Verse-by-verse through Philippians (2:24-3:1)

As we have been studying these first two chapters, we keep coming back to this theme of putting others first. Paul has painted a picture of Jesus and His perfect submission which led to His perfect exaltation, and the kind of humility that leads to glorification. And in the next chapter Paul shows us how he himself could have boasted about himself because of his Jewish heritage and his near-perfect knowledge of the Scriptures. But sandwiched in between, we have here—from verse 19 through verse 30—we have this passage that we may be tempted to skip over. Because we don’t think there is anything in these verses that have anything to do with us today.

But, lest we forget, who spoke these words to Paul and told him to write them down for us? God did! If God says something, is it important? I'll give you an example. At the end of his letter to Philemon, Paul refers to a man named Demas as his “fellow worker” (Philemon 1:24). Now, a fellow-worker of Paul would never turn away form the faith, would he? Listen to 2nd Timothy 4:9-10, which may very well have been some of the last words Paul wrote, he says, Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world. So, in these last words of Philemon and 2nd Timothy, we have a lesson in enduring to the end. And here, in the last few verses of this chapter, we have an example of soldiering up and being faithful and persevering through the toughest circumstances to encourage fellow believers.

Philippians 2:24-3:1—I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.

Look at how he begins to describe Epaphroditus. Verse 25. He calls him my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier. First he calls him brother. We know that if anyone is in Christ he is a child of God, and if a child of God, then they are truly our brother or sister. Fellow worker. We will see this man mentioned again toward the end of the book, and read about the work that he did on Paul’s behalf. Fellow soldier. Are we in a war? Oh, you better believe it! If you don’t think we are in a war, we need to talk later. But is our enemy somebody we can see? Ephesians 6:12—For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. In other words, our fight is not against the thief or the murderer or the crack dealer. They are simply slaves of the real enemy, and who is that? And Satan, as we know, is a spiritual being. He was an angel, a very powerful angel. And one who managed to convince 1/3 of the angels in Heaven to make war against God. Now, if he could convince these other angels—who had seen God and knew God—if he could convince them to fight against God, what kinds of things do you think he’s capable of talking us into doing? And since Satan is so intelligent and so powerful, what does that say about our chances of overcoming him using our own wisdom? Slim and none, and slim is waiting at the bus station.

So how do we fight such enemy? With the Word of God and with prayer. THOSE are the weapons of our warfare. 2nd Corinthians 10:3-5—For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And Epaphroditus had obviously been fighting alongside Paul in this struggle against principalities and powers. And one thing we learn about this warfare we are in—we cannot fight this battle on our own. When it comes to fighting Satan, there is no such thing as an “Army of one.” We need to call on someone who is stronger, mightier and smarter than Satan. Hmmm…Who might that be? Psalm 27:1-3—YHVH is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? YHVH is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.

And the more people we have around us, who will pray for us and who will teach us, the better. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12—Two are better than one…if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up…Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
In this war that we are in, we may be tempted to try and go through it alone. But we just saw we can't fight Satan on our own. So, if that’s the case, then who do you think it is that wants us to try and fight Satan on our own? Satan does! How did he manage to convince Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree? He got her alone, away from Adam. And when are we most tempted to do something we shouldn’t do? When we are either alone, or we are not around other brothers in Christ. We talked about that a couple weeks ago. That when we are around others who are strong in the faith, the less likely we are to do something we shouldn’t.

...Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; He was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death. Now that’s dedication! These people had heard that Epaphroditus was sick, and they were feeling pretty crummy about it. Which made Epaphroditus feel crummy about them feeling crummy about him being sick. And in this little blurb, we do see a glimmer of hope for these Philippian believers. That they had heard he was sick, and they may very well have been praying for him. And I'm kinda speculating here, but I think that the reason Epaphroditus wanted to go there was to expand on that. To say, “Hey, you know you guys are caring so much for my health and because I'm sick? Take that care and direct it towards each other.” And that should be true for all of us.

Now, when it says he was distressed (“full of heaviness” KJV), the Greek word he uses (αδημονων, adēmonwn) is only found two other places in the NT. Both times are talking about Jesus the night before His crucifixion. Mark 14:33 (and Matthew 26:37), And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. And Paul is telling us that Epaphroditus felt the same kind of distress over the Philippians’ reacting to his illness. It’s almost like he had heard how they felt about him, and he wanted them to feel the same way about each other. Thayer says, “This is the strongest of the three Greek words in the NT for depression.” In short, of all the words he could have used to describe his sadness, this was the most emphatic.

Do we always understand some concepts with our minds? Or do we sometimes need to see an example? That’s what Epaphroditus was doing. He knew they needed an example of selfless devotion. He knew that he could be that example. And so he had probably told Paul, “Hey look. I know I'm dying. But I don’t care. Send me there so that I can encourage them.” And by doing so, he encouraged Paul as well. He was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Epaphroditus was another one of Paul’s “sons in the faith.” Like Titus or Timothy. If you are a father, how do you feel when your son is sick? There’s a part of you that would almost rather you be sick than your child. Well, not only was Paul having to deal with the squabbling and bickering in the Philippians church. He was watching this dear “son in the faith” creep closer and closer to death.

But, who has control—ultimate control—over life and death? God, obviously. Will God take measures to make sure His will is carried out? God obviously wanted Epaphroditus to go to Philippi to encourage these people. He also wanted to encourage Paul to go on ministering to the various churches. So He brings this young man back from the point of death to accomplish both of these goals. The whole “two birds with one stone” thing. Therefore, Paul can go on and say what he wrote in verse 28, that he sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. The Philippians rejoice. Paul is less sorrowful. Things could be better, but they're starting to look up.

