Philippians 2:28 - The love-incubator

"Therefore more earnestly I sent him, in order that having seen him again you should rejoice and I may be griefless." 

-Paul, as was natural for him, was concerned for the well-being of the Philippians and would have experienced a level of relief knowing that they would be likewise relieved and rejoicing to see their brother Epaphroditus and that in good health.  The common thread in this entire section is Paul’s others-first focus on the well-being of others and of the assemblies of local Christ-followers in so many places, especially those like this one which he had helped to establish (2Corinthians 11.28, Colossians 1.24-25, Philippians 2.17).

-Paul’s concern in this instance essentially stemmed from two specific causes.  He was concerned about this one who had become his valued and trusted comrade-in-arms in the Gospel, Epaphroditus, who was longing to see his home assembly because they had heard he was sick.  And Paul was also concerned about the Philippian assembly, because they had heard about Epaphroditus being sick and were no doubt anxious to hear some news about his health.  The word of the sickness likely would not have traveled to Philippi unless it was serious, but apparently the details were sketchy.  And so, Paul was concerned about Epaphroditus, who was concerned about his fellow believers in his home assembly in Philippi, who were concerned about Epaphroditus, which made Paul concerned about them!  Everyone being concerned about others!  How glorious to see this love that they had for one another, that they would demonstrate such concern for one another, particulaly for any one of their members who had fallen sick.  I wonder to what extent would this degree of love and concern even be able to pervade our modern-day mega churches, full of uber-busy, self-sufficient, ruggedly-individualistic and disconnected spiritual consumers?  Do we have even a rudimentary understanding of how the Body is designed to function and of the make up of the Body, and of the truth that if just one member suffers the whole Body is to suffer with it (1Corinthians 12.26)?  The 'church' I attend is the Body, the spiritual family to which I belong.  It is an incubator for the everlasting love of Almighty God.  Jesus intended that the love we show for one another be proof positive to a lost world that we are truly following Him (John 13.34-35).  But we so easily let personalities and preferences and past hurts and perceived slights separate us.  We pursue our own agendas and schedules and interests with barely a second thought about the interests of others.  O Lord, have mercy on Your people, fill us with Your love and with such radical others-first that the world may truly see and come to know the love You have for them...

Philippians 2:27 - A darned good thing...

"For even he was strengthless nearly to death, but rather God mercied him, but not him only but rather also me, in order that not grief upon grief I should have." 

-So here Paul clarifies just how sick Epaphroditus really was.  He almost died.  And yet he didn’t start wearing around his ‘have-pity-and-mercy-on-me’ badge.  No, instead he lived into others-first (which is what Paul has been exhorting and illustrating this entire chapter).

-And now we get a glimpse of the great and mighty headwaters of others-first: the tender mercies of God, this grand and indescribable trait of compassion and leniency when it is in one’s purview to punish, when you have an opportunity to exact justice or consequences or harshness or to leave someone to their own devices - and you don’t.  God’s mercies not only compel us to live for Him (cf Romans 12.1-2), but also to be like Him.  When the Lord first began to formally relate to His people after the exodus, He instituted a seat a mercy, a place in the tabernacle where they would ultimately find forgiveness and undeserved favor.  Here we see the ultimate expression of others-first: the thrice-holy almighty God, so pure and wholly set apart as to be untouchable and unseeable and unapproachable, so deserving of devotion and so justified were He to exact punishment on the waywardness and rebellion and idolatry of the ones He created in His own image to worship Him - it is all about Him - and yet He inaugurates a way to be forgiven, a way for His image-bearers to avoid the punishment they so richly deserve.  The Lord sets aside His wrath and need for exact justice and put these others (us) first, making a substitute way for them to not simply survive but to have an incomparable relationship with Him Who is beyond compare.  Which is entirely in their own best interests - others-first.  Psalm 145.8-9 - ‘The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.  The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works.’  Merciful is the Name the Lord spoke over Moses, the very first trait He ascribes to Himself after His formal Name ‘Yahweh’, declaring not only Who He is but what He is like, His very essence (cf Exodus 33.18-19, Exodus 34.6-7 - the hebrew word ‘racham’ rendered as ‘compassion’ in the exodus passage is rendered as ‘mercy’ elsewhere, cf Romans 9.15).  Full of mercy is what God is like first and foremost, and it follows that we are most like Him when we show mercy to our fellow man.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy (Matthew 5.7).  Learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy...’ (Matthew 12.7).  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6.36).  Which one of these proved to be a neighbor to the man?  ‘The one who showed mercy to him.’  Then Jesus said, ‘You be going and do the same.’ (Luke 10.36-37).  God showed mercy to Epaphroditus (and to Paul) by healing him.  That is what He does.  That is Who He is.  His mercies never come to and end - they are new every morning (Lamentations 3.22-23).  And it’s a darned good thing...

