Commentaries

April

April 1

Chapter 2, Verse 1, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,”

Paul continues his rhetorical message by addressing love and comfort. These two absolutely go together. In personal relationships, true love is always followed by comfort being experienced/between those in love. In this case, ἀγάπης, agapes, is used strictly in the biblical sense of being loved by God because of our relationship with Christ which was borne first out of the sorrow of the cross and then out of the victory of the resurrection (Romans 5:8). How can a believer not be comforted in life knowing what Jesus did for us and how he sustains us in every part of our lives. Comfort, παραμύθιον, paramythion, is a persuasive soothing provided by Gods presence in our lives by the Holy Spirit as he leads us day by day.

April 2

Chapter 2, Verse 1, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,”

κοινωνία, koinonia, “fellowship,” as used here by Paul is a fabulous word. Variously rendered “sharing,” “contribution,” “communion,” “partnership,” “communication,” and even “distribution,” the idea being brought forth is that–on purpose–we are included in the actions of God by the power of the Holy Spirit because he is in us (1 John 4:4) and he will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). We get to experience the guidance of God in our lives every day–if we choose to pay attention. And here is the rub. It seems that many, if not most, believers only look for God in their lives when they are in some sort of predicament. They fail to see and experience the beauty of daily fellowship with God. The result: when the pressures of life assail, they have no idea how to handle them. They run scared from God instead of to him with thanksgiving for his presence.

April 3

Chapter 2, Verse 1, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,”

σπλάγχνα, splanchna, here “affection,” is properly “the inward parts or internal organs (heart, liver, lungs, etc) which stands figuratively for deep emotions. οἰκτιρμοί, oiktirmoi, “compassion,” speaks to pity or deep feelings about someone’s difficulties or misfortunes. Paul’s point is that, in Christ, and in being like Christ to the people around us, we are to reflect the deep feelings God has for us. God expects us to be emotionally attached to others. And he wants us to show deep caring for the problems others face, especially those who are people of faith. While we go about trying to reach the lost with the gospel, we must not forget to minister to the hurting in the church family. That is how we show the world what they are missing.

April 4

Chapter 2, Verse 2, “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

In chapter one, Paul expressed thanks and talked about the many challenges he faced and was facing. Here, at the end of the rhetorical approach to being in Christ, he got very plain by encouraging his readers to make–fulfill–complete–his joy. How? by doing something he would certainly hear about by courier and hopefully in person at a later date. They were to “be of the same mind.” φρονῆτε, phronete, comes from φρονέω, phroneo, the parts around the heart, that which is from the innermost being. He is urging them/us to agree together, cherishing the same ideas and goals because we are in Christ. We must set our minds on the word of God and the person of Christ if we ever expect to overcome differences and move together into a future where kingdom aspirations are at the forefront of our lives.

April 5

Chapter 2, Verse 2, con’t, “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

Paul is talking about a very supernatural frame of mind right here. There is nothing special in the language. This is purely a statement encouraging a special kind of relationship. Just as Jesus showered us all with his love, planted it in our hearts, and guides us in it by his spirit, we are to share that same sort of unfettered, other serving love, with one another. As we do that, the lost and needy world will recognize we have something they do not have (John 13:35). Think of it as a unified front. When we “attack” with love, we cannot lose. Love is the only thing that truly conquers sin and all unrighteousness. As hard as that is to grasp, it is how we will reach our personal world with the gospel.

April 6

Chapter 2, Verse 2, con’t, “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

One mind/same mind mean the same thing in as much that Paul was encouraging harmony among believers as they wrestled to agree on fundamentals of the faith walk. “Full accord,” σύμψυχοι, sympsychoi, is a totally biblical idea that means “united in soul/spirit”. The idea here is that believers, especially those in the fellowship of a local church, are to be closely united in their souls, not just their way of thinking, because they are “in Christ” and thus, they share the same identity. The applied meaning is crystal clear. We should lock arms and hearts to support what God reveals through his word as we seek to expand his kingdom in the world. We must have teachers/preachers who truthfully lead to promote this kind of unity in order to have peace in and around our churches.

April 7

Chapter 2, Verse 3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

At some point in life, most everyone looks down on someone or wants to get their way no matter the cost. That is selfish ambition, ἐριθείαν, eritheian, and conceit, κενοδοξίαν, kenodoxian, in a nutshell. In this text, selfishness is usually thought to be more of a contentious approach to God. In other words, I want it my way regardless of what God say. Decisions concerning the use of money are made that way every minute of every day. As for conceit, the KJV renders is “vainglory” and is, in my opinion, most accurate. Why? Because this way of thinking about ones self is without substance, empty. It is baseless pride at its worst, not only elevating self over others, but putting down others with demeaning words and ideas seeking underserved dominance over the life of others.

