A Work in Progress Bible Commentary
By: Chip Crush

PHILIPPIANS
CHAPTER 2

Imitating Christ's Humility

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
    6Who, being in very nature[1] God,
       did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
    7but made himself nothing,
       taking the very nature[2] of a servant,
       being made in human likeness.
    8And being found in appearance as a man,
       he humbled himself
       and became obedient to death--
          even death on a cross!
    9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
       and gave him the name that is above every name,
    10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
       in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
    11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
       to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Stars

12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out[3] the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

We’re looking at verses 1-18 of chapter 2, in which Paul completes the main exhortations of his letter to the Philippians. In chapter 1, he wrestled with life and death, deciding that, although death would be better by far since it would bring him immediately to Christ, he would selflessly remain, continuing to work for the progress and joy of the Philippians. He is doing that now. By commanding them to live in a manner worthy of gospel, Paul is working for their joy. In commanding them to be united for the gospel, he is working for their joy. And amazingly, as their joy increases, Paul’s joy will be made complete (see 2 Corinthians 1:24-2:4). Paul gives us a great example of humility in Jesus Christ, and he wraps up by calling us to live lives of obedience, because God is at work in us to fulfill His purposes. Let’s take a look.

  1. V1-4 – Remember there were no verse or chapter divisions in the original text. Paul continues right where he left off in chapter 1. For the sake of progress and joy in the faith, Paul is elaborating on the idea of living in a manner worthy of the gospel, living in unity for the gospel. And he knows that Christians would want to be united in their efforts to advance the gospel. But he also knows that the sinful nature still exists, and thus, unity for the gospel doesn’t just happen. So Paul gives these tenderly worded, motivational commands to live a life of unity for the gospel. Paul is so good at issuing commands gently. He appeals to the heart and soul in order to provoke a response that glorifies God. In the Bible, God encourages you to do what He requires you to do. So notice four motivations to live the Christian life: (1) You have received encouragement from union with Christ; (2) You have been comforted by God’s love in Christ; (3) You have experienced fellowship with the Holy Spirit; (4) You have experienced God’s tenderness and compassion. If these four things are true for you, then how could you not respond accordingly? So with v1, Paul is effectively saying, “If a command delivered to you from Jesus Himself would impact you in any way, then respond appropriately.” And in v2, Paul tells the Philippians what he wants them to do:

    “Make my joy complete.” Amazingly, in the Greek, v1-4 is all one sentence. Paul is imprisoned, yet he rejoices at the thought of this church that he planted 10-12 years earlier. He commands them in as humble a way as possible to make his joy complete, to put him over the top in his joy that the gospel has advanced as God wanted it to, by being selflessly and humbly unified for the gospel. And the amazing thing about this is that their living this way would not only make Paul’s joy complete; it would also add to their joy. His joy is their joy, and their joy is obedience, living the gospel life.

    Now joy is not happiness. Gospel joy is dangerous joy, because to experience it means that you are ready to lose everything for Christ, even your life, and that you fight to the death in order to say with Paul what he’ll say later in this letter, that “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness [JOY] of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Remember Acts 16:34: “The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his whole family.” Paul not only felt this way about the Philippians, but about all his congregations. In 1 Thessalonians 2:19, Paul asks, “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you?” Even the Apostle John understands this joy: “It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth” (3 John 3).