Philippians 2:26 - A get-out-of-selfishness-free card? Um, no...

"(I thought it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you)...since he was being yearning upon all you all and distressing, because you all heard that he was strengthless."

-Here we have yet another example of others-first others-better.  Epaphroditus had been sick, and HE was concerned about the believers in philippi because they heard he was sick.  In fact he was very sick at one point, but now having recovered he had the presence of mind to realize that his home assembly was concerned about how he was doing and he wanted to aleviate their concerns.  HE was the one who had suffered, but he was thinking about the feelings of others, actually distressing about them.  'Distressing' is what Jesus was doing in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26.37), so understand that Paul is not just describing some mild concern here... 

-So often when we are sick or suffering in some way we sort of get the feeling that we are then entitled to turn off the others-first button and revert to me-first thinking.  Woe is me, minister to me, take care of me and my needs and my wants.  It’s as if we think we’ve been given a get-out-of-selfishness-free card, a pass for indulging in a little (or a lot of) self-centeredness.  Paul was in prison, Epaphroditus was sick - somehow this was not the case for them.  It’s as if they actually were able to tap into the secret of being content in all circumstances and of doing all things through Christ Who gives us strength.  And that’s not to say that they didn’t have needs and didn’t allow others to take care of them while they were sick or in prison, and yet we see in the midst of that they both were still able to live - really live - into an others-first mindset.

Philippians 2:25 - Good words?

"But I ruled it necessary Epaphroditus the brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier of me, and your apostle and minister of the need of me, to send to you."

-So since Paul is not coming right away and he’s also not able yet to send Timothy, he’s sending [back] Epaphroditus to the church which had sent him to Paul in the first place.  Apparently the assembly in Philippi had sent Epaphroditus to help Paul.  We’ll read more about this in chapter 4.  But there is something for us here...

-"He’s my brother.  He’s my co-worker.  He’s my fellow soldier, my comrade-in-arms."  High praise from Paul, this.  Paul was this stud apostle/missionary, and here he lavishes this affirmation on Epaphroditus, talking about how he is (has become) a valued member of Paul’s team.  So many times we miss opportunities to affirm others with our words and to make them feel good, or perhaps on occasion we’ll throw out a measly bone of insincere praise.  We all need to get really good at sincerely speaking out good words that build up, that encourage, that bless, words of gratitude, words of praise, words of life - we need to actually employ our tongues and bless others (cf Ephesians 4.29, Hebrews 3.13, Hebrews 10.25, 1 Thessalonians 5.11).  The Church of Jesus Christ should be off the charts on this, and yet we are not...

Philippians 2:24 - The One with Whom I have to do...

"But I am having been persuaded in [the] Lord that also I myself quickly will come." 

-’trust’ as it is rendered in the NASB is a little too weak and iffy.  Paul was pretty confident, he had been presuaded at some time in the past that some time in the not-too distant future he was going to be able to visit philippi.  He doesn’t say that he knows for sure that he is definitely coming, but neither does it sound like it was just wishful thinking on his part.  He is careful to use the ‘in the Lord’ qualifier, which re-emphasizes his general deference and yieldedness to the Lord (cf James 4.13-15), but also hints that his confidence about some future release hinges entirely on what God wants to do in and through him and his situation.  