April 8

Chapter 2, Verse 3, con’t, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Being humble has never been one of my attributes. I am not sure I even have any. But I imagine a lack of humility comes from too much pride. I have no reason for that, either. Troubling, right? ταπεινοφροσύνῃ, tapeinophrosynē, “in humility,” is an outward showing, inner virtue produced by comparing ourselves to Jesus as over against comparing ourselves to others. This should bring a believer’s behavior to the understanding that he should keep himself from being self-exalted. So, humility is not at all being proud of what I have done but about being aware of who I am in relation to God. This, of course, requires complete dependence of God instead of relying on self. What is the result? It should be a person who is even tempered, never mean spirited, and able to serve others regardless of their station in life without looking down on them or inflating self ego.

April 9

Chapter 2, Verse 3, con’t, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.“

One thought immediately stands out to me. Paul is not suggesting that I should consider myself insignificant. I already know I am significant. ἡγούμενοι, hegoumenoi, properly means “to esteem” or hold in high regard. So, the idea here is to consider , think about, or deem others as of first importance before ourselves. What others think or say in my presence should be important to me whether or not I agree with them. Why? First, their speaking might open up a teaching moment and second, it could offer an opportunity to witness about God’s grace. Also, I might just find that what they have to say or what they are doing really is more important to me and others than myself.

April 10

Chapter 2, Verse 4, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

The way you observe something is the way it is–at least in your own mind. So, perceptions are so, even when they are not. This verse describes more than just a perception, though. Paul is leading us to think about what we should do about our perceptions. Most often, we elevate our “needs” above the needs of those around us. He suggests that others “interests” or “things” should be seen as important to us also. It is really just a matter of understanding selfishness and figuring out how to avoid it. As a believer, I can tell you exactly how to do that; by being generous. You should always begin with the tithe to your local church and add to that various offerings to causes, families, and individuals who clearly need help in their lives. Do it to honor Christ.

April 11

Chapter 2, Verse 5, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus”

Verses 6 through 11 explain this introduction, but what does it mean? φρονεῖτε, phroneite, “this mind,” in an imperative, a command, telling us to think this way with extreme intent. We are to consider these ideas as of prime importance as believers. Why? Because to fail to do so will compromise our view of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Not only that, this mind is the way Jesus thinks about it. If it is so important that it is on the mind of Christ, it should be on our minds, as well. In fact, the reality portrayed in these verses should be clearly and permanently burned into our minds so that we never fail to realize the place of our Lord in time and eternity.

April 12

Chapter 2, Verse 6, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.”

This statement is pure theology. The English language cannot adequately express the idea of “he was.” ὑπάρχων, hyparchon, refers to existence; in this case past tense existing. The Lord Jesus Christ was already existing as God in heaven before time and before his incarnation as man. Just like God said to Moses at the burning bush, “I Am that I Am.” God doesn’t have to prove who he is, but he has done it over and over again. Proof isn’t an issue, believing is. As for equality with God, Jesus is not only equal, he is fully God. However, as a man he did not flaunt his deity in the flesh. He only did what suited the will of the Father in heaven. I will never fully understand the concept, but I’m glad Jesus loved me enough to come to earth to give me eternal life.

April 13

Chapter 2, Verse 7, “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man”

This is a statement of God’s self-limiting, not his abdication of deity. Jesus was still 100%, fully God but as he took on the flesh of man, he couldn’t for example, be everywhere at one time. Anyone who thinks he was no longer God fails to realize the obvious. He performed miracles, empowered the disciples to do the same, and more importantly, resurrected from the dead being seen by many witnesses. Rationality says no. Faith says absolutely. Do I understand it. Not for a moment. And thankful for it? You better believe it. My God loved me–and you–so much he left his station in heaven to rub shoulders with his creation and then gave himself as ransom for our sin.

April 14

Chapter 2, Verse 7, con’t, “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man”

While Jesus was fully God, he was also full human. In his humanity, he came to serve humanity. The term δούλου, doulou, generally means one who belongs to another, as in a bond-slave; a person without any ownership rights of their own. In this case, it refers to Christ always acting according to the will of the Father and also to his willingness to give his life for the sin of mankind. Sometimes, it is said that Jesus could have stopped his torment at the hands of the Roman soldiers by calling down a legion of angels. Not true. Why? Jesus had a divine appointment with the Cross at Calvary because he was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

April 15

Chapter 2, Verse 7, con’t, “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man“

Here are three Greek words in a row with massive importance: ὁμοιώματι, homoiomati, “likeness,” ἀνθρώπων, “of man,” γενόμενος, genomenos, “having been made.” This triad tells us that Jesus looked, communicated, and conducted himself just like us. That also means he hurt just like us. It also tells us that he was more than a mere man. “In the likeness of man” tells us he had been something else and now was different in that something had been added to him. His deity took on humanity. The other thing is he was born. How did that happen? By the power of God. It is not explainable even with the narrative in place that tells us the Holy Spirit “overshadowed” his mother. I can tell you this: God left heaven and came to earth so that someday I can go to heaven.