    So, “make my joy complete,” is the command, and the instructions for how to do that are threefold (unity in v2, humility in v3, and mutual helpfulness in v4). First, we see unity, or harmony, or unanimity. We talked a lot about unity last time, and Paul is simply elaborating on that in v2. For Paul to witness the Philippians as united for the gospel, he would want them to be of one mind (they have the same knowledge / doctrine), one love (they apply their same knowledge – the love of Christ – towards one another and others in the same way – by loving others as Christ loved them), one spirit (they are equally fervently passionate about their knowledge from experience and its application), and one purpose (they have the same end in sight with all of this – to glorify Christ). God is bringing everything in this world under the Lordship of Christ, and He is uniting all who trust in Christ into one family, one body, one people, one temple, by means of one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (see Ephesians 4:1-6), so that Christ is given the name which is above every name, and so that as we are in Him, we are exalted with Him. That’s the purpose of God, and Paul wants the Philippians to have the same worldview and the same inclinations from that theological foundation. That’s why he reminds them of their common participation in the gospel in v1-2 with these “if” clauses. He wants the Philippians not to create a unity that has no foundation, but to think about their uniting experiences and take hold of the unity that Christ has purchased for them and prayed for them by living it out.

    For us, we shouldn’t dwell on the things that make us different – skin color, religious backgrounds, economic status, or past behavior. Rather, we focus on the things that unite us as brothers and sisters in Christ, as children of God. However, notice that unity of mind does not mean that we ignore theological differences. Some have argues that doctrine destroys unity. That’s not what Paul believes. In just a minute, we’ll look at what destroys unity. It’s not doctrine. Doctrine is crucial for unity. That’s what one-mindedness is all about. We need to have right doctrine, and we need to be willing to discuss and defend these issues with one another out of love for Christ – for, when there is disagreement, it is only because one or both parties disagree with Jesus. Communication is one key to maintaining unity. V4-5 give us more help.

    The second answer to how we should make Paul’s joy complete is humility. We ought be united in every way, and we ought to be humble. John Stott said, “In every aspect of the Christian life, pride is our greatest foe and humility our greatest ally.” Paul has prescribed a gospel unity to complete his joy and advance the gospel, and now he mentions the two most disruptive pests for destroying this unity: selfish ambition (strife) and vain conceit (pride). He urges self-denial, or selflessness, instead of selfishness and calls for humility to overcome pride. John Calvin says, “Humility is the mother of moderation.” Paul gives the definition of humility: consider others better than yourselves. In every circumstance, treat other people and their needs as more critical than your own. If anything in all of life is difficult, humility is the most difficult thing. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that humility is so rare a virtue. Someone may ask, “How it is possible to count others better than yourself when you know you are the best at a given task?” The answer lies in knowing that every person is sinful standing at the foot of the cross, and knowing that your skills are nothing more than God’s gifts. The answer is repentance and constantly remembering your own dependence on God. Consider that God has not given us skills for us to be selfish, for us exalt ourselves, or even that we might think ourselves worthy of anything. Rather, we ought to strive to detect and correct our faults, for we all have them. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” In so doing, we will have abundant occasion for humility. Likewise, we ought to regard with honor whatever there is of excellences in others and, by means of love, bury their faults. According to Calvin, “Following these guidelines, we will feel no difficulty in preferring others before ourselves.”

    Thirdly, in order to make Paul’s joy complete, the Philippians need to be helpful to one another. Unity is seen in humility, and humility is seen in mutual helpfulness – or loving sacrificial servitude, as opposed to voluntary service when convenient. And that’s hard. V4 says, “Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” 1 Corinthians 10:24 says, “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” The message of these two verses is the same. Paul is not saying to forget ‘self.’ Rather, serve others above self.

    And of course, as Paul does elsewhere, we could sum all of this instruction up in one four-letter word: love. If we have truly come to know Christ through the gospel, if we have experienced His love and mercy and grace, then let us unite in humble service of one another for the advancement of the gospel. We can’t do this alone. Unity is not a one-man task. Humility doesn’t work without others involved. Mutual helpfulness is not something that I can do alone. We are all part of one body, and that body can’t function properly unless all the parts are working together. And if we need an illustration of what it looks like to live this kind of life, a life worthy of the gospel, Paul is about to show us in v5-11, as he shows us the magnificent and exalting, yet humiliating, servitude of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

  2. V5-8 – V5 tells us (as a group) to imitate the attitude of Christ, which as we know, was completely humble and serving (v3). Paul tells us to be like Jesus, but we know that we cannot be like Jesus, for He was and is God; He was and is perfect in obedience and love. We are not, nor can we be. But this command to be like Jesus is given to people who know they can’t be like Him, to believers who already trust Him for their forgiveness and righteousness. So the command to be like Jesus is meant to teach us proper living now that we are assured of our salvation. And your being like Jesus can only be accomplished by God’s Holy Spirit indwelling you, and only in levels of progression leading to glorification, when we will indeed see Jesus face to face – then we shall be like Him.

