Partners in the Gospel (IX)

Here’s my sermon outline for Sunday, August 24.  I will fill it in with the key thoughts on the passage on Thursday.

Comal Country Church

Dr. Boyd Luter

August 24, 2008

 

Partnership in the Gospel (V):

“Humility and Exaltation”

Philippians 2:5-11

 

Introduction-

 

Main Idea- You can exalt yourself, then be humbled by God or you can humble yourself, then be exalted.

 

(2:5- For you to be a Christ-like gospel partner, it is God’s plan for you to humble yourself.

(5) The expectation of gospel partners having a humble attitude.

 

 

(6- The classic example of the original gospel partner’s humility

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2:9-11) The humble Christ-like gospel partner will, like Christ, be properly exalted in God’s perfect timing.

(9) The reality of God’s exaltation of the humble

 

 

 

(10-11) The timing of everyone else’s recognition of the exaltation

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applicational Questions:

-         Are you choosing to think highly of yourself now, not facing that there is a humbling ahead?

 

Or:

 

-         Will you humble yourself before the Lord, counting on Him to lift you up in His perfect timing?

 

Coming Thursday: More on Philippians 2:5-11

Partners in the Gospel (VIII)

I’m going to “fill in the blanks” below with discussion on the text.  Enjoy!

“Humble Unity as the Glue of Gospel Partnership”

Philippians 1:27-2:4

Main Idea- God designed your gospel partnership to be a steadfast, humble team effort.

(1:27-30) As gospel partners, you are also heavenly citizens, living here in steadfast unity, even in suffering.(27-2 Stand firm in togetherness in the face of opposition.

“Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.  Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the sake of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents.  This is evidence of their destruction, but of your deliverance–and this is from God.”

The wording “live your life” is not Paul’s normal word for lifestlye.  Instead, it means literally “to live as a citizen.”  It is the verbal cousin of “citizenship” in Phil. 3:20.  The significance of it appearing here is because Philippi was a Roman colonia.  That means the city of Philippi had the same legal status as the imperial city of Rome.  Here, Paul is contrasting the Christian’s life as a citizen of heaven and God’s kingdom with Christians who just live like the unsaved world around us.

Paul makes a key point that it is not possible to live in a manner worthy of the gospel if you are not living and ministering in unity.  This point would have been particularly pointed toward his gospel partners Euodia and Syntyche, who were not getting along (4:2-3).

We do not know for sure who the opponents in Philippi were.  It may well have been the Jewish false teachers of the early part of ch. 3.  But, it is somewhat more likely that is the Roman Empire that is in mind, given that verse 30 directly compares the Philippians’ present suffering to his own, which, of course, is at the hands of the Romans.

Interestingly, it is believers’ unified willingness to suffer for the gospel together which is the sign of salvation (translated “deliverance”), whether they live or die (see 1:21-24 for Paul’s personal perspective.  And, by contrast, because of their opposition to the gospel, the opponents show they are headed to “perdition” because of their aggressive unbelief.

(29-30) Be aware that suffering for Christ is nothing unusual.

“For it has been given to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear about me.”

These verses reflect the same kind of perspective Paul displayed about himself in Colossians 1:24: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for His body… .”  Neither verse should be taken to mean that Christ’s death on the Cross was somehow insufficient to pay for all our sins.  Instead, these sufferings are more likely referring ot the kind of sufferings Jesus went through before He went to the Cross.  He is our example in facing undeserved sufffering in this life.

(2:1-4) As gospel partners, your shared blessings mean you must do your best to build loving humble unity.

(1) You have so many spiritual resources in common with your Christian brethren.

“If there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affections and mercy,”

 The “if” in each of these clauses is better translated “since.”  Paul is not doubting that each of these things is true.  Instead, he is saying in effect “Given that every Christian has all these wonderful resources to live out… “  Particularly significant here is the word translated “fellowship.”  It is the same word rendered “partnership” in 1:5.  And, I think it should be understood as “partnership” here also.  Given that John 15:26-27 makes it clear how Christians are partners with the Holy Spirit in sharing the gospel, is it not likely that this verse is making a very similar point?

