Luke, the master storyteller, recounts the risen Jesus’ journey to Emmaus accompanying two disillusioned disciples. This trip is more than a mission to restore the deserting duo; it’s not just a proof of Jesus’ resurrection. The Emmaus episode demonstrates how Jesus is experienced in the new era, after the cross & empty tomb. Supposedly a stranger, Jesus joins the disappointed duo and engages their hopes & fears. He adjusts their inadequate view of his Messianic mission by opening God’s Word igniting their hope. Responding, they invite Jesus to their home, where he transforms an ordinary meal into a sacred Lord’s Supper revealing his true identity.  It is via both these means—the Scriptures and the Sacrament (breaking of bread), through Word and Worship—that Christian believers know and experience the risen Christ today.

The letter to the Philippians is a friendly, compassionate, and family type letter. Paul does not present himself as an apostle but as a servant. The church in Philippi might be could be considered as the church Paul was closest to.  

In this letter Paul does his best to address the mindset of the Philippians by sharing his own mindset on how he lives in all circumstances. He has a mindset on suffering and on joy. This mindset is dominated by his aspiration to pursue Christ, to gain Christ and to have Christ the reason for living. By sharing his mindset he is trying to help the Philippians (and us) have the same kind of mindset.

Before we turn our attention to the actual text of the Philippian letter, let’s look at how the gospel first came to the city of Philippi. We’re introduced in Acts 16 to Lydia, an unmarried (widowed) immigrant. As a wealthy & successful business woman who sold the highly sought after purple dyed cloth (a luxury item for the powerful & wealthy), we might imagine that she was living ‘a life worth living’. Yet with all her wealth, status & achievement she sought a deeper meaning to life; the kind that goes beyond the fading thrill of conquering yet another goal or seeing a bank account swell. Later in the chapter we meet an ex-Roman soldier dutifully carrying out his role as a jailer. He, unlike Lydia, wasn’t seeking God at all, but then a violent earthquake shook his exterior & interior worlds. As his ‘life worth living’ crumbled, his attention turned to something more, something deeper & more meaningful. In both of these people’s lives, God brought the good news of Jesus to them through Paul & Silas, and they & their households were led into salvation, & Philippi’s church had its first members.

As Paul concludes Galatians, he wants to underscore the importance of living life with the Spirit. He’s already mentioned ‘walking by the Spirit’ and ‘being led by the Spirit,’ but here in chapter 6 he says, ‘sow to the Spirit’ (6:8). Sowing here is a form of investing. We can invest in what the Spirit is doing, or what the corrupting flesh wants. As we consider where to sow (invest), Paul turns our attention again towards others. Sowing to the Spirit is not just a personal endeavour, but more importantly, one done in and for the building of Christian community. Are you investing well? And maybe more importantly, where, or in whom are you investing? It matters because God sees and is not mocked (6:7). The cold reality is that we may be deceiving ourselves as we sow to the flesh and think everything is just fine. Sow today for your present and future experience of eternal life?

Galatians 6 gives an example of what living by the Spirit looks like. The example is restoring a person who has sinned or has manifested the “works of the flesh.” Restoration should be carried out by those who experience the Spirit producing humility in them. This restoration should also include walking with the person until they learn to walk by the Spirit. This is to carry one another’s burdens.

Although only one example is given here, there are many other examples of carrying one another’s burdens. We need to learn to give help and also to ask for help. We are designed to walk by the Spirit in community. However, on the other hand, before God, we must carry our own load. One day, each of us will give an account of our life to God.

When we think about the ‘works of the flesh’ and the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ we often think individually. But is that what Paul is pointing to in Gal. 5:19-23? He is actually much more concerned with our community life. Hatred, envy, strife, etc. are all aimed at others, with the result of destroying community. Whereas, love – sacrificial love for others – exhibited in a joy and peace and patience, that love always builds community. Why? Because that is the kind of love lived by Christ who “loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20b). That is life the Spirit of God is leading us to live every day. In this way he is leading us to build the Christian community God has placed us in.

Freedom as revealed in Scripture is very different from freedom that is promoted in society. Freedom in society is individualistic and self centered. Freedom in the Spirit, which is a gift from God, is focused on taking care of others, serving others, and promoting the welfare of community, especially the Christian community, the church. The works of the flesh are mainly against the community of faith. 

This section also contrasts walking by the Spirit and carrying out the desires of the flesh. The Spirit was given to us when we received salvation. It is this Spirit, who has the power that is stronger than the power of the flesh. We do not fight against the flesh, we get in step with the Spirit, who is the One with power over the flesh. If we think that we have to fight the flesh we fall into the trap of keeping the law.

If you asked 100 people to tell you what they thought freedom was, it’s likely you’d get 100 different answers. As Christians we can be persuaded by all kinds of ideas about what freedom is or should be. But, how does God see freedom? As Christians, his thoughts on freedom are what should and must govern our lives. In Galatians 5:1a, Paul says, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” Our freedom was won by Christ’s work for us. It’s a freedom ‘from’ sin, ‘from’ self, and ‘from’ the influence of the evil forces. But God’s freedom is also ‘for’ something. God frees us to live the life he has designed for us. We are freed to love and serve others in righteousness. And we are told to remain in that freedom. What we have to guard ourselves against is that we do not return to any yoke of slavery again (Gal. 5:1b).

Paul’s churches were imperiled by zealous Jewish-Christians pressuring Gentile-believers to proselytize. They argued that all Abraham’s descendants were circumcised. Paul rebuts this ‘false gospel.’ He creatively applies OT Scripture, ‘turning the tables’ on his opponents. Abraham had two sons, not just one; Ishmael, Abraham’s natural son via Hagar, represents slavery. Only Isaac, Sarah’s son via God’s promise, portrays freedom. Despite their DNA, the Jewish agitators are not today’s ‘Isaac;’ they are ‘Ishmael,’ slaves under Law, destined for expulsion. Who is today’s ‘Isaac’? In the era of freedom launched by Christ, the churches expressing the Spirit’s fruit and responding to Scripture’s living voice—they are today’s ‘Isaac.’ Let’s test ourselves by these criteria; do we manifest the characteristics of ‘Isaac’ or of ‘Ishmael’?

The letter to the Galatian churches is Paul’s passionate attempt to recover and rescue the Galatian believers from leaving the gospel. Initially he used rebuke (1:6; 3:1, 3) and a lot of theological and intellectual arguments. Now in this section he uses emotional arguments. Firstly, he presents himself as a pattern to them and charges them to become like him. He abandoned the law and took his stand as crucified with Christ and living by him (2:20). Secondly, he reminds them of their initial response to the gospel. Thirdly, he accuses the circumcision party of making the Galatians feel “outside of God’s people” unless they become circumcised. Finally, he expresses maternal sentiment as he struggles that Christ would be formed in the Galatians. This section is full of emotion.