Then he says in Verse 29, Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. I was reading about the apostle John recently. How many times do we forget that the apostles were actual, real people? And there is much written about them and about their lives in the years after the resurrection of Christ. Their lives didn’t stop at the end of John’s gospel. Well, the apostle John became the pastor of the church at Ephesus. Albert Barnes wrote about the last few years of John’s life: "During his latter years he was not able to make a long discourse. He was carried to the assembly, and [would] say nothing but this: ‘Little children, love one another.’ At length his disciples asked him why he always dwelt upon the same thing. He replied, ‘Because it is the Lord's command; and if this be done, it is sufficient.’"

Here was this apostle whom Jesus loved, and all he could do was be carried into church and say, “Little children, love one another.” And now we look at Epaphroditus, who was sick unto death, and Paul says to hold such men in esteem. And well we should. We owe so much to men that we could never thank enough. The reason we can hold a copy of the Bible in English is due, in great part, to men who risked their lives to defy the Roman Catholic Church and translate it into English. I wouldn’t have time, in a month of Sundays, to tell of the men who have died in order to spread the gospel—the true gospel—we could spend nearly all of eternity simply thanking them. Hold such men in esteem. Who risk everything to proclaim the truth.

Then he says something at the end of Verse 30. For the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. It wasn’t that the people didn’t care about Paul or weren’t doing anything to help him. In fact, it was just the opposite. They helped Paul when no one else would or could. And this was also somewhat dangerous because of the Roman government which was in charge of the city, and because Nero, the emperor, was very vehemently opposed to Christians. Another thing to consider, and this about the ways that God works—when the Romans defeated the Greeks at Philippi in 42 BC, the emperor encouraged soldiers and retired military and anybody else who was of any importance to move to Philippi. So, basically, there was a lot of money in this city. One of the first people Paul and Silas met there was Lydia. She sold purple. Big deal, right? Yes it was because back then you didn’t just go into a Caesar-Mart and grab a purple shirt off the rack. The dye was very expensive and you only wore purple if you were wealthy, or you were royalty. Now you see why it was so important that Lydia sold purple, because who could she take the gospel to? Yeah, the rich and powerful.

There were many rich and powerful still living in this city, and in the region of Macedonia. We will see that in Philippians 4:15—Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. When he went to Corinth, and needed help, that he was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied (2nd Corinthians 11:9). They had been one of Paul’s biggest sources of help financially, but apparently something was happening and they had to cut back for some reason. Because in Philippians 4:10—Your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. We’ll look more at that when we get to it. But apparently, Epaphroditus had come to Paul to make up for what the Philippians would have normally given him. And this even though Epaphroditus was near the point of death. But God allowed him to live, so that the work of Christ could continue.

So, there is chapter 2. Done. Finished. Promise.

Chapter 3. I love how he starts chapter 3. Philippians 3:1—Finally. There’s still two chapters left, but he says, “Finally.” Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. What kinds of earthly things do we enjoy? Are those things going to come to an end one day? Yes. Will God ever come to an end? Is that even a question? So yes, it’s fun to play miniature golf or read or sit on the front porch drinking lemonade. But what are we gonna do when this life ends? We’re either going to have ultimate, everlasting pain and torment. Or we are going to have ultimate, everlasting joy, peace, beauty, etc. Psalm 16:11—In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Almost 70 times the Scriptures tell us to rejoice in the Lord. 1st Chronicles 16:10—Let the heart of those who seek YHVH be glad. Psalm 2:11—Serve YHVH with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Psalm 32:11—Be glad in YHVH and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart. 1st Thessalonians 5:16—Rejoice always. NINE times he uses the word ‘rejoice’ in Philippians!! EIGHT times in the first three chapters!! How cool is that!!

But check this out: It’s not only that we rejoice in the Lord. Ten times, the Bible says that God rejoices over us. Zephaniah 3:17—YHVH your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. And when even one person gets saved—the angels rejoice! Luke 15:10—“Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” We’ve got a God we can rejoice over! And not only that, we have a God who rejoices over us!

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. I'm gonna pick on parents again. Stop me if you’ve said this to one of your kids: “If I've said it once…” How about this: “How many times do I have to tell you…?” You’ve probably never had to say those things, have you? Nah…no, not at all! [/sarcasm] But I'll bet you never get sick of telling them, “I love you.”

That word ‘safe.’ Literally means “certain; sure; without fail; firm; something that can be relied on” (άσφαλής, asphalēs). In fact, we get the English word "asphalt" from that word! We find the same word in Hebrews 6:19—This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. The hope is in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. As a Savior, can Jesus fail? That’s not even a question! What Paul is saying here is that, to write the same things to these people doesn’t get old. He could write the same things over and over again. And it would simply give him another chance to write things that glorify God!

And not only that, it makes these people even more certain of the unending and unfailing grace of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ!! It’s as if he is saying, “I could write these same things a thousand times and it would never get old. Because for you, it gives you even more and more assurance in Christ Jesus our Lord!!” And we’ll close on that note, because the next section—verses 2-6—are a whole lesson unto themselves. So let me wrap up with some verses that show us that unending and unfailing grace of God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. John 10:27-29—“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” Nahum 1:7—YHVH is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him. Romans 8:37-39—But in all these things we super-conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord?

Jesus Christ is Lord.
Amen.