-In fact, let’s be perfectly clear about this point.  EVERYTHING depends on God.  My very next breath depends on Him.  Everything depends on what God wants to do in and through me in every situation.  I may decide to not cooperate, but God will even use that to further His purposes.  No, that is not a license to sin and do whatever I want, but it is a truth which should humble me down to my knees before the One with Whom I have to do (Acts 17.28, Psalm 94.8-10, Daniel 5.23, Hebrews 4.13).

Philippians 2:23 - The bare necessities

"This one, indeed, therefore I am hoping to send immediately as ever I should look away at the [things] of me." 

-Paul wanted to send Timothy to Philippi, he hoped to send Timothy to Philippi, but the fact of the matter is that for the time being at least he needed Timothy with him.  While Paul was in prison he needed a faithful companion, someone who could help to provide for him.  It would not be uncommon for a prison situation to necessitate that family members or friends provide food, clothes, books, etc, for the one imprisoned (cf 2Timothy 4.13).  Just as Paul had no one else who would genuinely be concerned about the believers in Philippi, he quite likely had no one else he could count on to be concerned about him there in Rome (cf 2Timothy 1.15-17, 2Timothy 4.11).

-And here we get a glimpse of paul striking a balance between moving forward the work of the Good News and taking care of those who work for the Good News, beginning with yourself.  There are sacrifices to be made, yes, and times to go without, yes (cf 2Corinthians 11.23-27).  But this was not one of them for Paul.  As Christ’s ambassadors we all need to do what we can to at least try to take care of the first things first - my walk with the Lord and spending time with Him, and then food and clothing (cf Luke 10.42, 1Timothy 6.8).  Scripture makes it clear that I do not absolutely need anything more than these, but without these I will quite quickly be rendered useless for the Kingdom.  The opposite is true as well, that discontentment and pursuit of the things of the world will also render a would-be Kingdom worker useless.  So many things we think we need, that we cannot live without - smartphones and bigger open-concept homes and the latest appliances and furnishings and fashion and cars and... the list is endless.  We really must learn to be content and focus on what is really important, on what the Lord wants (cf Philippians 4.11, 2Corinthians 12.10, Hebrews 13.5).

Philippians 2:22 - The proof is in the pudding

"But the proof of him you [all] are knowing, because as a child to a father he served with me unto the Good News."

-The proof is in the pudding, so to speak.  And the folks in philippi had seen timothy’s life and heart first-hand.  They had seen his faithful devotion to the Lord and to Paul, and they had seen his unfailing commitment to the progress of the Good News in the lives of others.  And so had Paul.  

-Don’t just tell me what you believe - show me what you believe by living it out.  Show me that you care about others by serving them and by living out helping them worship and follow Jesus.  Show me that you can be trusted with bigger responsibility by first being responsible with little things.

Philippians 2:21 - Where we go wrong...

"For the all the [things] of themselves are seeking, not the [things] of Jesus Christ."

-I think Paul is talking about believers here, or at least including them, folks who would be considered Christ-followers.  But he says that every last one of them (at least where he is when he is writing) is not really pursuing the things of Jesus Christ.  They are pursuing what they want, not necessarily what Jesus wants.  In fact, he doesn’t even qualify it one little bit.  They are NOT showing any concern for the things that concern Jesus.  It is me-first all the way.

-Everyone is seeking something.  Ultimately they are trying to fill the God-shaped hole in their hearts, the infinite abyss.  But even when folks are seeking something even remotely in the vicinity of Jesus, we are typically just in it for ourselves (cf John 6.26).  And this is where we go wrong in our hearts - we fall short in our worship.  We fail to honor God as God and give Him thanks.  We put other things in His place, seek and desire other things more thank Him, and ultimately put ourselves and what we want before Him and what He wants (cf Romans 1.21-25).  Jesus, however, showed us how to live perfectly into God-first and others-first (John 4.34, John 5.30, Luke 19.10, Mathew 20.28).  cf Luke 12.29-31, Mark 4.19.  Because remember, it’s all about Him.  And so it’s all about others - helping them to become all about Him, because it’s all about Him.

Philippians 2:20 - Timothy, a real-live example of others-first...

"For I have no one equal-souled, who genuinely the [things] about you will be concerned."