(2) It produces joy for brethren to have a single-minded focus on life and ministry.

“fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal.”

In 1:4, Paul had said “… always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer.”  So, Paul already had joy in regard to the Philippian church.  However, that joy would not be complete until the currently fragmenting church body in Philippi was re-cemented in love, emotional concern for each other and the common goal of their gospel partnership.

(3-4) Rivalry, pride and selfishness have no legitimate place in Christ’s Body.

“Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.  Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” 

These were the kinds of attitudes and actions that had caused so much trouble in Rome, as Paul had just reported (see 1:15, 17).   Instead, it is only through selfless love for others that the Body can function as Christ designed it.  Also, as will be seen next week, this is the perspective Jesus took in becoming a man (see 2:5-11).  Thus, Jesus is not only our example in suffering (1:30), but also in humble selflessness (2:5-8). 

 

Partners in the Gospel (VII)

The following will be my sermon outline this Sunday.  Enjoy!

Comal Country Church

Dr. Boyd Luter

August 17, 2008

 

Partnership in the Gospel (IV):

“Humble Unity as the Glue of Gospel Partnership”

Philippians 1:27-2:4

 

Introduction-

 

Main Idea-

 

(1:27-30) As gospel partners, you are also heavenly citizens, living here in steadfast unity, even in suffering.

(27-2 Stand firm in togetherness in the face of opposition.

 

 

 

(29-30) Be aware that suffering for Christ is nothing unusual.

 

 

 

(2:1-4) As gospel partners, your shared blessings mean you must do your best to build loving humble unity.

(1) You have so many spiritual resources in common with your Christian brethren.

 

 

 

(2) It produces joy for brethren to have a single-minded focus on life and ministry.

 

 

 

(3-4) Rivalry, pride and selfishness have no legitimate place in Christ’s Body.

 

 

 

Practical Applicational Questions:

-          Are you engaged in living out your heavenly citizenship daily?

 

-          Are you fearfully avoiding the thought of suffering for Christ?

 

-          Are you willing to understand and embrace all your “common ground” in Christ?

 

-          Are you selfishly fooling yourself by thinking you have the right to “do your own thing” in the Body of Christ?

Coming Thursday: A discussion of the passage above

Partners in the Gospel (VI)

(Since Philippians 1:12-26 is a longer passage than the one I dealt with last week (1:3-11), I am going to do more of a section-by-section discussion today.  Hopefully, my style below will make it easier for you to understand and apply.)

Before proceeding further, my study of this key section has convinced me that it unpacks in the following inverted parallel structure:

A (1:12-14) Paul’s presence in Rome has advanced the gospel there, as well as the confidence of the believers in Rome.

B (1:15-18a) What really matters in life is that Christ is proclaimed.

C (1:18b-20) Paul’s foundational hope: To honor Christ in his body, whether in life or death

B’ (1:21-24) To die and be with the Lord is gain, but to live on for Christ (and the gospel) is necessary.

A’ (1:24-26) Paul’s presence in coming from Rome to Philippi will advance the joy and faith of his Philippian gospel partners.

Note: The above parallels point to the middle of the structure, where Paul’s hope is the “heart” of everything else in this section, the reason he can take a positive outlook on those in the Christian community in Rome who are opposing him.

Again, citing the Holman Christian Standard Bible:

1:12-14- “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advancement of the gospel, so that it has become know throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is for Christ.  Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly.”

Paul’s arrest had not turned out to be the setback to the spread of the gospel.  In fact, the opposite had happened.  Paul’s house arrest in Rome had not only allowed him to witness to the leaders of the Jewish community in the imperial city (see Acts 28:29), but to what could be called the most elite aspect of the Roman military: the Praetorian guard.  It may well be the spread of the gospel as far out into the outskirts of the Roman Empire as the British Isles by the end of the first cetury AD was related to Paul’s evangelistic impact on the “imperial guard” at this time.  In addition, most of the people in the house churches in Rome had been motivated by the success of Paul’s witness in his house arrest and were sharing Christ with much greater boldness.

