Cross-Training: Philippians 2, Just Focus

Just Focus
Cross-Training
Studies in Paul's Letter to the Philippians
February 2/3, 2008
Digging Deeper (Questions are on the last page)
Cross-Training: Just Focus
(Robert Ismon Brown)

Background Notes
Key Scripture Texts: Philippians 2:1-30
(NIV) 1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life-- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. 25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

Introduction
With the opening verses of chapter 2, we have reached the heart of Paul's argument in Philippians, what the Greeks called the logos: the "reason", grounded in reasons able to persuade the audience to accept the speaker's point of view. Recall that Paul does two important things from a communications perspective: 1) he uses the well-known letter form, thus affirming his personal bond with the Philippian Christ community; 2) he embeds the rhetorical approach, once again, taken from the accepted practices of speech-making in the Graeco-Roman world. Thus far, Paul has given his reader a concise introduction or exordium (1:3-11), and then sought to establish common ground once more between himself and his dear friends at Philippi by using the narratio, telling about the circumstances of his Roman detention "in chains". From this latter narration, Paul draws out implications relevant to his overall purpose in writing the letter in the first place. He stresses the importance of courage, joy, unity, and persistence in suffering. By the time he reaches 1:29-30, the propositio, his "thesis statement", he makes very clear that the Philippians are suffering as well as himself, and in this common experience he hopes to articulate the important teaching which follows in 2:1-4:3. That thesis is summed up succinctly in this way:
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have (Philippians 1:29-30)
The idea that "belief" requires authentication through "suffering" will weave through this letter like a fine fabric, colored with theological patterns. The Philippians, by Paul's own report, have been delightful ministry partners for him. He speaks highly of them in his introduction (1:3-11) and celebrates their "fellowship in the gospel" (1:5), expresses confidence that God will complete his work among them (1:6), exudes strong feeling about his affection for them (1:7-8), and looks forward to abounding growth in their fruitful lives (1:8-11).

We now arrive at a new section which is also an element in the rhetorical scheme, something called the probatio, a lengthy part of his letter which seeks "to make the argument", that is, is probative, or "proving", offering reasons for his main thesis expressed in the propositio. The following main sections of Paul's probatio are laid out in 2:1-4:3:
Argument One: Christ as the Example (2:1-18)
Argument Two: Christ-followers as Exemplars (2:19-30)
Argument Three: Counter-examples from the outside (3:1-4:1)
Argument Four: Counter-examples from inside (4:2-3)
As the reader may observe, Paul employs some parallelism of structure to this section, with the first two arguments focusing on Christ and his followers, while the last two paying attention to their opposites, namely, pressure groups on the outside which seek to undermine the faith, and squabbles on the inside which undermine the unity of the church. We will consider arguments #1 and #2 in this study, saving #3 and #4 for the subsequent ones.

To put it concisely, the center of Paul's argument in 2:1-30 is a focus on Christ, and so we take our present theme, "Just Focus", from this emphasis. Accompanying that concentration, is Paul's desire for the Philippians to look at how Christ has left his indelible mark on people such as Timothy and Epaphroditus who fill out the true meaning of the word "Christian", that is, "little Christ" or Christ imitator. And so Paul seems to be arguing, if Christ can so affect them, certainly he can impact the Philippians in their current situation. As we examine this section (2:1-30) we will once again see the main ideas already introduced in 1:3-30 receiving more comprehensive development, as Paul explains to the Philippians how one moves from "belief" to "belief-with-suffering" in the Christian experience.