-Like-minded is isopsycho, from isos meaning ‘equal’ and psyché meaning ‘soul’.  It literally means equal souled.  It is only used here in the NT.  iIn this case, Paul is saying that Timothy has the exact same thoughts and feelings and convictions when it comes to others-first others-better.  He is really and truly concerned about the concerns and needs of others, and there is NO ONE else like that around.  His concern was genuine, sincere, not something pretend or temporary.  That word is gnésios, and it means true born, legitimate.  Often our concern and compassion is feigned or fleeting at best, born out of momentary obligation, or it is snuffed out altogether.  IF we even slow down to see and stop long enough to help meet a need, we quickly move past and onto the next thing that concerns us, while the other person and their concerns recede into the long litany of fulfilled duties.  We pretended to care or squeezed out a few drops of concern because we had to, because it was our job or perhaps because there was no one else.  But Timothy’s concern for the Philippians was genuine and real.

-Concern is merimnao, which most often is negative.  Usually God’s Word is telling us to NOT be concerned about things like when we will die or about our future or about having enough stuff for tomorrow or about how we look or about making others happy (Philippians 4.6, Matthew 6.25-31, Luke 12.26, Matthew 6.34, Matthew 10.19, Luke 10.41, 1Corinthians 7.33-34).  These are things which can sometimes even be in control of us, even though they are mostly beyond our control.  At their core we find the impulse where WE actually want to be in control of the things that concern us.  And so here is another place where we need to let go.  God is in control.  He’s got this (Romans 6.28, Matthew 6.33).  There ARE for us some exceptions for merimnao, however.  We DO want to be concerned about the things of the Lord (1Corinthians 7.32)(part of fulfilling the first part of the great command - Matthew 22.37-38), and we DO want to be concerned about the well-being of others in the Body of Christ (1Corinthians 12.25), about the things that concern them (Philippians 2.3-4)(part of fulfilling the second part of the great command, to love our neighbor as ourselves - Leviticus 19.18, Matthew 22.39).  Our goal would not be to try to merely make them happy per se, because that is out of our control past a certain point.  Rather we are to be genuinely mindful of others’ needs and what is going on in their life, and to truly love them enough to serve them, to help meet some of their needs, to care about the things that they care about and take an interest in the things that concern them.  This going-low serving definitely requires letting-go, letting go not just of my misplaced superiority and selfish pusuit of my own interests but of my need and desire to be safe, secure and in control.  Others-centered.  Others-first.  For the sake of Christ.  For real and not for show.  Out of our heart and not out of obligation.  Timothy was that way for real.  How about you and me?

Philippians 2:19 - The mystical dance of glory

"But I am hoping in [the] Lord Jesus timothy quickly to send to you, in order that also I may be encouraged having known the [things] about you."

-paul couldn’t visit them.  but he could send timothy.  timé-theos, meaning one who honors/values God.  we’ve already seen from acts 16 where the Lord had uniquely paired timothy with paul and they had been used to help plant this church.  needless to say, both paul and timothy had a lot invested in the lives of those in philippi.

-and so right on the heels of this great section about avoiding me-first me-better, and then letting go and going low in pursuit of others-first others better, we find that paul is already all about that.  he is in chains, but he wants to know how the philippians are doing.  and it’s not the kind of others-centeredness you get sometimes when somebody turns the conversation away from themselves and onto you primarily because they are uncomfortable talking about themselves.  rather, in this case, you have paul who really does care about these believers and wants to know how things are for them, so much so that even tho he is in some pretty extreme circumstances himself, he still is living out a focus on the things of others.  he is staring death in the face, but he is concerned about them, for their sakes.  i really want to know how things are going for you and how you are doing because i care.  i really care about you and value you as a person.  i care about you all as an assembly of believers whom i also deeply care about as individuals.  i am not asking out of curiosity or because i’m supposed to.  i really do care about you.