    Jesus had always been God, but He did not seize upon this so that He refused to humble Himself by taking on human attributes to redeem the elect. Rather, being God, He willingly submitted Himself to the humiliation of becoming a slave. Furthermore, He was obedient to the will of the Father to the point that He willingly died a criminal’s death! Calvin says, “Christ’s humility consisted in His abasing Himself from the highest pinnacle of glory to the lowest ignominy: our humility consists in refraining from exalting ourselves by a false estimation. He gave up His right: all that is required of us is, that we do not assume to ourselves more than we ought. Hence He sets out with this – that, inasmuch as He was in the form of God, He reckoned it not an unlawful thing for Him to show Himself in that form; yet He emptied Himself. Since, then, the Son of God descended from so great a height, how unreasonable that we, who are nothing, should be lifted up with pride!”

    Where the NIV says He “made Himself nothing,” the NASB says He “emptied Himself,” which is more literal. Some people have falsely inferred from this expression that Jesus had laid aside some of His divine attributes in the incarnation. This is called the kenosis theory or kenotic theology. Others have gone so far as to say that Jesus functioned on this earth as a mere human being empowered by the Holy Spirit. But this is heresy as well. Since the attributes of a being define the being, a being that lays aside any of his original essential attributes (assuming that it is possible to do this in the first place) ceases to be the original being. If Jesus had laid aside any of His divine attributes, He would have ceased to be God. Since the divine attributes are what make God to be God, it is nonsense to say that God can be God if He has laid aside some of His divine attributes. However, God is immutable, so that if Jesus was ever God, He could never cease to be God. Therefore, those who affirm the kenosis theory risk losing the very basis upon which they may call themselves Christians; they have become the enemies of Christianity. Instead, Christians must affirm that Jesus has always been God; He was still God when He took upon Himself human attributes and lived on the earth. He never laid aside any of His divine attributes; He never existed as a mere human being empowered by the Holy Spirit.

    When Paul says that Christ “emptied Himself,” he is not picturing Christ as a container with divine attributes that could be poured out like water, after which those attributes would not be in Him anymore, at least until His resurrection or ascension. The purpose of the passage is to recall the humility and humiliation of Christ to admonish and encourage believers to practice self-denial, and thus to preserve their unity around the gospel. Christ’s humiliation was not in emptying Himself of something, but rather, He humiliated Himself by taking on human attributes (v7). His act of emptying Himself was in His act of taking on a human nature.

    To say that He emptied Himself is thus only a metaphor, just like when Paul says, “I am being poured out like a drink offering” (v17), he is not saying that his internal organs or his human attributes would be poured out like liquid from a bottle (2 Corinthians 12:15; 2 Timothy 4:6). The point is that Christ practiced self-denial and self-sacrifice for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9). This is the greatest example of self-denial, and Paul calls us to adopt the same attitude, having the same readiness to deny our “selfish ambition or vain conceit” for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of other believers. As mentioned, various circumstances may provoke our remaining selfishness to protect our own interests, thus jeopardizing Christian unity. It is at such times that we must be willing to humble ourselves for a greater cause, that is, for the one message and one purpose around which we must all unite.

