Year Two, October 31

He Who Began a Good Work in You Will Bring It to Completion1

We have now reached the Letter of Paul to the Philippians. It has well earned the name, the Letter of Love and Joy. We see the apostle’s inner character in it. There was great mutual love between Paul and the church at Philippi.

  

Philippians 1:1-26

1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

They were the most generous and faithful of the churches and gave the apostle great joy. Should we not all aim to cheer the hearts of our pastors by our enthusiasm and generosity?

6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

This delightful confidence is the crowning joy of the Christian life. If he who began the good work did not also carry it on we would be in a miserable predicament.  But, praise God, the work of grace is in the hands of one who never leaves his work unfinished.

7It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

The one thing the Philippians failed in was love and unity among themselves. This was on the top of Paul’s prayer list for them.

12I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (As long as Christ is glorified, Paul is content to forget his own troubles. He does not care about himself or what unkind purpose motivates others to preach the gospel. This is real Christianity.)

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

He hoped that the spread of the gospel would call Nero’s attention to his case and end his imprisonment one way or another. He cared little whether he was set free by death or was released to resume his work.

21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (He was even willing to stay out of heaven for a while for their sakes. Oh, to live only to do good! This is to live indeed.)

^____________

¹ Philippians 1:6