The brainwashing of publik skule churren

If the liberal indoctrination of school children wasn't bad enough already, now they're brainwashing kids to sing the praises of the most socialist president in history. Just imagine how apoplectic the liberal media would have gotten if these kids were being taught a song about GW Bush. Chris Matthews' head would have exploded like a watermelon strapped with 10 pounds of C4. But, they're praising The Chosen One, so it's all hunky-dory.

Verse-by-verse through Philippians (2:14-2:23)

We talked last time about how each of us has a role in the church. For some it’s teaching, for some it’s preaching, for others it is simply raising their children to worship the Lord. And whatever role we play, we don’t want to do it grudgingly. Some people, it takes a couple years before they finally figure out where they are supposed to be. And until we do, we need to not just say, “Well, I'm just doing this for the time being,” but we should do whatever it is we are doing to the best of our abilities. So, Philippians 2:14-23—Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me.

Apparently, humbling themselves and being another’s servant was a problem for these Philippian believers. There is an underlying theme throughout this letter about being like-minded, about envy and strife, about selfish ambition, about not disputing, about not putting ourselves ahead of others. Here he is saying, “Let the world do all that stuff. You are light in this dark world. Act like it!” And we’re going to see these griping, sniping, grumblers compared with a selfless student of the apostle.

Verses 15-16. Holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. This last part is looking back at verse 12, when Paul tells them that even though he’s not going to be there, to keep doing the work that God has called them to, since it is God who is actually doing the work through them. One day, we who are saved will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ. 1st Corinthians 3:11-15--For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. This will take place when all things come to an end, and the books are settled. This is the day of Christ that Paul is talking about. When we are rewarded for the things we have done in obedience to Christ’s commands. Whether it’s teaching or preaching or witnessing or simply showing someone the love of Christ—whatever we do that brings glory to God and to His Christ will be gold silver and precious stones and that work will survive, and the person will be rewarded.

Now, it may not seem as though all of our efforts are successful, in this life, in the sense of what we think is success. There will be some that we will witness to that will turn away. Will we still be rewarded for that? Yes. Our obedience will be rewarded. And we will see, on that day, those who stayed true to the faith. But when we ask about those people that we worked with, taught, discipled, etc. and we find out that they slid back into their old life—I got a feeling that if were possible, we’d probably die all over again. And that is something Paul does not want to happen.

Now let me point something out here. I mentioned a few moments ago that our obedience will be rewarded regardless of whether we think we were successful or not. So why do you think Paul would say that he does not want to have run in vain or labored in vain? It almost sounds like he’s saying “I hope I'm not wasting my time here.” Or is that what he’s saying? No, it’s not what he’s saying. It’s not as if their backsliding will cause him to say, “Well, gee, I didn’t get anything out of that.” What he’s really saying is, “Look at all that Christ did for you! He has saved you! Don’t lose your rewards over petty bickering!” We are called to teach and disciple and share the gospel. We run and labor as Paul says here. But, are we going to die some day? Is there a chance that in ten years time after we’re gone that someone else may take over and run it into the ground? But we don’t look at it like that. Because if we do, then we get to thinking that we are the ones in control, and not God. Because, back in chapter 1 verse 6, Paul tells them that he is confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. In other words, if God started it, God will finish it.

Contrast this with poor old Solomon in Ecclesiastes 2. He’s mourning over all the years he spent building and toiling, and finally when he gets old and grey he realizes that one day he’s gonna die and none of it will mean anything. Ecclesiastes 2:18-21—Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. Now, if a man will be so concerned about earthly labors, how much more should we seek God’s protection for those that we disciple in the things of God? That temple that took so many years to build? Gone. The temple that was in Jerusalem when Jesus walked. It took 46 years to finish. The Romans burned it in a day. But we will exist forever. And that was Paul’s concern. He didn’t spend his time building buildings. He spent his years building the body of Christ. We wasn’t so concerned about temporary things—his number one focus was glorifying the eternal God and bringing these people into God’s kingdom.

Now, there are men who dearly love the Lord Jesus and seek nothing more than to teach His truth. But there’s gonna come a day when we can't do this any more. And there may be someone who comes in after us who comes preaching prosperity, leading people away from the truth. Paul had seen that in Galatia. He wrote the book of Galatians about 9 years prior to this. He saw the damage people did who came in behind and adding to the gospel. And he did not want that to happen here. Hold fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Verses 17-18. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. This is one of those places where knowing the culture of the city of Philippi helps us understand what Paul is saying. First, instead of if I am being poured out… it should say “since.” Since I am being poured out as a drink offering… Next, he was being poured out as a drink offering—or, simply, “offered,” KJV, and that doesn’t really give the full effect of the word. Either way, the verb is passive. Someone is pouring him out. Who is doing that? God. I am being poured out as a drink offering is translated from one Greek word (σπένδομαι [spendomai]). Basically, to say this, he took the noun “libation” and made it a verb. Since I have been libationed…

Now what is a “libation?” There are two ways of interpreting this. Some people think that Paul is referring to the Jewish OT sacrifices where, every day the priests would bring a lamb in the morning and a lamb at night and with one they would offer a “drink offering.” Exodus 29:38-41. But I would have to agree with the majority of scholars, who say that Paul is more likely referring to the rituals performed in the Roman culture, and the offerings they made to their “gods.” Now, let me offer this disclaimer: If this is the case, Paul is NOT giving approval to pagan religions. On at least two other occasions, he does use them to make a point. In Acts 17:19-31, Paul is standing in the temple of the Greek god Mars (Ares), and he tells the philosophers, “Men of Athens…you have an altar that says, ‘To the Unknown God.’ Therefore, Him whom you worship without knowing, Him I declare to you.” He’s using their false religion to point them to the truth. Then in 1st Corinthians 15:29, a verse that is absolutely vital to the Mormon religion, Paul says, what shall they do who are baptized for the dead if the dead do not rise? He is NOT telling us to get baptized for the dead. What he’s saying is that even the false religions believe in some kind of “afterlife.” In fact, Ecclesiastes 3:11—[God] has also set eternity in [our] heart.

