons for disagreement

So, if there is any consolation in Christ, if there is any joy to love, if there is any fellowship of the spirit, if there is any mercy and compassion,

Then add to my joy, have the same thoughts, have the same love, be unanimous and of the same mind,

Do nothing out of ambition or vanity, but out of humility, honor each other as superior to yourself.

Don't just take care of yourself, but everyone and others.

One of the dangers that threatened the Philippians was discord. In a sense, every healthy church is at risk of this. People are willing to stand up against each other when they take matters seriously and when faith matters to them. The greater their enthusiasm, the greater the danger that they might get into conflict. It is from this danger that Paul wants to shield his friends.

V 2,3.4 he points to three important reasons for the disagreement.

1. Contempt. There is always a danger that people are working to get ahead themselves and not to get the job done. Oddly enough, but sometimes the great leaders of the Church almost fled from their posts, because they felt their unworthiness.

Ambrose (circa 340-397) was an important figure in the early church. A great scientist, he was the governor of the Roman provinces of Liguria and Emilia and ruled so lovingly and caringly that the people saw him as their father. When the bishop of Milan died, the question arose about his successor. During the dispute, a child's exclamation suddenly rang out: “Ambrose is a bishop! Ambrose is a bishop! " The whole crowd picked up this cry. Ambrose could not even imagine this and hid at night in order to avoid the high ecclesiastical post offered to him, and only the direct intervention and order of the emperor prompted him to agree to become the bishop of Milan.

When John Rough publicly called from the pulpit, the founder of the Scottish Presbyterian Church, John Knox, to become a priest, Knox was frightened. In his History of the Reformation, Knox writes: “Then this confused John burst into profuse tears and retired to his room. From that very day until the day when he was forced to appear in church and preach, his expression and his demeanor showed the sadness and excitement of his heart with sufficient force. Nobody saw in him a sign of joy and for a long time he did not get any pleasure from the company of his friends. "

Great people are far from ambition; they often felt that they were not worthy of their high office.

Many people are dominated by vanity, striving to achieve personal authority. For many people, prestige is even more of a temptation than wealth. Most of all, most of all, they just want to be admired, so that they can sit on presidiums, so that others ask their opinions, so that everyone knows them by name and recognizes them by their appearance, even to be flattered. And the goal of a Christian should not be a desire to show oneself, but self-forgetfulness. He should do good deeds not in order to glorify him, but in order for people to glorify the Heavenly Father. A Christian should draw people's eyes not to himself, but to God.

Other people only care about themselves. A person who always thinks first of all about himself will certainly come into conflict with others. Whoever considers life to be a competition in which he must receive all the prizes, he will always see other people as enemies, or at least rivals who need to be removed from the road. Selfishness inevitably leads to the destruction of others; the goal of life is not to help others, but to eliminate them.

Philippians 2.1-4(continued) Eliminating discord

In the face of the danger of discord, Paul sets out five considerations to prevent discord.

1. We must maintain unity because we are all in Christ. A person cannot be at odds with his fellows and remain in union with Jesus Christ. He who walks with Jesus Christ walks with all the pilgrims. A person's relationship with his fellow men is a good indicator of his relationship with Jesus Christ.

2. The power of Christian love is to keep us in harmony. Christian love is that goodwill, that benevolence that never gets irritated, and that always wants only good for others. It is not just the motivation of the heart, as, for example, human love; it is a victory of the will with the help of Jesus Christ. This does not mean to love only those who love us, or those who like us, or those who are nice. And this means unbreakable benevolence, even towards those who hate us, towards those who do not like us, and towards those who are disagreeable and disgusting to us. This is the true essence of the Christian life and has an impact on us on earth and in eternity. Richard Tetlock wrote in his book In My Father's House: “Hell is the eternal state of those who have destroyed love in their lives, made it impossible to have a relationship with God and with their fellows ... Heaven is the eternal state of those who have found real life in relationship through love with God and with your fellow men. "

3. The fact that they are partakers of the Holy Spirit should also keep Christians from disagreement. The Holy Spirit connects man to God and man to man. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to live the life of love, which is the life of God. A person who is at odds with his fellows shows that he does not have the gift of the Holy Spirit. 4. A sense of human compassion should guard against disagreement. As the Greek philosopher Aristotle once put it, people were not created by roaring wolves, but in order to live together in a community. Disagreement destroys the structure of life.

5. Paul's last call is purely personal. He cannot be happy as long as he knows that discord reigns in the church dear to him.

If the Philippians are to replenish his joy, they must have perfect friendship. Paul is addressing the Philippian Christians not with threats, but with an appeal for love; and this is what every pastor should do, just like our Lord did.

Philippians 2.5-11 True Divinity and True Humanity

For you must have the same feelings as in Christ Jesus:

He, being the image of God, did not consider it a robbery to be equal to God;

But he destroyed himself, taking on the form of a slave, becoming like men and in appearance becoming like a man;

He humbled Himself, being obedient even to death, and the death of the godmother.

Therefore God also exalted Him and gave Him a name that is higher than every name,

That before the name of Jesus every knee of heavenly, earthly and hells may bow,

And every tongue has confessed that the Lord Jesus Christ is to the glory of God the Father.

This passage is in many ways the greatest and most moving thing Paul ever wrote about Jesus. Its meaning lies in the simple statement that Paul made in 2 Corinthians that Jesus, being rich, was poor for our sake. (2 Cor. 8.9). Here, the idea is presented in a completeness that is unmatched. Paul pleads with the Philippians to live in harmony, to forget all disagreements, to cast aside vanity, pride, desire for advancement and prestige, and live with the same humble, selfless desire in heart - to serve, which was the essence of the life of Jesus Christ. Paul's last call is to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

We must try to fully understand this passage because there is much in it that can wake our minds and strike surprise in our hearts. To do this, you need to carefully consider some important Greek words.

The Greek language is very rich; often there are two, three or even more words to express one thought. In a sense, these words are synonyms, but they never have exactly the same meaning; they always have some special shade. This is especially true of this passage. Paul chose every word very carefully to show two things — the reality of Christ's human nature and the reality of His divinity. Let's consider the proposals one by one.

Verse 6: He, being the image of God. Two words are chosen very carefully to show the unchanging deity of Jesus Christ. The word translated as being - derivative of the Greek verb huparhane. Huparhane - this is not an ordinary Greek word with a meaning being. It conveys what a person is in his very essence, and what cannot be changed. It characterizes that part of a person that in any circumstances remains the same, remains unchanged. Thus, Paul says from the beginning that Jesus was God in His essence, and He was God unchanging.

Further, Paul says that Jesus was in the image God. Greek has two words meaning image: morphe and scheme. Both should be translated as image, because in Russian there is no other equivalent, but they do not mean the same thing. Morphe - this essential, unchanging form; scheme - external form, which changes from time to time and in different circumstances. For instance, morphe any human being is his human nature, and it never changes; a scheme it is constantly changing. Child, boy, youth, man and old man all have in common morphe of all mankind, and the external scheme always changing. Roses, daffodils, tulips, chrysanthemums, primroses, dalias, lupins have one common morphe - flower, and scheme theirs is different. Aspirin, penicillin, magnesia have one morphe - medicine, and scheme theirs is different. Morphe never changes but scheme changes continuously. Saying that Jesus is in image God, Paul uses the word morphe; in other words, His immutable essence is heavenly, Divine. No matter how His outer might have changed scheme, in essence He remained Divine.

Jesus did not consider it a robbery to be equal to God.

The word translated in the Bible as theft, it is in greek - harpagmos, derived from a verb with a meaning grab, grab. Behind this may be one of two ideas, which are essentially the same thing.

a) It may mean that Jesus did not need to cling to equality with God, because it was His right.

b) It can mean that He did not grab for equality with God and did not pull him jealously to Himself, but voluntarily sacrificed it for the sake of people. However we understand it, it once again underlines the divine nature of Jesus.

Verse 7: But He humbled Himself; He stripped Himself of the glory.

The Greek text contains the verb kenone, which literally means empty, pour out. This verb can denote the removal of items from the container as long as it is empty; pouring out until nothing remains in the vessel. Here Paul uses the most emphatic word in order to clearly show the sacrifice that was made by the incarnation. Jesus voluntarily gave up his glory in order to become human. He took off His Divinity from Himself in order to take on what is human. It is pointless to ask how He did it; we can only stand in awe at the sight of Him - the almighty God - hungry, weary, and in tears. Here, with the use of the last possibilities of the human language, the great saving truth is expressed that He, being rich, became impoverished for our sake.

Taking the form of a slave. And here, to convey the meaning of the image, the word is used morphe, which, as we have seen, is the unchanging essential form. Paul means that when Jesus became a man it was really like that, not a game. He was not like the Greek gods, who sometimes, as myths and traditions say, became people, but retained their divine privileges. Jesus truly became a man but there is more to it: By becoming like a man. The word translated in the Bible as make is part of a Greek verb giganesfay. This verb conveys meaning a condition that is not permanent. The point boils down to becoming, and the word denotes a change, quite real, but which is passing. This means that Jesus' humanity was not permanent; it was eminently real, but transient.

Verse 8: And in appearance he became like a man. And here Paul makes the same conclusion. The word translated as by sight, it is in greek - scheme, and, as we have seen, it is a form that changes.

This is a very short paragraph, but in the entire New Testament there is no other paragraph that so touchingly shows the absolute reality of the Divinity and the human essence of Jesus and so clearly represents the sacrifice that Jesus made, renouncing His Divinity and taking on Himself a human essence. We cannot say how all this happened, but behind this lies the secret of such a great love that, although we can never fully understand everything, we can blissfully feel it and worship it.

Philippians 2.5-11(continued) Humiliation and Exaltation

It should always be remembered that when Paul thought and spoke about Jesus, his interests were primarily not intellectual and speculative, but practical. For him, theology and action have always been closely related to each other. Any theory or philosophical system must necessarily be embodied in a way of life. This passage represents in many ways the culmination of theological thinking in the New Testament, but it was written to encourage the Philippians to live in a way that would have no room for discord, strife, and personal vanity.

Thus, Paul says that Jesus humbled Himself and was obedient even to the death of the cross.

The greatest characteristics of Jesus' life were humility, humility, self-denial, and self-sacrifice. He longed not to rule over people, but only to serve them; He did not seek to do His own thing, He wanted to follow the path of God; He did not want to be exalted, but to renounce His glory for the sake of people. The New Testament repeatedly states that whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23.12; Luke 14.11; 18:14). If humility, humility, self-denial and self-sacrifice were the greatest features of Jesus' life, they should also be the hallmark of the Christian life. Selfishness, self-interest, and boasting destroy our likeness to Christ and our brotherhood with one another.

But the self-denial and self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ brought Him even greater glory. This clearly showed that one day, sooner or later, He will be worshiped by every living being in the universe, in heaven, on earth, and even in hell. The source of this worship must be carefully emphasized. It comes from love. Jesus conquered the hearts of people, striking them not with power, but with love, which they could not resist. At the sight of Jesus, who gave up His glory for the sake of people and loved them so much that he went to die for them on the Cross, the hearts of people soften and they cease to resist. Worshiping Jesus Christ, people fall at His feet with a sense of admiration and love. They say: "Such an amazing, heavenly love requires my life, my soul, me everything," and not: "I cannot resist such a force." Worship of Jesus Christ is not based on fear, but on love.

Paul goes on to say that for this sacrificial love God gave Jesus a name above every name. It is a typical biblical idea that a new name indicates the beginning of a new stage in a person's life. Abraham became Abraham when he received the promise of God (Genesis 17.5). Jacob became Israel when God entered into a new relationship with him (Gen. 32.28). The Risen Christ promises a new name for Pergamum and Philadelphia (Rev. 2,17; 3,12).

And what was the new name given to Jesus Christ? We do not know for sure what Paul meant, but probably this is a new name - Lord.

In the early Church, Jesus was known by a great title kurios, lord, which has a very instructive story.

1. At first, this word meant master or owner.

2. It became the official title of the Roman emperor.

3. It became the title of the pagan gods.

4. This word in the Greek translation of the Holy Scriptures was translated Jehovah. Name Jesus kurios, lord, this meant that He is the Master and Owner of all life, the King of Kings; He was a Lord such as pagan gods and mute idols could never be; He was Divinity itself.

Philippians 2.5-11(continued) Everything for God

Phil. 2.11 - one of the most important verses of the New Testament. It says here that the purpose of God is that one day every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. These three words were the first creed of the Christian Church. To be a Christian was to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (cf. Rom. 10.9). It was a simple creed of faith, but it covered everything. Maybe it would be nice if we returned to it. Later, people tried to determine more precisely what it meant, and argued over this and quarreled, calling each other heretics and fools. But even now it remains true that a person who can say: “For me Jesus Christ is Lord” is a Christian. If a person can say this, it means that for him Jesus Christ is the only one and that he is ready to obey Him like no one else. Maybe this person cannot explain in words for whom he esteems Jesus, but since this wonderful love is present in his heart, and this is complete obedience in his life, he is a Christian, because Christianity is not so much an intellectual understanding as heartfelt love.

So we come to the end of this passage, and when we come to the end of it, we go back to the beginning. The day will come when people will call Jesus Lord, but they will to the glory of God the Father. Jesus' goal is not His own glory, but the glory of God. Paul is very clearly aware of the absolute sovereignty of God. In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes that in the end the Son Himself will also submit to Him who submitted all to Him. (1 Cor. 15:28). Jesus draws people to Him in order to draw them to God. Some in the Philippian Church wanted to satisfy their vanity; Jesus' goal was to serve others, no matter what depths of self-denial and self-sacrifice this service may require. Some in the Philippian Church have sought to attract the eyes of all to themselves; the purpose of Jesus was to turn the eyes of the people to God.

A Christian should always think not of himself but of others; not about your own glory, but about the glory of God.

Philippians 2.12-18 Cooperation in salvation

So, my beloved, as you have always been obedient, not only in my presence, but much more now during my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

Because God works in you both will and action according to His good pleasure.

Do everything without murmurings and doubts,

In order for you to be blameless and pure, children of God blameless among the obstinate and depraved race, in which you shine like the lights in the world,

But even if I become a sacrifice for the sacrifice and service of your faith, then I rejoice and rejoice in all of you; About this and you rejoice and rejoice in me

Paul is calling the Philippians not only to be united in this situation; it is a call to live a life that leads to God's salvation in time and in eternity.

Nowhere in the New Testament is the action of salvation described so succinctly. As stated in 2,12.13: "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, because God works in you both will and action according to His good pleasure." As always, Paul chooses his words carefully.

Do your salvation. For commit Paul used the word katergazesfay, which is the meaning of leading to completion. Paul seems to be saying, “Don't stop halfway; go forward until salvation is fully accomplished in you. " The Christian must be content with only the absolute benefit of the gospel.

"Because God produces in you and desire and action according to your own pleasure. " For produces and action Paul uses the same word - verb energain. There are two important things to say about this verb: it is always used to mean actions of god and always to denote effective action. God's actions cannot be vain or only half done; they must be perfectly effective.

As we said, this passage gives the perfect formulation of the action of salvation.

1. Salvation is from God, a) God produces in us the desire for salvation. It is true that "our hearts are restless until they rest in Him" ​​and it is also true that "we could not even begin to seek Him if He had not found us." The desire to gain the salvation of God is not caused by some human feeling, but comes from God Himself. The process of seeking salvation awakens God in a person. b) The continuation of this process depends on God; without His help, no sin can be overcome and no virtue can be acquired, c) The process of salvation with God is completed, therefore the completion of salvation is friendship with God, in which we belong to Him, and He belongs to us.

2. But there is another side to this. Salvation is from man. “Work out your own salvation,” Paul demands. Without human help and cooperation, even God is helpless. The point is that every gift and every benefit must be accepted. When a person is sick, the doctor may prescribe medications to heal him, but he still will not be healed if he does not take these medications; he may even stubbornly refuse to accept them. It is the same with salvation. God offered it to us - without God's offer there can be no salvation at all. But no man can be saved if he does not answer the call of God and does not accept what He offers.

There can be no salvation without God, but a person must accept what God offers. It is not God who takes away salvation from man, but it is man who deprives him of himself.

Philippians 2.12-18(continued) Signs of Salvation

Careful analysis of the thoughts in this passage reveals that Paul set out five signs of salvation in it.

1. Sign effective action. In his daily life, the Christian must constantly testify that he is truly seeking his own salvation. It must come to an end more and more every day. The great tragedy for many of us is that we never get one iota further. We remain slaves to the same habits and victims of the same temptations, guilty of the same sins. A truly Christian life must be continuous improvement, continuous advancement, because it is the path to God.

2. Sign fear and awe. This is not the fear and awe of a slave, cringing before his master, and not even fear and awe in anticipation of punishment. This fear and awe emanate, first, from the consciousness that we are God's creatures and are powerless to control life. In other words, it is not the fear that makes us hide from God, but rather the fear that makes us seek God, because we know that without His help we cannot withstand life. And second, it comes from the fear of grieving God. When we truly love a person, we are not afraid of what he might do to us, and we are afraid to cause trouble for him.

3. Omen serenity and confidence. Christian does everything without a murmur or doubt. For murmur Paul uses an unusual word goggusmos. This word evokes special associations with Greek translations of the Holy Scriptures. It is used to denote the mutinous murmur of the children of Israel in the wilderness. The people grumbled at Moses (Ex. 15.24; 16.2; Num. 16.41). Goggusmos - onomatopoeic word; it conveys the low, menacing, disgruntled grumbling of a crowd that distrusts its leaders and is ready to rebel. For doubts Paul uses the Greek word dialogismos, which means useless and sometimes rude discussions and arguments. There must be perfect confidence and perfect trust in the Christian life.

4. Omen purity. Christians should be blameless, pure, and blameless. Each of these words complements the idea of ​​Christian purity.

a) Immaculate in greek - amemptos, and expresses what a Christian is to the world. His life is so pure that no one can find anything in it to find fault with. It is often said in court that judicial practice should not only be fair, but this justice must be visible. A Christian must not only be clean, but everyone must see this cleanliness.

b) Clean in greek - akerayos, and expresses what a Christian is in himself. Akeraios literally means unmixed, undiluted. This word, for example, can describe wine or milk, undiluted with water, and metal without any impurity. In relation to people, it can mean pure motives. Christian purity must manifest itself in sincere thoughts and sincere character.

v) Immaculate, in greek - amomos, and this word shows what a Christian is in the eyes of God. This word is used to refer to sacrifices that are fit to be sacrificed to God on the altar. The life of a Christian must be such that it can be offered as a sacrifice without blemish to God. A Christian's purity is flawless in the eyes of the world, sincere in itself, and can withstand the searching gaze of God.

5. Omen missionary aspirations. The Christian offers everyone the word of life, that is, the word that gives life. The missionary aspirations of a Christian have two aspects, a) Proclaiming and offering the Gospel in clear and unmistakable words, b) Testimony of a life perfectly straightforward in an obstinate and depraved world. This is an offer to the people of light in the world of darkness. Christians should be luminaries in the world. Luminaries, in greek - fosteres, the same word used in the creation story: luminaries(sun and moon), which God put in the firmament of heaven to shine on the earth (Genesis 1: 14-18). The Christian shows and offers uprightness in a perverse and depraved world, and light in a dark world.

Philippians 2.12-18(continued) Paintings painted by Paul

This passage ends with two striking pictures typical of Paul's mindset.

1. He hopes that the Philippians will advance along the Christian path, so that at the end of his days he will find joy in the knowledge that he has not struggled in vain and has not labored in vain. In this case, Paul uses the verb copyian, translated as work. Two ideas can be associated with this, a) It can be a picture of labor in the most direct sense. Copian it is important to work until complete exhaustion, b) But copian it can also mean the work associated with the training of an athlete, and in this case Paul says that he is praying that all the self-discipline of training that he has imposed on himself will not be wasted.

A distinctive feature of Paul's writing style is his love for pictures from the life of athletes. And this is not surprising. In Greek cities, the gymnasium was not only a place to train. In the gymnasiums, the great Greek philosopher Socrates often discussed eternal problems; in the gymnasiums philosophers and sophists, itinerant teachers and preachers often found listeners. In many Greek cities, the gymnasium was not only a sports hall, but also an intellectual club. The Greeks had the Isthmian Games in Corinth, the Panhellenic Games in Ephesus and the greatest - the Olympic Games, held every four years. There were often disagreements between the Greek cities and they often fought with each other, but when the Olympic Games approached, no matter what disputes and disagreements there were, a month-long truce was established so that they could take part in friendly competition. Not only athletes came to these games, but Greek historians and poets also came to read their new works, and sculptors with immortal names came to make sculptures of the winners.

Of course, in both Corinth and Ephesus, Paul was a spectator at these sports games. Paul was wherever crowds were to win them over for Christ. But apart from preaching, this competition found another echo in Paul's heart. He knew boxing competitions (1 Cor. 9: 26). He saw the runners rushing towards the goal (Phil. 3.14); he saw the judges awarding the winners after the end of the competition (2 Tim. 4.8); he knew about the awarding of a laurel wreath to the winner and about the jubilation that such an award evokes (1 Cor. 9.24; Phil. 4.1). Pavel knew about the tough discipline associated with training and preparation for the competition and about the strict requirements that must be met (1 Tim. 4,7.8; 2 Tim. 2,5).

Pavel prays not to be like an athlete whose training and efforts were in vain. The greatest reward for him was the realization that through him others recognized and loved Jesus Christ and began to serve Him.

2.A at 2.17 Paul paints a different picture. Paul had a special gift for speaking in a language that people could understand. He often took examples and pictures from the everyday life of the people with whom he spoke. He already used an example from sports games, and now he takes a picture from the sacrifice of the pagans. One of the most typical pagan sacrifices was libation, a cup of wine that was poured out as a sacrifice to the gods. So, for example, each pagan meal began and ended with such a libation, a kind of prayer before and after meals. Here Paul views the faith and ministry of the Philippians as a sacrifice to God. He knows that his death may be very close, because he writes from prison, where he is awaiting trial. And so he says that he is perfectly ready to be "sacrifice for sacrifice" [in Barclay: libation for sacrifice] of their faith. In other words, he is telling the Philippians the following: “Your Christian devotion and your Christian faithfulness have already been sacrificed to God; and if I must accept death for Christ, I am glad that my life will be poured out like a libation on the altar on which your sacrifice is offered. "

Paul was perfectly ready to sacrifice his life to God, and he urges the Philippians not to be sad that this might happen, but to rejoice. For him, every call to sacrifice and to work was a call to his love for Christ, and therefore he greeted them not with laments and salaries, but with joy.

Philippians 2.19-24 Loyal squire

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too, having learned about your circumstances, may be comforted in spirit.

For I have no one equally diligent who would care so sincerely for you;

Because everyone is looking for their own, and not what is pleasing to Jesus Christ.

And you know his loyalty, because he, like a son to his father, served me in the gospel.

So I hope to send him as soon as I know what will become of me.

I am confident in the Lord that I myself will soon come (to you).

Since Paul cannot come to Philippi himself, he intends to send Timothy as his representative. Timothy was the closest person to Paul. We know very little about him, but the story of his ministry with Paul clearly shows us his faithfulness.