    Finally, being found as a man and being obedient to death (especially death on a cross) was great humility – that from being Lord He became a servant; but Paul says that He went farther than this, because, while He was not only immortal, but the Lord of life and death, He nevertheless became obedient to His Father, even so far as to endure death. This was extreme abasement, especially when we take into view the kind of death, which Paul immediately adds, with the view of enhancing it. For by dying in this manner He was not only covered with ignominy in the sight of God, but was also accursed in the sight of God. It is assuredly such a pattern of humility as ought to absorb the attention of all mankind; so far is it from being possible to unfold it in words in a manner suitable to its dignity. So in summary, we understand Christ’s humiliation when we understand 6 things: (1) that Christ is divine, that Jesus is God (2) that He temporarily laid down His rights to be worshiped and held in highest honor, (3) that He made Himself nothing through self-abasement, (4) He took upon Himself the role of servant, or permanent bond slave, (5) that He took upon Himself human flesh, that He condescended and became God Incarnate – forever, and (6) that He became obedient to death, that He embraced the ultimate shame of humanity’s cruel invention – death on a cross. Jesus was humble. Be like Him.

  3. V9-11 – Because of Christ’s willing sacrifice and submission, God exalted Him to the highest place, so that all must worship Him. The Father loves the Son because He is obedient. The Father has an infinite delight in the Son because the Son esteemed the Father so highly that He chose to die the worst of deaths rather than forsake the Father’s assignment. The Father loves to exalt the humble. “For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly” (Psalm 138:6). 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” Isaiah 57:15 says, “Thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in a high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit.’” Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:11). And it is fitting that the One who humbled Himself most deeply, the One whose obedience cost the greatest imaginable self-denial, should be most highly exalted. This truth is meant to encourage our humility, which in turn, leads to our exaltation, glory, and joy! See Hebrews 12:2-3 for an example of how this works.

    What is the name above every name? It’s not Jesus. It’s Lord. The word is Adonai, or sovereign. Only God is worthy of the name, “Lord.” No one else is worthy of that name. No one other than Jesus the God Man is to be called Lord. Acts 2:36 says, “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” It was His lordship and Messiahship that was bestowed on Him at His exaltation. Before His death and resurrection, the lordship of Christ over the world had not been brought to full actuality. The enemy was yet undefeated, and the power of darkness held the world in its grip. In order to be acclaimed Messiah and Lord, the Son of God had to come, defeat the enemy, and lead His people out of bondage in triumph over sin and Satan and death. And that He did on Good Friday and Easter. The Bible says in 1 John 3:8, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” In Hebrews 2:14-15, we read, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death He might destroy Him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.” (See also Psalm 110:1.)

    Having completed this task, Jesus is exalted as Lord over all creation – and this, to the glory of God the Father. Some ask if He lacked this position prior to His incarnation. The answer is no. He was worthy of praise prior to His work, but now He has been given all things as the firstborn of many brethren, as the heir to God’s creation, which He participated in creating. Only now has He redeemed His creation. Thus His glory, which was infinite before creation, is all the more infinite and intense now that that He has earned the title, Lord. And look who bows before Him and confesses Him as Lord: everyone! And tongue will confess and every knee will bow in adoration of Jesus as Lord and God (see Psalm 2:6-8). And this is to the praise of God the Father, who orchestrated it all.

    When Paul wants to encourage the Philippians to be unified, to live in humility, and to be mutually helpful, he doesn’t tell a cute story or have a pep rally. He tells them the truth about Jesus! Truth is for joy; truth is for glory; truth is for life. We don’t need a fly swatter, like “four tips on how to be a good friend,” to overcome sin. Fighting pride, self-centeredness, and division requires something big! We need the doctrine of Christ.

  4. V12-13 – With the word, “Therefore,” Paul is summarizing Philippians 1:27-2:4 – the Philippians ought to follow Jesus’ example, and be obedient as they had been. Paul is optimistic that they who have always led obedient lives since they were saved will obey God whether he is with them or in his absence. Paul’s confidence is not in their ability or willingness. Rather, he believes that just as God has started a genuine work of grace in them, He will also complete this divine work in them by means of His sovereign power (1:6), working their decisions and actions to effect sanctification (v13). In fact, since God is working in them, Paul is sure that their obedience will be greater in his absence. They have no need of Paul’s potential presence to serve as motivation to obey.