So, if Paul is using the Roman pagan customs to give these people an illustration of his life relative to the Philippians’ service and sacrifice of faith, it’s not his way of giving a wink and a nod to the pagans. His point is this: their faith has led to sacrifice and service. And in these cultures, the “drink offering”—the “libation”—was simply the “icing on the cake” so to speak. The animal that was sacrificed was the main, vital element of these rituals. The libation, on the other hand, was pretty much anticlimactic. Kinda like after the climax of the movie, and the good guy wins—everything after that is pretty much, “Eh, whatever.” And that is what Paul is saying about himself right here. He’s saying, “Hey, if God wants to make me the smallest part of the greater work He’s working through you—then Hallelujah!”

The sacrifice and service of their faith—or to put it another way, the fact that their faith led them to sacrifice and service—that is the sacrifice God desires. Psalm 51:17—The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Those are the sacrifices God wants. He does not want dead animals—He wants you. Does all that make sense? Sometimes I have hard time explaining certain concepts. “I know what he’s saying!! I just don’t know how to say it myself!” OK.

Verses 19-21. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. At this point in time, Paul is under house arrest. He is in the custody of the Roman government for the second time. He’s heard about the grumbling and bickering going on in the Philippian church. And if we go back to Philippians 1:15-18, we even find that there were some who were glad that Paul was in prison because they probably didn’t like his preaching style. He tended to be a little blunt. But he said, “Fine! As long as they are preaching truth—I'll take what I can get right about now!” But he would rather send someone he trusts, and who has been a faithful student. And there is only one who fits that bill and that is who?

Verse 22. I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly. You know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. This is one of four times Paul refers to Timothy as his son. Now, Timothy was not Paul’s biological son. Wasn’t even his stepson. He was what Paul referred to as his son in the faith. 1st Corinthians 4:17; 1st Timothy 1:2; 2nd Timothy 1:2. Let’s take a trip. Let’s go back a ways to the book of Acts. Acts 16:1-5. This was where we started a little better than a year ago. Anybody know what happens in Acts 16? This is the chapter that tells about the founding of the church in Philippi. But before Paul and Silas get to Philippi, they pick up a companion for the journey. Verse 1. Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy. Derbe and Lystra were cities in the region of Galatia (The same Galatia that received Paul’s letter to the Galatians). About as far as Knoxville is from Alcoa. Galatia was located in what is now central southern Turkey. This was an area with a large Jewish population. And there were many there who still, even after hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and even after receiving the letter from the apostles that said that Gentile Christians did not need to be circumcised—in fact, Paul had this letter in his hand—even after receiving that letter they would not have anything to do with young Timothy.

Why? Because he was the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. Greeks did not have a lot to do with reading the Jewish Scriptures. His mother’s name was Eunice, his grandmother Lois. And they, more then likely, were the ones who taught him about the OT. But it was Paul who led him to faith in Jesus Christ, probably on his previous visit to this area, because in verse 2 it says that he was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. The brethren, of course, being the leaders of the local church there. So during the two years since Paul came through here the first time—he came through in about 48 AD the first time, and now we’re talking about 50 AD or so—and in those two years, Timothy has grown so rapidly and so faithfully, that in verse 3, Paul wanted to have him go on with him.

This was Paul’s prodigy. And the reason he has grown so quickly and so faithfully is because he has known the OT Scriptures all his life, as we read in 2nd Timothy 3:15, where Paul says that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures—which Scriptures would that be? He did not have the NT when he was growing up. And listen to what Paul says about those OT Scriptures, that they are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. So Paul takes this young man, and circumcised him Paul has, in his hands, a letter from the apostles James and John and Peter and himself—all apostles of Christ—saying that Gentile Christians don’t need to be circumcised in order to be saved. Yet he has Timothy circumcised.

hy? Because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. In order to have this young man be heard by these Jews. Paul knew this young man could be used greatly to bring these Jews to Christ and lead them out of their reliance on keeping the OT law. So Paul finally gives in and says, “Look, if that’s what it’s gonna take to hear this man—Timothy will ya do it?” Obviously, Timothy said, he would. That’s why, a little later on in Philippians, Paul says, Philippians 3:2—Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! He had written to the Galatians some years earlier, in Galatians 5:12—I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves. He’s calling these men who forced Timothy to be circumcised for no reason, “the mutilation.” And this is why he said in 1st Corinthians 9:20-22—To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law…I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And ohhhh, the way people twist that verse.

So, after this, verses 4-5, And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily. Now, back to Philippians. It’s about 10-11 years after the first time Paul brought Timothy through Philippi. So, they’ve already met the man. They know what kind of man he is. And Timothy, by this time, has been Paul’s main ambassador to the various churches. And in fact, in the very first verse of this letter to the Philippians, it starts out, Paul and Timothy, slaves of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi… And in verse 22, he says, you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Referring to the first time Paul brought Timothy through the city. That even then Timothy had obviously acquitted himself quite well and had been a faithful “son in the faith.” And now, 10 years later, those people still remember. So he says, “I can't be there, but you remember Timothy. I'm sending him. He’s the only one I can trust.”