General Outline of 2:1-30: Probatio (I)
1. Argument One: Christ as the Example (2:1-18)
a. Unity in Everything (2:1-4)
1) Four Grounds of Appeal (2:1)
(a) Encouragement
(b) Love
(c) Fellowship
(d) Tenderness-Compassion
2) Four Results by Responding to the Appeal (2:2)
(a) Like-minded
(b) Same love
(c) One in spirit
(d) One in purpose
3) Malady Requiring this Appeal (2:3a)
(a) Selfish ambition
(b) Vain Conceit
4) Treatment for the Malady (2:3b-4)
(a) Humility which considers others better than oneself
(b) Awareness which affirms the best in others
b. The Mind of Christ (2:5-11)
1) Intended for Christ's followers (2:5)
2) Embodied in Christ's humiliation (2:6-8)
3) Transcended in Christ's exaltation (2:9-11)
c. Salvation "worked out" with joy (2:12-18)
1) Workmen: Working out what God is working in (2:12-13)
2) Stars: Shining out as children of God (2:14-15)
3) Runners: Holding forth the word of life (2:16)
4) Sacrifices: Offering yourselves in the service of faith (2:17)
2. Argument Two: Christ-followers as Exemplars (2:19-30)
a. Timothy (2:19-24)
1) Messenger and bearer of good news (2:19)
2) Self-less worker and son in the faith (2:20-22)
3) Promise of Paul's release and hopeful visit (2:23-24)
b. Epaphroditus (2:25-30)
1) Value of his companionship: brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, messenger, caregiver (2:25)
2) Valor of his commitment: passion, empathy, courage (2:26-30)

Argument One: Christ as the Example (2:1-18)

A Few Background Points
Why are the issues of unity and suffering so prominent for this Christian congregation? Peter Oakes, in his Philippians: From People to Letter, has contributed a great deal to our understanding of the social composition of the Philippian colony. Made up of landowners, farmers, service-providers, slaves and poor, Philippi was largely Greek, but ruled by a Roman elite. Power was in the hands of the Romans, and things like Roman citizenship and Roman institutions counted for much. Oakes identifies several factors governing life in Philippian society:
1. Centrality of agriculture
2. Relatively modest size of the city
3. Ethnic and social profile of the population
4. Emphatic Roman domination of the colony

The main ethnic peculiarity of Philippi was the proportion of Romans to Greeks in the population. The Roman contingent was divisible into subgroups:
1. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren of veteran or peasant colonists from Italy
2. Freed slaves of colonists
3. Roman citizens who had moved to the area after colonization, including traders and military veterans
4. Native or immigrant Greeks who attained citizenship at Philippi

The Greeks were similarly diverse, ranging from original inhabitants of Thrace, later colonists of Macedonia, migrant workers, and slaves.

The Romans owned most of the land and had political control in the city of Philippi. They monopolized the wealth and high status. And this is an especially important point in understanding the situation of the Christ followers in Philippi. Already, within the social strata of Philippian society, there was significant stratification along the lines of ethnicity, economics, and power. For non-Romans, like the Greeks, the experience of living in an imperial or senatorial colony, under Roman rule, was far more acute than elsewhere in the Empire. Consequentially, Oakes argues, in Philippi the issue of status would be perceived as closely tied to the Roman colonial system. When Rome showed up in the Greek East, status hierarchy became highly rigid. The maintenance of status and the proper observation of distinctions of status were imperatives of society.

Add to this that the Greeks were economically dependent on the Romans. Oakes offers some interesting examples. Quarrymen cut marble for the Romans, venatores hunted beasts in the arena at shows paid for by Romans, cashiers handled Roman money. Shopkeepers sold to Romans in the town and those who came in from the countryside. Greeks who worked on the land worked for Romans. Land-centered economy in the colony meant that almost everyone, down to the very poorest, was directly or indirectly dependent on Roman money. The social context for poor Greeks, or Greeks who subsisted but struggled, was not simply a context in which power went with wealth, but of power going with wealth which was held by Romans.

Therefore, when we begin to read of Paul's concerns about unity and suffering within the Philippian church, it is not hard to see how the social situation in Philippi found its way into the daily social life of the Christians there. Nothing tears people apart more than social disparity, and just because someone becomes a Christian does not mean they automatically shed their social and economic perceptions. Just consider the American experience with slavery, and how it divided people along racial and economic lines within the church. Moreover, as Oakes points out, one's perilous economic situation intensifies when old social relationships are broken because a person has chosen to follow Christ. Old trade guilds who once supported service-workers, might be unwilling to have Christians as members who refused to worship the patron gods or goddesses of the guild. And what about the slaves who became Christians? Would their masters willingly allow them to worship with freedmen? Or would masters and slaves comfortably unite in the fellowship of the Christian community?