He came from Derbe or Lystra. His mother, Eunice, was Jewish, and his grandmother was named Loida. His father was Greek and, apparently, Timothy was brought up in the Greek tradition, because he was not circumcised (Acts 16.1; 2 Tim. 1.5). It is not certain when and how he was converted to the Christian faith, but Paul met him on his second missionary journey and saw in him a man who could well help him in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Since then, Paul and Timothy have been very close. Paul spoke of Timothy as his beloved son in the Lord (1 Cor. 4.17). Timothy was with Paul in Philippi (Acts 16); in Thessaloniki and in Berea (Acts 17: 1-14); in Corinth and Ephesus (Acts 18.5; 19.21.22); and he was with Paul in prison in Rome (Col. 1.1; Phil. 1.1). Timothy is mentioned in no less than five letters of Paul (Thessalonians, 2 Corinthians, Colossians and Philippines), and when Paul wrote Romans, Timothy also sent his greetings (Rom. 16:21).

The great benefit of Timothy was that when Paul needed some information from some church, or wanted to send advice, encouragement or reproach, and if he could not do it himself, he sent Timothy. So Timothy was sent to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3.6); to Corinth (1 Cor. 4.17; 16.10.11); to Philippi. After all, Timothy was also a prisoner for Christ's sake. (Heb. 13:23). Timothy was a very valuable collaborator, because he was always ready to go anywhere, and in his hands the message was in as reliable hands as if it were Paul himself. Some are eaten by selfish vanity, while Timothy had only one desire - to serve Jesus Christ and Paul. Timothy is a great example of all those who are quite willing to settle for second place if they can only serve.

Philippians 2.25-30 Paul's courtesy

However, I considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you, my brother and co-worker and companion of mine, and your messenger and servant in my need,

Because he longed to see all of you and was deeply grieved that a rumor about his illness reached you.

For he was sick near death; but God had mercy on him, and not only him, but also me, so that sorrow would not be added to my sorrow.

Therefore, I rather sent him, so that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and I may be less sad.

Receive him in the Lord with all joy, and respect such people,

For he was close to death for the work of Christ, endangering his life in order to make up for the lack of your services to me.

There is a dramatic story behind this. When the Philippians heard that Paul was in prison, their hearts burned with the desire to take action. They sent Paul a gift with Epaphrodite. Whatever they could not do themselves, they commissioned Epaphrodite to do. He not only had to bring Paul a gift, but also stay with him in Rome as a personal servant and helper. It is quite obvious that Epaphroditus was a brave man, because to agree to become an assistant to a person awaiting trial and, perhaps, the death penalty, meant risking himself being prosecuted on this charge. Epaphroditus did risk his life for Paul.

In Rome, Epaphroditus fell ill and was close to death. Perhaps it was the famous Roman fever that sometimes swept the entire city like an epidemic. Epaphroditus knew that rumors about his illness had reached Philip, and he worried that his friends would worry about him. In His mercy, God saved Epaphrodite's life and thereby delivered Paul from another sorrow. But Paul knew that it was time for Epaphrodite to go back and, very likely, that he brought this letter to Philippi.

But there was one difficulty. The Philippian Church sent Epaphroditus to stay with Paul, and if he now returned home, there would be those who would call him lazy and cowardly. And here Paul gives Epaphrodite a letter of recommendation, which should have excluded any criticism upon his return.

Every word has been carefully chosen in this characterization. Epaphroditus is his brother, collaborator and associate. As the commentator Lightfoot put it, Epaphroditus was one with Paul in feelings, in labor, in danger. He really stood in the line of fire. Paul goes on to call Epaphrodite messenger and minister in need. In translation, it is difficult to convey the shades of these words.

Messenger - this is with Paul apostolos. Literally apostolos means - everyone sent on a mission but among Christians this word acquired an exalted meaning and, using it here, Paul places Epaphrodite on a par with himself, as the apostle of Christ.

Minister - this is with Paul leitourgos. This is a wonderful word. In ancient times, there were people in Greek cities who loved their country so much that they took it upon themselves to fulfill, at their own expense, important civil obligations. They took upon themselves the costs of paying for some embassy, ​​staging a drama of the great poet, training athletes to represent the city at games, or outfitting a warship and paying the crew's salaries. These people were the highest benefactors of the state and they were called the leitourge.

Paul applies the great Christian word to Epaphrodite apostolos and a wonderful Greek word leitourgos."Accept him ... with all joy," he says, "and respect such people, because he risked his life for Christ."

Paul makes it easy for Epaphrodite to return home, and there is something beautiful about it. It is touching to think of Paul, who was in prison awaiting trial, in the very shadow of death, and who cared so much about Epaphrodite in a Christian way. He himself looked death in the face, and yet he made sure that when he returned home, Epaphrodite would not have difficulties. In relation to other people, Paul was a real Christian because he was never so busy with his problems that he did not have time to think about the problems of his friends.

One word from this passage was later gloriously used. It speaks of Epaphroditus - endangering life (his). In Greek it is a verb paraboleuesfay, which is a word from the jargon of gambling and means - bet everything when playing dice. Paul says that for the sake of Jesus Christ Epaphroditus put his life on the line. In the era of the early Church, there was an association of men and women who were called parabolani, gamblers. Their goal was to visit prisoners and the sick, especially those who were sick with dangerous and contagious diseases. In 252, a plague broke out in Carthage. The pagans threw the bodies of their dead and fled in terror. The Christian bishop of Carthage, Cyprian, gathered his community and they began to bury the dead and care for the sick in the plague-ridden city, and thus, risking their lives, saved the city from destruction and devastation.

The Christian must have a sense of almost desperate courage that enables him to stake his life in the ministry.

Philippians 3.1 Enduring joy

However, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Writing to you about the same is not painful for me, but for you it is edifying.

Paul points out two very important things.

1. He points to the invincibility of Christian joy. He probably felt that he was making very high demands on the Philippian Church. There was a possibility that they would face the same persecution and even the same death that threatened him. In a sense, Christianity seemed to be a dark fad. But in him and behind him - there was joy everywhere. "Your joy," says Jesus, "no one will take from you." (John 16:22).

Christian joy has a certain invincibility, because the joy of Christians is in the Lord. It is based on the knowledge that the Christian lives forever in the presence of Jesus Christ. A Christian can lose everything and everyone, but he will never lose Christ. Therefore, even in circumstances in which it seems impossible to rejoice, and in which only suffering and sorrow await a person, the Christian retains his joy, because all the threats, horrors and sorrows of life cannot take away from him his love for God in Jesus Christ. (Rom. 8: 35-39).

In 1756, the founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, received a letter from the father of the prodigal son. His son was in prison in York. “It was pleasing to God,” the father wrote, “not to destroy him in a sinful state. He gave him time and an intention to repent. " The young man was sentenced to death for his crime, and his father wrote further: “His calmness grew With every day, until he came, on Saturday, the day of death. He left the cell of those sentenced to death, dressed in his shroud and entered the cart. His joy and calm expression on his face surprised everyone. " The young man found a joy that even the scaffold could not take away from him.

It often happens that people endure great sorrows and great trials, but they are finished with minor troubles. But Christian joy gives a person the ability to even accept them with a smile. One of the most famous preachers of the Methodist movement was John Nelson. He and Wesley were doing missionary work in England's Cornish Peninsula, off the west coast. Here is how John Nelson describes it: “All this time we slept on the floor. Wesley’s pillow was my coat, and I’m Burkitt’s notes on the New Testament. We had been there for about three weeks, when Wesley turned to me one hour at three in the morning and saw that I was awake, patted me on the shoulder and said, “Brother Nelson, let's not lose heart! One side is still healthy, only one side is missing skin! " They didn't even have enough food. Wesley preached especially effectively one morning. On the way back, Wesley stopped his horse to pick the blackberries and said, “Brother Nelson, we should be grateful that there are so many blackberries, because in this country it is easier to feel hunger than in any other country I have seen, but the most difficult to get food. ". Christian joy allowed Wesley to endure the blows of fate and jokingly react to small troubles. When a believer really walks in Christ, he walks in joy.

2. In addition, Paul points out here the importance and necessity of repetition. He reminds that he writes about the same thing that he has already written to them before. This is interesting because it follows that Paul wrote to the Philippians other epistles that have not come down to us. This shouldn't come as a surprise. Paul wrote the epistles for sixteen years, from 48 to 60, and only thirteen have survived. If only there were no such periods when he did not take up the pen for a long time, then there must have been many other messages that are currently lost.

Like all good teachers, Paul was never afraid to repeat. It may very well be that one of our shortcomings is our thirst for novelty. The great saving Christian truths remain unchanged, and we will never be amiss to listen to them. We don't get tired of staple foods. We eat bread and drink water every day; we should just as often listen to the truths that are the bread and water of our lives. No teacher should count for unnecessary work, repeat over and over again the great basic truths of Christian teaching, because only in this way can the preservation and salvation of the hearers be ensured. We may like new dishes at the table, but we live from basic foodstuffs. It can be interesting to study, preach, and teach secondary issues, and this should also be done, but no matter how often we repeat and hear these fundamental truths, it will never interfere with the salvation and preservation of our souls.

Philippians 3.2.3 Evil teachers

Beware of the dogs, beware of evil doers, beware of circumcision,

Because circumcision is we, who serve God in spirit, and who boast in Christ Jesus, and do not trust in the flesh.

Out of the blue, Paul spoke in a warning tone. Wherever Paul preached, the Jews always followed him, trying to destroy his teaching. Paul's teaching was that our salvation exclusively depends on the grace of God, that salvation is a free gift of God, that we can never deserve it, but can only humbly and adoringly accept what God has offered us; and besides the fact that God made His offer without exception to all people and all nations. The Jews taught that a person can receive salvation only by earning the praise of God by the infinite fulfillment of the law and, besides the fact that only Jews and no one else can receive salvation, and that a person must be circumcised, become a Jew, so that God can find something for him. application. Here Paul is sharply criticizing these Jewish teachers who tried to undermine his work. He gives them four carefully chosen nicknames, turning their accusations against them.

1. "Beware dogs ", - He says. Many people here are very fond of dogs, but this was not the case in the ancient east. The dogs were rejected by all, wandering the streets often in packs, and in packs looking for something among the heaps of garbage; they growled and barked at everyone they met. Commentator Lightfoot writes of "dogs prowling through eastern cities, homeless and without a master, feeding on the garbage of the street, fighting among themselves and attacking passers-by."

In the Bible, the dog always symbolizes the most despicable creature. When Saul plans to kill him, David asks him: “Against whom did the king of Israel come out? Who are you chasing? For a dead dog, for one flea! " (1 Kings 24,15; cf. 4 Kings 8,13; Ps. 21,17.21). The parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus says that the dogs came and licked the scabs of Lazarus (Luke 16:21). The Book of Deuteronomy says that neither the wages of a harlot nor the price of a dog can be brought into the house of the Lord by any vow. (Deut. 23.18). In Revelation the word dog symbolizes all those unclean who cannot enter the Holy City (Rev. 22:15)."Do not give shrines to the dogs" (Matthew 7.6). Also in the Greek worldview, dogs and dogs symbolize everything that is shameless and unclean.

The Jews called the Gentiles dogs. There is a rabbinic saying: "The peoples of the world are like dogs." This is how Paul responds to the Jewish teachers. He tells them: "In your proud complacency, you call other people dogs, but dogs are, in fact, you yourself, because you shamelessly pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ." Paul takes the very nickname that the Jewish teachers gave to the unclean and Gentiles and throws it back to them. A person should always think that he should not be sinful in what he accuses others of.

2. He calls them evil doers. The Jews themselves were very confident that they were doing righteousness. From their point of view, righteousness was the observance of the countless norms and rules of the law. And Paul was convinced that the only righteous act was to voluntarily surrender himself to the grace of God. The purpose of Jewish teaching was to lead people further away from God, instead of bringing them closer to Him. They thought they were doing good, but they were doing evil. Every teacher should be more concerned about listening to the voice of God and not spreading his opinion, or he risks being a doer of evil, even if he considers himself to be a collaborator of righteousness.

Philippians 3.2.3(continued) The only true circumcision

3. Finally, he calls them circumcisions[at Barclay: a batch of mutilation].

What is the point here? The Jews believed that circumcision was prescribed to Israel as a sign and a symbol that they were a people with whom God had a special relationship. The story about this sign and symbol is set out in Life. 17.9.10. When God made His special covenant with Abraham, circumcision was established as an eternal sign of that covenant. But circumcision is only a sign on the flesh, a sign on the human body. But, in order for a person to have a special relationship with God, something much more important is needed than a sign on the body. A person must have certain ideas, a special heart and a special character. This is where the Jews, or at least some of them, got it wrong. They believed that by itself circumcision is already enough to make them God's elect. Long before that, the great teachers and prophets had seen that circumcision of the flesh alone was not enough, and that spiritual circumcision was necessary. In Leviticus, the sacred lawgiver says he will submit uncircumcised heart Israel and then they will suffer for their iniquity (Lev. 26.41). In the Book of Deuteronomy it is written: "So circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and do not be cruel in the future." (Deut 10:16). He goes on to say that God will circumcise their hearts so that Israel may love Him. (Deut. 30.6). Prophet Jeremiah speaks of an uncircumcised ear that does not want to hear the words of God (Jer. 6.10).

Thus, Paul says, “If you have nothing but circumcision, you are not truly circumcised - you are simply mutilated. True circumcision is devotion to God in heart, mind and life. "

And therefore, says Paul, the truly circumcised are Christians. They are circumcised not by an external sign on the flesh, but by that internal circumcision, about which the great legislators, teachers and prophets spoke. But what are the signs of this circumcision? Paul gives three meanings.

1. We serve God in spirit, or we serve God in Spirit. Christian service to God is not about obeying ritual or the little things of the law; it comes from the heart. A person may well listen to an elaborate divine service with a magnificent liturgy, and still be far from God. A person may well observe an external religious ritual, but in his heart there may be hatred, bitterness and pride. A true Christian serves God not with outward form and ritual, but with genuine devotion and true sincerity of his heart. He serves God in love for God and in service to people.

2. We are those who boast in Jesus Christ. The Christian does not boast of what he has done himself, but of what Jesus has done for him. He can only be proud of the fact that he is the person for whom Christ died.

3. We do not rely on the purely human. The Jews hoped for the sign of circumcision and for keeping the law. The Christian hopes only on the mercy and grace of God in Jesus Christ. The Jew believed in himself, but the Christian believes God.

Real circumcision is not a mark on the flesh; this is that genuine ministry, that genuine glory and that genuine confidence in the mercy and grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3.4-7 Paul's privileges

Although I can hope for the flesh, If anyone else thinks of hope for the flesh, then more I,

Circumcised on the eighth day, from the family of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew from the Jews, according to the teachings of the Pharisees,

By jealousy he is a persecutor of the Church (of God), by legal righteousness - blameless

But what was an advantage for me, for Christ's sake I considered it a waste

Paul had just sharply criticized the Jewish teachers and insisted that Christians, not Jews, were the truly circumcised and chosen people of God. His opponents might have tried to object: “But you are a Christian and you don’t know what you are talking about; you don’t know what it means to be a Jew ”. And now Paul introduces himself, not to boast, but to show that he enjoyed all the privileges that a Jew can enjoy, and achieved everything that a Jew can achieve. He knew what it meant to be a Jew in the highest sense of the word, and voluntarily renounced everything for the sake of Jesus Christ. Each phrase on this list of Pavlov's privileges has a special meaning. Let's see all of them.

1. He was circumcised on the eighth day. God commanded Abraham: "Eight days from birth, let him be circumcised among you" (Genesis 17,12); and this commandment was repeated as the unchanging law of Israel (Lev. 12.3). Paul clearly states that he is not a descendant of Ishmael because Ishmael was circumcised at thirteen years old (Genesis 5:25), and not a proselyte who converted to Judaism in adulthood and was already circumcised as a man, Paul emphasizes that he was born into the Jewish confession, enjoyed all the privileges and observed all the rituals from birth.

2. He was from the lineage of Israel. When the Jews wanted to emphasize their special relationship with God, they called themselves Israelis. Israel - this is a name specially given by God to Jacob after his struggle with Him (Gen. 32.28). In this sense, they were descended from Israel. The descendants of Israel could trace their lineage to Abraham because Ishmael was Abraham's son by Hagar; also the Edomites could trace their origin from Isaac, because the ancestor of the people of Edom was the son of Isaac Esau; and only the Israelites could trace their origins back to Jacob, to whom God gave the name Israel. By calling himself an Israelite, Paul emphasizes the purity of his origins.

3. He is from the tribe of Benjamin. In other words, he was not only an Israeli, he belonged to the elite of Israel. The Benjamin tribe held a special place in the aristocracy of Israel. Benjamin was the son of Rachel, Jacob's beloved wife, and of all the twelve patriarchs, only he was born in the promised land (Gen. 35,17.18). The first king of Israel descended from the tribe of Benjamin (1 Sam. 9,1.2), and no doubt it was from this king that Paul got his original name Saul. When, in the time of Rehoboam, the kingdom was divided, ten tribes left with Jeroboam and only the tribe of Benjamin remained faithful to the tribe of Judah (1 Kings 12.21). When the Jews returned from captivity, the core of the revived nation was made up of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. (Ezra 4.1). The tribe of Benjamin occupied an honorable place in the military history of Israel, and therefore the battle cry of Israel was: "For you, Benjamin!" (Judg. 5.14; Hos. 5.8). The great holiday of Purim was celebrated every year with great joy in honor of the deliverance, which is described in the Book of Esther. The main character of this book is Mordecai, from the tribe of Benjamin. Pointing out that he comes from the tribe of Benjamin, Paul declares that he belongs to the highest aristocracy of Israel.

Thus, Paul declares that by birth he is a God-fearing, law-abiding Jew, that he is of the purest origin for a Jew, and that he belongs to the aristocracy of Israel.

Philippians 3.4-7(continued) Paul's Knowledge and Achievements

Paul spoke of the privileges that he enjoyed by right of origin. And now he talks about his knowledge and achievements in Judaism.

1. He was a Jew from Jews. This is not at all the same as saying that he is a real Israeli. The point here is this. The Jews were scattered all over the world. There were Jews in every city, in every village, in every country. Tens of thousands of Jews lived in Rome; there were over a million of them in Alexandria. They stubbornly refused to assimilate with the local population; they remained true to their religion, their customs and their laws. But it often happened that they forgot their language. They became Greeks in language, because life demanded it, because they moved in an environment where everyone spoke Greek. A Jew is a Jew not only purebred by birth, but consciously, and often even at the cost of great labor, preserved his native language. Such a Jew spoke the language of the country in which he lived, and also Hebrew, the language of his ancestors. Paul declares that he is not only a purebred Jew, but also a Jew who speaks Hebrew. Paul was born in the pagan city of Tarsus, but then came to Jerusalem to get an education, “at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22.3), and he could, when the time came, speak to the Jerusalem crowd in her own language (Acts 21:40).

1. As for the law, here Paul was the teachings of the Pharisees, that is, he was educated as a Pharisee. Paul states this on more than one occasion. (Acts 22.3; 23.6; 26.5). There were not so many Pharisees; they never exceeded 6,000, but they were the spiritual pillars of Judaism. The very name Pharisee means detached. They isolated themselves from ordinary life and from all ordinary tasks in order to set themselves one goal in life - to observe the law to the smallest detail. Paul thus declares that he is not only a Jew who preserved the religion of his ancestors, but devoted his life to its strictest observance. Paul knew better than anyone else from personal experience what the Jewish religion was in its most demanding form.

3. Out of jealousy, he was persecutor of the Church. In the eyes of the Jew, jealousy was the supreme characteristic of the religious life. Phinehas saved the people from the wrath of God and he was given the eternal priesthood, because he was zealous in faith in his God (Numbers 25.11-13). And the psalmist exclaims: "For zeal for your house is eating me up." (Psalm 68: 10). The hallmark of the Jewish religion was ardent zeal for God. Paul was such a zealous Jew that he tried to wipe out the opponents of Judaism from the face of the earth. He talks about it over and over again (Acts 22.2-21; 26.4-23; 1 Cor. 15.8-10; Gal. 1.13). He was never ashamed to admit his shame and was not ashamed to tell people that he once hated Christ, whom he now loved, and tried to destroy the Church that he now served. Paul states that he knew Judaism in its most fanatical form.

4. And above all, in terms of righteousness, he was blameless from the point of view of the law. In greek immaculate it - amemptos. Lightfoot notes that the verb memfesfay, from which amemptos, means - condemn for the sin of omission. By this Paul emphasizes that there is no requirement of the law that he does not fulfill.

Thus, Paul states his personal merits and achievements in this area: he was such a faithful Jew that he never forgot his Hebrew language; he was not only a religious Jew, but also a member of the strictest and most educated sect of the Jews; he zealously served what he then considered the destiny of God; there was not the slightest speck in his Jewish track record.

Paul could regard all this as his own merit in life, but when he met Jesus Christ, he considered it his heavy duty. Everything he considered to be his fame turned out to be simply useless. It was necessary to renounce all human accomplishments in order to accept a voluntary gift - the grace of Christ. He had to give up all human claims to honor and in complete obedience to accept the mercy of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Thus, Paul is proving to the Jews that he has the right to speak. Paul does not condemn Judaism as an outsider. He himself experienced it and felt it in its highest manifestation and now knew that it was nothing in comparison with the joy that Christ gave him. Paul knew that rest and peace could only be found by abandoning the path of human accomplishment and embracing the path of grace.

Philippians 3.8.9 The futility of the law and the value of Christ

Yes, and I consider everything as vain for the superiority of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord for Him, I have renounced everything, and I consider everything as rubbish in order to gain Christ.

And to be found in Him, not with your own righteousness, which is from the law, but with that which is through faith in Christ, with the righteousness of God by faith.

Paul came to the conclusion that all Jewish privilege and achievement was nothing more than complete failure. But maybe someone will argue that it was a hasty decision, which later, he will regret. And so he says here: “I have come to this conclusion. I still think so. It was not an impulsive decision, but a decision that I now firmly adhere to. "

The key word in this passage is righteousness. Dikayoshune it is always difficult to translate in Paul's epistles. The difficulty lies in the fact that it is difficult to find a word that would cover all its meaning. Let us try to understand what Paul means when he speaks of righteousness.

The most important thing in life is to enter into a relationship with God and be with Him in peace and friendship. The path to this attitude is through righteousness, through a life, spirit, and attitude towards God that pleases Him. Therefore, for Paul, righteousness is almost always the same as a right relationship with God. With this in mind, let us try to retell this passage and state what Paul means.

He says: “All my life I have tried to enter into the right relationship with God. I tried to find a way to Him, strictly observing the Jewish law, but I saw that the law and all its norms are not only useless, but also harmful in achieving this goal. I saw it was no better than scuba ". Skubala has two meanings. It comes from kusi ballomena, What means - what is thrown to the dogs; and in medical terminology it means excrement, feces (litter as translated in the Russian Bible). Thus, Paul is saying, “I have found that the law and all its methods are as useful in achieving a right relationship with God as it is in the rubbish that is thrown into the rubbish heap. And so I stopped creating my own virtue; in humble faith, I turned to God, as Jesus commanded me, and I found the attitude that I had been looking for for so long. "

Paul learned that a right relationship with God is not based on the law, but on faith in Jesus Christ. It is not attained by man, but given by God; it is not achieved by accomplishments, but is accepted in trust.

Paul continues: “From my own experience, I tell you that the Jewish way is wrong and futile in its efforts to keep the law. You will never find a right relationship with God through keeping the law. You can enter into a right relationship with God only if you believe in the word of Jesus Christ and accept what God has to offer you. ”

This passage is based on the idea that the law is useless and the importance of knowing Christ and accepting God's offered grace. The very language Paul uses to characterize the law — litter — shows how he was revolted by his vain attempts to live up to the rules of the law; and the joy with which this passage shines shows how important and necessary he considers the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3.10.11 What is it to know Christ

To know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and participation in His sufferings, conforming to His death, in order to achieve the resurrection of the dead.