1:15-18a- “Some, to be sure, preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will.  These do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the others proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, seeking to cause mw trouble in my imprisonment.  What does it matter?  Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed.  And in this I rejoice.”

Others in the church in Rome, however, though also witnessing, were doing so with bad attitudes and worse motivations.  Interestingly, though Paul notes this problem very clearly, his overall take is that he and his Philippian readers should rejoice simply because the gospel was being proclaimed.  The section also sets up what Paul is going to talk to the Philippians about as being a problem in their midst: bad attitudes and motives.  The problem with disunity that Paul takes on in Phil. 1:27-2:4 is definitely part of the overall situation in the church that Paul is addressing, as well as naming the names of the troublemakers Euodia and Syntyche in 4:2-3.

1:18b-20- “Yes, and I will rejoice because I know this will lead to my deliverance in through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.  My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or death.”

Philippians was almost surely written near the end of the two years in house arrest in Rome (see Acts 28:20) that is known from extra-biblical sources to be the maximum length of time a prisoner could be held without be confronted by his accusers.  By this time, Paul has become convinced that he will soon be released.  However, if he is wrong and his life will soon be on the life in going before the Roman tribunal, Paul is focused on living–or dying–in a manner that will most glorify Christ.

1:21-24- “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.  Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose.  I am pressured by both.  I have the desire to depart and be with Christ–which is far better–but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.”

If Paul had been granted his wish in the midst of his current circumstances by the Lord, he would have chosen death, no questions asked… if he did not have the responsibility of his gospel partners so heavy on his heart.  Because he did, though, he had very mixed feelings.  However, from a practical standpoint, he knew that it was the best thing for his earthly life to continue, which would allow his ongoing ministry to his gospel partners in Philippi.

1:25-26- “Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your advancement and joy in the faith, so that, because of me, your confidence may grow in Christ Jesus when I come to see you again.”

Paul is looking forward to getting released from his current imprisonment in Rome, so that he will be free to go and visit his gospel partners in Philippi.  After seeing how much his effective evangelistic ministry in Rome had encouraged the believers there, Paul was absolutely convinced the same sort of thing would take place in Philippi.

Coming Tuesday: Outline of Philippians 1:27-2:4

Partners in the Gospel (V)

This is my sermon outline for Sunday, August 10.  Enjoy!

Comal Country Church

Dr. Boyd Luter

August 10, 2008

 

Partnership in the Gospel (III):

“The Trials of Life as a Gospel Partner”

Philippians 1:12-26

 

Introduction-

 

Main Idea- While the gospel is the unbeliever’s life or death issue, Christians face a life and death issue.

 

 

(1:12-18a) What ultimately matters amidst life’s circumstances is whether the gospel of Christ is being shared with others.

(12-14)

 

 

 

(15-18a)

 

 

 

(1:18b-26) Looking at whether you’ll live or die, living is representing Christ and dying is an eternal promotion.

(18b-20)

 

 

 

(21-24)

 

 

 

(25-26)

 

 

 

Applicational Questions:

Do you find yourself tending to question other people’s motives for doing ministry?

 

Can you be joyful whenever somebody becomes a Christian, no matter how?

 

Do you try to see beyond the difficult circumstances now to the wider spiritual issues?

 

Do you realize that, while heaven is far better, you’re left on earth for God’s purpose?

 

 

 

Partners in the Gospel (IV)

(I did not get to this Thursday or yesterday.  However, I decided that would much rather be guilty of too much research/reading than not enough… so I kep reading instead of writing.  Thank you for your understanding!)

I have decided that what I’m going to do in these installments on Philippians is to not to do a running commentary as much as to lay out (and tease out further in some cases) the things about each passage that have emerged as fresh truths for me.  As a result, some of the folowing will be related to delicate nuances of meaning that you might never run into anywhere else.  I do hope these comments will be edifying to each of you!