Whatever Paul perceived as threats to unity, were not simply petty arguments or superficial disagreements. While it is true that Paul identifies by name two women who needed to heed his call to unity (4:3-4), we must not assume that their differences were about the color of the carpet in the sanctuary, or who gets to hostess the next church supper! These two ladies, whom we will look at in our next study, might well have been divided along lines not too different from the strata found in the Philippian colony. Regardless of the specific reasons, Paul takes the matter of Christian unity so seriously, particularly as it pertains to dynamics within the Philippian church, that he devotes this entire chapter, consisting of two main arguments, to the matter.

The structure of this section "wraps" a powerful Christ-hymn inside a literary envelope. This is an example of inclusio in the rhetorical form. Consider 2:5-11 as the "heart" of argument one, with an "appeal" section before it (2:1-4) and another appeal section after it (2:12-18). It is written like a sandwich with the "meat" on the inside, but carefully enclosed within two slices of instructional "bread". As we have already observed from our previous studies, Paul has concerns for the Philippians in the areas of "unity" and "suffering". His deeply personal connections to this Christ community, and his generally positive assessment of their Christian growth thus far, strengthens his concerns that nothing undo the wonderful progress the Philippians have already made. But Paul knew a great deal about Philippi, no doubt, especially the social pressures placed on the Christ-followers by a Roman colony built on values quite different from those Paul had taught the Philippian believers.

Unity in Everything (2:1-4)
We are met by the four-fold use of the word "if" (Greek: ei) in the first verse of this section. "If" can mean many things in our language, and Greek has many of the same nuances. Here we have what is sometimes called a "simple real conditional sentence", one in which it is assumed, at least for the sake of argument, that what is stated after the "if" (sometimes called the "protasis") is true. We might say to our spouse, "If you are going to the store, pick up some bread," when we fully expect that they are, in fact, going to the store. In the present case, "if" has the force of "since", and for greater effect is intensified by its four-fold use: "if any…". So what is it that Paul is so certain of that he can use it to introduced his first argument?

Four Grounds of Appeal (2:1)
Some scholars have noted that the first three "if" sentences actually form a Trinitarian appeal:
1. Encouragement: Christ (2:1a)
2. Love: God the Father (2:1b)
3. Fellowship: Holy Spirit (2:1c)
Nor is this an isolated case. Paul, in his famous "benediction" to 2 Corinthians, wrote:
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14).
Notice the order of the three phrases and the content which parallels our present passage. What is Paul's focus? It is on the person of God in His entirety: Father, Son and Holy Spirit who is the ground and basis of our unity in the Christian community. And so as to cement this connection, Paul throws in the fourth "if" statement on the heels of this Trinitarian formula!
4. Tenderness and Compassion (2:1d), which plainly focuses on what Paul wants to see within the life of the Philippian church.
Paul is arguing in the strongest of terms that because of the nature of God, three-ness in unity, there should be unity among the people of God. Moreover, each member of the Godhead brings something to that unity:

Christ brings encouragement: From the Greek word paraklesis which means "a calling alongside of", without question, paralkesis is what Christ did when he became a human being and made his temporary residence among us (see John 1:14). At the heart of Christ's Messianic name, "Immanuel", is the idea, "God with us". It is the "with-ness" of God we discover in Jesus Christ, and it is this dynamic which he also brings into our Christian communities, namely, that we are to be "with" each other, alongside our brothers and sisters, in solidarity with them whatever their condition, status or social situation. Christ came alongside all kinds of people: tax-collectors, prostitutes, and "other sinners". And while he was criticized for it by those who had qualms about hanging around the "wrong kind of people", Jesus made it his business to do so--all the way to the cross where he hung between "two criminals"! Is their "alongside-ness" in Christ? Oh, indeed!