Then, verses 23-24. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. If there was one thing I would like to learn from the life of the apostle Paul, it would be this: to not look at our present situation and say that all hope is lost. Here he is, chained to a Roman soldier, under the custody of the Roman government, and he says twice in this passage, verse 19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy and in verse 24, I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Shortly! He’s not saying, “Well, someday, in the faraway future, I might get a chance to see you.” Who is the One he is trusting in? Psalm 18:2-3—YHVH is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon YHVH, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 20:7—Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of YHVH our God.

Jesus Christ is Lord.
Amen.

Verse-by-verse through Philippians (2:12-2:16)

We’ve spent these last few weeks weeks tinkering with the engine. Now we’re gonna rev it up and see how it sounds. These last few verses we've spent so many weeks on, are right smack dab in the middle of a section that deals with how we are to see ourselves in the light of others in the church. That we have been given such a great privilege by God. He saved us. We didn’t deserve it. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves look better in the eyes of God, no matter how much we do. The average Roman Catholic will spend their whole lives working and giving and saying a thousand “Our Fathers” and “Hail Mary’s” and going to Mass and doing all these things, thinking that “Well, OK, God has shown me His grace by not letting me die yet—now I have to keep myself in His graces so I don’t wind up in Purgatory.” There are many in the church who think that God’s grace is not enough to save them, and they have to “help God” save them. But what we have is a privilege that is given for free, one that cannot be earned! God saved us when we had no desire to be saved! I didn’t!

When God saved me, I didn’t want to stop living the life I was living. I was having too much fun with my beer and sitting on the internet for hours on end, looking at things I’d rather not talk about. But now that we have been given this privilege, do we keep on living the way we have been because we've been saved? Heavens NO! Paul said Romans 6:1-4—Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it…Therefore…we also should walk in newness of life. When God saves us, He doesn’t simply hand us a card that says, “Get Out of Hell Free.” And if I see one more car with that bumper sticker on it, I'm going to scream.

If God has saved us, there should be a change in our life. We stop putting ourselves first and we focus on Christ and doing the work He has given us to do. Because we must not forget that even though we are saved, there is still a world out there that does not know God. It does not know Christ. It is a world that still puts itself first. It is a world filled with sinful, selfish people who spend their lives acting like sinful, selfish people. We are called to be different.

Philippians 2:5-15 (NASB)—Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not regard His equality with God a thing to be retained, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death of the cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.

To kinda skim over verses 5-11, because we spent like a year and half on it, Paul holds up Christ as the example of the kind of selflessness that is rewarded by God. It’s when we understand that it ain't all about us. And it ain't all about our feelings. “Boo hoo, somebody hurt my feelings.” Get over it. We’re not gonna go through life without somebody hurting our feelings. And that is what Paul is saying, that “Look at Christ! He was God; He set aside His rights, He died on the cross for a bunch of people that hated Him. And because He did, God set Him at His right hand, and has given Him a name that will cause every single soul that has ever lived to bow at His name and call Him ‘Lord’.” We do not have the right to go through life trouble-free. We don’t have any rights to anything. And whatever rights we think we have, look at the rights Christ could have claimed, but didn’t. Because He set aside His rights, humbled Himself, went through the agony of the cross, and became a curse over us, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore. You know I love that word ‘therefore.’ He’s taking this picture of perfect submission and perfect exaltation, and directing it at us. He has been pointing up—now, he’s pointing out. Therefore, my beloved—that’s us—just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, let me stop right there. Is it easy for a child to behave himself when mom or dad are around? What happens when mom and dad leave the house and leave the kids by themselves? It was obviously easy for these Philippian believers to do what was right when Paul was there in their presence.

It’s real easy for us to “toe the line” when we are surrounded by strong believers. When some people are in the presence of weak or immature believers, it’s easy to take a step back and do something that isn't, maybe, sinful—but something that they shouldn’t ought to do. 1st Corinthians 15:33—“Bad company corrupts good morals.” But when there are NO believers around. Nobody that we go to church with. Nobody who would have any problem with anything we do—when we surround ourselves with the world, it’s really, really easy to just slide right into sin. Because we think, “Hey, nobody I know is gonna see me. Who is it gonna hurt?” Why is it important that we not think like this? Numbers 32:23—“Be sure, your sin will find you out.”

King David thought he had gotten away with murder. What did Nathan tell him? “Thou art the man!” I could be in Nebraska, stop at a convenience store and buy a six-pack of beer. Do you know it is nothing for God to put another believer, one that I know, in that same store at that very same time? And when it’s all said and done, who sees everything anyway? Whether another brother sees what I do or not, God certainly does! And who, in the end, am I ultimately disobeying? Whether another brother is with me or not, Christ certainly is! That’s why Paul tells us in Romans 12:2—Do not be conformed to this world.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling… If we don’t understand what Paul is saying here, what danger can we run into? We can end up thinking that Paul is telling us to work for our salvation. The Catholic that is going through all of his “good works” and all the other stuff trying to “earn” the right to be saved. They will point you to this verse and say, “See! You have to work for your salvation!”

WRONG!!!