Using the Holman Christian Standard Bible as my text:

1:1a- “Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus…”  Although Timothy is effectively named as Paul’s co-author in several other letters (the earliest being 1 Thess. 1:1), this is the only letter of Paul in which Timothy’s name is placed alongside Paul’s by himself.  This may well be because of the key role Timothy plays in the body of the letter in 2:19 and Timothy’s soon journey to Philippi, representing Paul.

1:1b- “… To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.”  Over and over–and in various ways–throughout the epistle, Paul will emphasize his affection and concern for “all” the Christians in Philippi.  It appears that he is very carefully seeking to avoid taking sides in the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche (4:2-3), which is previewed in principle in 2:2-4.  Also, this is the only letter in which the leaders of the church (”overseers and deacons”) are addressed at the beginning.  Two comments are worth offering here: 1) In keeping with his overall theme of “partnership in the gospel” (see 1:5), Paul does not place the leaders over the congregation, but alongside them; and 2) The likely reasons why Paul does address the leaders are because of their positive role in the gift Paul received from the church (see 4:10ff.) and their negative role in not taking care of the brewing problem between Euodia and Syntyche (4:2-3).

1:2- “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  This is a standard greeting from Paul.  However, it is worth noting that “grace” must be received by each person before they have “peace” with God.

1:3-4- “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer…”  Again, Paul is at pains to make sure that the Philippian believers understand that he is constantly praying for “all” of them, not just those in the congregation who are hadling things correctly.  What a wonderful example of not “playing favorites” in a church!

1:5- “… because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”  The Greek koinonia could be translated “fellowship” or “participation,” but, given the way Paul develops the rest of the letter, “partnership” is definitely what he had in mind.  Interestingly, this is not a phenomenon that gradually came into being over the years the church had existed.  The “partnership” had been in place, according to Paul, from “the first day (i.e., of planting the church in Acts 16:11ff.) until now.”  Wow!  Brand new baby Christians being viewed as partners in the gospel!  That’ll get you to thinking!

1:6- “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  This is, of course, the ‘future’ part of the ‘past to present’ in 1:5.  Since that is the case, it is far more likely that the “good work” of 1:6 is the completion of the “partnership in the gospel” in 1:5 than that it is talking about bare sanctification.  As far as I can tell, that view comes more from using 1:6 as a theological prooftext, often taking it out of context.

1:7a- “It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart…”  One of the major sub-themes of Philippians is that “partnership in the gospel” is based in right thinking.  However, this is not just any old thinking.  It is closely related to a balanced emotional perspective (”I have you in my heart”).

1:7b- “… and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel.”  Because their “partnership” has continued until the present and will into the future, then Paul and the Philippians are “partners” in whatever happens that has to do with the spread of the gospel, including Paul’s imprisonments, whether in Philippi (Acts 16:23ff.) or in Rome, where Paul was when he wrote Philippians.

1:8- “For God is my witness, how I deeply miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”  Paul is essentially saying here: “Honest to God, I miss all of you (i.e., not just some of you) as purely as if I were Jesus Himself.”  Wow!  That’s quite a claim!

1:9- “And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment…”  We all know how important love is to the Christian life.  But, what Paul is saying her is that we should be growing in love over the years, particularly through coming to the point where our love is much more knowledgeable and discerning than it was when we were immature believers.

1:10a- “… so that you can determine what really matters…”  If you have any kind of moral compass at all, it is not difficult to tell the difference between right and wrong.  But, as they say, “The biggest enemy of the best is the good.”  In other words, it is the discernment between what is good and what is the absolute best from God’s perspective that is crucial and distrubingly rare in a contemporary church filled with immature Christians.

1:10b- “… and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ…”  The outcome of ultimate purity and blamelessness will only be ours on the day of judgment.  However, this also means that we should focus on being as close to purity and blamelessness as possible right now.

1:11- “… filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”  The only other use of the idea “fruit of righteousness” in the NT is in James 3:18, which grows out of 3:17: “But the wisdom from above is first, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocricy.”   It is difficult to see exactly how this fits the context in Philippians 1:11, though.  It seems to me more likely that this concept should be taken as a combination of the ideas of the filling of the Spirit (Eph. 5:1 and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).  The mention of love, which is the first listed fruit of the Spirit, in Philippians 1:9 backs this understanding.  This is the way that “the glory and praise of God” comes about: the Holy Spirit revolutionalizes the Christian’s life from the inside out… and God gets the glory!