April 16

Chapter 2, Verse 8, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Since he came and lived among men, scoffers have done their very best to discount the reality of Jesus and who he said he was/is. In this verse, εὑρεθεὶς, heuretheis, “having been found,” is significant. According to ancient scholars like Josephus and others, the usual and precise meaning is “to find by inquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, hearing, to find out by practice and experience.” Jesus is the most investigated person in history. The overwhelming evidence, without even taking faith in to consideration, proves conclusively that Jesus is who he claimed to be. Yet, without faith, he is still just a fascinating person. With faith, he is Savior and Lord”

April 17

Chapter 2, Verse 8, con’t, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

The Webster dictionary defines humility as “freedom from pride and arrogance.” I am guilty of both. I think I was raised that way, but it’s not my parents fault. Sin is the cause; thinking I’m above someone else for whatever reason. In this verse, we are looking at something different. ἐταπείνωσεν, etapeinōsen, “he humbled” denotes that he brought himself to a place lower than those he came to serve and to save–and without sin. He relied totally on the will of the Father to get him through this most difficult of situations. He didn’t pull rank. He denied his totally righteous position of deity in order to place himself in the position of obedience. His obedience led to a horrific death to pay for sin–pride and arrogance.

April 18

Chapter 2, Verse 8, con’t, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

γενόμενος, genomenos, properly, “having become,” does not imply previous disobedience. Jesus was never disobedient because he never sinned. It does, however, clearly state that Jesus was preparing to do something that his humanity had no desire for, knowing the pain that would be inflicted . But he knew he had to do it because he was “the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.” (Romans 13:8). So, he remained true to himself and his Father–he couldn’t change course by his own will. I cannot fathom this. He continued all the way to Calvary where he bled and died to redeem mankind from sin. That certainly included me and everyone else. We need a Savior!

April 19

Chapter 2, Verse 8, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

In the Roman world, the cross used for crucifixion of a criminal formed a capital “T” after the person was attached to the cross beam and hoisted to the top of the post already in the ground. That is the part carried for Jesus to Golgotha because he was too weak to carry it himself from the beatings already carried out on his body. Movies and paintings, as gruesome as they try to portray it, cannot adequately depict the suffering of a person killed in that manner. When you add to that the truth of Jesus being innocent, and that he was internalizing the sin of all mankind in every generation past, present and future, you are looking at an impossible situation–made possible–by the only one who could handle it: Jesus, who is the Christ and Savior to all who, with a repentant heart, trust him.

April 20

Chapter 2, Verse 9, “Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”

Διὸ καὶ, dio kai, “Therefore, also.” Paul’s therefore is often used to link two thoughts together. What Paul is about to say about Jesus’ exalted position is based upon what he just said about taking on the form of humanity in complete obedience to God so that he could sacrifice his life in order for humanity to have a savior. The significance of this cannot be overstated. Why? Because the “lamb slain before the foundation of the world” has now become the “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). In this, God has provided every believer with direct, personal access to the throne room of God were we find forgiveness and hope for eternal life.

April 21

Chapter 2, Verse 9, con’t, “Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”

The relationship between Father and Son in the bible always comes with a certain level of mystery. It can seem like multiple gods, but it is not. It can even be confusing as to who is in charge to the casual reader. Paul addressed this clearly in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” How there can be one God, in multiple places at one time expressed in three separate and distinct persons, is the mystery. The Father giving the Son the highest position, ὑπερύψωσεν, hyperypsōsen, “highly exalted,” in the universe is the result of what the Son did in the world. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to save mankind from sin made him, and him alone, uniquely qualified for such exaltation.

April 22

Chapter 2, Verse 9, con’t, “Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”

ἐχαρίσατο, echarisato, here rendered “bestowed,” but more properly “granted,” is part of the word family that can mean forgive, freely give, granted, and others as well. In this verse, it is the idea of free and graciously giving because something is well deserved. Obviously, this is an understatement that language cannot handle. It is much too much to assign a designation for what Jesus has done except to say the Father, in his gracious love for the Son, has declared that his name is the single designation of his superiority over all the creation. We should be careful to recognize the awesome and ultimate power of the name Jesus, who is Lord and Christ. In his name, we have access to heaven and eternity.