Paul has already talked about the importance of knowing Christ. Now he again returns to this idea and clarifies what he had in mind. It is interesting to note which verb he uses in the meaning to know. This is part of the verb gynoskein, which almost always indicates a personal acquaintance. It is not mere knowledge with the mind, comprehension of certain facts or principles; it is to personally know another person. The deep meaning of this word is evident from its use in the Old Testament. In the old testament to know used in the sense of physical intimacy. "Adam got to know Eve, his wife; and she conceived and gave birth to Cain " (Gen. 4.1). In Hebrew it is poison, and in Greek it is translated as gynoskein. This verb conveys the meaning of the closest, intimate knowledge of another person. Paul's purpose is not to learn about Christ, but know him personally. Know Christ means the following.

1.Cognition is associated with this the power of His resurrection. For Paul, the Resurrection of Christ is not just a past event that took place in history. In Paul's eyes, it was not just what happened to Jesus, even if it was of great significance; for him, the Resurrection is a dynamic force that affects the life of a Christian. We may not know everything that Paul wanted to say with this phrase, but the Resurrection of Christ is a great driving force in at least three aspects.

a) It is a guarantee of the importance of our life and our body. Christ is resurrected in a body and He sanctifies the body (1 Cor. 6:13 & a.).

b) It is a guarantee of the future life (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:14 et seq.). We will live because He lives; His victory is our victory.

c) It is a guarantee that in life and in death and after death the presence of the Risen Lord will always be with us. It is proof of the truth of His promise to always be with us until the end of the age.

The Resurrection of Christ is a guarantee that this life is worth living and that our physical body is sacred; it serves as a guarantee that death is not the end of all existence, and that there is another world; it ensures that nothing in life or death can separate us from Him.

2.Cognition is associated with this participation in His sufferings. Paul repeatedly returns to the thought of suffering as a participation in the very sufferings of Christ and even in the multiplication of these sufferings (2 Cor. 1.5; 4.10.11; Gal. 6.7; Col. 1.24).

3.To this is connected such a union with Christ that every day we participate more and more in His death, so that in the end we participate in His Resurrection. To know Christ means to walk the way He walked; to participate in the Cross that He carried; to participate in the death by which He died; and, finally, to share in His eternal life.

To know Christ does not mean at all to be skillful in theoretical and theological knowledge; and this means to know Him so intimately and well, so much to be one with Him, as we are one with those whom we love on earth.

Philippians 3.12-16 In pursuit

I say this not because I have already achieved, or have been perfected, but I strive, whether I will not achieve, as Christ Jesus reached me.

Brothers, I do not consider myself to have achieved, but only, forgetting what is behind and stretching forward,

I strive for the goal, for the honor of the external calling of God in Christ Jesus

So, which of us is perfect, so should think, if you think about anything differently, then this God will reveal to you

However, to what we have reached, this is how we must think and live by that rule.

Correct interpretation of the Greek word is very important for understanding this passage. teleios, which appears twice here, and which is translated once as perfected (3.12), and the second time as perfect (3.15). Word telos has many interrelated meanings in Greek. It means - developed, grown, as opposed to underdeveloped. For example, it is used in relation to an adult man, opposing him to a still undeveloped youth. It is used to mean mature in mind, and then denotes a person, competent in some subject, in a scientific discipline, as opposed to a simple learner. In relation to sacrifices, this word has a meaning without blemish and fit for sacrifice to God. In relation to a Christian, it often means a baptized person, a full member of the Church, as opposed to those still undergoing instruction and training. During the era of the early Church, this word was often used to refer to martyrs. The idea is. that martyrdom is the highest point of Christian maturity.

Thus, when Paul uses this word in 3,12, he is not at all a perfect Christian, but he strives for it. He uses two striking pictures.

1. Paul says that he strives to achieve what Christ achieved him. This is an amazing idea. Paul felt that Christ, having stopped him on the road to Damascus, had a definite purpose for him, and that He foresaw then his further activity. Paul felt that he should strive for this goal so as not to change Jesus and upset His plan. Jesus chooses each person for some purpose, and therefore each person should strive all his life to achieve the goal for the fulfillment of which Jesus achieved him.

2. In this regard, Paul says two things, he forgets the back. And this means that he will never be proud of his accomplishments, or justify the weakening of his efforts by them. Paul says that a Christian should forget everything he has already done and think only about what still needs to be done. There is no place in Christianity for those who want to rest on their laurels. And here is Paul stretches forward towards what lies ahead of him. At the same time, Paul uses a very bright word epecteinomenos, translated as stretch forward and which was used to denote a runner stubbornly rushing to the finish line, whose eyes are directed only to the goal. Thus, Paul says that in the Christian life it is necessary to forget all past achievements and remember only the goal that lies ahead.

Here Paul is no doubt referring to antinomians, who completely denied the existence of any law in the Christian life. They declared that the grace of God extends to them and therefore, they say, it does not matter what they do; God will forgive everything. There is no need to restrain yourself and try to do anything. Paul insists that the life of a Christian to the very end is like the life of an athlete who stubbornly pursues a goal ahead.

V 3,15 Paul uses the word again teleios, and says that this is how those who should think and act perfect. He means this: "Anyone who has become mature in the faith and understands what Christianity is, must recognize the need for self-limitation of the discipline, effort and suffering of the Christian life." Such a person, perhaps, thinks differently, but if this is an honest person, God will enlighten him that he should not weaken his efforts and his norms of life, but always strive towards the goal, until the very end.

In Paul's view, a Christian is ascetic to Christ's refuge.

Philippians 3,17-21 Inhabitant of the earth, but a citizen of the kingdom of heaven

Imitate me, brethren, and look at those who walk in the image that you have in us.

For many, of whom I have often spoken to you, and now speak even with tears, are acting as enemies of the cross of Christ;

Their end is destruction, their god is the womb, and their glory is in shame; they think about the earthly.

Our residence is in heaven, from where we expect the Savior, the Lord (our) Jesus Christ,

Who will transform our humiliated body so that it will be in conformity with His glorious body, by the power by which He acts and subjugates everything to Himself.

Few preachers would venture to begin with the invocation with which Paul opens this passage. Lightfoot translates this passage as "Compete with each other to imitate me." Many preachers begin their sermon not by saying, “Do as I say,” but by saying, “Do as I say,” thereby demonstrating serious shortcomings in their behavior. Not only could Paul say, "Listen to my words," but also, "Follow my example." By the way, it can be noted how completely differently this passage is translated by one of the largest commentators of the Holy Scriptures Bengel: "Become all imitators of Jesus Christ with me." But it is more likely (and almost all commentators agree with this) that Paul had the right to urge his friends not only to listen to him, but also to imitate him.

In the Philippian Church there were people whose behavior caused an open scandal, and who in their lives showed themselves as open enemies of the Cross of Jesus Christ. We do not know who they are, but we do know that they were gluttonous, led a dissolute lifestyle, and used their so-called Christianity to justify themselves. We can only speculate about who they were.

They could have been Gnostics. Gnostics belonged to heretics who tried to make Christianity a teaching for intellectuals and turn it into a kind of philosophy. They proceeded from the principle that two realities existed in the world forever - spirit and matter. Spirit, they said, is perfect good, and matter is perfect vice. And vice and evil are present in the world precisely because the world was created from this vicious matter. In this case, if matter, in its essence, is vicious, then the body is also vicious in its essence; and it remains so wicked no matter what you do with it. Therefore, the Gnostics taught, gluttony, adultery, homosexuality and drunkenness have no meaning, because they only affect the body, which in itself also has no meaning.

Another group of Gnostics held a different teaching. They argued that a person cannot consider himself complete until he experiences everything that life can give - both good and bad. Therefore, they said, a person is equally obliged to penetrate into the depths of sin and rise to the heights of virtue.

These charges could have been directed against two groups of people in the Church. There were people who perverted the principle of Christian freedom. They argued that Christianity is done with the law once and for all, and that the Christian is free to do whatever he wants. They converted Christian freedom into a non-Christian liberation from all norms and rules, and revel in giving complete freedom to their passions. Others perverted the Christian doctrine of grace. They said that insofar as grace can cover any sin, a person can sin as much as he wants and not worry; for the all-forgiving love of God, this does not matter.

Thus, Paul attacks the clever and cunning Gnostics who put forward plausible excuses to justify their sinfulness, or deluded Christians who perverted the most beautiful in order to justify their heinous sins.

Whoever they are, Paul reminds them of one great truth: "Our dwelling," he says, "is in heaven." The Philippians could understand this thought. Philippi was a Roman colony. At various important points in the world of that time, the Romans established their colonies. The majority of the inhabitants of these colonies were former Roman soldiers who had served their twenty-five years and received full Roman citizenship. An important feature of these colonies was that they were a part of Rome, wherever they were. They wore Roman dress, Roman magistrates ruled, they spoke Latin; Roman justice was carried out there, and the Roman norms of morality were observed. Even at the ends of the earth, they remained unwaveringly Roman.

Paul tells the Philippians: "Just as the Roman colonists never forget that they belong to Rome, so you must never forget that you are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, and your behavior must be consistent with that."

Paul ends with the words of Christian hope. The Christian is waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ, which will change everything. And here the Russian translation of the Bible allows for a somewhat inaccurate understanding. V 3,21 talking about humiliated body but this must not be understood as humiliated, but rather how insignificant, worthless, useless. Our present body is constantly changing and breaking down; sickness and death overtake him. Our condition is truly humiliating in comparison with the glorious and miraculous condition of the Risen Christ, but the day will come when we will leave this mortal and mortal body and become like Jesus Christ Himself.

The Christian hopes that the day will come when his humanity will be converted to the divinity of Jesus Christ and when the mortal will be swallowed up by life (2 Cor. 5.4).

Philippians 4.1 Great works in the Lord

So, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, stand thus in the Lord, beloved.

This passage breathes Paul's warm love for his Philippians friends. He loves them and misses them. They are his joy and his crown. Those whom he led to Christ are his greatest joy when his life goes to a close. Every teacher knows this keen feeling that awakens in him when he can point to a good person and say: "Here is one of my students."

The words in which Paul calls the Philippians his crown evoke interesting associations. Greek has two words meaning crown, and they have different sources. Diadem - it royal crown, regal crown. The word is already used here stefanos, which is related to two points.

1. Firstly, this is the crown of the athlete who won the All-Greek Games. It was made from wild olive branches intertwined with green parsley and laurel. To receive such a crown was the height of the aspirations of the Greek athlete.

2. Guests wore a crown when they sat down to a feast on the occasion of great joy. Paul seems to be saying that the Philippians is a crown for his labors, that they will be his festive crown at the final Divine feast. There is no greater joy than to bring a soul to Jesus Christ.

In the first four verses of the fourth chapter, three times the expression in the Lord. Paul gives three great commandments in the Lord.

1. The Philippians must stand firm in the Lord. Only with Jesus Christ can a person withstand the temptations of sin and cowardly weakness. Wherein "Stand firm" Paul uses the word flow down, which characterizes a soldier who stands firm in the thick of the battle, against the enemies attacking him. We know very well that with some people it is easy to commit a bad deed, but together with others it is easy to refrain from it. Sometimes, looking back and remembering the time when we embarked on an unrighteous path, or succumbed to temptation, disgraced ourselves, we said sadly: "Now, if he had been there then, this would not have happened." Our only defense against temptation is to be in the Lord, always feel His presence near us and in us. The church and every Christian can only stand confidently when they stand in Christ.

2. Paul pleads with Euodia and Syntyche think the same (same) in the Lord. Unity is possible only in Christ. In everyday life, it often happens that completely different people stick together, because they are loyal to the same leader. Their loyalty to each other rests on their loyalty to him. Remove this leader, and the whole group breaks up into isolated and often warring groups with each other. People can truly love one another only when they love Christ. The brotherhood of people is impossible if they all do not recognize Christ as their Lord.

3. Paul pleads with the Philippians always rejoice in the Lord. All people should understand one thing: joy has nothing to do with material things, or with circumstances external to a person. Human experience has clearly shown that even one who lives in luxury can be terribly unhappy, while one who is mired in poverty can be filled with joy. A person who has not experienced the vicissitudes and blows of fate at all can be constantly unhappy, and a person who has been hit by all life's misfortunes can be serenely joyful.

To quote a letter that Captain Scott wrote to a friend, who reached the South Pole and died on the way back, when death was already approaching his expedition: “We are dying in a very uncomfortable place. We are in an extremely desperate state - frostbitten legs and. etc., no fuel and still far from food, but it would be good for you if you could visit our tent and hear our singing and our cheerful conversations. " The secret of this is that happiness does not depend on material things or on places, but only on people. When we are in the company of a real person, then everything else is not so important, and if there is no such person with us, nothing can replace him. The Christian is in the Lord, the greatest of all people; nothing can separate a Christian from His presence, and therefore nothing can take away his joy.

Philippians 4.2.3 Resolving long-standing quarrels

I implore Euodia, I implore Syntyche to think the same about the Lord,

She, I ask you too, sincere co-worker, help them who have labored in the gospel with me and with Clement and with my other co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

I would like to know a little more about this passage. It is quite obvious that there is some kind of drama behind this, important and heartbreaking affairs, but we can only speculate about the characters.

Euodia and Syntichia are two women who quarreled. Perhaps they were the mistresses of the houses who had two congregational groups in Philippi. It is interesting to note that women played such an important role in the affairs of one of the earliest Christian communities because in Greece women were largely left in the background. The goal of the Greeks was for a respectable and respectable woman to "see as little as possible, hear as little as possible and ask as little as possible." The venerable woman never appeared on the street alone; she had her own rooms in the house and she never came to the male half of the house, even during meals. Least of all she took part in public life. But Philippi was in Macedonia, and there everything was different: women had freedom and a place in life, which women did not have anywhere else in Greece.

This can be seen even from the story in the Acts of the Holy Apostles about Paul's activities in Macedonia. He began in Philippi by meeting on the banks of the river with worshipers and talking to the women there. (Acts 16:13). Lydia appears to have been a prominent figure in Philippi (Acts 16:11). In Thessalonica, Christianity was adopted by many noble women and the same happened in Berea. (Acts 17.4, -12). Tombstones and inscriptions testify to this. The woman erected a tombstone for herself and for her husband with the jointly earned money, which means that she had her own business. We even find monuments erected to women by public organizations. We know that in many churches founded by Paul (for example, in Corinth), women had to be content with a secondary role. But when thinking about the place of women in the early Church and Paul's attitude towards them, it would be nice to remember that in the Macedonian church they held a leading position.

But there is another problematic place here. In this passage there is an appeal to sincere employee. It may well be that employee - proper name, Sunzugos. Sincere - in greek gnesios, which means genuine. This can be a play on words. Paul may have said: "Please, Sunzugos, - and your name is correct, - help them." And if sunzugos not his own name, it is not clear to whom Paul is addressing. A variety of assumptions have been made. It has been suggested that employee - this is Paul's wife; that he is the husband of Euodia or Syntichia, whom Paul calls on to help his wife settle the quarrel; that this is Lydia, that this is Timothy, that this is Power, that this is the preacher of the Philippian Church. But perhaps the best thing to do is to suppose that Epaphroditus is meant, who delivered this letter, and that Paul entrusts him not only this letter, but also the restoration of peace in Philippi. We do not know anything about Clement mentioned here. Later there was the famous Bishop Clement of Rome, who may have known Paul, but this was a widespread name. There are two points to note here.

1. Significantly, when strife arose in Philippi, Paul mobilized all the resources of the church to rectify the situation. He did not stop at any effort to maintain peace in the Church. A church in which quarrels and strife is not a church at all, because Christ is excluded from it. Man cannot be at peace with God and at odds with his fellows.

2. It is sad to imagine that about Euodia and Syntyche we only know that they quarreled among themselves! It makes us think. Suppose that our life also needs to be described in one sentence, what sentence will it be? Clement went down in history as a peacemaker, and Euodia and Syntichia went down in history as violators of peace and tranquility. Let us assume that we will go down in history by one of our attributes, what then will the world know about us?

Philippians 4.4.5 Signs of the Christian Life

Rejoice always in the Lord; and again I say, rejoice. Let your meekness be known to all men. The Lord is near.

Paul points out to the Philippians two important features of the Christian life.

1. First, for joy."Rejoice ... and again I say: rejoice." Probably when he said: "Rejoice!" a picture of all that was to come flashed through his mind. He himself was in prison and certain death awaited him; The Philippians embarked on the path of Christianity, and, without a doubt, dark times, danger and persecution awaited them ahead. And so Paul says: “I know what I am talking about. I thought of everything that could happen, and yet I say this - rejoice! " Christian joy is not associated with anything worldly, because its source is the unceasing presence of Jesus Christ. Two lovers are always happy when they are together, wherever it may be. The Christian cannot be deprived of the feeling of joy, because it cannot be deprived of Christ.

2. “Let your meekness be known to all men,” Paul says further. Meekness, in greek it is epiepkea - one of the most difficult Greek words to translate. The difficulty can be seen from the different ways it was translated. Various English translations have translated it as gentleness, well-bred, modesty, temperance, kindness, patience, generosity. The Greeks themselves explained this word. epieikea as "justice and something better than justice." They said that epieikea must come into play when strict rules of justice become unjust. After all, there are cases when a perfectly just law acquires an unjust character, or when justice is not the same thing as impartiality. Man has this quality epieikea, when he knows when no need apply the strict letter of the law when it is necessary to weaken justice and resort to mercy.

Let's take a simple example that every teacher encounters on an almost daily basis. He checks the exam papers of two students. One wrote at 4, and the other at 3. But if you look further, it becomes clear that the one who wrote the paper at 4 had ideal working conditions at home: books, free time and peace to study well. And the one who wrote in 3- comes from a low-income family and does not have all these reference books, or was sick, or he recently suffered sadness, or severe nervous tension. By fairness, he is entitled to 3 -, but epiepkea will allow you to give it a much higher grade.

Epieikea - this is the property of a person who understands that norms and rules are not everything, and knows when to apply the letter of the law. Sometimes the church meeting makes a decision in strict accordance with church law, taking into account all its norms and practices, but sometimes the Christian attitude to a situation requires that not these norms and practices be put at the forefront.

In Paul's view, a Christian is a person who understands that there is something above justice. When a woman convicted of adultery was brought before Jesus, He could apply to her the letter of the law, according to which she was to be stoned to death, but He acted above the law. From the point of view of legality, none of us deserves anything other than the condemnation of God, but He stands far above legality. Paul is here declaring that in personal relationships with fellow Christians, he understands when to insist on justice and when to remember that there is something that goes beyond justice.

Why does a person need to be like that? Why is there joy and meekness in his life? Because, says Paul, the Lord is near. If we remember the coming triumph of Christ, we will never lose our hope and joy. If we remember that life is short, we will not try to enforce the inexorable rule of law that so often separates people from each other, but we will strive to treat people with love, just as we hope God will treat US. Justice is human, but epieikea - Divine.

Philippians 4.6.7 Peace from prayer in faith

Do not worry about anything, but always in prayer and petition with thanksgiving open your desires before God, And the peace of God, which is above all mind, will keep your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

The life of the Philippians was painful and hectic. It is already painful to be a person who is vulnerable to all the accidents and changes of a transitory life; and in the early Christian era, the difficulties associated with his belonging to the Christian Church were added to the usual difficulties of a person's life, because to be a Christian meant risking his life. Paul's answer to these difficulties is prayer. MR Vincent put it this way: "The world is the fruit of passionate prayer." This passage gives, in summary, the whole philosophy of prayer.

1. Paul emphasizes that in prayer we can turn to God with a variety of problems. As someone beautifully said, "Nothing is irresistible to the power of God, and nothing is insignificant to His fatherly concern." A child can turn with everything, big or small, to his parents, because he knows well that they are interested in everything that concerns him: his small victories and his disappointments, passing cuts and bruises; and in the same way we can turn with all problems to God, being sure that it interests Him.

2. We can offer our prayers, our requests and our prayers to Him; we can pray for myself. We can pray for forgiveness for past, about what we need in present, and about assistance and guidance in the future. We can bring our past, present and future into the presence of God. We can pray for others. We can entrust the care of God both near and far - everyone whom we keep in memory and in our hearts.

3. Paul states that "thanksgiving should always be a companion of prayer. " As someone said, a Christian should participate, that all his life he is "as if suspended between past and present good deeds." Of course, in every prayer there must be thanksgiving for the great privilege of praying. Paul insists that we should give thanks always[in Barclay: in everything] both in sorrow and in joy. This means two things. Firstly, gratitude and secondly perfect obedience the will of God. Only when we are fully convinced that God is doing everything for the best can we experience the feeling of perfect gratitude that should accompany prayer.

There are three points to keep in mind when we pray.

a) The love of God who always wants only the best for us.

b) The wisdom of God, who alone knows what is best for us.

v) The power of God which alone can bring about what is best for us.

A person who prays in perfect confidence in the love, wisdom and power of God will find the peace of God.

And if prayer is lifted up in faith, the peace of God will, like a sentry, stand guard over our hearts. Word frorain, which Paul used here is taken from the military dictionary, and it means stand guard. Paul says the peace of God beyond all mind. This does not mean that the world of God is something so mysterious that a person cannot understand it, although, of course, this is also true. This means that the peace of God is such a treasure that the human mind, with all its skill and knowledge, can never create it. It cannot be a human invention; it is a gift from God. The path to peace is to entrust yourself and everyone who is dear to us in the loving hands of God.

Philippians 4.8.9 Spheres of Appropriate Aspiration

Finally, brothers (mine), what is only true, what is honest, what is just, what is pure, what is kind, what is glorious, what is only virtue and praise, think about this.

What you have learned, what you have received and heard and seen in me, do it, and the God of peace will be with you.

The human mind is always focused on something, and Paul wants to make sure that the Philippians always have the proper aspirations. This is extremely important, because, such is the law of life, that if a person thinks about something quite often, then there comes a moment when he can no longer stop thinking about it. His thoughts and aspirations begin to move downright along a knurled rut, from which it will no longer be possible to knock them out. Therefore, it is extremely important that a person thinks about the right things and strives for them. Paul lists these things here.

This is what true. Much in this world is deceptive and illusory, promising what it can never give, promising deceptive peace and happiness that it cannot provide. A person should always direct his thoughts to deeds that will not let him down or humiliate him.

This is what honestly, or, in Greek - semnose. This can also be translated as honorable, or worthy.

This shows that the Greek word semnose difficult to translate. This word is used in relation to the gods and the temples of the gods. In relation to a person, it conveys the state of a person who lives in this world, as in the temple of God. Other translations have been suggested, but this word actually has a meaning. reverent. There are things in this world that are cheap, worthless, and attractive to frivolous people; and a Christian should direct his thoughts to serious and worthy things.

This is what fair. In Greek it is dikayos, and the Greeks defined it as dykajos a man who pays tribute to both gods and people. In other words, dykajos means reckon with your duty and do your duty. Others direct their thoughts to pleasure, convenience, prosperity. The Christian's thoughts and aspirations are directed towards duty towards God and towards duty towards man.