Selah and Amen.

Coming Tuesday: My sermon outline for Philippians 1:12-26

Partners in the Gospel (III)

The following is my sermon outline for this coming Sunday.  I will “fill in the gaps” (i.e., make some comments on key aspects of the passage) on Thursday.

Comal Country Church

Dr. Boyd Luter

August 3, 2008

 

Partnership in the Gospel (II):

“A Thankful and Prayerful Partnership”

Philippians 1:1-11

 

Introduction-

 

Main Idea- Gospel partnership is based in heartfelt mutual caring, which expresses itself in ministry cooperation, thankfulness and prayer.

 

(1:1-2) If you are a leader, you are to elevate the roles and significance of your gospel partners.

 

 

 

(1:3-6) You’re always to be thankful for your gospel partners, assured the Lord will complete the partnership’s “business.”

 

 

 

 

 

(1:7- You should care deeply for your gospel partners, since you share grace and ministry’s mountaintops and valleys.

 

 

 

(1:9-11) You are to pray for your gospel partners to grow in discerning love, purity and spiritual fruitfulness.

 

 

 

 

Applicational Questions:

Do you see leadership as being “over” other people or as servant-leadership (1:1-2)?

 

Are you consistently joyfully thankful for the gospel partners God has placed in your life (1:3-6)?

 

Have you allowed a deep affection for your gospel partners to invade your heart (1:7-8)?

 

Do you pray for your gospel partners’ spiritual growth as much as their physical needs (1:9-11)?

 

 

Coming Thursday: “Looking Deeper at Philippians 1:1-11″

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partners in the Gospel (II)

This is my sermon outline for Sunday, as I begin my new series on Philippians:

 

Comal Country Church

Dr. Boyd Luter

July 27, 2008

 

“Partnership in the Gospel (Introduction)”

Philippians 1:1-2

 

Introduction-

 

Main Idea- A leader is honored to relate to the people in the church as “partners in the gospel.”

 

 

Every letter is written by someone at a particular place and time, in certain circumstances.

 

- Who (Paul [1:1], given the personal information [1:12-26; 3:5-6] that stacks up with what we know of him ealsewhere)

 

- Where (most likely from Rome [see Acts 28:17ff.], esp. given the reference to “Caesar’s household” [Phil. 4:23])

 

- When (about AD 61-62, near the end of Paul’s probable two years in house arrest in Rome)

 

- What was going on (rivalry about spreading the gospel in Rome [1:12-26], which amounts to a denial of “partnership in the gospel”)

 

Every letter is written to an audience with their circumstances and for very specific reasons.

 

- To Whom (the Philippian church, which has been very supportive of Paul over the years [see 4;10ff.], but which is presently experiencing growing disunity, because of two prominent women [4:2-3] and is in danger from both legalism and license [3:2-4:1])

 

Every letter has a “shape” and “flow” to it, whether that happened consciously or subconsciously.

 

- The rhetorical outline (which I discussed several weeks ago): It unpacks the theme of “partnership in the gospel” progressively

 

- The inverted parallel outline (which I just discussed): It shows parallel aspects of the theme, centering on the two exemplary gospel partners soon coming to Philippi from Paul–Timothy and Epaphroditus [2:19-30])

 

Every church grows the same way: one choice of saving faith at a time (see Acts 16:11-34, especially vv. 30-31a).

 

The account of the planting of the Philippian church climaxes with the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his family.  I will use this passage for the invitation.

 

Partners in the Gospel (I)

(Before I begin today, I must say that I just went over to SBC Outpost and read the latest post.  I have only been sampling the fare in the blogosphere maybe once per week for the last month or so and have not missed it.  However, in reading Ben Cole’s “Exit Strategy,” I found myself reliving quite an up-and-down succession of emotions from the last two plus years, much of which I was involved in in ways similar to Ben.