God the Father brings love: Of course the Father is the initiator of our unity by "loving us" before we "loved Him" (1 John 4:10). Paul uses two words here to describe this idea: paramuthion and the familiar word for "love", agape. Consistent with the love of the Father, are his words of "address, exhortation, assuagement, and abatement", all ideas found within the meaning of paramuthion. This is evidently a different kind of love than might be found between friends or family members. The New Testament writers, when they wanted to write about God's special love, chose a word commonly in use, agape, to communicate this idea. Some scholars refer to this as "love of the will" or "love of deliberate choice". At any rate, it is not tied to mere feeling or spontaneous emotion, but to the decision of God to be actively involved in the lives of His creation. This is expressed most vividly in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son…" It is the love of God which unites the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit, but also unites fellow Christians with each other (see John 17:20-21).

The Spirit brings fellowship: Here Paul uses the word koinonia to express the idea of "commonness, communion, partnership". He has a preference for this word in discussing his relationship with the Philippians (1:5 and 3:10) and throughout his letters (see also Romans 15:26, 1 Corinthians 1:9, and elsewhere). In the present context, Paul means "fellowship with the Spirit", that is, the Spirit fellowships with us, and we have a "common life in the Spirit". Paul is specific elsewhere in explaining what this means:
One Spirit places believers in one body (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:4), and so making them "one".
One Spirit makes possible "access to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18).
One Spirit maintains and guards Christian unity (Ephesians 4:3).

Tenderness and compassion. Then, as if to bring all of these individual "if" statements into a grand unity, Paul adds yet one more which seems to involve the whole Godhead. The words Paul employs here communicate deep, inward feelings which get expressed through acts which are merciful and compassionate. The Greek words splagchna and oiktirmoi are in the singular and plural forms respectively. Though they refer back to the adjective "any" which is singular, Paul still keeps in tact the tidy parallelism of all four "if any" statements, even if it means breaking the rules of grammar! A few comments on these two words:
1. splagchna, used for "tenderness", is a visceral word, that is, it refers to something deep inside a person. It has a literal meaning, namely, "kidneys and liver", but, as was true with the ancients, such language pointed to deep feelings which they believed originated in these human organs. God is deeply moved by what happens to his creatures. Recall the story of Israel in Egypt, crying out to Yahweh for help, and how Yahweh responded (see Exodus 1). Or the story of Manasseh, king of Judah, whose sins sent him into exile, but whose repentant cries to God brought a deeply felt response. 2 Chronicles 33 tells us that Yahweh was "moved" by Manasseh's prayer. Theologians have sometimes claimed that God was "impassable", that is, unmoved by emotion. We beg to differ. Ours is an "open God" who responds in tenderness to human need, as a mother caring for her infant (see Isaiah 49:15; 66:13). Paul previously used this word to describe his own feelings toward the Philippians in 1:8, and now he shows his audience that such deep feeling originates in the very nature of God Himself.
2. oiktirmoi, used for "compassion", but actually comes closer to the idea of "mercies", those acts of compassion expressed by someone seeking to alleviate the suffering or meet the needs of others. Whereas "tenderness" implies feeling, this expression points to concrete action based on those feelings. Are we truly compassionate only if we feel compassion? Or does not mercy mean more than this? That is why Paul uses these two terms together: God both feels and acts from a heart of tenderness. And, by implication, Paul is telling the Philippians, that is how they should behave in relationship to each other if unity is to be manifest in their community.

The Old Testament contains powerful passages which teach the tenderness and compassion of Yahweh toward His people:
And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion (Exodus 33:19).
None of those condemned things shall be found in your hands, so that the LORD will turn from his fierce anger; he will show you mercy, have compassion on you, and increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your forefathers (Deuteronomy 13:17).
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions (Psalm 51:1).
And in the New Testament we hear:
As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy (James 5:11).
And Yahweh similarly expects his people to imitate these great attributes of His character in their dealings with each other. Consider:
This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other' (Zechariah 7:9-10).
Nor can we forget Paul's words in Romans 12:1, "I appeal to you on the basis of the mercies of God…", that is, I'm asking you to do something because of what God has already done. Paul is doing the same thing in Philippians 2:1, and it sets the tone for what follows.