This is what purely. In Greek it is hagnos and means morally not defiled. In ritual use, it means so purified that it can be brought into the presence of God and used in His service. The world is full of things dirty and shabby, tainted and obscene. The minds of many people are in such a state that they dirty and vulgarize everything they think about. The Christian's mind is directed towards the pure; his thoughts are so pure that they withstand the testing gaze of God.

This is what kindly. Greek word prosphiles can also be translated as lovely, attractive, or lovable. Some people's minds are so obsessed with revenge and punishment that they cause only feelings of bitterness and fear in others. Others are so inclined to criticize and reproach that they cause resentment in others. A Christian's thoughts are directed towards the beautiful - kindness, compassion, self-control, and therefore he is a charming person; to see him is to love him.

This is what glorious. Greek word eophema also many shades. It literally means courteously, politely, but it was especially associated with the sacred silence at the very beginning of the sacrifice in the presence of the gods. Maybe it won't be an exaggeration to say what this word means what is worthy for God to hear. There are a lot of disgusting, deceitful and dirty words in this world. In the thoughts of a Christian on their lips there should be only such words that are worthy for God to hear them.

This what is only virtue, continues Paul. In Greek it is arete, which can also be translated as excellence, excellence. The point is that although arete refers to the great words of the Greek classics, it seems that Paul deliberately avoided using it, and here it is the only time it occurs in his epistles.

They can be denoted for the excellent quality of the soil in the field, the excellent suitability of the tool for the corresponding purpose, the outstanding courage of the warrior. Lightfoot suggested that by this word Paul was invoking as allies all that was excellent in the pagan past of his friends. He seemed to be saying, “If you are in any way influenced by the old pagan idea of ​​perfection in which you were raised, think about it. Think about your past life in its highest manifestation in order to encourage yourself to reach new heights on the Christian path. " There are many unclean and decadent things in this world, but there is also nobility and chivalry in it, and this is what a Christian should think about.

And finally only that praise, says Paul. In a sense, it is true that a Christian never thinks of praising people, but in another sense it is also true that a good person is exalted by the praise of good people. Thus, Paul says that a Christian should live in such a way that he does not covet the praise of the people with envy, but also does not despise it.

Philippians 4.8.9(continued) True doctrine and true God

In this passage, Paul sets out how to teach properly.

He talks about what the Philippians have learned. This is what he taught them himself; by this he means the gospel which he personally brought to them and in which he instructed them. Paul says that the Philippians accepted. In Greek it is paralambanein, what it means to accept the established tradition. Thus, by this he means the teaching of the Church that he has accepted.

From these two words, we learn that instruction includes the transmission of a set of accepted truth and generally accepted doctrine that the entire Church adheres to, and it also includes the clarification of that teaching through personal commentary and instruction from the teacher. To teach or preach, we must know the generally accepted code of doctrine of the Church; after that, we must think it over and pass it on to others in its simplicity, and at the same time, taking into account the importance that we attach to it, based on our personal experience and from our reflections on it. But Paul goes even further. He advises the Philippians to do what they heard from him and saw in him. Few teachers can say this, and yet it remains true that personal example plays an important role in instruction. The teacher must demonstrate in practice the truth that he declares in words.

Finally, Paul tells his Philippian friends that if they faithfully do these things, the God of peace will be with them. It is very interesting to consider the titles that Paul gives to God.

1. He - God of the world. This is his favorite title of God (Rom. 16:20; 1 Cor. 14:33; 1 Thess. 5.23). In the understanding of the Jew, the world was not something just negative, just an absence of troubles and problems. Peace, in the understanding of a Jew, is all that contributes to the highest good of man. Only in friendship with God can a person find life as it should be. But even in the mind of a Jew, this world was manifested in the right relationship. Only by the grace and mercy of God can we enter into a right relationship with Him and with our brothers. Thus, the God of peace can make life what it should be.

2. He - God of hope (Rom. 15:13). Only faith in God can keep a person from complete despair. Only the grace of God can keep him from being completely disappointed in himself, and only the feeling of God's providence dominating over everything keeps him from despairing about the whole world. As the psalmist sang: “Why are you discouraged, my soul ...? Trust in God; for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God. " (Ps. 41,12; 42,5). The Christian's hope is inviolable because its foundation is the eternal God.

3. He is God patience, consolation and mercy (Rom. 15.5; 2 Cor. 1.3). There are two great words here. Patience, in Greek - hupomone, which does not mean the ability to sit and endure everything, but the ability to rise and overcome everything. God gives us strength in every situation to give life greatness and glory. In God, we learn to use our joys and sorrows, successes and failures, achievements and disappointments, to make life richer and nobler, to make ourselves more useful to others and to draw closer to God. Comfort, in Greek it is - paraclesis. Paraklesis - it is not only soothing sympathy, but also encouragement; it is help that not only puts a hand on a person's shoulder, but also sends him to face reality; not only wipes away the tears of a person, but also gives him the ability to calmly look at the world. Paraklesis - it is both consolation and strength. In God, we enter with glory from any position, and with Him we gain the strength to boldly go forward when life is crumbling.

4. He is God love and peace (2 Cor. 13:11). This is the basis of everything. Behind everything is the love of God, which will never leave us, which will put up with all our sins, which will never leave us, which does not weaken us sentimentally, but always gives us strength and courage for the battle of life.

Peace, hope, patience, consolation, love — all of this Paul found in God. It is true that "our ability is from God" (2 Cor. 3.5).

Philippians 4.10-13 The secret to true contentment

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that you have already begun to take care of me again, you cared before, but circumstances did not favor you.

I am not saying this because I am in need; for I have learned to be content with what I have.

I know how to live in poverty, I know how to live in abundance, I learned everything and in everything, to be satisfied and endure hunger, to be both in abundance and in shortage;

I can do everything in Christ who strengthens me (Jesus).

As the epistle draws to a close, Paul graciously expresses his gratitude for the gift the Philippians gave him. Paul knows that they have thought a lot about him, but until now circumstances have prevented them from showing their concern for him.

He is satisfied with his position and condition, because he learned to be glad. Paul uses one of the great words of pagan ethics - autarkes, What means complete self-satisfaction. Autarkey - self-satisfaction was the highest goal of Stoic ethics; by this the Stoics meant the state of mind of a person when he is completely free from all things and people. To achieve this state, the Stoics proposed certain methods.

1. They suggested giving up all desires. The Stoics rightly believed that contentment does not depend on owning much, but on being content with little. "If you want to make a person happy, do not increase his possessions, but decrease his desires." The Greek philosopher Socrates was once asked who is the richest man. To this Socrates replied: “He who is content with little, because autarkey - natural wealth ". The Stoics believed that the only way to contentment and self-satisfaction was to do away with all desires so that a person would come to a state where he did not need anything.

2. They offered to do away with all emotions so that a person would come to a state where he would not be worried about what would happen to himself or what would happen to others. Epictetus said: “Start with a bowl or with household utensils; if it breaks say: "I don't care." Then go to the horse or your favorite dog; if anything happens to them, say, "I don't care." And then in relation to yourself, and if you hurt yourself or hurt yourself something, say: "I don't care." If you continue this long enough and if you try decently, then the moment will come when you can watch how the people closest to you suffer and die and say: "I don't care." The goal of the Stoics was to put an end to all feeling in the heart.

3. This had to be done by a conscious effort of zero, seeing in everything the will of God. The Stoics believed that absolutely nothing can happen if there is no will of God. No matter how painful it was, no matter how disastrous or disastrous it seemed, it was the will of God. Therefore, it was pointless to fight against it; a person must temper himself so that he is ready to accept everything.

To achieve contentment and self-satisfaction, the Stoics eradicated all desires and destroyed all feelings; they rooted out love and forbade all caring. As TR Glover said, "The Stoics turned their hearts into the wilderness and called it peace."

Here we immediately see the difference between the Stoics and Paul. Stoick said, "I know contentment with a conscious effort of will." Paul said, "I can do everything in Christ who strengthens me (Jesus)." For the Stoics, self-satisfaction was a human accomplishment; for Paul it was a gift from God. Stoic was self-satisfied, and Pavel was satisfied in God. Stoicism failed because it was contrary to human nature; Christianity succeeded because it was rooted in the Divine. Paul could endure anything, because in every situation Christ was with him; a person who walks next to Christ can master everything.

Philippians 4.14-20 The value of the gift

However, you did well to take part in my sorrow.

You know, Philippians, that at the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church took part in giving and receiving, except you alone,

You sent me once or twice to Thessalonica to help me.

I am not saying this because I was looking for a gift; but I seek fruit that multiplies for your benefit.

I have received everything and am abundant, I am content, having received from Epaphroditus what you sent, like a fragrant incense, a sacrifice pleasing to God. My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Glory to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen.

The generosity of the Philippian Church towards Paul had a long history. V Acts. 16 and 17 we read about how he preached the gospel in Philippi, and then went to Thessalonica and to Vereya. Even then, the Philippian Church proved in practice its love for him. He had a special relationship with the Philippian Church: Paul never received any gifts or help from any church. It was this circumstance that worried the Corinthians (2 Cor. 11: 7-12).

Paul says something wonderful: “I am not speaking because I wanted to receive a gift from you for myself, although your gift touches my heart and makes me very happy. I don't need anything because I have more than enough. But I am glad for you that you made me a gift, because your kindness will serve you to honor in the eyes of God. " He rejoiced at their generosity, but not for his own sake, but for their own sake. And then Paul uses words in which the gift of the Philippians becomes a sacrifice to God. “Fragrant incense,” he says, a common Old Testament phrase for a sacrifice pleasing to God. "And the Lord smelled a pleasant scent" (Gen. 8.21; Lev. 1: 9.13.17). Paul's joy in the gift is not what the gift gives him, but what he gives to the Philippians.

In the last sentence Paul points out that the person who gave the gift has never become impoverished by it. The wealth of God is at the disposal of those who love God and their fellow men. The giver will only enrich himself, because his gift reveals to him the gifts of God.

Philippians 4.21-23 Greetings

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me salute you.

All the saints salute you, especially from the house of Caesar.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The message ends with greetings. The last passage contains a very interesting phrase. Paul sends greetings from Christian brothers in cesarean home. It is important to understand this phrase correctly. This does not mean at all that these people are relatives of Caesar. Domestic Caesars - this phrase was usually called all imperial civil servants; they were scattered throughout the then world. Palace officials, secretaries, heads of public finances, officials involved in everyday imperial affairs - all of these were Caesar's household. It is interesting to note that already at that time, in its early stages, Christianity penetrated the very core of the Roman administration. There is no other sentence that would show so clearly that even then Christianity penetrated into the highest spheres of the empire. Only three hundred years later, Christianity would become the state religion of the empire, but the first signs of the final triumph of Christ were already visible. The crucified Galilean carpenter had already begun to rule over those who led the greatest empire of the then world.

And the message ends with these words: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you all." The Philippians sent their gift to Paul. He could send them only one gift - his blessing. But is it possible to give a greater gift to a person than to remember him in your prayers?



The apostle proceeds to further admonishments regarding the duty of a Christian: to be of the same mind and humble in mind, reinforcing this call with the example of Jesus Christ (vv. 1-11), to be diligent and serious in the Christian walk (vv. 12, 13), to adorn your Christian title with the appropriate virtues , Art. 14-18. He concludes by mentioning two faithful servants whom he intended to send to them, Timothy and Epaphrodite, with great praise, v. 19-30.

Verses 1-11... In this chapter, the apostle continues where he left off in the previous one — giving further instruction regarding Christian duty. He strongly insists on like-mindedness and humility, in imitation of the example of Jesus Christ, who gave us a great example of humility and love. Here you can see the following.

I. We are charged with the great Gospel commandment - to love one another. This is the law of the Kingdom of Christ, the lesson taught in His school, this is the garment in which the members of His family should be clothed. Paul introduces it this way: ... have the same thoughts, have the same love, be of one mind and one mind, v. 2. We are then of one mind when we have unity in love. Christians should be united in love, regardless of whether they have a unity of concepts or not. This is always in their power, always remains their duty and is the best way to achieve mutual understanding. Have the same love. Notice that the love that is required of us towards others must be given to us by others. Christian love should be mutual. Love and you will be loved. Be unanimous and of one mind, not contradicting each other or clashing because of different interests, but agreeing on the main thing, preserve the unity of the Spirit in the rest. Observe here,

1. How fervently he calls for this duty. He is very persistent, knowing that this is what proves our sincerity and that this is a means of preserving and building up the body of Christ. Incentives to brotherly love: “If there is any consolation in Christ. Have you experienced comfort in Christ? Prove it with mutual love. " The consolation we find in the teachings of Christ should soften our hearts. Are we looking for comfort in Christ? If we do not want to be deceived in our expectations, then we must love each other. If we do not have comfort in Christ, how else can we expect it? Those who have a part in Christ have firm and eternal consolation (Heb. 6:18; 2 Thess. 2:16) and therefore must love one another.

(2) “If there is any joy to love. If you have any joy in Christian love, in God's love for you and in your love for God or in your brotherly love for us, then be of one mind. If you have already found this joy or want to find it, if you really believe that the gift of love is a comforting gift, then abound in it. "

(3) “If there is any fellowship of the Spirit. If there is communion with God and Christ through the Holy Spirit, if there is communion of saints inspired and moved by the same Spirit, then be of one mind, for love and like-mindedness preserve our communion with God and with each other. "

(4) “If there is any mercy and compassion, on the part of God and Christ, to you. If you hope for God's compassion for yourself, be compassionate for others. If there is such mercy to be among the followers of Christ, if all who are sanctified have a penchant for holy compassion, then show it in this way. " How convincing these arguments are! I would like to think that they are enough to win the most stubborn heart and soften the toughest.

(5) Paul's next argument is that their like-mindedness will comfort him: ... add to my joy. This gives great joy to the minister when he sees that the people of God live in love and like-mindedness. Paul served as an instrument for bringing them to the grace of Christ and the love of God. "If you have received any benefit through your participation in the gospel of Christ, if you have any consolation or privilege in it, then add to the joy of your poor minister who preached the gospel to you."

2. He offers some means to help fulfill this duty:

(1.) Do nothing out of ambition or vanity ... v. 3. There is no greater enemy for Christian love than pride and passion. If we do something contrary to our brothers, we do it out of ambition; if we do something out of a desire to show ourselves, then we do it out of vanity; both destroys Christian love and kindles non-Christian passions. Christ came to destroy all enmity; therefore, let there be no spirit of contradiction among Christians. Christ came to humble us, so let there be no spirit of pride among us.

(2) We must regard each other as superior to ourselves, that is, to be strict to our mistakes, and to be merciful in judging others; soon notice your own shortcomings and weaknesses, but not rush to notice them in others, treat them condescendingly. We should value the merits of others more than our own, for we know better than others about our own shortcomings and imperfections.

(3) We should be interested in others, not out of curiosity and a desire to criticize or a tendency to interfere in other people's affairs, but out of Christian sympathy and compassion: Not only each should take care of himself, but each and others ... v. 4. Selfishness is destructive to Christian love. We must take care not only of our reputation, our peace of mind and well-being, but also of the reputation, peace and well-being of others; we must rejoice in others' successes as sincerely as in ours. We must love our neighbors as ourselves and consider their business as our own.

II. The gospel pattern offered to us to follow is the example of our Lord Jesus Christ: ... you must have the same feelings that you have in Christ Jesus, v. 5. Note, Christians must have Christ's feelings. Our life must be like the life of Christ if we are to benefit from His death. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His, Rom. 8: 9. What are the feelings of Christ? He was extraordinarily humble, and this is what we must especially learn from Him. Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart ... Mat 11:29. If we were humble in mind, we would also be of one mind; but we can be humble in mind if we become like Christ. We must walk in the Spirit of Christ and follow in the footsteps of Christ, who humbled Himself for us to suffering and death, not only for the satisfaction of God's justice and paying the price for our redemption, but also in order to leave us an example so that we follow in the footsteps His. So here we have two natures and two states of our Lord Jesus. It is noteworthy that the apostle, mentioning the Lord Jesus and His feelings, did not fail to dwell on His person in order to describe Him in more detail. This is a pleasant subject of conversation, and the evangelical minister should not assume that he is straying from the topic when he dwells on it; any suitable case should be used for this.

1. The two natures of Christ - divine and human.

(1) Divine nature: He, being the image of God ... (v. 6), partaker of the divine nature as the eternal and only begotten Son of God. This is consistent with John 1: 1: I in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; the words have the same meaning: He is the image of the invisible God ... (Col. 1:15) and: This, being the radiance of glory and the image of His hypostasis ... Heb. 1: 3. He ... did not consider it embezzlement to be equal to God - did not consider that he was illegally claiming that which did not belong to Him, or encroaching on someone's rights. He said, I and the Father are one, John 10:30. Claiming equality with God, or claiming to be one with the Father, on the part of any man, of any created being, is the greatest robbery. It is to rob God, not in tithes and offerings, but by the rights of His deity, Mal. 3: 8. Some under the words being the image of God iv Orfts inEoi iparchshu - understand the appearance of Christ in His divine majestic glory to the patriarchs and Jews of the Old Testament; these phenomena were called glory and shekinah. This word is used in the same sense in the Septuagint and in the New Testament: He appeared to two disciples, iv irspa orfts - in a different image, Mk. 16:12. Metforfshvp - And He was transformed before them ... Mat 17: 2. And he did not consider it an embezzlement to be equal to God; He did not greedily seize equality with God, did not seek and did not covet to appear in this glory; being on earth, He renounced the greatness of His former image, which is meant by the words, humbled Himself.

(2) His human nature: ... having become like men and in appearance becoming like a man. He was a real and true person who took our flesh and blood, He appeared in human nature and in the form of a person. Moreover, He voluntarily assumed human nature, it was His own act, it was done with His own consent. We cannot say the same about ourselves. By this, He humiliated Himself, deprived Himself of the glory and honor of the world above, His former image, in order to clothe himself in the rags of human nature. He ... in all things has become like us, Heb. 2:17.

2. Two states of Jesus Christ: humiliated and exalted.

(1) A humiliated state. He not only became like men and in appearance became like a man, but took the form of a slave, that is, a man of the lowest class. He was not only a servant of God, whom He had chosen, but came to serve people, and was among them like a slave performing the most humiliating service. It would seem that if the Lord Jesus wanted to become a man, he would have to become a king and come into the world in all its splendor. But it was the opposite: He took the form of a slave. He received a very simple upbringing, probably practicing his craft with His supposed father. His life was a life of humiliation, shame, poverty; He had nowhere to lay his head, He lived on alms, was a man of sorrows and experienced illness; He did not come with extraordinary pomp or with any signs of distinction from other people. This was His humiliation. But the deepest humiliation was His death on the cross. He humbled Himself, being obedient even to death, and the death of the godmother. He not only suffered, but suffered from conscious and voluntary obedience; He was obedient to the law, which he obeyed as Mediator and by which he had to die. I ... have the power to lay it down (life) and I have the power to take it again; this commandment I received from my Father, John 10:18. And He obeyed the law, Gal. 4: 4. It is especially emphasized what His death was - it was the most humiliating: death on the cross, that is, cursed, painful and shameful. She was cursed by the law (Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree), painful (the body was nailed in the most sensitive places, through the arms and legs, and with all its weight hung on the cross), shameful, as robbers and slaves died, and not free people, death on display. Such was the humiliation of the blessed Jesus.

(2.) His exaltation: Therefore God also exalted him ... His exaltation was the reward for his humiliation. He humbled Himself, therefore God exalted Him, exalted Him, 6lR6lfiou, that is, lifted Him to the utmost height. He exalted all of Him as a whole, His divine and human nature, for He is spoken of as having both the image of God and the image of man. As for His divine nature, this exaltation meant only the recognition of His rights, or the discovery and manifestation of the glory that He had with the Father before the world existed (John 17: 5), and not the appropriation of some new glory. And as for His human nature, she was really exalted, only she could be exalted, although only thanks to her connection with the divine. The exaltation of Christ consisted in the assignment of high honor and power to Him. Honor: ... and gave Him a name above every name, that is, a dignity that surpasses the dignity of all creatures, both humans and angels. Authorities: So that every knee may bow before the name of Jesus ... All creation must submit to Him: heavenly, earthly and hell, the inhabitants of heaven and earth, living and dead. Before the name of Jesus, not before the sound of the name "Jesus", but before the authority of Jesus; all will testify to deep reverence for His authority. Every language confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord - every nation openly recognizes the universal authority of the exalted Redeemer, recognizes that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, Mat 28:18. Notice how vast the Kingdom of Christ is: it embraces heaven and earth, and every creation, both in heaven and on earth, both angels and people, both living and dead. To the glory of God the Father. To confess Jesus Christ as Lord means to glorify God the Father, for it is His will that all should honor the Son, as they honor the Father John 5:23. Whatever reverence is shown to Christ, it serves to the glory of the Father. Whoever receives Me, receives Him who sent Me, Mat 10:40.

Verses 12-13... I. Paul encourages the Philippians to be diligent and earnest in their Christian walk: ... work out your salvation. This refers to the salvation of our souls (1 Pet 1: 9), our eternal salvation (Heb. 5: 9), which includes deliverance from all evil, which sin brings upon us and to which it exposes us, and the assimilation of all good, all that is necessary for our perfect and final bliss. Note, We should be more concerned with the welfare of our souls; no matter how everything else develops, our highest interests should come first, the interests of our own salvation, the salvation of our own souls. It is not our business to judge others; it is quite enough for us to look after ourselves; and although we must contribute to the common salvation (Jude 3), to the best of our ability, nevertheless we must not forget about our own salvation. We are required to work out our salvation, katerufova. This word means to work hard, try hard. Note, We must be diligent in using all the means that contribute to our salvation. We must not only do something for our salvation, from time to time, but do it, doing everything that needs to be done, and abide in this work to the end. Salvation is a great thing that we must think about and to which we must apply our whole heart; we cannot achieve salvation without great care and diligence. He adds: ... with fear and awe ... that is, with great care and caution: “Trembling with fear of failure, of not reaching the goal. Be attentive in all that concerns your faith, and beware lest, with all your privileges, one of you be late. ”- Heb. 4: 1. Fear is an excellent guard and protection from evil.

II. In calling them to this, Paul proceeds from the fact that they have always shown a willingness to obey the gospel: “... how you have always been obedient, not only in my presence, but much more now during my absence ... v. 12. You have always willingly agreed with every revelation of the will of God, not only in my presence, but also in my absence. By doing so, you are proving your respect for Christ and your concern for your own souls. " They not only experienced fear of the apostle when he was with them, but were much more obedient to him in his absence. “Because God is working in you ... working out your salvation. Work because He works. " This should encourage us to do our best, for our work will not be in vain. God is ready to supply us with His grace, to support us in our conscientious efforts. Notice that although we must make every effort to work out our salvation, we must still rely on the grace of God to accomplish it step by step. His grace works in us in a way most suitable for our nature and in conjunction with our efforts; her actions do not free us from efforts, but, on the contrary, they are designed to excite and stimulate our own efforts. "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for He works in you ..." All our actions depend on His actions in us. “Do not anger God with negligence and slowness, do not force Him to deprive you of His help, for then all your efforts will be in vain. Work with fear, because God works in you according to His good pleasure. " Wanting and acting; God works everything in us. God's grace inclines the will to good, and then gives the strength to implement it, to act according to our principles. ... And you arrange all our works for us, Isa 26:12. By His own good pleasure. We have no strength, we have no merit. Just as we cannot act without God's grace, so we cannot demand it, we cannot claim that we deserve it. The only reason He works in us is His favor. He is not bound by any obligation to His creation other than those arising from His generous promise.