Generally, I agree with Ben’s sentiments about the current state of affairs in the Southern Baptist Convention, although my motivations for getting involved were not exactly the same as Ben’s.  Bottom line: I too have followed an “Exit Strategy” of a sort in recent times, though I wish only the best to all who stayed and continued the reform efforts.  I also wish the best to Ben, in whatever direction his life will take in the time ahead.  While I certainly did not always agree with the way he did things, I did find Ben Cole to be one of the most intelligent and gifted young men I have encountered in many years.)

Well, I’m finally getting back to Philippians.  After this week, I will be dealing with the content of the book itelf.  Today, I am taking on the lingering subject of how Philippians can be viewed as having a mirroring structure.  On Thursday, I will post the outline of my introductory message for the sermon series I’m starting on Philippians, called “Partnership in the Gospel.”

Just prior to stepping aside to talk about issues I am pursuing in my own personal spiritual life for several posts, I laid out the structure of Philippians which follows the rhetorical conventions of the day.  I cannot make a case that such a structuring was not in play, because I’m convinced that it was–given the way oral communication flowed in that culture.  However, I think it is also very possible that an additional structure of Philippians is also in play, a very elegant structure at that.

For my own background in working with this material, let me list several items of research back in the 1990s (all of which will be included in the bibliography of the commentary).  In my 1993 book, Looking Back, Moving On, I first came to grips with the presence of any kind of chiastic (i.e., inverted parallel) structuring in Philippians–in 3:10-11.  Then, in 1995, in my highest-profile journal article, in New Testament Studies, I published “Philippians as Chiasmus.”  Playing off that research, I wrote another article on Philippians for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society in 1996 and chapters on Philippians for my books, Disciplined Living: What the New Testament Teaches about Recovery and Discipleship (1996) and Women as Christ’s Disciples (1997).

In the decade since all that concentrated research and writing, my ideas have freshened somewhat.  So, if any of you were to track down any of those publications, you might notice some differences in what I am about to lay out from where I was in the mid-90s.  But, the main thrust is the same.

Here’s what I want you to see as an overview of what I believe is the mirroring structure of Philippians intended by the Apostle Paul.  (If you are not familiar with this style of communication, it is very common in the Old Testament [which has been recognized for several decades], but which has begun to be found more and more frequently by scholars in the New Testament in the past 20 years or so.)  Remember that the As, Bs, Cs, etc., go together.  In each of the layers (A, B, C…), the second member (i.e., in the second half of the letter) either completes, compares or contrasts with the first member (i.e., in the first half).

(1:1-2) Writers, recepients and initial “grace”

A (1:3-11) Opening prayer for the Philippians, focusing on partnership in the gospel

B (1:12-26) Paul’s circumstances in jail, being guarded, and his desire for release

C (1:27-2:4) Gospel partnership by standing firm in unity and living selflessly

D (2:5-1 The selfless examples of Christ and Paul

E (2:19-24) A selfless example of a gospel partner who may come to Philippi soon (I): Timothy

E’ (2:25-30) A selfless example of a gospel partner coming to Philippi soon (II): Epaphroditus

D’ (3:1-4:1) The selfless example of Paul’s conversion vs. the self-centered examples of the legalists and libertines in Philippi

C’ (4:2-3) Two gospel partners who are in disunity and with selfish outlooks

B’ (4:4-9) Rejoicing and prayer guarding the hearts and minds through prayer

A’ (4:10-20) Thank you note to the Philippians, for their financial partnership in the gospel

(4:21-23) Closing greetings and final “grace”

So, what do do you think?  Do you see the parallels?  If not, I will be commenting on the details that led me to conclude that this structure exists in the weeks ahead.

Coming Thursday: “An Introduction to the Background of Philippians”

Looking Over My Shoulder at My Spiritual Quest (Conclusion)

Gang, I’ve got to get back on track with Philippians next week.  I’m finishing my lengthy series (29 messages) on 1 Corinthians, called “The Church Warts and All,” this Sunday and will begin preaching Philippians with an introductory message the next Sunday.