Results Which Come From Responding To This Appeal (2:2)
Philippians 2:2 makes clear that Paul is joyful because of his previous relationship with the Philippians, but now he wants them to "make that joy complete" by following the example of God, as set forth in 2:1. For Paul that means "think the same" (Greek: hina to auto phronete). The Greek does not mean "agree on everything" or "always hold the same opinion". That would create a rather dull and monotonous sort of unity indeed! The verb phronein appears ten times in Philippians in one form or other, and some twenty-three times in all of Paul's letters. Considering that it appears twenty-six times in the whole New Testament, Paul's usage is remarkable. Phronein does not mean "to think" in merely an intellectual or mental sense. As Bertram notes, it involves one's emotions, attitudes and will. Not uniformity of thought or enforcement of a single opinion--something that would certainly provoke dissension and not unity--but instead a total orientation of will, mind, and heart which wants one thing: unity in spirit and feeling that is able to overcome the tensions created by such immense diversity as was found in the city of Philippi. Cranfield has written: "Such unity will only come when Christians are humble and bold enough to lay hold on the unity already given in Christ and to take it more seriously than their own self-importance…" Perhaps the best translation of phronein is simply "to have a common attitude".

But of what sort? Paul is clear: "having the same love", a Greek participial phrase explaining how one is to develop this common attitude. Our attitudes must be nurtured by the love of God. How does God love? That is how we should love! Further, Paul explains this attitude by its fruit: "harmonious" relationships, from the Greek sumpsuchoi, a compound adjective based on the word for "life or spirit" prefixed with the word of "together". Learning to "live together" harmoniously best expresses the thought of this word, and Paul sees it as the result of a deepening attitude which mirrors the love within God. Implied is the notion of togetherness, good will and equality. Finally, Paul binds together the thought of 2:2 with a reprise of the verb phronein, this time stressing common purpose. And so throughout 2:2, the apostle is revealing the results that flow from imitating God in His encouragement, love, fellowship, tenderness and compassion.

The Malady Requiring the Appeal to Unity (2:3a)
Having grounded unity in God, Paul now rejects a series of very pagan values, "power values", and in their place he installs Christ values.
selfish ambition: eritheian, that is, "one who electioneers for office, courting popular applause by trickery, courting distinction, desire to put oneself forward, partisan and factious spirit". A word which embodies the quintessential power broker, maneuvering himself into first place against a field of competitors.
vain conceit: kenodoxian, that is, "empty glory, vain self-estimation". The Greek term kenos means "empty". The person who proclaims his own glory, but the claim is empty and without merit. Paul strategically uses this word negatively in this section, so that later, he can juxtapose it to the attitude of Jesus in which he "emptied himself of the glory".
look to own interests: ta heauton ekastos skopountes, that is, "to observe, contemplate, look at, care for, have regard for" one's own private "things". The privacy of such a person's concerns isolates them from the collective concerns of the whole community.

Party-spirit, fueled by the wider Philippian culture, threatened the unity of the Philippian church. This is not a surprise, considering the stratification of Philippi's society. All the old animosities, suspicions, grievances, and hostilities followed the Philippians into the church where they would now need to be resolved. Paul is convinced the Christ-message and the presence of God in their lives would be sufficient to overcome these differences and restore unity to the community. But he wants to be clear about the ugliness of such pagan values.