Verses 14-18... In these verses, the apostle encourages the Philippians to adorn their Christian title with appropriate character and behavior.

1. Joyful obedience to God's commandments (v. 14): “Do everything, do your duty in all its fullness, without murmuring. Do it and don't complain about it. Go about your business and do not murmur. " God's commandments are given to us in order to fulfill them, and not to reason about them. This greatly adorns our confession and shows that we serve a good Lord, whose obedience is freedom, and work for Him is a reward.

2. Peacefulness and mutual love. "Do everything ... no doubt (English without words. - Approx. Translator), without wrangling, without arguing with each other, because the light of truth often dims in the fog of words and the life of faith fades away in the heat of disputes."

3. Impeccable treatment of all people (v. 15): "So that you may be blameless and pure, children of God blameless ... so that you do not harm anyone in word or deed and do not give a just reason for offense." We must try not only to be clean, innocent of anything, but also not ashamed, that is, not only not to do harm, but also not to give rise to fair suspicions of it. Immaculate and clean. Blameless before people and clean before God. Children of God. Those who are in kinship with God who are accorded such a privilege are to be blameless and pure. The children of God must be different from the sons of men. Immaculate - aIiIa. Momus was a satirical deity among the Greeks, mentioned by Hesiod and Lucian; he himself did nothing, but found mistakes in everyone and in everything. From him got their name, Momi, all detractors and severe critics. The meaning of this expression is as follows: "Be careful so that Momus himself cannot find fault with you, so that the most severe critic cannot find mistakes in you." We must strive and try not only to reach heaven, but to reach it without blemish, and, like Demetrius, have a good testimony from all people and from the truth itself, 3 John. 12. ... Among the obstinate and depraved race ... that is, among the pagans and all those outside in relation to the church. Note, Where there is no true religion, nothing is to be expected but obstinacy and depravity, and the more obstinate and depraved those among whom we live, the more picky they are, the more careful we must be to maintain our guilt and purity. Abraham and Lot should not have quarreled, because the Canaanites and Perzees were then living in that land, Gen. 13: 7. In which you shine like the lights in the world. Christ is the light of the world, and good Christians are the lights of the world. When God places His faithful husband somewhere, He puts a luminary there. These words can be read in the imperative mood: In which shine like the luminaries in the world. Wed, so let your light shine before people ... Mat 5:16. Christians should strive to win approval not only from God, but also from people, so that they too can glorify God. They should be not only clean, but also shiny. Containing the word of life ... Art. 16. The gospel is called the word of life because it reveals and offers us eternal life through Jesus Christ. ... Life and incorruption through the gospel, 2 Tim 1:10. Our duty is not only to hold fast to the word of life, not only to keep it for our own good, but also to contain it for others, to offer it for their benefit, just as a candlestick holds a candle to illuminate everything around, or like heavenly bodies that emit your light in all directions. Paul adds that it will be a joy for him: “... to my praise on the day of Christ ... (English to joy. - Translator's note);

so that I can rejoice not only in your loyalty, but also in your usefulness. " He wanted to think that his efforts for their sake were not spent in vain, that he did not struggle in vain and did not work in vain. Note:

(1) The work of service requires from a person full surrender, like heroic deeds and labor; all our strengths and abilities are hardly enough for this. Heroic deeds require strength and energy, and labor requires constancy and diligence.

(2) It is a great joy for ministers to realize that they did not strive in vain and did not labor in vain, and on the day of Christ they will have great joy, their converted souls will become their crowns. For who is our hope, or joy, or crown of praise? Are you not also before our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For our glory and joy! (1 Thess 2: 19,20). The apostle not only fought with joy and labored for their sake, but was also ready to suffer for their good (v. 17): But if I become a sacrifice for the sacrifice and service of your faith, then I rejoice and rejoice in all of you. Paul would be happy to contribute to the glory of Christ, the building of the church, and the prosperity of human souls, even if he would have to not only risk his life, but also lay it down for it; he would willingly become a sacrifice on their altars to serve the faith of God's elect. If Paul thought it was worth shedding his blood for the ministry of the church, do we really consider it a lot of little suffering? Isn't it worth our zeal for what the apostle cost his life? But even if I become a sacrifice for a sacrifice, that is, I am poured out like the wine of a libation on the sacrifice. For I am already becoming a victim ... 2 Tim 4: 6. He was glad to seal with his blood the doctrine he preached (v. 18): About this you also rejoice and rejoice in me. God wants good Christians to abound in joy; blessed are those who have faithful servants; they have every reason to rejoice and rejoice with them. If a minister loves the church and is ready to exhaust himself and sacrifice himself for its welfare, then the children of God have a reason to love such a minister and rejoice in him.

Verses 19-30... Paul pays special attention to two good ministers, for although he himself was a great apostle and worked more than all of them, he always took the opportunity to speak respectfully of those who were significantly inferior to him in position.

I. He speaks of Timothy, whom he intended to send to the Philippians to inquire about their condition. Notice the concern he showed for the churches and the comfort he found in their welfare. He was worried, not having good news from them, and intended to send Timothy to find out about their situation and to bring him an account: For I have no one equally zealous who would care about you so sincerely. Timofey was one of a kind. Undoubtedly, there were many good ministers who cared about the souls to whom they preached, but there was no one like Timothy, a man of excellent spirit and tender heart. Who would care about you so sincerely. Note, When we are sincerely doing our duty, we are at our best. Timothy was the true son of the blessed Paul, walking in his spirit and following in his footsteps. Sincerely, that is, unfeignedly, willingly and with pure intentions. Note:

1. The duty of ministers is to show concern for the condition of the children of God, to worry about their well-being: ... I am looking not for yours, but for you ... 2 Corinthians 12:14.

2. It is difficult to find a minister who would do this completely sincerely; such is remarkable, outstanding among his brethren: ... all seek their own, and not that which pleases Jesus Christ, v. 21. Didn't Paul say these words rashly, as David did in his time: ... every man is a lie? (Psalm 115: 2). Was it really since then that corruption among the ministers was so universal that there was not one of them who would care about the people of God? We cannot understand these words in this way: when speaking everything, Paul meant either the majority, or all in comparison with Timothy. Note: Seeking your own and neglecting the interests of Jesus Christ is a great sin, very common among Christians and ministers. Many prefer their own glory, their peace and security — to truth, holiness and duty, their own pleasures and reputation — to the interests of Christ's kingdom and His glory in this world; but Timothy was not one of them: And you know his faithfulness ... v. 22. Timothy was a tried man, he faithfully performed his ministry, 2 Tim 4: 5. All the churches for which he was known knew of his loyalty. He really was what he seemed, he served Christ in a way that was pleasing to God and worthy of the approval of the people, Rom. 14:18. "You know him not only by name and by sight, but you have tested him and convinced himself of his love for you and his faithfulness to the ministry." He, like a son to his father, served me in the gospel. He was Paul's helper in many places where he preached, and he served him in evangelism with the respect and love and joy with which a son serves his own father. Their joint ministry was carried out in conditions of great respect, on the one hand, and tender love, on the other; a fine example for ministers of old and young alike, united in one cause. Paul intended to send him to them soon. So I hope to send him as soon as I know what will become of me, v. 23. Paul was in bondage at that time and did not know what the outcome of his case would be, but was going to dispose of Timothy as soon as it becomes clear. Moreover, he hoped to come to them himself soon (v. 24): I am confident in the Lord that I myself will soon come (to you). He hoped that he would soon be free and be able to visit them. Paul wanted freedom, not to enjoy it, but to do good. I'm confident in the Lord. He expresses his hope and confidence that he will see them, and at the same time humble dependence on the will of God and obedience to it. See Acts 18:21; James 4:15 Heb. 6: 3.

II. Mentioning Epaphrodite, Paul calls him his brother and co-worker and companion - his brother in Christ, for whom he had tender love, - his co-worker in the ministry and in suffering for the Gospel, who endured labor and hardship with him - and their messenger, whom they sent to Paul, probably to receive his advice on some issues concerning their church, or to deliver their material aid to him, for Paul adds: ... and a minister in my need. Apparently, this is the same person who is called Epaphras in Col. 4:12. He had a strong desire to see them, and Paul wanted him to go to them. Should be:

1. Epaphroditus suffered an illness: ... you heard a rumor of his illness, v. 26. He was sick and dying ... v. 27. Sickness is a calamity that befalls everyone, including good people and ministers. But why did the apostle, empowered to heal the sick and also raise the dead, not heal Epaphrodite? (Acts 20:10). Perhaps because this gift was meant as a sign to others, to confirm the truth of the gospel, so they could not use it to heal one another. These signs will accompany those who believe: [...] they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover, Mk.16: 17,18. Perhaps they did not always have this power and could not use it at their own discretion, but only when it was necessary to serve a great purpose and when God saw the need for it. She belonged to Christ, who had the Spirit without measure.

2. The Philippians were extremely saddened to hear of his illness. This news made him and them grieve deeply, for they respected and loved him very much and considered him worthy to be their messenger to the apostle.

3. God was pleased to heal and spare him: ... but God had mercy on him ... The Apostle recognizes this as a great mercy, given by God not only to Epaphrodite and others, but also to himself. Although the church at that time was endowed with supernatural gifts, even then it could not do without faithful servants. Paul was extremely excited by the thought of such a great loss: ... so that sorrow would not be added to my sorrow, that is, "so that my sorrow about my bonds would not be added to the sorrow about his death." It is also possible that other ministers had died shortly before this, which gave Paul great grief, and if Epaphroditus had died, this would have brought him even new grief, would have added grief to grief.

4. Epaphroditus wanted to visit the Philippians in order to be comforted by those who were saddened by his illness: “... that when you see him again, you may rejoice ... you have every reason for gratitude and joy. " He was glad to console them with a date with such a dear friend.

5. Paul recommends that they respect and love Epaphrodite: “Receive him in the Lord with all joy, and respect such people; appreciate such people, diligent and faithful, love and respect them. Show your joy with warmth of the heart and your respect - with kind opinion. " Epaphroditus, apparently, fell ill while fulfilling the work of God: for the work of Christ he was close to death, endangering his life in order to make up for the lack of your services to me. The apostle does not reproach him for unwisely risking his life, but believes that the Philippians should love him even more for it. Observe:

(1) He who sincerely loves Christ and diligently serves the interests of His Kingdom, considers it worthy to risk his health and life for the sake of serving Him and for the building up of His Church.

(2.) They should have gladly received him, recovering from his illness. When we regain mercy, after the threat of losing them threatened us, we must value them even more. What God gives us in answer to our prayers should be received with great gratitude and joy.

2:1-4 The poetry of these verses lends Paul's words a special persuasiveness. The call (Art. 1) with a fourfold "if" is the basis for the admonitions of Art. 2-4.

2: 1 in Christ. Union with Christ encourages believers to be one with each other, and in order to follow Christ's example, to be like Him, believers must be in Christ (cf. v. 5).

joy of love. Lit .: "joy from love". Believers can draw inspiration from Christ's love for them (Gal. 2:20), in their reciprocal love for Christ, and in the mutual love of believers (v. 2).

communication of the spirit. This expression can also be translated as: "communication, produced by the Spirit."

2: 2 same thoughts ... same love ... unanimous and unanimous. This verse emphatically emphasizes the idea of ​​unity (1.27).

2: 3 out of contention. Pride encourages rivalry, nurtures ambition and thus leads to conflicts, and not to harmony in personal relationships (1.27; 2.2.14). Humility, on the other hand, involves caring for the needs and interests of others (v. 4). Love (v. 2) is a prerequisite for humility (1.9; 1 Cor. 13.4.5).

2:5 This verse serves as a link between the admonitions of v. 1-4 and 6-11. Recalling the pride that caused division among the Philippians (1.27 - 2.4), Paul speaks of Christ as the highest manifestation of humility. For Paul, Christ is not just a model, He is the Lord and Savior (2.11; 3.20), who is an example (Rom. 15.1-3; 2 Cor. 10.1;).

2: 6 He, being the image of God."Being" implies not just being, but also having. Christ has the fullness of divine dignity; having become human (v. 7), He did not lose His Godhead.

equal to God. To be "in the image of God" means to be equal to God.

2: 7 humbled himself. Lit.: "He emptied Himself." This does not say that Christ lost the attributes of His Deity. This expression means that, having become a man, He gave Himself completely, to the end. The nature of His self-abasement is determined by the following sequence: "accepting" ... "becoming" ... "becoming". Paul is talking about the fact that Christ parted with His higher privileges and condition, and not about the fact that He gave up His Godhead and His power. Christ took the form of a slave, not parting with His Deity in His incarnation. It manifests itself clearly.

assuming the form of a slave. This expression emphasizes the voluntary renunciation of Christ from His exalted position (Nos. 2.6).

having become like men. Christ is a real man. The word "like" does not deny the reality of His humanity. Moreover, in order to die (v. 8), Christ had to become truly human. At the same time, Paul makes a distinction between Christ and other people. In contrast, Christ is sinless (2 Cor. 5:21) and essentially (as far as His Godhead is concerned) belongs to the transcendental world; even in His humiliation and humiliation, He remains God.

in appearance becoming like a person. These words confirm and reinforce the above.

2: 8 humbled Himself. These words echo the expression "He humbled Himself" (v. 7). Christ performs both actions freely, of his own free will.

obedient even to death. Submission to the will of the Father (Heb. 10: 5-9) is more remarkable on the part of one who is equal to the Father (v. 6) than one who does not have such equality. Paul's words encompass Christ's earthly life, spent in complete obedience, and emphasize that the most perfect manifestation of this obedience was His death.

death of the godmother. It emphasizes, rather, the willingness of Christ to accept the most shameful and painful death than the redemptive significance of this event (cf. Rom. 3: 21-26).

2: 9 Therefore also God. The Father's action is a direct response to the Son's obedience.

exalted Him. The verb "exalted" here does not mean that God has given Christ a position higher than He had before — God has given Him a position higher than that. Christ is restored to the glory that He originally had and which He voluntarily left in order to become a man.

name above every name. See com. to 2.11.

2:10 before the name of Jesus. It can mean "the name that belongs to Jesus" (ie "Lord", v. 11). However, it is more likely that Paul meant that at the name Jesus "every knee will bow" in order to honor Him and proclaim Him Lord. Jesus is derived from the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which means "Yahweh saves."

heavenly, earthly and hells. The expression is all-encompassing, but perhaps it primarily refers to the subjugation of hostile demonic forces (cf. Eph. 1: 19-21; Col. 2,15).

2:11 every tongue professed. Worship must be accompanied by confession.

that the Lord Jesus Christ. More precisely: "that Jesus Christ is Lord." Christ is exalted for His humility; He is glorified by His humility (cf. Matt. 23,12). "The name is above every name" (v. 9) - the Lord. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT, God is called Lord (Greek - kyrios). Christ is proclaimed the One who He always was - the true God. Confessing that "Jesus Christ is Lord," the created world recognizes His Deity with all its inherent properties. The praise given encompasses both His humanity (Jesus) and the Deity (Lord) of Christ; worship is given to Christ as God-man.

to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, Jesus Christ is the Son of the Father. Worship is appropriate for both Christ and the Father. The unity of the Persons of the Trinity is such that worship of the Son gives glory to the Father. In Philippians, Paul does not call Jesus the Son of God as he does elsewhere (eg, Rom. 8.3; Gal. 4.4).

2:12 So. Paul concludes his call with the supreme example of Christ. The presence of the apostle prompts the Philippians to obey, but the main impulse is “God is working in you” (v. 13), so that their obedience can be improved even in the absence of Paul (1.27).

with fear and awe. This refers to reverence and reverence, not panic. Such feelings are awakened not by concern for "eternal well-being," but by the presence of God Himself in a person's life (v. 13).

work out your salvation. As in 1.28, salvation here means complete redemption; the consecration of believers is especially emphasized. The work of sanctification requires the fulfillment of the admonitions of Art. 1-5.

2:13 God works both will and action in you. Man's feasible efforts (v. 12) are by no means a violation of the sovereign will of God, they are prescribed by God Himself in the fulfillment of His saving goals (cf. Eph. 2: 8-10). Citing Christ as an example, Paul argues that the will and actions of the Philippians are not self-directed: it is in them that God's own will is manifested (4.13; 1 Thess. 2.13).

2:14 without murmur or doubt. The Philippians should avoid the example of the ancient Israelites (Ex. 15.24; 16.7-9; 1 Cor. 10.10). It is possible that the Philippians murmured against the leaders of the community in the same way that the Israelites murmured against Moses (v. 29; 1 Thess. 5,12.13).

2:15 blameless and pure ... blameless. These definitions are largely the same. Paul describes what qualities are required of “children of God” in life. They should shine "like the luminaries in the world", sharply standing out against the background of their "obstinate and depraved" contemporaries, but, at the same time, they should be a source of hope for them (Matthew 5.14-16; Acts 2.40).

word of life. This definition applies both to the gospel itself and to the ethical teaching based on it (1,27; 4,8.9).

to my praise. To the praise of Paul on "the day of Christ" (1.6.10), the spiritual growth of the Philippians will serve more than his own (1.9-11).

2:17 am becoming a sacrifice. More precisely: "But even if I become a sacrificial libation" for the sacrifice. Paul is not referring to his present suffering, but to the possibility, albeit not inevitable, of his martyrdom. The libation that accompanied the sacrifice was usually wine, not blood.

2:21 everyone is looking for their own. This verse echoes v. 4, where there is the expression "take care only of yourself." The life of Timothy exemplifies the humility to which Paul calls the Philippians, and reflects the humility of Christ Himself (vv. 5-11).

2:22 like a son to his father. Timothy worked closely with Paul in the preaching of Christ the Lord; both are slaves of Christ (1.1). As a faithful servant of Christ, it is natural for Timothy to “sincerely care” for others (v. 20).

2:23 as soon as I know what will happen to me. In difficult circumstances (1.29.30), pending, possibly, and judgment, Paul needs a man like Timothy. In Art. 23:24 Paul reiterates his hopes already expressed in 1: 19-26.

2:24 in the Lord. Plans for Timothy and Paul himself depend on the will of God (v. 19).

2:25 Epaphroditus. This employee of Pavel, like Timothy, is worthy of respect. Obeying Christ, he devoted himself to the service of fellow believers - both the Philippians (4:18) and Paul, for whom he risked his life (v. 26,27,30).

Comments on chapter 2

INTRODUCTION TO THE MESSAGE TO THE PHILIPPIANS

We do not encounter any critical questions in our study of the Epistle to the Philippians; no critic of the New Testament has disputed its authenticity. We can, without any doubt, regard the Epistle to the Philippians as the authentic epistle of the Apostle Paul.

PHILIP

When choosing a place to preach the gospel, Paul always approached as a strategist: he chose a place that was not only important in itself, but also served as the key to the entire area. And today, many more places in which Paul preached are highway or railroad junctions. The same place was also Philippi, who had three important distinctive features.

1. Nearby there were gold and silver mines, which have been developed since the days of the Phoenicians. True, in the era of Christianization, they were already developed, but they turned Philippi into a large trade center of the ancient world.

2. This city was founded by Philip the Great, the father of Alexander the Great, and bore his name. The city was located on the site of an ancient city Krenida, which means Mountain Spring. Philip the Great founded this city in 368 BC for strategic reasons. In that place there was a mountain range dividing Europe and Asia - east from west. Therefore, the city could dominate the road from Europe to Asia. It was near this city that one of the great historical battles took place: here Mark Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius and thereby decided the future fate of the Roman Empire.

3. Soon thereafter, Philip received the title of a Roman colony. Roman colonies were specific administrative institutions. These were not outposts of civilization in as yet unexplored parts of the world. First of all, they were of military importance. It was the custom of Rome to send groups of veteran warriors who had served their time and received Roman citizenship to settle in cities located on strategically important roads. Typically, these groups consisted of 300 veterans with wives and children. Colonies were central points in the great Roman road system, located so that reinforcements could be quickly sent from one colony to another. Colonies were created to maintain peace and order in the strategically important centers of the vast Roman Empire. At first, colonies were organized in Italy, but soon they were already scattered throughout the empire due to its rapid growth. Later, the government began to give the title of a colony to any city for faithful service.

Wherever the colonies were, they always represented a small part of Rome and their main distinguishing feature was their pride in their Roman citizenship. They spoke the language of the Romans, dressed in Roman clothes, observed Roman customs; members of the city government bore Roman titles and did everything that was done in Rome itself. The inhabitants stubbornly and invariably remained Romans and never thought to assimilate with the local inhabitants, among whom they settled. Roman pride is heard in the accusation against Paul and Silas in Acts. 16,20.21:"These people, being Jews, revolt our city and preach customs that us Romans should neither be accepted nor performed. "

"Our residence is in heaven," Paul writes to the Philippian Church (3,20). [In one of the English translations, these words are translated as: "You are a heavenly colony"]. A Roman colonist, in whatever environment he was, never forgot that he was a Roman, so Christians should never forget in any society that they are Christians. Nowhere were people more proud of their Roman citizenship as in the Roman colonies.

PAUL AND PHILIP

Paul first came to Philippi on his second missionary journey, about A.D. 52. Drawn by the vision of the Macedonian and his appeal to come and help, Paul sailed from Alexandria of Troad in Asia Minor and landed in Europe in the city of Naples in Thrace, and from there went to Philippi.

Paul's stay in Philippi is described in Acts. sixteen. In the center of it are three people - Lydia, a merchant in purple; a maid who brought her masters a great income by her divinations; and a Roman jailer. This gives an unusual picture of ancient life. Lydia - a lady from Lydia, was Asian, and her name, perhaps, is not a name at all, but only the nickname "Lady of Lydia." The maid was a native of these places - Greek. And the prison guard was Roman citizen. These three were not only people of different nationalities, they also belonged to different social classes. Lydia was a trader in purple, one of the most expensive goods in the ancient world. The maid was slave and therefore, in the eyes of the law, she was not a person at all, but a living instrument. The prison guard was a Roman citizen: he belonged to a respectable Roman middle class, from which civil servants were recruited. Thus, these people represented the upper, lower and middle class of the then society.

Persecution

Paul was forced to leave Philippi after a storm of persecution and illegal imprisonment. This persecution was inherited by the church in Philippi. Paul Writes to the Philippians that They Shared His Bond and the Establishment of the Gospel with Him (1,7). He asks them not to be afraid of their opponents in anything, because they endure what he himself has already endured and what still continues to endure (1,28-30).

REAL FRIENDSHIP

There was a bond of friendship between Paul and the Philippian church that he did not have with any other church. He proudly declared that he never accepted help from any person or from any church, but satisfied his needs with his own hands. And only from the Philippians he agreed to accept the gift (4,16). And when Paul went on and came through Athens to Corinth, only the Philippians helped him in need (2 Cor. 11.9)."My brothers, beloved and longed for, - he calls them, - my joy and crown ... in the Lord" (4,1).

REASON FOR WRITING A MESSAGE

Paul wrote this letter while in a Roman prison. He had special reasons for this.

1. It was a thank you message. Years passed, it was already 63 or 64 A.D., and again the Philippians sent him a gift (4,10.11).

2. It speaks of Epaphrodite. Apparently, Epaphroditus not only brought Paul a gift, but had to stay with Paul to serve him. However, Epaphroditus fell ill; he was homesick and worried because he knew his home was also worried about him. Paul sent Epaphrodite home with the following characteristic: "Receive him in the Lord with all joy, and respect such people, for he was close to death for the work of Christ." (2,29.30). What touching words! Paul, sitting in prison awaiting death, is trying to alleviate the situation of Epaphrodite, when he was unexpectedly and against his will was forced to go home. This was the height of Christian courtesy.

