Philippians 2:19-30 (NIV)

Sometimes we think about the apostle Paul and imagine that all of his writings were just these abstract theological essays, but today’s passage reminds us again that we’re reading a real letter--to the church at Philippi, from Paul, imprisoned and dependent on others for his care.

Unlike our modern prison systems, prisoners in those days weren’t provided food or other basic needs by the state. They had to depend on friends to send what they needed for survival.

So, as you listen, imagine the sights, sounds and smells of this scene. Try to imagine the scene, and as you imagine, try to step into the situation.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What image or feeling stood out to you in the passage?

2. Paul’s affirmation of Timothy echoes his call to the church at Philippi in the beginning of this chapter-- “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others.” What would it look like for you also to take on this mindset? What might need to change? What might stay the same?

3. In this passage we get a 3D look at Paul. His intimacy with Jesus and understanding of the gospel didn’t separate him from real needs like hunger and pain or real emotions like anxiety and sadness. Have you ever heard or believed that being a Christian means you have to smile all the time? Try to let that go. . . and ask the Lord to meet you in your real needs and emotions today.

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Philippians 2:12-18 (NIV)

Have you ever been in a situation where something happened and you realized that you were the person who had to be in charge? Maybe you were used to leaning on a parent or grandparent, a leader or mentor, a supervisor or colleague, but this time they aren’t there. It’s up to you to figure it out. I had a moment like this as a young leader in InterVarsity. A group of friends as I decided to lead a summer bible study. And it got way bigger than any of us anticipated. And when things went sideways, there was that collective moment when we all realized that we had to step up and get serious about our leadership and trust in Jesus as leaders.

Paul sees this kind of thing as inevitable for the Philippians, and he’s exhorting them to get serious about their allegiance to Jesus, or, as he says, “to work it out with fear and trembling.”

Listen now to Paul’s encouragement from Philippians 2:12-18.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What part of Paul’s exhortation stood out to you in this passage?

2. Any good coach knows how to tell their team where to focus their attention in a way that resonates and inspires. But it always speaks to an area that needs improvement. So, which encouragement resonates with you? “Get serious about your faith?” “Don’t argue or grumble?” Or, “hold firmly to the word of life?” Ask the Lord to help you this week with one of these.

3. Paul seems to encourage them by telling them how joyful and faithful he will be--even if the worst comes of his situation (that is, if he’s put to death). His faith likely inspired the Philippians. What about you? Who’s faith inspires yours? Take a moment to thank Jesus for them and consider reaching out to tell them that.

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Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV)

In a world of division and hubris, the picture of Jesus in today’s passage stands out as a different way to be human. Listen carefully to the passage, and you can hear Paul practically begging this church to be like Jesus.

This passage confronts head-on our notions of self-reliance, personal freedom, and desire for power. Jesus did life differently. He showed us what  it means to be truly human. In Romans 8 Paul also writes that we are to be conformed into the image of the Son. This is the character description of that Son. It ought to challenge us to our very core, calling us into utter dependence on the Spirit of the LORD.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What part of this passage challenged you the most? What part bbrought you the most comfort?

2. Pauls says if there’s any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in his spirit or tenderness and compassion… in your relationships with one another have the mindset of Christ... So how are your relationships today? What would it look like for you to value these individuals above yourself today?

3. We who follow Jesus believe that what Jesus accomplished on the cross is the most powerful act anyone has ever performed. It is the act upon which the entire history of the cosmos turns towards redemption. Yet, it was at the same time the deepest act of humility the world has ever seen. When you are motivated to be strong, to be powerful, to make a difference, do you move towards humility or something else? What would it look like for you to emulate Jesus’ humility today?

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Philippians 1:20-30 (NIV)

As we listen to today’s passage, we’ve got to remember that Paul’s writing from a  roman prison. It’s reasonable for him to think he might not make it out alive. Yet, what we hear from him is confidence and purpose no matter what the circumstances, and no matter the results. He’s able to genuinely encourage his friends because he has situated his life around Jesus, which allows him to see real victory on either side of the sword.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What word or phrase stood out to you in the passage?

2. Have you ever had someone ask you whether you had something in your life worth dying for? In this passage Paul says he has that--the chance to be with Christ would be a gain. However, Paul also has something worth living for, that is the mission of proclaiming the good news of the true king to those who haven't yet heard. What about you? What is it in your life, when you're feeling pressed on all sides, that’s worth living for even through the suffering?

3. Paul encourages them, no matter what happens, to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. This encouragement indicates that it might be tempting to do otherwise, to live a life that departs from the gospel if pain or loss or persecution came to the Philippians. In the ways that you feel pressed today, what does it mean for you to live a life worthy of the gospel. What might need to change?

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Philippians 1:12-19 (NIV)

In today’s passage Paul echoes the words of Joseph way back in Genesis chapter 50--that circumstances meant for evil are being used by God for good. We wrestle in our modern minds with how to understand this idea. So often we’ve heard the saying, “Everything happens for a reason,” which implies that maybe God is the one causing the difficult circumstances. But another way to think about it that seems to be more in line with God’s character, is that while he always allows humans to have agency in the world, he never allows evil to have the final word.

Listen now to Philippians 1:12-19.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What word or phrase stood out to you in the passage?