-the only way paul will currently be able to find out about how things are for the philippians is to send a surrogate, someone who, simply put, is free to travel all the way to philippi and back.  as we will see, paul doesn’t want to send just anybody.  and so his first choice is timothy, this trusted and valued disciple and co-worker who helped him plant this assembly in the first place.  certainly timothy knows the way and he knows the city and he knows and cares about the people AND of course he is greek.  but for some reason at this point timothy cannot go in paul’s place.  so we read that paul ‘is hoping in the Lord Jesus’ to send timothy quickly.  since the Lord Jesus was paul’s big-’L’ Lord and Master, Jesus was in charge of the when and the what.  paul not only knew that Jesus was in charge, but he was submitted to and respectful of that.  our mantra in any and every situation should be, when and ‘if the Lord wants’ (jam 4.17), for in Him we live and move and have our being (act 17.28).  we cannot even take our next breath unless He allows it and gives it to us (act 17.25).  truly all things are from Him and through Him and for Him (rom 11.36).  it is a mystical dance of glory, to be sure, but one where Jesus leads.  we have an active part to play in the dance.  in fact the more active we are in our role, the better the dance.  we are not to be completely passive fatalists, but neither are we to get ahead of ourselves and try to lead.  it’s like we’re on dancing with the stars.  Jesus is the pro, and we are the amateur.  it would be foolish and ugly for us to try and lead.  but the more we can let go and let Him lead and really cooperate with Him to do all that He asks us to do, the more glorious the result (cf phil 2.13).  

Philippians 2:18 - Uncontainable supernatural joy...!

"...but the same also you be rejoicing and be rejoicing with me.’ 

-the philippian believers (perhaps on the surface at least) were facing a serious joy stealer.  their teacher, mentor and friend was in prison, in chains and facing possible execution for following Jesus.  they could have been tempted to give in to discouragement because of this.  they could have been sad for paul and because of his circumstances.  they could have decided that his was a most unpleasant and undesirable circumstance, one which was staring them in the face as well were they to continue to follow Christ.

-to this paul gives an immediate, ‘no way!’  not only does paul see things as an opportunity for him to be rejoicing, not only is his joy overflowing, but he gives the philippians a double imperative for them to be entering in and experiencing the same.  paul wants them to let God fill them to overflowing with indescribable joy that they will not be able to contain and which will eventually even flow back to him.  paul leads them quickly away from the temptation to be disheartened by the adversity he is facing, and urges them on to live into the full experience of joy that only Jesus gives and which in no way depends on anyone’s circumstances.  joy.  peace.  hope.  even and especially in the midst of affliction and brokenness.  these are the hallmarks of the people who truly follow Jesus.  it would be very natural to be upset and discouraged that you were put in prison for being a Christian, or even just when life gets you down - maybe when your house or your stuff or your body or your relationship (or someone else’s) breaks down.  or when your work and your life and even your ministry is hard.  when people don’t respond the way you think they should or want them to.  when following Jesus isn’t always easy or a bed of roses.  thorns hurt - that’s very natural.  but something supernatural is here.  something supernatural is sown in the heart and soul of every person who trusts in Jesus.  it is not natural, it is not normal, it is beyond normal, it is beyond explanation, it is beyond description.  this is what all these New Testament writers experienced and are talking about.  this is what Christ Jesus Himself was talking about.  the world can’t give it.  the world doesn’t have it.  the world doesn’t get it.

-and the Word of God does describe a special experience of joy for those suffer specifically for the sake of Jesus.  suffering is common to all who inhabit our broken planet, but genuine Christ-followers have a guarantee of being specifically hated and mistreated because of their association with Jesus (mt 24.9, lk 6.22, jn 15.18-19, 1jn 3.13).  but not only that, such persecution presents a divinely-appointed opportunity for a peculiar experience of inexplicable indescribable joy (mt 5.10-12, 1pet 4.12-16, 1pet 1.6, jam 1.2, jam 1.12, cf act 5.41, act 16.25).

-we’re not talking about living in a rosy-eyed state of denial about the hardships and brokenness of this life.  Scripture is likewise full of enjoinders to enter in to the realities and the tragedies and the hardship that life brings into our lives and the lives of those around us (rom 12.15, 1cor 12.26, eccl 3.4).  there is indeed a time to cry, and yet even grief can be supplanted by God’s inexpressible joy as He brings perspective and reminds us how He is truly good and is faithfully working even the hardest of situations for good (rom 8.28, ps 30.5, 2cor 6.10).