3. The message encourages the Philippians in the face of their trials (1,28-30).

4. The message is a call to unity. This is where the passage about the selfless humility of Jesus Christ is connected. (2,1-11). Two women quarreled in the Philippian church and this threatened the peace in the church (4,2), and the false teachers tried to lead the Philippians away from the true path (3,2). The message is a call to maintain the unity of the Church.

PROBLEM

And this is precisely the problem with which the Epistle to the Philippians was written. V 3,2 the message takes an unexpected turn. Before 3,1 - everything breathes with clarity and serenity, and it seems that the message is calmly going to its end, but suddenly, without any warning, the following goes: "Beware of the dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of circumcision." There is no connection with the previous words. Further, 3,1 looks like the end of the letter: "However, my brethren," says Paul, "rejoice in the Lord." And so, after the apparent conclusion, Paul begins again from the beginning!

Because of this abrupt transition, many scholars believe that the Epistle to the Philippians in its extant form is not one epistle, but two combined into one. They believe that 3,2-4,3 - this is a letter of thanks and warning, written immediately after Epaphroditus arrived in Rome, and 1,1-3,1 and 4,4-23 - this is a letter written much later and sent with Epaphrodite when he went home. We know that Paul probably wrote more than one epistle to Philippi, because Polycarp says about him in his epistle to the Philippian church: “after leaving you, he wrote to you messages ".

EXPLANATION

And yet, there is no reason to divide this message in two. Sudden transition from 3.1 to 3.2 can be explained in another way.

1. While Paul was writing the letter, new information came in about the problems that had arisen in Philippi, and then he cut off his thought to move on to a new topic.

2. However, the simplest explanation is as follows. The letter to the Philippians is a personal letter, and a personal letter is never laid out in a logical sequence like a scientific treatise. In such a letter, we set things out as they come to mind; we chat with friends on paper; and associations and thought patterns that are perfectly understandable to us may not be obvious to others at all. Therefore, such a sudden transition to another topic may be explained by the fact that this is a personal letter.

BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE

For many of us, Philippians is the finest Paul ever wrote. It was also called in another way: The Message of Excellent Things, as well as the Message of Joy. It repeats words over and over again joy and rejoice."Always rejoice in the Lord," writes Paul, "and again I say: rejoice." Even in prison, he directed the hearts of his friends and our hearts to a joy that no one can take away.

REASONS FOR DISCUSSION (Phil. 2: 1-4)

One of the dangers that threatened the Philippians was discord. In a sense, every healthy church is at risk of this. People are willing to stand up against each other when they take matters seriously and when faith matters to them. The greater their enthusiasm, the greater the danger that they might get into conflict. It is from this danger that Paul wants to shield his friends.

V 2,3.4 he points to three important reasons for the disagreement.

1. Contempt. There is always a danger that people are working to get ahead themselves and not to get the job done. Oddly enough, but sometimes the great leaders of the Church were ready to flee from their posts, because they felt their unworthiness.

Ambrose (circa 340-397) was an important figure in the early church. A great scientist, he was the governor of the Roman provinces of Liguria and Emilia and ruled with such love and care that the people saw him as their father. When the Bishop of Milan died, the question arose about his successor. During the dispute, a child's exclamation suddenly rang out: "Ambrose is a bishop! Ambrose is a bishop!" The whole crowd picked up this cry. Ambrose could not even imagine this and hid at night in order to avoid the high ecclesiastical post offered to him. Only the direct intervention and order of the emperor prompted him to agree to become bishop of Milan.

When John Rough publicly called from the pulpit, the founder of the Scottish Presbyterian Church, John Knox, to become a priest, Knox was frightened. In his book History of the Reformation, Knox writes: “Then this confused John burst into profuse tears and retired to his room. From that day until the day he was forced to appear in church and preach, the expression on his face and his behavior with sufficient force showed the sadness and excitement of his heart. No one saw in him a sign of joy and for a long time he did not get any pleasure from the company of his friends. "

Great people are far from ambition; they often felt that they were not worthy of their high office.

Many people are dominated by vanity, striving to achieve personal authority. For many people, prestige is even more of a temptation than wealth. Most of all, most of all, they just want to be admired, so that they can sit on presidiums, so that others ask their opinions, so that everyone knows them by name and recognizes them by their appearance, even to be flattered. And the goal of a Christian should not be a desire to show oneself, but self-forgetfulness. He should do good deeds not in order to glorify him, but in order for people to glorify the Heavenly Father. A Christian should draw people's eyes not to himself, but to God.

Other people only care about themselves. A person who always thinks first of all about himself will certainly come into conflict with others. Whoever considers life to be a competition in which he must receive all the prizes, he will always see other people as enemies, or at least rivals who need to be removed from the road. Selfishness inevitably leads to the destruction of others; the goal of life is not to help others, but to eliminate them.

DISSOLVE (Phil. 2,1-4 continued)

In the face of the danger of discord, Paul sets out five considerations to prevent discord.

1. We must maintain unity because we are all in Christ. A person cannot be at odds with his fellows and remain in union with Jesus Christ. He who walks with Jesus Christ walks with all the pilgrims. A person's relationship with his fellow men is a good indicator of his relationship with Jesus Christ.

2. The power of Christian love is to keep us in harmony. Christian love is that goodwill, that benevolence that never gets irritated, and that always wants only good for others. It is not just the motivation of the heart, as, for example, human love; it is a victory of the will with the help of Jesus Christ. This does not mean to love only those who love us, or those who like us, or those who are nice. And this means unbreakable benevolence, even towards those who hate us, towards those who do not like us, and towards those who are disagreeable and disgusting to us. This is the true essence of the Christian life and has an impact on us on earth and in eternity. Richard Tetlock wrote in the book "In My Father's House": "Hell is the eternal state of those who have destroyed love in their lives, made it impossible to have a relationship with God and with their fellows ... Heaven is the eternal state of those who have found the real a life of relationship through love with God and with your fellow men. "

3. The fact that they are partakers of the Holy Spirit should also keep Christians from disagreement. The Holy Spirit connects man to God and man to man. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to live the life of love, which is the life of God. A person who is at odds with his fellows shows that he does not have the gift of the Holy Spirit.

4. A sense of human compassion should guard against disagreement. As the Greek philosopher Aristotle once put it, people were not created by roaring wolves, but in order to live together in a community. Disagreement destroys the structure of life.

5. Paul's last call is purely personal. He cannot be happy as long as he knows that discord reigns in the church dear to him.

If the Philippians are to replenish his joy, they must have perfect friendships. Paul is addressing the Philippian Christians not with threats, but with an appeal for love; and this is what every pastor should do, just like our Lord did.

TRUE DIVINE AND TRUE HUMANITY (Phil. 2,5-11)

This passage is in many ways the greatest and most moving thing Paul ever wrote about Jesus. Its meaning lies in the simple statement that Paul made in 2 Corinthians that Jesus, being rich, was poor for our sake. (2 Cor. 8.9). Here, the idea is presented in a completeness that is unmatched. Paul pleads with the Philippians to live in harmony, to forget all disagreements, to cast aside vanity, pride, desire for advancement and prestige, and live with the same humble, selfless desire in the heart - to serve, that was the essence of the life of Jesus Christ. Paul's last call is to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

We must try to fully understand this passage because there is much in it that can wake our minds and strike surprise in our hearts. To do this, you need to carefully consider some important Greek words.

The Greek language is very rich; often there are two, three or even more words to express one thought. In a sense, these words are synonyms, but they never have exactly the same meaning; they always have some special shade. This is especially true of this passage. Paul chose every word very carefully to show two things — the reality of Christ's human nature and the reality of His divinity. Let's consider the proposals one by one.

Verse 6: He, being the image of God. Two words are chosen very carefully to show the unchanging deity of Jesus Christ. The word translated as being - derivative of the Greek verb huparhepn. Huparhane - this is not an ordinary Greek word with a meaning being. It conveys what a person is in his very essence, and what cannot be changed. It characterizes that part of a person that in any circumstances remains the same, remains unchanged. Thus, Paul says from the beginning that Jesus was God in His essence, and He was God unchanging.

Further, Paul says that Jesus was in the image God. Greek has two words meaning image: morphe and scheme. Both should be translated as image, because in Russian there is no other equivalent, but they do not mean the same thing. Morphe - this essential, unchanging form; scheme - external form, which changes from time to time and in different circumstances. For instance, morphe any human being is his human nature, and it never changes; a scheme it is constantly changing. Child, boy, youth, man and old man all have in common morphe of all mankind, and the external scheme always changing. Roses, daffodils, tulips, chrysanthemums, primroses, dalias, lupins have one common morphe - flower, and scheme theirs is different. Aspirin, penicillin, magnesia have one morphe - medicine, and scheme theirs is different. Morphe never changes but scheme changes continuously. Saying that Jesus is in image God, Paul uses the word morphe; in other words, His immutable essence is heavenly, Divine. No matter how His outer might have changed scheme, in essence He remained Divine.

Jesus did not consider it a robbery to be equal to God. The word translated in the Bible as theft, it is in greek - harpagmos, derived from a verb with a meaning grab, grab. Behind this may be one of two ideas, which are essentially the same thing.

a) It may mean that Jesus did not need to cling to equality with God, because it was His right.

b) It can mean that He did not grab for equality with God and did not pull him jealously to Himself, but voluntarily sacrificed it for the sake of people. However we understand it, it once again underlines the divine nature of Jesus.

Verse 7: But He humbled Himself; He stripped Himself of the glory.

The Greek text contains the verb kenone, which literally means empty, pour out. This verb can denote the removal of items from the container as long as it is empty; pouring out until nothing remains in the vessel. Here Paul uses the most emphatic word in order to clearly show the sacrifice that was made by the incarnation. Jesus voluntarily gave up his glory in order to become human. He took off His Divinity from Himself in order to take on what is human. It is pointless to ask how He did it; we can only stand in awe at the sight of Him - the almighty God - hungry, weary, and in tears. Here, with the use of the last possibilities of the human language, the great saving truth is expressed that He, being rich, became impoverished for our sake.

Taking the form of a slave. And here, to convey the meaning of the image, the word is used morphe, which, as we have seen, is the unchanging essential form. Paul means that when Jesus became a man it was really like that, not a game. He was not like the Greek gods, who sometimes, as myths and traditions say, became people, but retained their divine privileges. Jesus truly became a man but there is more to it: By becoming like a man. The word translated in the Bible as make is part of a Greek verb giganesfay. This verb conveys meaning a condition that is not permanent. The point boils down to becoming, and the word denotes a change, quite real, but which is passing. This means that Jesus' humanity was not permanent; it was eminently real, but transient.

Verse 8: And in appearance he became like a man. And here Paul makes the same conclusion. The word translated as by sight, it is in greek - scheme, and, as we have seen, it is a form that changes.

This is a very short paragraph, but in the entire New Testament there is no other paragraph that so touchingly shows the absolute reality of the Divinity and the human essence of Jesus and so clearly represents the sacrifice that Jesus made, renouncing His Divinity and taking on Himself a human essence. We cannot say how all this happened, but behind this lies the secret of such a great love that, although we can never fully understand everything, we can blissfully feel it and worship it.

Humiliation and Exaltation (Phil. 2,5-11 continued)

It should always be remembered that when Paul thought and spoke about Jesus, his interests were primarily not intellectual and speculative, but practical. For him, theology and action have always been closely related to each other. Any theory or philosophical system must necessarily be embodied in a way of life. This passage represents in many ways the culmination of theological thinking in the New Testament, but it was written to encourage the Philippians to live in a way that would have no room for discord, strife, and personal vanity.

Thus, Paul says that Jesus humbled Himself and was obedient even to the death of the cross.

The greatest characteristics of Jesus' life were humility, humility, self-denial, and self-sacrifice. He longed not to rule over people, but only to serve them; He did not seek to do His own thing, He wanted to follow the path of God; He did not want to be exalted, but to renounce His glory for the sake of people. The New Testament repeatedly states that whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23.12; Luke 14.11; 18:14). If humility, humility, self-denial and self-sacrifice were the greatest features of Jesus' life, they should also be the hallmark of the Christian life. Selfishness, self-interest, and boasting destroy our likeness to Christ and our brotherhood with one another.

But the self-denial and self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ brought Him even greater glory. This clearly showed that one day, sooner or later, He will be worshiped by every living being in the universe, in heaven, on earth, and even in hell. The source of this worship must be carefully emphasized. It comes from love. Jesus conquered the hearts of people, striking them not with power, but with love, which they could not resist. At the sight of Jesus, who gave up His glory for the sake of people and loved them so much that he went to die for them on the Cross, the hearts of people soften and they cease to resist. Worshiping Jesus Christ, people fall at His feet with a sense of admiration and love. They say: "Such an amazing, heavenly love requires my life, my soul, me everything," and not: "I cannot resist such a force." Worship of Jesus Christ is not based on fear, but on love.

Paul goes on to say that for this sacrificial love God gave Jesus a name above every name. It is a typical biblical idea that a new name indicates the beginning of a new stage in a person's life. Abram became Abraham when he received the promise of God (Genesis 17.5). Jacob became Israel when God entered into a new relationship with him (Gen. 32.28). The Risen Christ promises a new name for Pergamum and Philadelphia (Rev. 2,17; 3,12).

And what was the new name given to Jesus Christ? We do not know for sure what Paul meant, but probably this is a new name - Lord.

In the early Church, Jesus was known by a great title snub, Lord, which has a very instructive story.

1. At first, this word meant master or owner.

2. It became the official title of the Roman emperor.

3. It became the title of the pagan gods.

4. This word in the Greek translation of the Holy Scriptures was translated Jehovah. Name Jesus cuios, Lord, this meant that He is the Master and Owner of all life, the King of Kings; He was a Lord such as pagan gods and mute idols could never be; He was Divinity itself.

ALL FOR GOD (Phil. 2,5-11 (continued))

Phil. 2.11 - one of the most important verses of the New Testament. It says here that the purpose of God is that one day every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. These three words were the first creed of the Christian Church. To be a Christian was to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (cf. Rom. 10.9). It was a simple creed of faith, but it covered everything. Maybe it would be nice if we returned to it. Later, people tried to determine more precisely what it meant, and argued over this and quarreled, calling each other heretics and fools. But even now it remains true that a person who can say: "For me Jesus Christ is Lord" is a Christian. If a person can say this, it means that for him Jesus Christ is the only one and that he is ready to obey Him like no one else. Maybe this person cannot explain in words for whom he esteems Jesus, but since this wonderful love is present in his heart, and in his life this is complete obedience, he is a Christian, because Christianity is not so much an intellectual understanding as heartfelt love.

So we come to the end of this passage, and when we come to the end of it, we go back to the beginning. The day will come when people will call Jesus Lord, but they will to the glory of God the Father. Jesus' goal is not His own glory, but the glory of God. Paul is very clearly aware of the absolute sovereignty of God. In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes that in the end the Son Himself will also submit to Him who submitted all to Him. (1 Cor. 15:28). Jesus draws people to Him in order to draw them to God. Some in the Philippian church wanted to satisfy their vanity; Jesus' goal was to serve others, no matter what depths of self-denial and self-sacrifice this service may require. Some in the Philippian Church have sought to attract the eyes of all to themselves; the purpose of Jesus was to turn the eyes of the people to God.

A Christian should always think not of himself but of others; not about your own glory, but about the glory of God.

COOPERATION IN SALVATION (Phil. 2,12-18)

But Paul is calling the Philippians not only to be united in this situation; it is a call to live a life that leads to God's salvation in time and in eternity.

Nowhere in the New Testament is the action of salvation described so succinctly. As stated in 2,12.13: "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for God works in you both will and action according to His good pleasure." As always, Paul chooses his words carefully.

Do your salvation. For commit Paul used the word katergazesfay, which is the meaning of leading to completion. Paul seems to be saying, "Don't stop halfway; go forward until salvation is fully accomplished in you." The Christian must be content with only the absolute benefit of the gospel.

"Because God produces in you and wanting and action according to your own pleasure. " produces and action Paul uses the same word - verb energain. There are two important things to say about this verb: it is always used to mean actions of god and always to denote effective action. God's actions cannot be vain or only half done; they must be perfectly effective.

As we said, this passage gives the perfect formulation of the action of salvation.

1. Salvation is from God, a) God creates in us the desire for salvation. It is true that "our hearts are restless until they rest in Him" ​​and it is also true that "we could not even begin to seek Him if He did not find us." The desire to gain the salvation of God is not caused by some human feeling, but comes from God Himself. The process of seeking salvation awakens God in a person. b) The continuation of this process depends on God; without His help, no sin can be overcome and no virtue can be acquired, c) The process of salvation with God is completed, therefore the completion of salvation is friendship with God, in which we belong to Him, and He belongs to us.

2. But there is another side to this. Salvation is from man. “Work out your own salvation,” Paul demands. Without human help and cooperation, even God is helpless. The point is that every gift and every benefit must be accepted. When a person is sick, the doctor may prescribe medications to heal him, but he still will not be healed if he does not take these medications; he may even stubbornly refuse to accept them. It is the same with salvation. God offered it to us - without God's offer there can be no salvation at all. But no man can be saved if he does not answer the call of God and does not accept what He offers.

There can be no salvation without God, but a person must accept what God offers. It is not God who takes away salvation from man, but it is man who deprives him of himself.

SIGNS OF SALVATION (Phil. 2,12-18 continued)

Careful analysis of the thoughts in this passage reveals that Paul set out five signs of salvation in it.

1. Sign effective action. In his daily life, the Christian must constantly testify that he is truly seeking his own salvation. It must come to an end more and more every day. The great tragedy for many of us is that we never get one iota further. We remain slaves to the same habits and victims of the same temptations, guilty of the same sins. A truly Christian life must be continuous improvement, continuous advancement, because it is the path to God.

2. Sign fear and awe. This is not the fear and awe of a slave, cringing before his master, and not even fear and awe in anticipation of punishment. This fear and awe emanate, first, from the consciousness that we are God's creatures and are powerless to control life. In other words, it is not the fear that makes us hide from God, but rather the fear that makes us seek God, because we know that without His help we cannot withstand life. And second, it comes from the fear of grieving God. When we truly love a person, we are not afraid of what he might do to us, and we are afraid to cause trouble for him.

3. Omen serenity and confidence. Christian does everything without a murmur or doubt. For murmur Paul uses an unusual word goggusmos. This word evokes special associations with Greek translations of the Holy Scriptures. It is used to denote the mutinous murmur of the children of Israel in the wilderness. The people grumbled at Moses (Ex. 15.24; 16.2; Num. 16.41). Goggusmos - onomatopoeic word; it conveys the low, menacing, disgruntled grumbling of a crowd that distrusts its leaders and is ready to rebel. For doubts Paul uses the Greek word dialogismos, which means useless, and sometimes rude discussion and dispute. There must be perfect confidence and perfect trust in the Christian life.

4. Omen purity. Christians should be blameless, pure, and blameless. Each of these words complements the idea of ​​Christian purity.

a) Immaculate in greek - amemptos, and expresses what a Christian is to the world. His life is so pure that no one can find anything in it to find fault with. It is often said in court that judicial practice should not only be fair, but this justice must be visible. A Christian must not only be clean, but everyone must see this cleanliness.

b) Clean in greek - akerayos, and expresses what a Christian is in himself. Akeraios literally means unmixed, undiluted. This word, for example, can describe wine or milk, undiluted with water, and metal without any impurity. In relation to people, it can mean pure motives. Christian purity must manifest itself in sincere thoughts and sincere character.

v) Immaculate, in greek - amomos, and this word shows what a Christian is in the eyes of God. This word is used to refer to sacrifices that are fit to be sacrificed to God on the altar. The life of a Christian must be such that it can be offered as a sacrifice without blemish to God. A Christian's purity is flawless in the eyes of the world, sincere in itself, and can withstand the searching gaze of God.

5. Omen missionary aspirations. The Christian offers everyone the word of life, that is, the word that gives life. The missionary aspirations of a Christian have two aspects, a) Proclaiming and offering the Gospel in clear and unmistakable words, b) Testimony of a life perfectly straightforward in an obstinate and depraved world. This is an offer to the people of light in the world of darkness. Christians should be luminaries in the world. Luminaries, in greek - fosteres, the same word used in the creation story: luminaries(sun and moon), which God put in the firmament of heaven to shine on the earth (Genesis 1: 14-18). The Christian shows and offers uprightness in a perverse and depraved world, and light in a dark world.

PAINTING PAUL (Phil. 2,12-18 continued)

This passage ends with two striking pictures typical of Paul's mindset.

1. He hopes for the advancement of the Philippians along the Christian path, so that at the end of his days he will find joy from the knowledge that he has not struggled in vain and has not labored in vain. In this case, Paul uses the verb copyian, translated as work. Two ideas can be associated with this, a) It can be a picture of labor in the most direct sense. Copian it is important to work until complete exhaustion, b) But copian it can also mean the work associated with the training of an athlete, and in this case Paul says that he is praying that all the self-discipline of training that he has imposed on himself will not be wasted.

A distinctive feature of Paul's writing style is his love for pictures from the life of athletes. And this is not surprising. In Greek cities, the gymnasium was not only a place to train. In the gymnasiums, the great Greek philosopher Socrates often discussed eternal problems; in the gymnasiums philosophers and sophists, itinerant teachers and preachers often found listeners. In many Greek cities, the gymnasium was not only a sports hall, but also an intellectual club. The Greeks had the Isthmian Games in Corinth, the Panhellenic Games in Ephesus and the greatest - the Olympic Games, held every four years. There were often disagreements between the Greek cities and they often fought with each other, but when the Olympic Games approached, no matter what disputes and disagreements there were, a month-long truce was established so that they could take part in friendly competition. Not only athletes came to these games, but Greek historians and poets also came to read their new works, and sculptors with immortal names came to make sculptures of the winners.

Of course, in both Corinth and Ephesus, Paul was a spectator at these sports games. Paul was wherever crowds were to win them over for Christ. But apart from preaching, this competition found another echo in Paul's heart. He knew boxing competitions (1 Cor. 9: 26). He saw the runners rushing towards the goal (Phil. 3.14); he saw the judges awarding the winners after the end of the competition (2 Tim. 4.8); he knew about the awarding of a laurel wreath to the winner and about the jubilation that such an award evokes (1 Cor. 9.24; Phil. 4.1). Pavel knew about the tough discipline associated with training and preparation for the competition and about the strict requirements that must be met (1 Tim. 4,7.8; 2 Tim. 2,5).

Pavel prays not to be like an athlete whose training and efforts were in vain. The greatest reward for him was the realization that through him others recognized and loved Jesus Christ and began to serve Him.

2. And in 2,17 Paul paints a different picture. Paul had a special gift for speaking in a language that people could understand. He often took examples and pictures from the everyday life of the people with whom he spoke. He already used an example from sports games, and now he takes a picture from the sacrifice of the pagans. One of the most typical pagan sacrifices was libation, a cup of wine that was poured out as a sacrifice to the gods. So, for example, each pagan meal began and ended with such a libation, a kind of prayer before and after meals. Here Paul views the faith and ministry of the Philippians as a sacrifice to God. He knows that his death may be very close, because he writes from prison, where he is awaiting trial. And so he says that he is perfectly ready to be "sacrifice for sacrifice" [in Barclay: libation for sacrifice] of their faith. In other words, he tells the Philippians the following: “Your Christian devotion and your Christian faithfulness have already been sacrificed to God; and if I must accept death for Christ, I am glad that my life will be shed like a libation on the altar on which your victim".