2. Philippi was a Roman colony known for its allegiance to Caesar, so needless to say, there was a lot of resistance to the supposed “good news” of a Jewish King who claimed to be the ruler of the whole universe. What  allegiances are threatened by this same gospel in our culture today, in our nation, in our towns, in our own lives? Where is there resistance to the idea that Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not?

3. Is there an area of your life where you feel like things aren’t going the way you had hoped or where grief, disappointment, or just evil seems to have taken charge? Ask the Lord to give you eyes to see how he is at work. Ask him to give you faith to trust that he has not abandoned you.

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Philippians 1:1-11 (NIV)

Are you the type of person who likes to start projects but has a hard time finishing them? A lot of things in life feel like they get off to a good start, then get stalled or sidetracked. Money runs out, people get tired, circumstances change. . . But Paul here emphasizes an aspect of God’s character that is consistent throughout Scripture and applies to big things and small. God is one who finishes what he starts. He is faithful, and he is not limited by circumstances, budgets or energy.

Listen now to Philippians 1: 1-11.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What word or phrase stood out to you in this passage?

2. Paul’s affection for the church at Philippi seems to stem from their “partnership” in the gospel. More than just common belief or sympathy for a cause, they are committed with him--in vision, in action, and in a generous sharing of their resources, to tell the world about its new King. Would you describe yourself or your church as “partners” in the gospel?

3. For Paul and in the Jewish understanding, the head and the heart were not separated, as we think of them today. Love was not purely emotional, but tied up together with truth, knowledge, and wisdom, resulting in moral discernment for the good of those involved. Are there relationships in your life that need to grow in this kind of love? What might that look like?

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Clayton gives us a brief idea of the situational context for the Letter to the Philippians.

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Ephesians 6:18-24 (NIV)

In the previous passage, Paul tells the churches in Ephesus to put on the full armor of God--the defenses at their disposal to defeat the schemes of the enemy. Today, as Paul closes out his letter, he adds something to these pieces of armor--prayer. Prayer--in the Spirit, on all occasions, and about everything. Sometimes we might feel like we are fighting battles alone, but the reality is that we are surrounded by other warriors, and if we will live into this new community formed by Jesus and filled with his Spirit, we will be able to fight not only for ourselves, but for one another, together, in power and strength.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What word or phrase stood out to you in the passage?

2. Prayer is a mysterious thing. And the connection between our prayers, the stuff going on in the quote “heavenly realms” and the things--big and small--in our world, is really beyond us. Yet Paul asks these believers to pray. How can you enter into prayer today? What do you want to talk to God about?

3. The mention of Tychichus reminds us that this is a real letter, written from a real person to real people. We are, essentially, reading someone else’s mail. If you were writing a letter to a friend far away, who might you mention? Is there a friend who has been especially faithful to you in times of pain or struggle? Consider finding a way to thank them today.

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Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)

In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul has intricately formed a framework of God’s mission in the world. The new humanity--diverse in ethnicity and social status, unified as a new family, mutually submissive in all relationships for the sake of living as light in a dark world. Living a new kind of life--one submitted to the loving wisdom of their risen Savior--sounds great, right?!

But in today’s passage, we get a reminder that this won’t be easy. We won’t automatically become these kinds of humans. Temptation, trials of all kinds are still a part of daily life. We’re still in that “already, but not yet,” but now, with a King who defeated death, we have the defenses we need to fight against every evil that comes our way.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What image stood out to you the most in this passage?

2. Truth, justice, the message of peace, faith, salvation, and the gospel message itself. We have at our disposal everything we need to live the life we are called to, and yet these are called pieces of battle armor for a reason! Where in your life or where in the world  do you feel vulnerable or exposed to attack?

3. Our modern minds might have a hard time with Paul’s discussion of “the heavenly rulers and authorities. But our skepticism of things we can’t see or touch has produced a unique spiritual blindness in our culture. As Christians we might feel like we have to choose between prayer and activism, but what if the fight is on both fronts? What if it’s all connected? Is there a place of pain in the world that you feel especially drawn to fight against?

Ask the Lord to equip you to join him in that fight.

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Ephesians 6:1-9 (NIV)

Read by: Clayton

If the modern understanding of Paul’s gender roles makes our stomachs turn, then today’s passage is maybe even more troubling to our ears. But again, we have to take off our 21st century headphones and try to hear Paul’s words the way his original audience would heard them.

We have to understand too that Paul  saw our ultimate future entering into the present. It’s the “already, but not yet.”

The way the first century Christians understood Jesus’ death and resurrection was that it began something--a reversal of evil, a pushing back of the power of sin and death in our world through the conquering of it in the eternal, spiritual realm. By challenging the normal relationships of children and parents, masters and slaves, Paul is calling the first-century church into a new way of being human--a way that looks to the future, when all things will be made right--and brings that future into the present, in tangible ways, like signposts pointing the rest of the world to the way of the coming Kingdom.

Listen now to Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 1-9.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What ideas surprised you in this passage?

2. How can we apply this passage in the relationships of dominance and subordination that we find ourselves in--as parents or children, teachers or students, bosses or employees?

3. Slavery talked about in Scripture wasn’t usually the kind of chattel slavery we’ve experienced in our country. Sometimes it was unjust and cruel, for sure, since people have been evil at every point in history. But it was common--as common as electricity or running water is to us now. Life was hardly imagined without it. In all the ways the Western Church has failed in its interpretation of this issue in order to maintain economic power, do you find any comfort in Paul’s words here to the church at Ephesus that so radically challenged the status quo?

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