    V12, though found before v13, is a thought that really follows the reality of v13. We might read the sentence this way: “Since God is at work in you to will and to act according to His good purpose, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Why fear and trembling? Fear and trembling show humility. If you work out your salvation with pride and selfishness, you are not working out your salvation; rather, you are showing yourself to be condemned. However, humility is a sign that you know nothing of pride. You acknowledge the proper place of God’s sovereign grace and mercy in your salvation. Thus v13 is included.

    Calvin says, “There are, in any action, two principal departments – the inclination, and the power to carry it into effect. Both of these he ascribes wholly to God; what more remains to us as a ground of glorying? Nor is there any reason to doubt that this division has the same force as if Paul had expressed the whole in a single word; for the inclination is the groundwork; the accomplishment of it is the summit of the building brought to a completion. He has also expressed much more than if he had said that God is the Author of the beginning and of the end. For in that case sophists would have alleged, by way of cavil, that something between the two was left to men. But as it is, what will they find that is in any degree peculiar to us? They toil hard in their schools to reconcile with the grace of God free-will – of such a nature, I mean, as they conceive of – which might be capable of turning itself by its own movement, and might have a peculiar and separate power, by which it might co-operate with the grace of God. I do not dispute as to the name, but as to the thing itself. In order, therefore, that free-will may harmonize with grace, they divide in such a manner, that God restores in us a free choice, that we may have it in our power to will aright. Thus they acknowledge to have received from God the power of willing aright, but assign to man a good inclination. Paul, however, declares this to be a work of God, without any reservation. For he does not say that our hearts are simply turned or stirred up, or that the infirmity of a good will is helped, but that a good inclination is wholly the work of God.”

    Paul teaches that the whole course of our life, if we live aright, is regulated by God, and that, too, from His unmerited goodness. Fear and trembling removes all laziness and confidence in ourselves and drives us to rely on God alone for salvation. Working out your salvation means relying on God. Calvin concludes, “There is nothing that ought to train us more to modesty and fear, than our being taught, that it is by the grace of God alone that we stand, and will instantly fall down, if He even in the slightest degree withdraw His hand. Confidence in ourselves produces carelessness and arrogance. We know from experience, that all who confide in their own strength, grow insolent through presumption, and at the same time, devoid of care, resign themselves to sleep. The remedy for both evils is, when, distrusting ourselves, we depend entirely on God alone… God works all things in us; therefore submit to Him with fear. I do not, indeed, deny that there are many who, on being told that there is in us nothing that is good, indulge themselves the more freely in their vices; but I deny that this is the fault of the doctrine, which, on the contrary, when received as it ought to be, produces in our hearts a feeling of concern.”

    Biblical unity is founded on an essential common understanding of Christian theology. Those who say that we should somehow “unite” despite important disagreements in theology are urging not biblical unity, but humanistic unity, and thus have made themselves the enemies of the church. True unity must be based on a common and biblical theology. It is better to completely cut off fellowship than to compromise the gospel. However, if the conflicts involve only petty personal differences, instead of essential theological differences, then Scripture demands that we practice self-denial to preserve harmony for the sake of the gospel.

  5. V14-18 – This unity is not just for the experience of peace and quiet, but rather so we may become “blameless and pure” before the world, to “shine like stars in the universe,” in sharp contrast to this “crooked and depraved generation” consisting of unbelievers. The exhortations here in this passage are the fruits of humble selflessness. We do not complain or argue in obedience. We know our place of service when standing at the foot of the cross. However, our role is not mainly to demonstrate moral behavior and biblical unity, as some have alleged. They say that a moral example does more to demonstrate the truth of the gospel message than a thousand sermons. “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day.” But could it be that one biblical sermon does more to demonstrate the truth of the gospel message than one thousand years of perfect moral example? Unless there is a clear and precise message, your biblical moral example may only inspire someone to become his own unbiblical idea of a moral person, perhaps by adopting a false religion like Islam or Buddhism. Of course, true morality comes only as the result of faith in Christ, but that is something that needs to be proclaimed or declared, not merely displayed. Faith comes by hearing, not by seeing. The content of the gospel does not come by observation. It is true that God commands us to form a sharp moral contrast with the world by our holy living, but this is so that the message may have free course, and not because the moral example by itself will do much good. The moral example is for the sake of the gospel, not the reverse. Jesus says that you are responsible to obey the word of God whether or not other people are setting good examples for you (Matthew 23:2-3).