The Remedy is Humility (2:3b-4)
"Humbly", Paul continues, "consider others better than yourselves". The idea of "humility" is the key element for unity at Philippi. The Greek noun, tapeinophrosune, is unique to the New Testament, but the adjectival form was found in ancient Greek texts, and it meant "the mentality of a slave" along with all sorts of very negative connotations: base, unfit, shabby, mean, of no account. Pagans would not have seen "humility" as a virtue, and so it remained only a negative adjective for them! A compound word, it's first part is tapein and simply refers to a state of lowliness, unimportance, being small, being humble. The Greek version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint, abbreviated as LXX) used this word to indicate how God's people should relate to God, and how God honored attitudes of being "humble" (see Isaiah 57:15). God gives grace to the humble (Isaiah 2:11; Ezekiel 17:24). The Bible, contrary to pagan culture, sees lowliness and humility as virtues.

Paul explains the meaning of this "invented noun", tapeinphronsune, with the words "considering each other better than yourselves". Ironically, in Philippian society, as we have already seen, people were assessed based on their status. There was no "considering" involved! You were a slave or poor or a non-citizen, regardless of how you considered yourself! And so, Paul is introducing a new way of "thinking" a new "attitude" about the all-important marker of "status" as it existed in the wider culture. He is saying to the Philippians, "Stop thinking about your position based on your own status (or as Paul puts it "interests"), but look outward to the people around you, and honor them with a status that is higher than your own." Pagans would do the opposite. They would want to see others as "lower" than themselves in order to maintain their own "status". But Christians, shaped by the God of encouragement, love, fellowship, tenderness and compassion, have a whole different "attitude". Voluntarily place yourself lower than others, Paul is saying. In Philippian culture that would have been seen as wholly counter-cultural, and contrary to the honor given to existing "status". It certainly flew in the face of all the norms surrounding "citizenship". Yet, in order for true unity to happen, such an attitude was absolutely necessary.

The Mind of Christ (2:5-11)
Whereas Paul previously appealed to a general understanding of "unity virtues" found in God (2:1), he now wants to bring those virtues into concrete form. He does this by devoting several verses to describing the "humiliation of Christ". To introduce this all-important section, he appeals to the Philippians to have the same "attitude" (once more he uses a form of phronein) among themselves, as that found in Christ. Some translations use the word "in" before "you" in 2:5. We believe "among" better fits the plural form of the pronoun (humin). Had it been singular, "in you" would make sense, but when there are many "you's", "among" more accurately captures the meaning. The Christ-attitude, sometimes called the "mind of Christ", is what really guarantees unity within the Philippian church. People must relate to each other with the same attitude as Christ related to the whole human race when he "came down" to save it. This is Paul's overall point in using the example of Christ in 2:5-11.

Paul proceeds to explain that attitude by incorporating what has come to be known as the "Christ Hymn", 2:6-11. In "stair-step" fashion, Paul shows how Christ Jesus descended from his exalted position in relation to God his Father, and, at last, died as a common criminal. The whole passage is written like a poem, and most good translations typeset it in that fashion. It appears to have three stanzas, the first two developing the theme of Christ's "humiliation", while the last one reaches a crescendo with his final exaltation. This hymn seems brims with beauty and overflows with majesty. It was no doubt sung in the early Christian communities, and this was likely the reason Paul gave it to the Philippian church. Perhaps Paul believed that what the believers required was not a lengthy dissertation, but a hymn which they would sing again and again. And each time they sang it, the implications of its message would sink in yet deeper. The music of the community often accomplishes what prosaic exposition cannot, namely, it saturates the heart and soul with the truth of its words through the grandeur of its melody and lyric.

