The norm in this “age” of the church is that the Lord will provide worthy examples for us to follow even as we will be tested by enemies of the cross. We need a faith that includes power to discern AND to walk out the faith-filled life.

Onward & upward is often used as a throwaway line, for ‘keep going.’ For Paul, this attitude of full-speed cooperation in the Spirit pertained to the reason Christ laid hold of him in the first place.

Christ is enough! Paul leads us in renouncing everything else, especially those aspect of false righteousness which actually compete against our intake of the real gospel. There is great joy in such a trade-off, so there is no need to go back.

A drastic change of tone, halfway through this letter suggests Paul has received word about heretics troubling the church. Peaceable Paul has very harsh labels for these ‘dogs’ and their ‘careless cutting.’ Then he hauls out his old resume, when he was living in/for the flesh. But now, he puts no confidence in it.

Epaphroditus is given a glowing five-fold commendation by Paul, all of them elaborations on being a faithful servant. This is the God-chosen conclusion to a chapter about putting the interests of others ahead of our own (a.k.a., a beautiful life).

The apostle of joy gave himself leave to lament, for a verse, that most people in his experience (even Christians) were more self-interested than Christ-interested. Timothy, Paul’s son in the Lord, was different. We should examine & emulate lives & hearts like his.

Paul continues to help Christians like us to understand what God wants from us ‘in a crooked & depraved generation.’ The heavenly luminaries can help us here!

Several common falsehoods confront us as we seek to grow in Christ & love our fellow believers: Thinking we have nothing to do with our sanctification, or that God has nothing to do with it; then proudly claiming I don’t need the church in order to serve God faithfully, or that I can never obey God if I must be alone.

God does not call us to enjoy humiliation nor submit to it for its own sake. Jesus who was greatly humbled was then exalted to the highest place by His well-pleased Father. We respond in our worship of the Son, enjoying our exaltation in Him, and humbly serving one another … first within the household of faith.

Paul in the Spirit could think of no greater example of humility-for-purpose than our Lord Jesus. He did not give up divinity for even a moment, but deprived Himself of its glories & privileges, for a time. He is worthy of our praise, long before we get to the eternal exaltation.