    The result of being adopted as children of God is righteousness; that’s the meaning of v15 (see also 1 Corinthians 1:8). Paul calls his generation of non-Christians crooked and depraved. Our own generation wants to be perceived as enlightened, liberated, open-minded, inclusive, and tolerant; however, the truth is that, like every generation of unbelievers, it is sinful, perverse, blind, indecisive, irrational, and stupid. It is not straight in its thinking and its behavior; the only solution is for us to hold forth the straight, rigid, narrow, exclusive, inflexible, and “intolerant” truth of God’s word. Fellow believers, for the most part, surround us. Still, there are cultural and other negative influences. Thus it is still easy for us to fall. How much more simple would it have been for this congregation to fall? By far the minority, they were surrounded by pagans! Praise God for holding them close to Him and making them to shine like stars – even for us reading this letter to see. It’s as if Paul was saying, “Believers, it is true, are children of the night, and there is in the world nothing but darkness; but God has enlightened you for this end, that the purity of your life may shine forth amidst that darkness, that His grace may appear the more illustrious.”

    As v16 declares, we hold the word of life. Calvin says of the Philippians, “The reason why they ought to be luminaries is, that they carry the word of life, by which they are enlightened, that they may give light also to others… We do injustice to the word of God, if it does not shine forth in us in respect of purity of life.” V16 concludes with what may be surprising to some. Paul wants to boast that his labor to bring about the obedience of faith in the Philippians’ church was not in vain. Elsewhere Paul writes, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31; 2 Corinthians 10:17). When all that we have is laid before God, and all our ground of glorying is placed in Christ, it is, at the same time, allowable for us to glory through Christ in God’s benefits. In other words, we can boast, “How great is our God,” for working through someone so lowly and inept as ourselves.

    Finally, Paul rejoices no matter what, for he knows that his sacrifice lies in his service to God, by which he is offering a sacrifice of Gentiles unto God (see Romans 15:16). The Philippians are Paul’s sacrifice. He is sacrificing himself for their benefit. And his death would certainly be to the confirmation of their faith. In his service, he is comparing the gospel to a sword (Hebrews 4:12). Paul is killing the Philippians (as they die with Christ) with the gospel, and they are being brought to life through faith by hearing the gospel. This is his service to God – their faith. And since Paul rejoices in this accomplishment – regardless of the outcome, whether he lives or dies – the Philippians ought to rejoice with him as well (v18).

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

We’re looking at verses 18-30 of chapter 2, in which Paul describes Timothy and Epaphroditus as men who are filled with compassion, selflessly working for the advancement of the gospel. Paul has just told the Philippians to rejoice with Paul, regardless of the circumstances, as whatever happens will serve to advance the gospel. And now he gives a couple examples of how that joy and advancement of the gospel happen simultaneously. Let’s take a look at this passage.

  1. V19-24 – First, notice that Paul hopes in the Lord. Again we find the truth that there is no hope apart from the Lord. We can use the word “hope” all we want, but unless we are in the Lord Jesus Christ, and unless He is in us by the power of the Holy Spirit, then we are hopeless. Paul will send Timothy to greet the Philippians and return to Paul with a cheerful report of how the Philippians are doing, as soon as he finds out what his own schedule, from a legal perspective, will be. He needs Timothy at his side until he knows more about his own situation. Now Paul is not proving himself to be selfish by clinging to Timothy. Rather, he is willing to send Timothy to the Philippians for their mutual benefit, that joy would be spread among the believers in Rome, where Paul is imprisoned, and Philippi, where Paul’s audience is waiting to hear from him. Furthermore, Paul spreads more joy by announcing that he is confident (in the Lord) of his own release, which, if God’s sovereign plans decree, would allow him a personal visit to Philippi.

