Philippians Chapter 1 - Thanksgiving
1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul and Timothy remind us they are bond-servants (free to leave or live as they please, but they willingly agreed to serve their master for life). They have something to say to “all the saints” in Christ Jesus who are Philippi including overseers and deacons. You are either a saint or you ain’t.
You might even be called to be an overseer or a deacon (a overseer is episkopos a man charged with the duty of seeing that things done by others are done rightly, a guardian or superintendent.
A deacon is diakonos, one who executes the commands of another, especially a master or minister. A decon often cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use. A deacon can also mean waiter, one who serves food and drink. It has the connotation of serving others.
True Christian Leadership is always done in the service of others. Think about Jesus Christ who left his Glory in Heaven and came down to serve mankind. He is our great example!
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you (so too, we should thank our God for each and every saint we know). Always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all (so too, this is a great example for us, we should offer prayer with joy!) … in view of your participation in the gospel (sharing the good news of Jesus Christ) – they were participating in it – so should we!
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Paul & Titus were confident of this very thing (we should be confident too) that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus). God started the work and He will finish the work. It’s all God’s doing. This is why we rejoice and have joy! Also, notice the longing.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Paul will now give us deeper insight into what he has been praying for “I pray that your love may abound still more and more (how much love is that?)
… and more in real knowledge and all discernment (knowledge of God’s word is real knowledge. | and all discernment which the ability to understand the moral implication and life application of the knowledge learned from The Word).
We learn God’s will and then discern what we should do in each situation.
Why? so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be since and blameless until the day of Christ. The only way to achieve this is through a knowledge of God’s word and using discernment to make good decisions. We approve what is excellent (Godly) and disapprove of everything else (ungodly)
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