The word that is translated “work out” does NOT mean “Work FOR your salvation.” It literally means, “Work FROM your salvation. Work ACCORDING TO your salvation. Work THROUGHOUT your salvation.” It’s not a matter of “Work TO BE saved.” It is a matter of “Work BECAUSE YOU ARE saved.” Matthew 5:14, 16—“You are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Do we shine our light in order to be saved? No. We shine our light because we are saved. Think about it this way: And this is by no means a perfect illustration. If I go to the store, and I buy a brand new, shiny lamp. I take it home, and set it on the table. LONG PAUSE….. “Shine, little lamp!!” How much light will it give off? I can flip that switch all day and all night, and what good is it gonna do? I could put an 8000 watt light bulb in there and—nothing. That lamp cannot muster up enough energy to produce even one candlepower of light. But it does serve a purpose—it makes a nice decoration. But other than that, what good is it?

Guess what, friends? Without the Holy Spirit of God bringing life to our spirit, we are just as dead and useless to God as that lamp. We can do “good things.” We can have a kind of “righteousness.” I think Isaiah said something about our “righteousness” (Isaiah 64:6). The scribes and Pharisees had a righteousness. What did Jesus say about that? Matthew 5:20—“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” So if all we have is our own, dead spirit that we are born with, and if we have not been born again by the Spirit of God, then we are just a lamp sitting on a table collecting dust. But if God has saved us, we will want to serve in the body. 2nd Timothy 2:20-21 (NASB)—In a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Titus 2:13 (NASB) says that Christ came to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Galatians 4:18—It is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.

What does all this mean for our “salvation by works” person? They will say that I am talking out of both sides of my mouth. But I'm not, and I’ll show you why. Verse 13. …for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Who is doing the work in you? It is God who is at work in you. Galatians 2:20—I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Let’s say you go flip the switch and the light comes on. Was it because of anything the lamp did? But because there is now power running through the cords and the wires and the bulb, the lamp is now able to produce light. It is now useful for something other than sitting there and looking pretty. Why? Because it is the electricity that is at work in the lamp. Once we are brought to life by the Holy Spirit of God, we are able to produce light for others. Why? Because it is God who is working in us.

Now, suppose I take and flip the switch to “OFF.” Is there still electricity running through that lamp? What happens if I go sticking my finger in the light socket? The electricity is still flowing TO the lamp, but the lamp is not producing light. It is still capable of producing light. It still has energy in it, so to speak. But it’s back to being useless. James 2:14-17—What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. The “salvation by works” crowd—especially Roman Catholics—love to use that passage. This is one of the bedrock cornerstones of Roman Catholicism. But, it is not a case of the good works producing salvation. It is a case of salvation producing good works.

In fact, this is one place where the KJV could be accused of teaching "salvation by works." Because the translators left out a very important word in verse 14. Read how it reads differently (and more faithfully to the Greek) in the NASB--What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? See the difference? What James actually asks is "can the kind of faith that does not produce works save a man?" As further evidence, James pretty much answers this question in James 2:19—you believe there is one God. You do well! Even the demons believe and tremble. If a person is saved—truly saved—then there will be in that person a desire to do good works.

And I don’t mean to switch tracks over to the book of James, but think about this: Suppose someone tells us they need help, and we stand there with our tickets for the game this Saturday, what is our natural inclination? “I’d love to help, but I got these Florida tickets. I'll be praying for ya!” Has a slightly familiar ring to it, doesn’t it? If a brother or sister needs food, you say, “be warmed and filled,” but you don’t give them the things they need, what good is it? You see, the world puts the football game ahead of doing the things of God. But the Christian should put doing the things of God before the football game. Paul is saying in verses 12-13, “Hey, I'm not there, but don’t go back to being a useless lamp sitting on a table. Let your salvation produce good works because God is in you and it is His will to use you.” There is a place for every member of the body in some kind of ministry. We’ve all got a calling. God did not save us so He could put us on a shelf like some knick-knack collecting dust. And we’re going to see why shortly. Whatever that ministry is, there is one simple reason He calls us to it.

Flip back a few pages to 1st Corinthians 12:4-11—There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. Does the electricity light the lamp? Does the electricity power your coffee maker? Does the electricity power your computer? But here’s the difference between electricity and the Holy Spirit. If a JW were in here, he would be very comfortable with what I have been saying. But he would not be comfortable with what I'm about to say. The electricity has no discernment about where it goes. Path of least resistance and all that. It’s just dumb power.

But, look at what Paul says about the Holy Spirit and the various gifts. Verse 11. The same Spirit distributes to each one individually as He wills. The Holy Spirit has a will. The same Holy Spirit gives some the gift of teaching, some the gift of miracles, some the gift of mercy, and so on. Does electricity have a will of its own? Electricity simply goes and powers whatever it can; the Holy Spirit goes and powers whoever He wants. Electricity cannot flow through a closed circuit. But the Holy Spirit is able to overcome our dead spirit and give us whatever He wants to. Make sense? OK, back to Philippians 2:14. Do all things without grumbling or disputing… Do we always like the ministry God gives us? When Henry Blackaby came to Powell a couple years ago, he said if you asked 100 church members they would all tell you they had the gift of prophecy and not one would say they had the gift of mercy. There are some in certain ministries that really don’t fit the ministry they are in. Like, Joel Osteen. His calling is not as a preacher. He may very well have the gift of encouragement. But not preaching. He’s good at telling people what they want to hear, but not what they need to hear.

And there are times when we think we’re in the right ministry, but after a while it will become painfully obvious we need to be somewhere else. Because if you are in the ministry God has called you to, you will have the joy so that you can do it the way it’s supposed to be done. One of our elders at church has talked about how he was working with RA’s and GA’s because there was nobody else to do it. He was miserable, but he felt guilty about leaving. And he finally said, “I can't do this.” And someone else came along that had the heart for it.