Paul was perfectly willing to sacrifice his life to God, and he urges the Philippians not to be sad that this might happen, but to rejoice. For him, every call to sacrifice and to work was a call to his love for Christ, and therefore he greeted them not with laments and salaries, but with joy.

THE FAITHFUL ARMENIAN (Phil. 2,19-24)

Since Paul cannot come to Philippi himself, he intends to send Timothy as his representative. Timothy was the closest person to Paul. We know very little about him, but the story of his ministry with Paul clearly shows us his faithfulness.

He came from Derbe or Lystra. His mother, Eunice, was Jewish, and his grandmother was named Loida. His father was Greek and, apparently, Timothy was raised in the Greek tradition, because he was not circumcised (Acts 16.1; 2 Tim. 1.5). It is not certain when and how he was converted to the Christian faith, but Paul met him on his second missionary journey and saw in him a man who could well help him in the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Since then, Paul and Timothy have been very close. Paul spoke of Timothy as his beloved son in the Lord (1 Cor. 4.17). Timothy was with Paul in Philippi (Acts 16); in Thessaloniki and in Berea (Acts 17: 1-14); in Corinth and Ephesus (Acts 18.5; 19.21.22); and he was with Paul in prison in Rome (Col. 1.1; Phil. 1.1). Timothy is mentioned in no less than five letters of Paul (Thessalonians, 2 Corinthians, Colossians and Philippians), and when Paul wrote Romans, Timothy also sent his greetings (Rom. 16:21).

The great benefit of Timothy was that when Paul needed some information from some church, or wanted to send advice, encouragement or reproach, and if he could not do it himself, he sent Timothy. So Timothy was sent to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3.6); to Corinth (1 Cor. 4.17; 16.10.11); to Philippi. After all, Timothy was also a prisoner for Christ's sake. (Heb. 13:23). Timofey was a very valuable employee because he was always ready to go anywhere, and v in his hands the message was in as reliable a hand as if it were Paul himself. Some are eaten by selfish vanity, while Timothy had only one desire - to serve Jesus Christ and Paul. Timothy is a great example of all those who are quite willing to settle for second place if they can only serve.

RESPECT TO PAUL (Phil. 2: 25-30)

There is a dramatic story behind this. When the Philippians heard that Paul was in prison, their hearts burned with a desire to take action. They sent Paul a gift with Epaphrodite. Whatever they could not do themselves, they commissioned Epaphrodite to do. He not only had to bring Paul a gift, but also stay with him in Rome as a personal servant and helper. It is quite obvious that Epaphroditus was a brave man, because to agree to become an assistant to a person awaiting trial and, perhaps, the death penalty, meant risking himself being prosecuted on this charge. Epaphroditus did risk his life for Paul.

In Rome, Epaphroditus fell ill and was close to death. Perhaps it was the famous Roman fever that sometimes swept the entire city like an epidemic. Epaphroditus knew that rumors about his illness had reached Philip, and he worried that his friends would worry about him. In His mercy, God saved Epaphrodite's life and thereby delivered Paul from another sorrow. But Paul knew that it was time for Epaphrodite to go back and, very likely, that he brought this letter to Philippi.

But there was one difficulty. The Philippian Church sent Epaphroditus to stay with Paul, and if he now returned home, there would be those who would call him lazy and cowardly. And here Paul gives Epaphrodite a letter of recommendation, which should have excluded any criticism upon his return.

Every word has been carefully chosen in this characterization. Epaphroditus is his brother, collaborator and associate. As the commentator Lightfoot put it, Epaphroditus was one with Paul in feelings, in labor, in danger. He really stood in the line of fire. Paul goes on to call Epaphrodite messenger and minister in need. In translation, it is difficult to convey the shades of these words.

Messenger - this is with Paul apostolos. Literally apostolos means - everyone sent on a mission but among Christians this word acquired an exalted meaning and, using it here, Paul places Epaphrodite on a par with himself, as the apostle of Christ.

Minister - this is with Paul leitourgos. This is a wonderful word. In ancient times, there were people in Greek cities who loved their country so much that they took it upon themselves to fulfill, at their own expense, important civil obligations. They took upon themselves the costs of paying for some embassy, ​​staging a drama of the great poet, training athletes to represent the city at games, or outfitting a warship and paying the crew's salaries. These people were the highest benefactors of the state and they were called lepturgy.

Paul applies the great Christian word to Epaphrodite apostolos and a wonderful Greek word leitourgos."Accept him ... with all joy," he says, "and respect such people, because he risked his life for Christ."

Paul makes it easy for Epaphrodite to return home, and there is something beautiful about it. It is touching to think of Paul, who was in prison awaiting trial, in the very shadow of death, and who cared so much about Epaphrodite in a Christian way. He himself looked death in the face, and yet he made sure that when he returned home, Epaphrodite would not have difficulties. In relation to other people, Paul was a real Christian because he was never so busy with his problems that he did not have time to think about the problems of his friends.

One word from this passage was later gloriously used. It speaks of Epaphroditus - endangering life (his). In Greek it is a verb paraboleuesfay, which is a word from the jargon of gambling and means - bet everything when playing dice. Paul says that for the sake of Jesus Christ Epaphroditus put his life on the line. In the era of the early Church, there was an association of men and women who were called parabolani, gamblers. Their goal was to visit prisoners and the sick, especially those who were sick with dangerous and contagious diseases. In 252, a plague broke out in Carthage. The pagans threw the bodies of their dead and fled in terror. The Christian bishop of Carthage, Cyprian, gathered his community and they began to bury the dead and care for the sick in the plague-ridden city, and thus, risking their lives, saved the city from destruction and devastation.

The Christian must have a sense of almost desperate courage that enables him to stake his life in the ministry.

Comments (introduction) to the entire book of Philippians

Comments on chapter 2

A small volume of kindness in the imperishable cover of grace. J. H. Jowett

Introduction

I. SPECIAL SITUATION IN CANON

The first church of a denomination, founded in a city, enjoys special prestige in the eyes of its members. Imagine then the whole significance of the church, which, long before the emergence of denominations, was the first of all known churches to appear not just in a single city, but throughout Europe! It was such a church that the assembly of believers in the city of Philippi, in ancient Macedonia (in the north of Greece), was. Today, Western Christians (and even non-Christians, if they knew about the "by-products" of Christianity, which they enjoy using) should be glad that Paul followed the "Macedonian call" and with the evangelization of the Roman Empire turned to the West, not to the East! It is quite possible that if the Gospel had not then taken root in Europe, Asia would have sent missionaries to Europe and North America, and not vice versa.

The Church of Philip, without stint, again and again rendered Paul material support. This, from a human point of view, was the reason for writing this letter of thanks.

In fact, Philippians goes far beyond that. It is truly a message of joy: the concepts of “joy” and “rejoice” occur 16 times in its four chapters.

Paul knew how to rejoice both in difficult times and in favorable times (4:11). There is very little controversy or admonition using negative examples in this cheerful message.

Main reason, allowing Christians rejoice lies in the fact that the Son of God agreed to come to earth in the guise of a man, besides, a slave! Without stopping at the intermediate stage of healing and instruction, He went all the way to the end, to death - death on the cross.

This great and wonderful truth is recorded at Philippians 2, 5-11, and many believe that these words were taken from a Christian hymn that Paul quoted or wrote himself. But these words were included to indicate that the path to unity is through humility. Unfortunately, among the people who fill churches these days, this doctrine, to which the NT turns again and again, remains in oblivion - and the results of such an attitude are sad.

So, before us is the Epistle to the Philippians - one of the most joyful and attractive books in the entire Word of God.

Since most theologians consider Paul's authorship to be indisputable, we present evidence in favor of this opinion mainly for the sake of completeness of the picture. Some theologians claim to distinguish between footprints two letters later incorporated into the Epistle to the Philippians, or that at least the servant verses (2,5-11) were inserted into the Epistle later by someone else's hand. Nothing was found in the manuscripts that could be

be regarded as evidence in favor of such theories.

External evidence very much. Among those who quoted the Epistle at the dawn of Christianity, very often mentioning that it was written by Paul, were Ignatius, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian. Both the Marcion canon and the Muratori canon attribute this book to Paul.

Along with the unambiguous reference to Paul in 1.1, the voice of the apostle we clearly hear in the very style and wording of this letter. The arguments put forward against Paul's authorship are often petty, such as the assertion that the concepts of "bishop" and "deacon" in 1.1 came into use many years after Paul's death. There would be some truth in this if we tried to ascribe to the first century those ideas about bishops that appeared much later... Paul uses the word " bishop"as a synonym for the word" elder". It should also be noted that in the community to which Paul is addressing, there was several bishops.

G.A. Kennedy has beautifully formulated internal evidence:

"Perhaps, in none of Paul's epistles is the seal of his authenticity so clearly visible. Neither his artlessness, nor the subtlety of feelings, nor the sincerity of his heart's outpourings is simply impossible to forge."(H.A.A. Kennedy, Philippians, The Expositor "s Greek Testament, III: 407.)

III. TIME OF WRITING

Like the Epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon, the Epistle to the Philippians was written from prison and therefore belongs to the category of "prison letters". But if the first three letters were likely written and sent at about the same time (about 60 AD), then Philippians was certainly written a little later. Marcion emphasizes that Paul wrote this Epistle from Rome, and his words are in perfect agreement with verses 1: 13 and 4.22, from which it follows that the Epistle was written in Rom. Paul spent two years under arrest in Rome, and some details of the Epistle suggest that it was written towards the end of this period. So, for example, from 1.12-18 it can be concluded that quite a long time has passed since the moment when the apostle, having arrived in the Eternal City, began to preach the Gospel in it. Verses 1.12.13.19.23-26 may well contain an indication that Paul's case is about to be adjudicated (and probably a favorable deliverance for him).

These facts, along with the fact that the letters, visits and money transfers mentioned in the Epistle, also took some time, serve as a basis for us to state that the letter was written at the end of 61 A.D.

IV. PURPOSE OF WRITING AND TOPIC

The day the apostle Paul reached the city of Troas on his second missionary journey was a great day in the history of Christian missionary work. Troas was located in Asia Minor on the northwestern coast of the Aegean Sea, opposite the Greek one. One night a Macedonian man appeared to the apostle in a vision and said: "Come to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16: 9).

Paul immediately began to prepare to sail to Macedonia, taking Timothy with him, as well as Luke and Silas. They set foot on the land of Europe in Naples, and then went inland, to Philippi. This later expanded city was at that time a Roman colony, ruled by Rome and granting its inhabitants the rights and privileges of Roman citizens.

On Saturday, the preachers of the Gospel went out of town to the river, where a group of women used to gather for prayer (Acts 16:13). Among them was Lydia of Thyatir, who traded in purple. By accepting the gospel message, she, as far as we know, became the first convert to Christianity on the European continent.

However, Paul's stay in Philippi was far from serene. Once the servants of the Lord met a girl possessed by the spirit of divination (predicting future events). For a while she followed them and shouted: "These people are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation" (Acts 16:17). Not wanting to accept the testimony of a possessed evil spirit, the apostle ordered the demon to get out of her. The owners of this girl, who profited greatly from her predictions, saw what happened and were furious. They dragged Paul and Silas to the market square to be brought before the representatives of Rome. The judges, in turn, ordered them to be flogged and thrown into prison.

Everyone is well aware of the events that took place in the prison of the city of Philippa. At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God.

Suddenly an earthquake began, throwing open the doors of the prison and freeing the prisoners from their chains. The jailer, deciding that all the prisoners had escaped, was about to kill himself when Paul assured him that none of the prisoners had escaped. Then the prison guard exclaimed: "My lords, what can I do to be saved?" The answer was truly unforgettable: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved ..." (Acts 16: 30-31). This was another trophy of God's grace in Philippi. The next morning, the local authorities began to persistently ask Paul and his companions to leave the city as soon as possible. But Paul refused to do it. He reminded them that he, a Roman citizen, was first beaten and then thrown into prison without trial or investigation. After several requests from the city ministers to leave the city, Paul and his companions first visited the house of Lydia, and then set off (Acts 16:40).

Ten years later, Paul was writing a letter to the Philippians. He is imprisoned again. The Philippians heard that Paul was in prison and sent him money. Epaphrodite was entrusted with this gift to Paul. Having fulfilled the commission, he decided to stay in Rome for a while and help the apostle during these difficult times for him. Fulfilling his duties, Epaphroditus fell seriously ill and was on the verge of death. But God had mercy on him and put him back on his feet. So, now he is ready to travel to Philippi, to his native church, and the apostle passes this letter of gratitude with him.

The letter to the Philippians is Paul's most personal and warm letter. It clearly follows from him that this church occupied a very special place among the heart affections of the apostle.

When we read it, we see a picture of the reverent relationship that existed between the great apostle and the church he founded.

Plan

I. THE GREETING OF PAUL, HIS PRAISE AND PRAYER (1: 1-11)

II. PAUL REPORTS HIS CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PLANS AND CALLS FOR RESISTANCE (1,12-30)

III. A CALL FOR UNITY BASED ON THE EXAMPLE TRAINED BY CHRIST OF HUMILITY AND Willingness to Sacrifice (2,1-16)

IV. PAUL, TIMOTHY AND EPAPHRODITIS IMITATE CHRIST (2,17-30)

V. WARNING ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS (3,1-3)

Vi. FOR CHRIST PAUL REDACTED THE HERITAGE AND ALL THEIR ACHIEVED (3,4-14)

III. A CALL FOR UNITY BASED ON THE EXAMPLE TRAINED BY CHRIST OF HUMILITY AND Willingness to Sacrifice (2,1-16)

Although the church in Philippi was exemplary in many ways, and Paul spoke warmly of her saints more than once, there was still an undercurrent of strife in the river of her life. So, for example, disagreement reigned between two women, Euodia and Syntyche (4.2). This fact should not be ignored, because in chapter 2 the apostle addresses directly the cause of strife among the people of God and the way to get rid of them.

2,1 "If" in this verse does not signal doubt, but marks the beginning of an argument. The verse lists four compelling considerations that should bring believers together in harmony and cooperation. In essence, the apostle says: " Since in Christ so many consolation, since His love so convincing because Saint Spirit unites us all in such a wonderful communication, since there is such an abundance in Christianity mercy and compassion, then we must be able to live in happy harmony with each other. "

FB Meyer describes these four motives as follows:

1) the persuasiveness of Christ;
2) tender care given by love;
3) community of the Spirit;
4) humanity and compassion.(F. B. Meyer, Devotional Commentary on Philippians, pp. 77-79.)

The Apostle calls unequivocally for unity based on a common dedication to Christ and a common possession of the Holy Spirit. Now that they have all that is hidden in Christ, unity of purpose, mutual affection, harmony and compassion should reign among the members of his Body.

2,2 If all the above arguments have any weight in the eyes of the Philippians, then on the basis of these arguments Paul pleads with them supplement his joy. All the while, the Philippians really gave Paul a lot of joy. He does not even think to deny it, but asks them to fill the cup of his joy to the brim. They can do this, having the same thoughts, having the same love, being of one mind and one mind.

Does this mean that all Christians should think and act the same way? We will not find anywhere in the Word of God even a hint of such a thing. While there should be no disagreement among the saints about the great foundational truths of the Christian faith, there is no doubt that there can be many different opinions on secondary issues. "Uniformity" and "unity" are not the same thing at all. The second may well exist without the first. While we may hold different views on some minor issues, for the sake of others we must keep our opinions to ourselves, unless we are talking about fundamental truths.

Have only thoughts actually means having the mind of Christ, seeing everything through His eyes, responding to events as He would respond.

Have the same love- means to show in relation to others the same love that the Lord showed to us, a love that does not count with any costs. Be unanimous- means together, in full agreement to work for a common goal. Finally, be of one mind- means to always act with a united front to show that all our activities are directed by the mind of Christ.

2,3 Nothing should never do out of ambition or vanity, because these are the two most dangerous enemies of unity among God's people. Contempt- the desire to be the most important at any cost. Vanity- a sign of pride, self-protruding. Wherever people emerge seeking to gather a group of supporters around themselves or impose their goals on others, the seeds of strife and quarrels are invariably sown. The remedy for this is indicated in the second part of the verse.

In humility of mind, honor one another above yourself. This does not mean that we should regard criminals as people of a higher moral order than ourselves; it only means that, having forgotten about selfishness, we must live for others, putting their interests above our own. It is easy to read such instruction in God's Word, but it is not at all easy to let it take over our hearts and then begin to follow it in our daily life. Principle honor another above yourself contradicts all human ideas about life, and a person is simply not able to follow it, relying only on his own strength. We will be able to live like this only when the Holy Spirit living in us will give us the strength for this.

2,4 A powerful remedy for problems and troubles among God's people is to care more for others than for yourself. Word " other" truly key to this chapter. Only when we devote our whole life to devotional service to others can we rise above all selfish human strife.

Let me, Lord, live like You -
A life of majestic beauty
Service to others.

(Charles D. Madges)

2,5 You must have the same feeling that you did in Christ Jesus. Paul encourages the Philippians to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. How did He treat people? What was characteristic of His behavior towards others? Guy King gave an excellent description of the mindset of Jesus Christ:

"His way of thinking was characterized by: 1) selflessness; 2) sacrifice; 3) willingness to serve. The Lord Jesus constantly thought about others." (King, Joy Way, p. 51.)

He had no tears for His sorrows,
But for my sorrows, bloody sweat trickled down.

(Charles H. Gabriel)

2,6 Reading that Christ Jesus was in the image of God, we learn that in all eternity He was like God. This does not mean that He was simply like God; no, He is God in the fullest sense of the word.

At the same time, He did not consider it a theft to be equal to God. The exact distinction between equality with God in the personal aspect and in the positional aspect is extremely important here. As for His Person, Christ is always was, is and will be equal to God. It would be simply impossible for Him to refuse this. Equality in position, or positional equality, is different. Throughout eternity, Jesus held an equal position with His Father, enjoying the glory of heaven. But He did not find His position worthy of holding on to it at any cost. When lost humanity needed a Redeemer, He readily renounced the equality of His position with that of the Father, renounced the comforts and joys of heaven. In His eyes, they were not so valuable as not to part with them for a second and under no circumstances.

Thus, He was ready to come into this world and endure the attacks of sinners. No one ever spat on God the Father, He was not beaten or crucified. In this sense, the Father is more

The Son is no longer about His Person, but about His position and way of life. Jesus formulated this idea in Heb. from John (14:28) thus: "If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I said: I am going to the Father; for My Father is greater than Me." In other words, the disciples should have been overjoyed to learn that He was going home to heaven. He was mistreated and rejected on earth. Here His position was lower than that of the Father. In this sense, the Father was more than He. But when He returned to heaven, He became equal to the Father not only as Personality, but also according to his occupation position.

Gifford explains:

"In the second part of the sentence (" I did not consider it a robbery to be equal to God "), it is not nature or essence that is described ... but the way of existence; and one way of existence can be replaced by another, although the very essence of existence remains unchanged. Paul: "... He, being rich, became impoverished for your sake, so that you would be enriched by His poverty" (2 Cor. 8: 9). In both cases, there is a change in the way of existence, but not in its nature. a person becomes rich, his way of existence changes, but in no way his nature as a man.Like with the Son of God: from the rich and glorious way of existence, which adequately manifested His Divine nature to everyone and fully corresponded to it, He descended for us to be human life - an incomparably lower and poorer way of existence, which he took along with human nature. "(E. H. Gifford, The Incarnation, pp. 44-45.)

2,7 But he humbled himself. The literal translation is: "But He emptied Himself." The question immediately arises: "From what did the Lord Jesus empty Himself?"

Great care must be taken in answering this question. Human attempts to define this "devastation" often ended in the deprivation of Christ of the qualities and properties inherent in Him as God. Some, for example, claim that while the Lord Jesus was on earth, He was neither omniscient nor omnipotent. He could no longer be in different places at the same time. They assert that, having come into this world as a Man, He voluntarily renounced the qualities inherent in the Divine.

Some even say that the boundaries, insurmountable for a person, were insurmountable for Him, that He was not immune from mistakes and adopted the opinions and myths that were common in those days! We categorically reject all this. When Jesus came into this world, he did not give up any of God's attributes.

He was omniscient even on earth. He was omnipresent on earth (present at any moment of time everywhere).

He was omnipotent on earth.

What He really did was empty Himself from a position equal to God and hid the glory of the Godhead in a body of human flesh. Glory did not disappear anywhere, but it was hidden, and only from time to time its rays shone dazzlingly, as it was, for example, on the Mount of Transfiguration. There was not a single moment in His earthly life when He did not possess all the qualities of God.

Throwing away the garment worthy of God,
He hid His Deity in a vessel of dust,
And love of amazing power shone in him,
Reimbursing a hundredfold for everything that she never took.

As already stated, the utmost care must be taken when trying to explain the words “He emptied himself”. The risk can be minimized by looking for the explanation of a phrase in the words immediately following it. He emptied Himself taking on the form of a slave and in appearance becoming like a man. In other words, He emptied Himself by taking upon Himself what He had never had before - human nature. He put aside not His Divinity at all, but only His place in heaven, and even then only for a certain time.

If He were just a man, there would be no way to call it "devastation." We do not empty ourselves by being born into this world. But for God to become human meant to empty Himself. In fact, only God can do this. Taking the form of a slave. The essence of the incarnation and life of the Savior is beautifully reflected in Ev. from John (13,3-4): "Jesus ... took off his outer garment and took a towel and girded himself." The towel, or apron, is a symbol of service. It was used by slaves. The blessed Lord Jesus also used it, because He "did not come to be served, but to serve and give His soul for the ransom of many" (Matthew 20:28). But let's stop and recall the line of reasoning in this chapter.

Disagreements arose among Christians in Philippi. Paul pleads with them to have the mindset of Christ. In short, the gist of this argument is this: if Christians are willing to take the lowest position and serve others by sacrificing their lives, there will never be a fight. People who are willing to die for others, as a rule, will not quarrel with them.

Christ has always been, but He came into the world, becoming like people, that is, like a real Human. The human nature of Christ is as real as the divine one. He is true God and true Man. But how great is this secret! No created mind can ever comprehend it!

2,8 Each phrase in this verse is another step up the ladder of ever-increasing humiliation of the beloved Son of God. He was not only ready to leave the glory of heaven! He emptied Himself! He took the form of a slave! He became a Man! Now we read that He humbled Himself! There is no humiliation that He would not go to for the salvation of our guilty souls. May His glorious name be forever blessed! He humbled Himself, being obedient even to death. How not to be amazed at this! He obeyed even though it cost Him his life. " Obedient even to death " means He was obedient to the very end. Truly, He was a merchant who went and sold everything that he had in order to buy a precious pearl (Matt. 13:46).

And the godmother's death. Death on the cross was the most infamous form of execution. It can be compared to death on the gallows, in the electric chair, or in the gas chamber - a death to which only murderers are sentenced. And just such a death was prepared for the Best of all living in heaven when He came into this world. He was not allowed to die a natural death in his bed. His death could not have occurred as a result of an accident. He had to die shameful death on the cross.

2,9 Here the line of reasoning changes direction abruptly. The previous verses describe what Jesus did. He embarked on the path of self-denial. He did not seek His own glory. He humbled Himself. Now it's about what I did God... If the Savior humbled Himself, then God exalted Him. If He did not seek His glory, then If He was kneeling in the ministry of others, God commanded that before Him every knee bowed.