What I will probably try to do, after concluding what I’m going to say about the introductory questions next week, each week is to give you my sermon outline in the Tuesday installment.  Then, I will follow up on Thursday with comments that fill in the “skeleton” of the outline.

So, here goes on trying to further work through my two areas of searching at the moment: 1) listening the voice of God in prayer; and 2) now that I’m a convinced Continuationist, exploring whether I have “missed out” on anything else significant in my walk with the Lord.

To aid in this process, the last time I was at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary library, I checked out two significant books.  (I tried to check out Jack Deere’s Surprised by the Voice of God, but, at that point, somebody else had beaten me to it.)  They were published almost a generation–nearly 30 years–apart and are very helpful indicators of where things were on the front of the gifts and working of the Holy Spirit at their points of origin.

The first is now considered a classic: Frederick Dale Bruner’s A Theology of the Holy Spirit (Eerdmans), which was released in 1970, just as the white-hot heat of the Charismatic wing of the Jesus Movement was mounting.  The second book is by Dr. Max Turner of London Bible College and was published originally in 1996, though revised as recently as 2005 in the Hendrickson edition I am reading.  It is called The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts.

It appears that neither author is a full-blown Charismatic, though both do seem to be quite sympathetic to at least what they see as the strengths of the movement.  As such, they are not completely objective observers–if such a thing is even remotely possible!–but they are “objective” enough to not feel like they have to argue for every apect of what they are describing. 

Frankly, I like–even admire–that.  I tend to get somewhat uncomfortable when I am reading an account and all there is forthcoming is praise.  No man–except Jesus, of course!–and especially no movement has ever occurred in history without its significant flaws, blind spots and failures. 

I’m going to give you a quick update on where I am on both fronts.  Then, I’m going to briefly explain one thing I have taken from each book to help me in my quest.

In regard to listening to the voice of God in prayer, I am improving on making prayer more than a monologue.  While I still largely am only hearing silence when I stop vocalizing.  However, I have realized afresh that’s not a bad thing.  After all, “Be still and know that I am God” is a crucial awareness we should all have constantly before the Lord.  Plus, silence would seem to be a key component of waiting on the Lord–which, frankly, remains for me the most difficult part of the Christian life (maybe my ADD-based impatience has at least a little to do with that!).

In regard to seeking whether there is more available in the Christian life than I have previously experienced, I have fortunate recently to have some people come alongside me recently as human “paraketes,” if you will.  They have each carefully and patiently explained to me their own deeper experiences with the Lord, none of which were “taught” to them, just embraced when they happened.  And, each has been very helpful to me as a “recovering” Stoic and Cessationist.  Since I’m still trying to come to grips with the full range of my emotions, and since I am also still trying to figure out how much of my spiritual “deafness” might have to do with my horrible realtionship with my Dad–which makes it very difficult and scary to trust a “father figure,” it is likely that it will be some time yet before I get where I’m headed on this front.  But, I am seeking, which leads me to believe that, in God’s perfect timing, I will find what He wants me to discover (Matt. 7:7-8).

What did I learn from Bruner’s book that is helping me in this process?  The history of the Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal (i.e., Charismatic) movements focuses on the pursuit of the immediate experience of the Holy Spirit.  While there should be concern about whether the Pentecostal is seeking to glorify the Spirit in place of Christ, the desire for spiritual intimacy with God must be considered a positive thing.  Yes, it can be taken to extreme.  But, is that not a calculated risk that is better than just going through the motions in a spiritually dead church?

What did I learn from Turner’s book?  Even though there are some notable differences in the ways that Charismatics understand certain practices from what the New Testament actually says, it is overreacting to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.”  Turner thinks that the “baby” (in this analogy) may be a significant moving of the Lord in our times, which merely has some questionable practices around it as window-dressing, if you will.  If that is true, and since the moving of the Spirit in the churches in Corinth definitely had its excesses, should we not be very cautious in regard to both what we acccept and what we reject?  After all, as John 3:8 says, there is mystery in the working of the Spirit: “The wind blows where it wishes,a nd you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Coming Tuesday: “Nailing Down the Mirroring Structure and Themes of Philippians”