I recently finished reading Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliott. It’s the biography of the early years of Jim Elliott. And time after time he writes about when he would be preaching or witnessing and he knew that he wasn’t where God needed him to be. He knew there was something else he was supposed to be doing. Now, are preaching and witnessing good things? But are there sometimes better things we need to be doing? Whatever we do, we should always do it without grumbling or disputing, verse 15, so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world… Again, God doesn’t save us so we can sit on a shelf and wait for the glory train. I've said it 800 times; I'll say it 8000 more before my days are done. Salvation is more than “Saying a little prayer and asking Jesus into your heart.” There are a whole lot of people in church who act like lost people. Now, there may be two reasons for this. One, they may simply be immature Christians; maybe they haven’t been taught and discipled properly. What other reason might there be? They just might be lost. The whole “Last call Saturday night—first pew Sunday morning” thing.

Remember those Florida tickets? Why do we put the things of God before the football game? So that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. In other words, so that the world will look at you and say you're crazy. “You gave up Florida tickets to help some guy patch his roof?” Of course we should!

Consider the words that come out of our mouth; the music we listen to; the kind of activities we enjoy. If we are to claim the name of Jesus, yet we go around cussing and listening to vulgar music—we’re no different than heathens. 2nd Peter 4:3-4—We have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. We need to be strange. The world is always going to act like the world. If we are in Christ, we should appear as lights in the world. Another book I just finished reading was Run, Baby, Run, about Nicky Cruz. One of the most ruthless gang leaders in NYC. Got saved, and all his old friends said, “What happened to you?” Jesus happened to him.

Jesus Christ is Lord.
Amen.

Verse-by-verse through Philippians (2:9-2:11)

In the world that we live in, many people are under the impression that their main goal in life should be to “get ahead.” To do whatever you have to do to get to the top. You got to climb that ladder, you got to step on toes, stab people in the back and “go against the grain” and break the rules in order to be successful. That’s how the world views success. But how does God view success? Who is the greatest in the eyes of God? Matthew 23:11-12—“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” And what greater picture do we have of one humbling Himself in order to be exalted than Jesus Christ? There is none. There is no one who has given up more than Jesus did in becoming human. There is none who gained more than Jesus did because of His obedience. So what does that mean for us poor, poor, pitiful humans? It means that we ought not to cry and whine when we don’t always get our way. Because it just might not be God’s will for us to have our way. Matthew 6:9-10—"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come..." What? "Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven." When we pray, we can get everything we ask for—as long we pray that it is in God’s will. And it was God’s will that His Son set aside His rights for a season, take on sinful flesh, and die on the cross, bearing all the guilt and all the shame of all those who would ever believe. And because He was obedient, He has been given far, far more.

Philippians 2:3-11—You must not do anything through selfish ambition or conceit! But, in lowliness of mind, each one of you must consider others as being better than himself. None of you should be concerned with his own interests only, but also for the interests of others. Have this mindset in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being God in every way, did not consider holding on to His equality with God, but made Himself of no reputation, becoming a slave in every way possible, and having every attribute of a man, and being seen as a man by all. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has super-exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee of heaven, and of earth, and of under-earth should bow, and that every tongue will declare as being true the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Your translation may—and in fact, probably does—read differently.

But that’s the gist of this whole passage, and is pretty close to literal. Last week we studied what He went through when the time came for Him to die. The physical agony He suffered and the fact that He took the wrath of God for us. Today we’re going talk about what that means. Verse 9. Therefore… Links verse 8 with what’s coming in verse 9. Therefore—because Jesus was obedient to the point that He died on a cross—God has highly exalted Him. “Highly exalted” is one word in the Greek (υπερυψόω, huperupsoo); it means, literally, “super-exalted.” He has been raised up higher than anyone has ever been raised up before. Where did God raise Him up to? Matthew 26:64, Jesus tells the Pharisees, “I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” In Acts 7:56, as they are getting ready to stone Stephen, he said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Hebrews 10:12—After He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Can you be raised any higher than the right hand of God? No. To be raised higher than the right hand of God, you would have to be raised to be higher than God.

Somebody tried that once. Isaiah 14:12-15—“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” Notice the difference. Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him… While on the other hand Lucifer, son of the morning…you have said in your heart…I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” And there is the difference. “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus humbled Himself and was exalted to the right hand of God. Lucifer tried to raise himself up above God—and he was cast down to Hell. And he took 1/3 of the angels with him. Jude 4—And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 2nd Peter 2:4—God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment. Lucifer and these angels exalted themselves—and were cast down.

And I think there is even another aspect to Jesus being “super-exalted.” We know He was always God. That there never was a time when He was not God. Philippians 2:6. So He couldn’t have been exalted any higher than He was before He came to earth. There is no higher exaltation than being God. Jesus had a glory with the Father even before He created the world. In John 17:5, He asks the Father, “Glorify Me together with Yourself”—let me stop right there for a moment. Listen to this that Jesus asks: “Glorify Me together with Yourself” Does God share His glory with any created being? Isaiah 42:8—"I am YHVH, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images." If Jesus was a created being, and God glorified Jesus with Himself, with the same glory—then wouldn’t He be giving His glory to another? To a created being? Something to think about. “Glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Now, here’s what I'm getting at: when He ascended back to Heaven, He still had a body of flesh and bone. He is, right now, sitting at the right hand of the Father—with a body of flesh and blood. In Hebrews 1:2, it says God has appointed [Him] as the heir of all things. He has a body of flesh and blood. He is the heir of all things. But 1st Corinthians 15:50 says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So another way that God has “super-exalted” Him is by the fact that He has given rights to Jesus that He will not extend to anyone else.