And what lesson should the Philippians and all of us learn from all of the above? The lesson is that every way up leads down.

We must not exalt ourselves, but serve others, so that God in His time will exalt us.

God exalted Christ by raising Him from the dead and opening heaven to receive Him and give Him a place at His right hand. And not only this - God gave Him a name above every name.

There is disagreement among theologians as to what kind of name.

Some say this is the name Jesus, one of which is the name Jehovah... Isaiah (45,22-23) records that every knee bows before the name of Jehovah (God).

Others believe that " name above every name "- just a metaphor denoting the highest position in the universe, a place of superiority and dominion. Both explanations, in our opinion, are acceptable.

2,10 God was so pleased with Christ's redemptive work that he commanded bow down to every knee before Him - to all beings in heaven, on earth, and underground. This does not mean that they will all be saved.

Those who are unwilling to kneel before Him voluntarily, one day there will be forced do it. Those who will not be reconciled to God on the day of His grace will be cast down at His feet on the day of Judgment.

2,11 In unparalleled grace, the Lord went all the way from glory to Bethlehem, the Garden of Gethsemane and Calvary. In return, God will honor Him with worldwide recognition of His dominion and worldwide admiration.

Those who did not believe His words about His divinity will one day have to admit that they were fools, that they were deeply deluded, and that Jesus of Nazareth is truly the Lord of glory.

Before we finish analyzing these magnificent words about the Person and the work of the Lord Jesus, I would like to repeat once again that this topic was raised in connection with a rather minor problem that appeared in the church of Philip. Paul had no intention of writing a treatise on the Lord. He simply tried to help the saints to get rid of the spirit of selfishness and schism in their midst. The cure for this disease is the mindset of Christ. In every situation, Paul invariably turns to the image of the Lord.

"Even touching on the most delicate, depressing and unpleasant questions," writes Erdman, "Paul could clothe the truth in such an amazingly beautiful form that it became like a precious stone in an ordinary-looking piece of rock." (Charles R. Erdman, no more complete data available.)

2,12 Now, when, thanks to his efforts, the image of Christ in such a dazzling radiance arose before the reader, the apostle is preparing to convey to his heart and admonition, which is based on the example of the Lord.

Philippians always were obedient Paul when he was among them. Now, in his absence, they must much more to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Again, we have before us a verse of Scripture that engenders considerable confusion among the people of God. To begin with, we need to make it clear that Paul does not teach about the possibility of meriting salvation by good works. In all his letters, he tirelessly emphasizes that salvation is obtained not by works, but by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But what then does this verse teach?

1. He can teach what we should commit the salvation already laid in us by God. God gave us eternal life for free, for free. Now we must show our salvation to the world by living holy.

2. The rescue in this case may mean a solution to the problem of the saints in Philippi. For a long time they were tormented by disagreements and quarrels over trifles. The apostle pointed out to them a cure for the disease. And now they must "take" this medicine, gaining the mindset of Christ. In this way they will work out their salvation, or work to solve their problem.

The rescue, which is spoken of here is not the salvation of the soul, but deliverance from the snares and snares that can prevent a Christian from doing the will of God. Vine describes it in the same spirit, calling it the actual knowledge of getting rid of evil.

The word "salvation" in NT has many different meanings. We have already noted that at 1.19 it means release from prison. In 1.28, salvation refers to the future salvation of our bodies from the presence of sin.

The meaning of this term in a particular case is at least partially predetermined by its context. We believe that in this case the word "the rescue" means solving the problem that oppressed the Philippians, that is, the problem of their differences.

2,13 Now Paul reminds them that they can work out salvation, because exactly God produces in them and will, and action according to His own pleasure. It is God who first puts in us a desire, or an aspiration, to do His will. And again, it is He produces in we have the power to make this desire a reality.

Here again we see the wonderful fusion of the Divine and the human. On the one hand, we are encouraged to work out our salvation.

On the other hand, only God can give us the strength to do this. We have to do our part, and God will do His. (But this principle does not apply to forgiveness of sins or to being born again. Atonement is the work of God alone. We simply believe and accept it.)

2,14 As we do His good pleasure, we must do so without murmurings and unnecessary questions. Not somehow, but with glee. Murmurs and doubts usually lead to serious violations and misconduct.

2,15 Only by refraining from murmurings and doubts can we be blameless and clean(sincere and ingenuous). Against man unashamed no charge can be brought up (see Dan. 6.4).

Immaculate a person can sin, but he always apologizes, confesses sin and makes amends at the first opportunity. " Clean" here means "sincere, ingenuous."

Children of God must be blameless among the obstinate and depraved race. The impeccable life of the children of God will shine the brighter the more hopeless the gloom that envelops the whole world.

This leads Paul to compare them with luminaries in the dark night. The darker the night, the brighter the stars shine. Christians are luminaries, or carriers of light. They cannot generate light, but they can reflect the glory of the Lord so that others can see Jesus in them.

2,16 Containing the word of life. As luminaries, we shine, but this does not mean that the need for words of testimony about Christ has disappeared. The world needs to hear a double testimony - the testimony of our lives and the testimony of words.

If the Philippians fulfill these responsibilities, then the apostle is confident that he will have some reason to praise on the day of Christ. He considers himself obligated not only to save souls, but also to present every saint as perfect in Christ (Col. 1: 28).

Day of christ- the time of His return and judgment over the ministry of believers (1: 6,10). If the Philippians work faithfully for the Lord, then it will become evident on that day that Paul's ministry was not futile.

IV. PAUL, TIMOTHY AND EPAPHRODITIS IMITATE CHRIST (2,17-30)

In the previous section, Paul pointed to the Lord Jesus as the most prominent example of a humble mindset. But, perhaps, someone is tempted to say: "Yes, but He is God, and we are mere mortals." Therefore, Paul cites the example of three people who in practice showed the way of thinking of Christ: himself, Timothy and Epaphrodite. If Christ is the sun, then each of these three is the moon, reflecting the glory of the sun. They are luminaries in the dark world.

2,17 The apostle used an excellent example to describe the ministry of the Philippians and his own. He took this illustration from an area familiar to both Jews and Gentiles: the libation sacrifice poured onto the sacrifice when the sacrifice was performed.

Paul speaks of the Phippians as those who sacrifice. Their victim- it faith. Paul himself is a libation offering. He will be happy to pour out in martyrdom on sacrifice and the ministry of faith.

Williams writes:

“The apostle compares the self-sacrifice and energy of the Philippians with his own, extolling their merits and belittling their own. to this beautiful rhetorical figure, he allegorically indicated the probable approach of his martyr's death. "(George Williams, The Student "s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, p. 931.)

If such a fate befall him, he will rejoice that it should happen.

2,18 For the same reason, the Philippians must rejoice and rejoice Paul. They should not regard his possible martyrdom as a tragedy. They should congratulate him on such a glorious departure home.

2,19 Prior to this verse, Paul gave two examples of sacrificial love: the love of the Lord Jesus and his own. Both of them were ready to give their whole lives without a trace. But there are two more examples of self-sacrifice - Timofey and Epaphrodite.

The apostle hopes to send Timothy to Philippi in the near future to be comforted in spirit, having learned the latest news from there.

2,20 Among all Paul's associates, Timothy was distinguished by his disinterested concern for the spiritual condition of the Philippians. Paul had no one to whom he could so confidently entrust attending this church. This is truly a high praise for such a young man as Timothy was then!

2,21 Others went headlong into their own personal interests. They are so firmly bogged down in the swamp of life's bustle that they have absolutely no time left for that, whatever Jesus Christ wants. Does this description also apply to us, closed in our little world of houses, refrigerators, televisions and others? of things? (See Luke 8.14.)

2,22 Timothy was the son of an apostle by faith, and this role he played truly faithfully. The Philippians knew about him going through great trials. loyalty. They knew, what like a son serves father, so does Timofey served Paul in the work of preaching the gospel.

2,23-24 Since Timothy had already proven himself in the best possible way, Paul hoped send it to the Philippians as soon as the outcome of his intercession before Caesar becomes known. This is undoubtedly what the apostle meant when he said: " ... as soon as I know what will become of me. " He hopes to receive a favorable response to his petition, regain his freedom, and visit the Philippians again.

2,25 Then we see the mindset of Christ in Epaphrodite. It cannot be said with certainty whether the reference is made to the same person as Colossians 4.12. But be that as it may, he lived in Philippi and was sent to Paul by the church there.

The apostle speaks of Epaphroditus as of (1) to your brother(2) to your employee,(3) to his associate. The first is about heartfelt affection, the second is about strenuous work, and the third is about the absence of conflict. This person could work hand in hand with other people, and in the Christian life and ministry this is undoubtedly a very valuable quality. It's one thing for a Christian to work alone, doing things his own way. How much more difficult it is to work together with others, "play second fiddle", accept people as they are, push personal desires and opinions into the background for the good of the whole group. Let's be staff and companions!

In addition to this, Paul speaks of him as " your messenger and minister in my need "! This gives us another very important clue to his identity. Epaphroditus was ready to do a dirty, thankless job. Nowadays, many strive to do only what can bring them public recognition and pleasure. How we should be grateful for those who calmly and imperceptibly perform routine work! By this hard work Epaphroditus humiliated himself. God exalted him by perpetuating his devotional service in the Epistle to the Philippians for all subsequent generations.

2,26 The Saints sent Epaphroditus to help Paul on a journey of at least 1200 km. As a result, he fell seriously ill and was even on the verge of death. This circumstance grieved him very much - not that he was so sick, but that the saints could hear about his illness. After all, if they knew about it, they would reproach themselves for sending him on this path and thereby endangering his life. In the chest of Epaphrodite, undoubtedly, a heart was beating, in which there was no place for his "I". Many Christians have developed a regrettable habit of talking at length about their illnesses or operations. Very often this is nothing more than a demonstration of the sins of self-pity, self-pitying, self-extrusion, which have taken deep roots in a person's life.

2,27 Epaphrodite was sick near death, but God had mercy on him. This verse is especially valuable to us in that it sheds additional light on the issue of divine healing:

1. First, illness is not always the result of sin. This man fell ill as a result of the faithful fulfillment of his duties (see v. 30): "... for the work of Christ he was close to death."

2. Secondly, we learn that God does not always want to see instant and miraculous healing. It seems that Epaphrodite's illness was long-term and that his recovery was gradual (see also 2 Tim. 4.20; 3 John 2).

3. Third, we learn that healing is the grace of God, not our right, which we would have the right to demand from God.

Paul adds that God has mercy not only Epaphrodite, but also him, the apostle, so as not to increase him sadness to sadness. The apostle was already not a little distressed by his imprisonment. If Epaphroditus had died, another one would have been added to his sorrow.

2,28 Now that Epaphroditus has recovered and gained strength, Paul happily sends him home. The Philippians will be overjoyed at the return of their beloved brother, and for Paul it will be a great comfort in his sorrows.

2,29 They should not only to accept Epaphrodite with all joy, but also highly respect this wonderful Christian. Participate in the ministry To the Lord- a great honor and privilege. The saints should be aware of this, even when it comes to a person who is very familiar to them.

2,30 As already mentioned, Epaphrodite's illness was directly related to his tireless ministry. Christ. This is of great value in the eyes of the Lord. It is better burn out for Christ than rust... It is better to die in the service of the Lord than to become another statistic in the list of those who died from illness or who were the victim of an accident.

Does the phrase mean "in order to make up for the lack of your services to me", that the Philippians neglected their duty to Paul and that Epaphroditus did what they were supposed to do? It is unlikely, because it was on the initiative of the Philippians that Epaphroditus was sent to Paul.

We believe that this lack of services stemmed primarily from the fact that, due to their remoteness from Rome, they themselves could not visit Paul and provide him with direct assistance.

Therefore, the apostle does not reproach them, but simply states the fact that Epaphroditus, as their representative, did for Paul what they could not do personally.

CHAPTER 2
1. So, if you have something that you, being in union with the Messiah, could encourage me, some consolation that flows from love, some fellowship with me in the Spirit, or compassion and sympathy,
2. Then add to my joy: have a common goal and the same love, be united in heart and thoughts.
3. Do nothing out of competition or vanity, but humbly consider others better than yourself.
4. Take care of the interests of others, not just your own.
5. In your relationships with each other, be guided by the fact that you are in union with the Messiah Yeshua:
6. Although he was an image of God, he did not believe that equality with God could be acquired by strength.
Although before his incarnation Yeshua, the second Adam (Rom. 5: 15-18, 1 Cor. 15: 45-49), was, like the first, the image of God (Genesis 1: 26-27, 2 Cor. 4: 4, Col . 1:15, Me. 1: 2), he, unlike the first Adam (Genesis 3: 5-7) and unlike Satan (Mat. 4: 1-10 & N), did not believe that equality God can be acquired by strength. “Not to gain by power” can mean a rejection of the equality with the Father, which he, being the Son of God, already had. It is more likely, however, that what is meant here is a rejection of claims that did not yet belong to him. We are talking about power over all creation, including over mankind, which, due to sin, needed his substitutionary sacrifice in order to be able to share the government with him. Therefore, the Messiah chooses the will of the Father, not his own (Mat. 26:39; Me. 10: 7, where Psalm 39: 9 is quoted), taking the path of obedience and suffering for the promised reward (vv. 8-11; Me. 2: 6-14, 5: 8, 12: 2). The concept of the pre-existence of the Messiah was familiar to rabbinic Judaism (Yn 1: 1-18 & N), so one should not assume that Sha'ul took as a basis the pagan ideas about the "celestial" who descended from heaven with the mission of saving mankind. The Tanakh provides more than compelling evidence for such an interpretation in Genesis 2: 4-3: 22, which speaks of Adam, and in the passage about the suffering Servant of Adonai (Isaiah 52: 13-53: 12), so there is no need to explain this by influence Hellenistic or Gnostic ideas.

More problematic for Judaism is the concept of the Messiah's equality with God; about this, see the comments to Art. 9-11 below.

7. On the contrary, he humiliated himself by taking the form of a slave, becoming like people. And appearing as a man
8. he humbled himself even more, becoming so obedient that he accepted death - death on the execution rack, like a criminal!
Verses 7-8 How Yeshua humiliated himself (or what he “deprived himself of”) is a matter of theological debate. The "theory of kenosis" is that he abandoned the qualities inherent in God (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, awareness of his eternal nature) in order to become human. I will try to show in what three aspects Yeshua humiliated himself:

1) He renounced “equality with God” (v. 6), which implies, although not necessarily, that he possessed these qualities of God and completely renounced them.

2) He took the image (the same Greek word as in v. 6) of a servant, servant of Adonai (Isaiah 52: 13-53: 12), becoming like people with the only difference that he did not sin (Rom. 8: 3; Me. 2: 7.14). “The Word became a man and lived with us” (Yn 1:14). The glory that Yeshua had before his incarnation (Yn. 17: 5,24) was hidden from people and was manifested only in the miracles he performed and during the Transfiguration (Luke 9:32).

3) He humbled himself even more, becoming obedient so much that he accepted death - death on the execution rack, like a criminal! This was the greatest manifestation of humility and the last stage of humiliation. " He gave his soul to death”(Isaiah 53:12). Only for a sinless person can death be a manifestation of obedience and not just an inevitable outcome (Genesis 2:17; Rom. 5: 12-21).

The phrase “obedient so that he accepted death” can mean an even lower level of humiliation - Yeshua descended into the abyss (hell, “the underworld of the place of the earth”), that is, in a certain sense, he voluntarily enslaved himself to the power of death (Acts 2: 27,31; Rom. 10: 6-8; 1 Cor. 15: 54-57; Eph. 4: 8-10; Me. 2: 14-15; 1 Keph. 3:19).

Death on the execution rack, like a criminal, literally "death on the cross" see com. to Mat. 10:38. It was the most humiliating death in two ways. First, in the Roman Empire, this type of execution was provided for criminals who were not Roman citizens; citizenship gave criminals the right to be treated more humanely during executions, even those who committed the most serious crimes. Second, for the Jews, a crucified or hanged person fell under the curse (Deuteronomy 21:23, quoted in Gal. 3:13 in connection with Yeshua). For many Jews, this became a "stumbling block" (1 Cor. 1:23), preventing them from seeing the Messiah in the person of Yeshua. The curse of separation from God, resulting from sin (Isaiah 59: 2), was taken upon by the sinless Savior (Mat. 27:46), thus removing the barrier between humanity and God, as Shaul teaches in Rom. 5: 9-11.

At the same time, Yeshua's death is similar in some respects, and in some respects different from what the Jewish tradition calls death. al Kidush-GaShem, that is, a martyr's death "in the sanctification of the name" of God. See about this com. to Deyat. 7: 59-60.

9. Therefore God exalted him and gave him a name above all other names;
10.that, as a sign of respect for the name given to Yeshua, every knee bowed, in heaven, on earth and underground,
11.and every language recognized that the Messiah Yeshua is Adonai, for the glory of God the Father.
Verses 1-11 The best example of caring for the interests of others (v. 4) was shown by Yeshua, who gave up equality with God in order to die for us (v. 6-8). In union with the Messiah (vv. 1, 5), we can have the same humility (v. 3) that he does. God will reward such obedience (vv. 8-11).

Verses 6-11 The notes for these verses are largely based on Ralph Martin's book The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians (Tyndale Commentary Series, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1959). He also wrote a monograph on these six verses. An unusual selection of Greek words suggests that Sha'ul is quoting a hymn in Aramaic or Hebrew that was recited by the Messianic Jews of Israel during Passover and communion (cf. Pliny the Younger's letter quoted in the footnote to Yn 1: 1-18). The first part of the hymn talks about how Yeshua descended to earth (v. 6-8), the second - about his ascension (v. 9-11). Each of these parts can be broken down into several more: his pre-existence (v. 6-7), his life on earth (v. 7-8), his high status now (v. 9) and his future rule of the entire universe (v. 10-11).

Verses 9-11 Because of his obedience (v. 8) Yeshua went through humiliation and was rewarded and exalted (compare with his own teaching in Matthew 18: 4, 23:12; Luke 14: 7-11, 18: 9-14) ... God exalted him by seating him “at his right hand” (Psalm 109: 1; see Mat. 22:44) and allowing him to share with Him “honor, glory, and power” (Rev. 5:13). In addition, God gave him a name, that is, character and authority, above all other names (v. 9). In verses 10-11, Sha'ul reveals to us a startling fact, pointing out that the name that is above all other names is Adonai. Moreover, he claims that the day is coming when every language - angelic (in heaven), human (on earth) and demonic (underground) - will recognize this.

Messiah Yeshua - Adonai (Greek. curios). As already explained in com. to Mat. 1:20, Greek word curios has a wide range of meanings: the personal name of God (Tetragrammaton, YHVG, "Jehovah", in the Hebrew New Testament is conveyed by the word Adonai), “Lord” (in relation to God, who is the ruler of the entire universe), “master” (“master”, about a person) and “master” (a form of polite address). Since Isaiah 45:23 is referring to YHVG, and this passage is quoted in v. 10 in relation to Yeshua, I believe this verse teaches us that Yeshua's Messiah is YHVG and not just "Lord" or "Master."

However, in what sense is Yeshua Adonai? The point is not that the Father is Yeshua, or that Yeshua embodies the fullness of YHVG (the end of v. 11 indicates that such assumptions are wrong), but that there is some deep identity, oneness, or union between the Son and the Father. See similar teaching in Yn. 1: 1 & N, 18 & N .; 10:31 & com .; Qty. 2: 9 & N .; Yeshua also testifies to this unity when he prays to the Father (Yn. 17).

Nevertheless, any words on this matter are very easy to interpret in such a way that they will seem incompatible with the teachings of the Tanach, and, therefore, with Judaism. Obviously, anyone who
1) speaks of the Father and the Son as separate persons,
2) claiming that "both of them are" YHVG, and at the same time
3) adheres to Shema (“YHVG alone”, Deuteronomy 6: 4), uses the means of the language system quite freely, although God on the sixth day of creation Himself said the following: “ Let us make man in our image”(Genesis 1:26). Since God transcends limited human understanding, it is not surprising that His essence cannot be explained in full observance of all linguistic rules. Although the "Torah speaks in the language of people" (Berachot 31a), that is, there are no hidden meanings in it that are inaccessible to the understanding of the ordinary reader, the fact that God surpasses the limited understanding of man also means that He is more than anything that can be said about Him in words ... The reader is left with a choice: either to delve into the meaning of the phrase "Messiah Yeshua is curios", or to reject it in advance, imputing to God his own limitations.

12. So, my dear friends, just as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey now that I am not with you: continue to work out your salvation with fear and awe,
13. because it is God who produces among you both desire and actions that please Him.
We come to the most direct and laconic statement of the New Testament regarding the relationship between the free will of man and God's foreknowledge and / or predestination. It is God who produces among you both desire and actions that please Him. Not to do what pleases Him means to reject the actions of God Himself (Eph. 2: 8-10 & N), and from v. 3-4 we know exactly what pleases Him (“take care of the interests of others”).

The paradox of free choice can be seen in the Tanakh if ​​the Lamentations of Jeremiah 5:21 (“ Turn us to Yourself, Adonai, and we will turn") Viewed against the background of Zechariah 1: 3 (" Turn to Me, - says Adonai of the Heavenly Host, - and I will turn to you".) Rabbi Akiva expressed himself even more succinctly:" Everything is predetermined, but freedom [of choice] is given "(Avot 3:15). In this verse we see that God does not interfere with the free choice of man, but helps those who already want to do His will and do it as best as possible.

14. Do everything without grumbling or arguing,
Murmurs. Greek gongusma("Muttering").

15.to be perfect and pure children of God, blameless among a corrupted and depraved generation where you shine like stars in the sky
16. holding on to the Word of Life. If you do this, then when the Day of the Messiah comes, I will be able to boast that I have not fled and labored in vain.
Day of the Messiah. In this letter, this is the third mention of the Second Coming of Yeshua (see 1: 6,10).

17. In fact, even if my blood becomes a libation offered in sacrifice for the ministry of your faith, I will still rejoice and rejoice with you all.
Jacob poured wine on the altar as a sacrifice (Genesis 35:14). In Israel's sacrificial system, wine was used in a special sacrifice - libation (Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:13; Numbers 15: 5,7,10, 28: 7; 29:40). In Yeshua's time, wine symbolized blood (Mat. 26: 27-29).

18. And you also rejoice and rejoice with me.
19. I hope in the Lord Yeshua to send Timothy to you soon, so that the news of how you live can comfort me.
20. I no longer have anyone who can compare with him, who would be equally genuinely concerned about your welfare.
21. since everyone puts their own interests above the interests of the Messiah Yeshua.
22. But you know his character, that he, like a slave, worked with me in spreading the Good News, just as a son works with a father.
23. So, I hope to send it as soon as I know what will become of me,
24. and I am confident in the Lord that I myself will soon come to you.
25. I also found it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and companion, the messenger you sent to take care of my needs;
26. because he really wanted to see you and was worried that a rumor about his illness reached you.
27. He really was sick, he almost died, but God had mercy on him (and not only over him, but also over me), otherwise one more sorrow would have been added to my grief.
28. Therefore, all the more I want to send him, so that you rejoice in meeting him; I, on the other hand, will worry less.
29. So, joyfully accept him in the Lord, treat such people with respect.
30. After all, he risked his life and was close to death, working for the Messiah, helping me in what you could not help me.