April 23

Chapter 2, Verse 10, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”

τῷ ὀνόματι, to onomati, “the name,” most everyone I have ever read agrees that in this context it means a title of honor and authority conferred on him by the Father. And what about the name, Ἰησοῦ, “Jesus”? It is the Greek form of Joshua meaning Yahweh saves or Yahweh is salvation. But frankly, both Joshua and Jesus are common names–until–until they are applied specifically to the one who led Israel into Canaan and to the one who lived, died, and lives again for the salvation of mankind. Likewise, my name is only important in the context of what I have done with it. I hope I have used my name to advance the cause of His name!

April 24

Chapter 2, Verse 10, con’t, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”

This directive is easy to understand, but for many people, difficult to execute for one simple reason, pride. And, in my estimation, exactly why it will be required. Why? In the beginning, pride is the reason for Lucifer/Satan’s expulsion from heaven. Pride is the reason he showed up at Eden to tempt the first humans. Pride is the reason Eve fell to the temptation, pride is the reason Adam ate the fruit and hid from God. Pride, you see, is original sin. When Jesus is finally revealed in his fullness to all the saved and unsaved, every knee will bow in submission before him whether they want to or not. The willing saved will be in heaven and the unwilling lost will spend eternity in hell.

April 25

Chapter 2, Verse 10, con’t, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.“

This reminds me of Hebrews 1:3, “how shall we escape if we neglect such great salvation?” [ESV] The answer is, you won’t. No one will ever escape God. And the day is coming when every person of every time will bow their knee to the Lord Jesus Christ, admitting that he is the one true, living God, forever. Further, in Hebrews 4:13, we read, “Nothing in creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” [NIV] So, not only will everyone bow in complete submission to the deity of Jesus, they will also confess their lives before him, whether good or bad. The saved will enter into eternal rest and the lost will be cast into complete darkness in a place worse than hell–the lake that burns with fire.

April 26

Chapter 2, Verse 11, “and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Someone said, “Confession is good for the soul.” Good or not, the time will come when everyone will do it, friend of God or not. ἐξομολογήσηται, exomologēsētai, “should (will) confess” is simply a public admission that something is true. The psalmist said to God, “Pardon my guilt, O Lord, for it is great.” (Psalm 25:11) Seeking forgiveness for daily sin is important. But there is one more confession that is even more important. “If you confess [same word] with your moth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9) Nothing in life is more important than admitting you are a sinner and turning to Jesus, by faith, for the salvation of your soul!

April 27

Chapter 2, Verse 11, con’t, “and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

ΚΥΡΙΟΣ ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, KYRIOS IESOUS CHRISTOS, “[is] Lord Jesus Christ,” while not capitalized in all Greek texts, the implication and fact of the matter is this: Jesus of Nazareth is both Lord and Christ, God and man. The special significance cannot be overstated and is attested by scholars from every generation past the Cross. Of course, there are those who doubt and even mock the idea that this Jesus is very God. There is no surprise in that. The unregenerate mind cannot comprehend the majesty of God and will never accept Jesus as Lord unless by faith, and with a repentant heart, they finally realize their dire need for salvation and do willingly accept Jesus into their lives as both Savior and Lord. I am just very thankful I know him!!

April 28

Chapter 2, Verse 11, con’t, “and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“

Glory, in this verse, δόξαν, doxan, is the word from which we get doxology, the study or expression of glory. But what does it mean to give someone glory? One definition is read stated, “renown or honor won by notable achievements.” That certainly fits here. God has done so much for us;, especially in sending his son to save us from our sin. Glory can also mean praise, worship, and thanksgiving offered to God (any deity for that matter). I believe this is Paul’s intent. God has very certainly blessed us. But even without the many blessings from God, he deserves our praise, honor and worship just because of who he is, our great God–and Savior!

April 29

Chapter 2, Verse 12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Here, again, is Paul’s famous use of “therefore.” It can mean “so that” looking forward to a result, but here it mean “so then,” looking backward to previous statements while looking forwad to a desired result. In this case, Paul is connecting obedience to his presentation of all the advantages of walking with Christ and recognizing the majesty of who his is in verses 1 through 11. It is right for him to demand this because we, as believers, should always obey the teachings of Jesus–especially when no one is around to correct us when we may fall into error.

April 30

Chapter 2, Verse 12, con’t, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Sometimes, the Greek sentence construction/word order is worth mentioning. ἀγαπητοί μου, agapētoi mou, “beloved of me,” is Paul’s expression of passionate fondness for all those who are his disciples in the faith. In scripture, the main term, ἀγαπητός, agapaytos, has two special applications. One, the beloved, is a title for the Messiah, Christ, as loved beyond all others by the Father who sent him into the world to redeem mankind and, two, as a designation of Christians, as beloved by God, and one another. It’s importance–“By this will all men know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) The lost world will not see God’s love with their own eyes unless we show them.