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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 -

 

 

 

 

2012 GBC THEME REVIEW - 1:

“HAVING THE SAME MIND, LOVE, UNITY,

AND PURPOSE AS CHRIST” (Phil 2:1-2) (12/30/12)

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     INTRODUCTION

 

A.    GBC 2012 Theme: “Having the Same Mind, Love, Unity, and Purpose as Christ (Phil 2:1-2)”

B.    Why a theme? To keep our focus on a particular section of Scripture throughout the year in order that our lives and church are conformed to Christ in a particular area.

 

II.    CONTEXT OF PHILIPPIANS 2

 

A.    This is one of Paul’s most joyous epistles even though he was writing from prison (Phil 1:7). He had joy in the furtherance of the gospel (Phil 1:18) and spiritual growth of the church (Phil 1:25; 4:1). He had joy in the mature believers at Philippi (Phil 1:4). He appealed that they would always rejoice in the Lord (Phil 3:1; 4:4).

B.    However, there appears to be at least one problem between two ladies within the church, Euodia (“happy journey”) and Syntyche (“happy event”) (Phil 4:2). There was some sort of disagreement between them to which Paul encourages them to live in “harmony” (pres. inf. of phrone,ō - thinking or mindset) together in the Lord. Both of them were godly women who had helped Paul in the ministry (Phil 4:3).

 

III.  OUTLINE OF PHILIPPIANS 2:1-2 (1-11)

 

A.    A Condition Of Encouragement (1)

B.    A Corporate Mindset (2)

1.     The Same Mind (2b)

2.     The Same Love (2c)

3.     The Same Unity (2d)

4.     The Same Purpose (2e)

5.     The Same Example (5)

C.    A Crucial Admonition (3-4)

D.    A Chief Example (5-8)

E.    A Conclusion of Exaltation (9-11)

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I.     CHRIST’S CONDITIONS OF ENCOURAGEMENT (Phil 2:1)

 

A.    Chapter 2 begins with a rhetorical conditional clause in order to admonish the Philippians to strive together for unity and service for the Lord. The conditional clause (“if” ei) of vs. 1 was rhetorical in that the answer to the condition was obvious to all. This could be one of those cases that the “if” could be translated “since.” In other words it could have been, “Since there is encouragement in Christ etc. (1)…(then) complete my joy (2).”

B.    What were the grounds of Paul’s condition in order to admonish the Philippians? The first condition was, “if there is any encouragement in Christ.” What a question! Is there any encouragement in Christ? One might just as well ask, “Is there anything that doesn’t encourage us in Christ?” The word “encouragement” (para,klesis) means “one called alongside to give aid and comfort.”

1.     Christ encourages the believer by coming alongside side to give depraved sinners the aid of forgiveness of sin and eternal life (2Th 2:16 cp. Ep 4:32).

2.     The Holy Spirit (The Paraklete) encourages the believer by coming alongside (indwelling) to give aid in living the Christian life (Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7).

3.     Other believers encourage the believer by coming alongside to give aid and comfort in times of trouble and discouragement (Ac 15:32; Ro 1:12; 1Th 5:11).

C.    The next condition was, “if there is any consolation of love.” “Consolation” is the Greek word parmuthian and literally means to come alongside (para) and console another through speaking (muthe,omai) (Jn 11:19, 31). This is the essence of Christian love (aga, - sacrificial love).

1.     The Scriptures console the believer by revealing God’s truth, protection, promises, and future plans (1Co 14:3; cp. 1Co 14:14; cp. 2Co 1:4; 1Th 4:18)

2.     Other believers console one another with the truth and wisdom of Scripture (1Th 2:11; 5:14; cp. 1Th 3:2).

D.    Paul adds another condition, “if there is any fellowship of the Spirit.” This phrase carries some translation possibilities. First, “spirit” (pneumatos without the article) could refer to the Holy Spirit or to a kindred human spirit (i.e. team spirit). Secondly, if it refers to the Holy Spirit it could be translated “fellowship with the Spirit” (genitive of association) or “fellowship produced by the Spirit” (genitive of source or production).

1.     Though pneumatos has no article (anarthrous), it can refer to the Holy Spirit (Ga 3:3; 5:16; 2Th 2:13; He 6:4; 1Pe 1:2, 21).

2.     It seems best to follow most English translations as the Spirit (i.e Holy Spirit) and a similar thought is made plain in 2Co 13:14. Paul will refer to a kindred spirit in Php 2:2 with a different word (sumpsuchos “unity in spirit”).

3.     If it is “fellowship produced by the Spirit,” it is indeed based upon “fellowship with the Spirit.” In other words, any fellowship that believers in Christ, they have because the Holy Spirit placed them into the body of Christ (1Co 12:13) and the family of God (Ro 8:14-16).

4.     Fellowship (koinōnia) literally means “common.” Believers definitely have the same spiritual blessings in common.

a)    First believers have Christ in common as head of the church and the Lord and Savior of the body (Ep 5:23b).

b)    Believers have fellowship with the Father and the Son through the death of Christ (1Jn 1:3b; 1Co 1:9).

c)     Believers have fellowship with the Holy Spirit (2Co 13:14) who guides (Jn 16:13), teaches (1Jn 2:27), empowers (Ga 5:25), and intercedes (Ro 8:27) for the believer.

d)    Because believers have fellowship with God, they have fellowship with all those who are the children of God (1Jn 1:3a; Ac 2:42).

E.    The last condition Paul gave was “if any affections and compassions.” “Affections” is splagchna and means inner organs (heart, lungs, Ac 1:18 “intestines”) but figuratively refers to innermost emotions or feelings (Eng. i.e. “heart,” also sometimes translated “compassion”). “Compassions” is oiktirmoi is similar but implies pity and mercy.

1.     The Lord deals with compassion (polu,splagchnos - “full of compassion”) and  mercy (oikti,rmōn) toward His children, which includes times of testing and suffering (Jm 5:10-11). The Lord also has “tender mercies” toward His people (Lk 1:78).

2.     Believers do receive affection and compassion from other believers (2Co 7:15) to which they are even admonished to do so (Php 1:8; Col 3:12 (both words, “heart of compassion”); 1Jn 3:17).

 

II.    BELIEVER’S CONDITIONS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

 

A.    Do you need encouragement? Beloved believer, it is found in Christ. We must know Christ as our Savior and we must open our minds and hearts to His spiritual blessings. If you have Christ, then you have His encouragement, however, you must avail yourself of it.

B.    Do you need joy? Beloved believer, it is found in Christ. We must have and perform the things, which consist of real joy, that is, spiritual joy. If we are not engulfed in these things, we will lack joy because true joy only comes from pursuing the things of Christ.

1.     We have joy when we immerse ourselves in all of our spiritual blessings, which the believer possessed at the moment of salvation (Ep 1:1-3; Php 4:12-13).

2.     We have joy when we fully surrender to live or die for Christ (Php 1:21; 3:10).

3.     We have joy when furthering the gospel is our first priority (Php 1:18).

4.     We have joy when we pursue spiritual growth for ourselves and others (Php 1:25; 4:1).

5.     We have joy when we know that God does have a purpose for us and we are actively fulfilling it (Php 1:22).

6.     We have joy when we have the mind of Christ and use it to think through everything in our lives (Php 2:2-5).

7.     We have joy when we rejoice in Christ regardless of anything else we are experiencing (Php 1:7; 4:4).