    Second, notice some of Timothy’s characteristics. Remember Timothy was a young man (less than 40 years of age). Paul has “no one else like him.” Timothy is unique. Paul says that Timothy takes “a genuine interest” in the welfare of the Philippians. Timothy is compassionate. Paul says the Philippians “know that Timothy has proved himself.” Timothy is selfless; he looks after the interests of others, before his own. Paul compares Timothy to a son, one who follows in his father’s footsteps. Just as Paul has served the interests of the Lord Jesus Christ – defending the doctrine of the gospel and seeing that believers mature in the faith – so Timothy has done that as well. Paul would like to see every believer model this lifestyle. We are to be noticeably different due to our compassionate selflessness and boldness for the gospel.

  2. V25-30 – Until Paul can part with Timothy or visit Philippi himself, he plans to send Epaphroditus back to Philippi. Paul commends him as a brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier (calling attention to the spiritual warfare in which ministers of the gospel are constantly engaged), whose self-denial and self-sacrifice are clear signs that he is a true gospel minister. In fact, it is thought that he was the pastor of the church in Philippi, as well as their chosen messenger to visit Paul in his Roman prison home. Paul says that it is necessary for him to return to Philippi, mainly because of his distress, not because he had been deathly ill, but because he knew that his congregation, the Philippians, had heard that he was ill. Epaphroditus wanted to return home to comfort his friends and family in the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather than focusing on his own welfare, he is concerned that the Philippians would worry about him.

    Epaphroditus had risked his life in helping Paul, but God spared his life out of mercy toward both Epaphroditus and Paul. Paul would have experienced “sorrow upon sorrow” if Epaphroditus had died from that illness. Perhaps Paul would have felt guilty for somehow being a burden on his shoulders. Have you ever felt guilty for unwilling causing harm to another person? Calvin says, “The dispositions God originally implanted in our nature are not evil, because they do not arise from the fault of corrupt nature, but come from God as their Author; of this nature is the grief that is felt on occasion of the death of friends… In the depravity of our nature, however, everything in us is so perverted, that in whatever direction our minds are bent, they always go beyond bounds… Paul, as being a man, would, I do not deny, have experienced in his grief something of human error, for he was subject to infirmity, and required to be tried with temptations, in order that he might have occasion of victory by striving and resisting.”

    As v28 declares, upon realizing that Epaphroditus would not die from this illness, Paul was eager to send him back to Philippi. Paul sought a mutual benefit – first, the Philippians would be glad to see their pastor alive and well, and second, Paul would feel relief (less anxiety) about having such an honored man as Epaphroditus sick and away from his duties at home on his behalf. Sickness is not a good thing, but we should not avoid serving Christ simply to avoid sickness. (Consider Jesus touching lepers, etc.). Epaphroditus risked his health in order to help Paul; Calvin says, “He would rather be negligent to his health than deficient in his duty.”

    So Paul encourages the Philippians to honor and become like men like Timothy and Epaphroditus, who have in mind the interests of Jesus Christ and not their own personal interests, and who are willing to risk their lives for the message of the gospel. As Calvin says, “You must give up your rights if you would fulfill your duty… you are not free, or at your own disposal. Forget yourself if you would serve God.” Evangelism and edification are the two great goals of a ministering church. Southeast Christian Church’s mission statement is to “connect people to Jesus and to one another.” That’s it in a nutshell.

Footnotes

  1. 2:6 Or in the form of
  2. 2:7 Or the form
  3. 2:16 Or hold on to

Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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