He has also given Him something else. God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name… Let me give some immediate context here. In the Roman culture that Philippi was, the city—as all of the Roman Empire—was under the rule of the Caesar. That was what they called the Emperor—the title he was given was “The Caesar.” Later, about 300 AD, they added the title “Augustus.” At the point in time when Philippians was written, the Caesar was Nero. Every new Caesar that came along had given themselves a title that was meant to convey the power they held, and was a boast of all the lands they had conquered.
For example, the emperor Maximin, his full name was: The Emperor Caesar Gaius Valerius Maximinus, Germanicus Sarmaticus, Pius Felix Invictus Augustus.

So to the Romans a person’s name was very important and very influential. But what they did not understand was that whatever a person’s name was on earth, no matter how many titles they attached to their name, it was nothing in the eyes of God. As important as the name “Caesar” was to the people of Rome—to God it was nothing. Now, God has not simply given Jesus “A name that is above every name.” He has given Him THE name that is above every name. One thing is certain—the name is not “Jesus.” That is a very common Hebrew name. And in fact, that was the name Jesus commanded Joseph to give to Jesus. Matthew 1:21—“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus was the name God commanded Joseph to give the Only Begotten Son of God. So what is "the name that is above every name?"

I would have to agree with the many wonderful men who know a whole lot more than I do, and who believe this name to be “LORD.” And for good reason. Jesus Christ IS Lord. We see it two verses down: Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ IS Lord. Acts 2:36—“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Romans 1:3—Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord… He is, indeed, Lord. He ain't waiting for us to make Him Lord—He already is! In all, the phrases “the Lord Jesus Christ” or “Jesus Christ our Lord” appear in 106 verses in the NT. I think that’s a pretty important thing.

There's also another idea I have about what this name is. I'm kinda leaning more away from it, but I'll throw it out there. And, for the record, I'm not gonna take a bullet for it. I'm not going to get into a debate about it. I think the name that God has given to Jesus is the name, “HOLY Lord.” In the OT, we find the phrase “Holy One of Israel,” referring to God, some 37 times. Nearly 30 times in the OT His name is described as being “holy.” Leviticus 22:32—“You shall not profane My holy name.” Psalm 103:1—Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Isaiah 57:15—For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy. Jesus is also described as being holy. Because He is! He is the ONLY BEGOTTEN Son of God. And Acts 4:27 calls Jesus God’s holy Servant (or holy Child, KJV—either one is acceptable).

And we see even in the OT a picture about Jesus being holy. Isaiah 6:1-3. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood angels; each one had six wings…And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is YHVH of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” Now, if we fast forward to the book of the Revelation, we see this picture again, but the picture is slightly different. Revelation 4:8—And the four beasts had each of them six wings…and they do not rest day or night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” A couple chapters later, Revelation 6:9-10 (NASB)—When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God…and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then in Revelation 15:3-4—They sing the song…of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Faithful and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy.” So Jesus Christ is Lord. He is Holy. And God has given Him the name that is above every name.

And…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth… To be literal, every knee WILL bow. Who are the “in Heaven”? For one, the angels. Hebrews 1:6—But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” Nehemiah 9:6—“You alone are YHVH; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host…You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.” Those “in Heaven” are also the saints who have gone on before us.

Who are those “of earth?” That’s us. Romans 10:9—If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus—literally, Jesus as Lord—and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. There are some who teach that you can get saved in January and then confess Jesus as Lord in December. WRONG. A person must confess Jesus Christ as LORD to be saved. It’s not my decision. That’s the clear word of Scripture. If someone does not confess Jesus Christ as Lord, then are they really saved?

So who are those “of under the earth”? The ones who have gone on before us. There is a passage in 1st Peter 3:19, that talks about Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison. What Peter is getting at is that when Christ died, He went to the place called Sheol—which is the common grave. Where everybody goes, saved and lost. He let it be known to all those spirits that He was, indeed, Lord. And now those who are in either Hades—the place of the lost—or in Paradise are bowing their knee in worship of Christ. Of course, if one is in Hades, they can worship Him all they want—it won’t do them any good. So, those in Heaven (the angels, and the overcoming saints); and those on earth (that’s us humans who are alive today); and those under the earth (those whose final destinations are set); one day, every single knee will bow to Christ and His holy name.

Finally, every knee shall bow…And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Now, this presents a problem for those who deny the deity of Christ. Romans 14:9—We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live,” says the LORD, “Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” This is a direct quote from Isaiah 45:23, where YHVH says, “I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.” Now, if God says that every knee shall bow to HIM, and that every tongue shall swear an oath to God Himself, and if God says He will not give His glory to another, yet Paul says every knee shall bow to Christ—then if Christ is a created being, this would be blasphemy. To give the honor that is reserved for God to a created being would be blasphemy.

But that is exactly what Paul is calling us to. He is not calling us to worship God the Father THROUGH Jesus Christ—what that means, I have no idea. But that is what Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses claim. Yet Paul is calling us to worship Jesus Christ. To bow our knee to Him and to confess Jesus Christ as Lord. To the glory of God the Father. In Genesis, Joseph was tossed into a pit by his brothers and was sold into slavery to Pharaoh. And God raised him up to be Pharaoh’s most trusted adviser. In Exodus, God took Moses out of the house of Pharaoh, sent him up Mt. Sinai, and made him a prophet like no other. When we humble ourselves under the holiness of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we will be given a privilege like no other we could ever imagine.

Jesus Christ is Lord.
Amen.