Some simple observations rise from this part of the text:
1. Unmistakably, Christ was God in His essence, or, as Paul phrases it, he was God morphically (from the Greek: morphe). Lightfoot long maintained that this word expresses the essential and intrinsic nature of Christ--that he was truly God. And if Christ was truly God, he could not be anything greater than that! No need to strive or contest for a higher place. No need to seek a better role.
2. Confident of who he really is, Christ did not view "equality with God" something he had to "seize" or "rob" or "held fast" as if it would slip out of his hands. Why? Because Christ had the abiding confidence of his own divinity, grounded as it was, in the reality of his relationship to the Father. He knew he was God, and so there was no additional need to compete for that status.
3. "He emptied himself" (Greek: heauton ekenosen). Of course, he could not cease to be God, but he could choose to lay aside the prerogatives of God. That is, he chose to not avail himself of the privileges of Godhood, even though they were plainly his. Recall how Paul used the idea of "empty glory" when he was describing the pagan values his readers were to lay aside? In this passage, Christ empties himself of the glory.
4. "Form of a servant". Paul uses the same Greek word as he does when he speaks of "the form of God". Christ was just as truly a servant, as he was truly God. To be the one does not preclude the other. That is, of course, Paul's point. The assuming of the servant's role in no way compromises a Christian's identity, any more than Christ's taking the form of a servant meant that he ceased to be in essence, God.
5. Paul uses two different words to underscore Jesus' relationship to his humanity:
a. "in human likeness": Greek, homoiomati, meaning, "that which has been made after the likeness of something, a figure, image, likeness, representation, equality, identity". Anyone looking at him, interacting with him, and being around him would find a true human being in every respect. There was nothing "plastic" about Jesus becoming a human being. He was no demi-god or mythical half-god, half-man creature. As the creed expresses, "Fully God, and fully man".
b. "in human fashion": Greek, schemati, meaning, "habit, figure, bearing, discourse, actions, manner of life". So as to reinforce the first term, Paul invokes yet another word that validates the true humanity of Jesus, and certifies that Jesus became a human being beyond dispute.
6. Why is so much emphasis placed on demonstrating the true humanity of Jesus? Much of Paul's argument that Christians should set aside prideful ambition rests with the truth that Jesus did much more than that. Ironically, there were some teachers who would claim that Jesus did not really "come in the flesh" (see 1 John 4:1-3), that the idea of God becoming human was preposterous, and even blasphemous. Among the Jewish community it sounded like idolatry. Among the Greeks it seemed outright ridiculous that gods would freely choose to become human beings except as actors. To counter this resistance to the incarnation, Paul makes himself quite clear through the language he uses.
7. But isn’t the incarnation enough? No, Paul goes on to affirm, he humbled himself even further by accepting the shameful death of the cross. The "humiliation" of Christ (Greek: etapeinosen, from tapeinoo, meaning "to make low, bring low, to bring to humble condition, reduce to meaner circumstances, assign a lower rank or place, ranked below those who are honored, to cause to blush") made him lower than even his common humanity required. If leaving behind the majesty and privilege of being God was not enough, Jesus voluntarily submitted to the basest form of death in the Roman Empire, namely, that of a criminal. To the Roman mind, he was a enemy of the state, and threat to the Empire. To the Jewish mind, he was a failed Messiah, and an embarrassment to the nation of Israel. Yet, in spite of this lowered reputation, Jesus accepted his situation freely. Of course, Paul's point is simple. If the heart of our gospel is the incarnation and humiliation of Christ, God's Son, how can we, the Christ-community, live any differently? Must not we lay aside our claim to "glory"? In the service of others and for their sake, should we not be willing to humiliate ourselves even further? And does not the knowledge that we are "God's children" serve as sufficient confidence for us, allowing us to let go of power when the needs of others demands it?
8. Finally, Jesus does not remain in his humiliation, though he chooses it without coercion. "God highly exalted him" (2:9), Paul writes, and invests him as King with the "name above every name" (Greek: to onoma to huper pan onoma). Paul has in mind both the resurrection of Jesus and his enthronement at God's right hand. The language used in this passage echoes Old Testament texts such as Isaiah 45:23 in which all of creation will bow before Yahweh. In Paul's argument, the final vindication of Jesus comes when all bow before him and confess that he alone if kurios, "Lord". And for whose glory does all this happen? Eis doxa theos patros, "unto God the Father's glory". While it might seem reasonable that the glory is given to Jesus in his exaltation, Paul wants the argument to place God the Father in the role of glory-getter. It was Jesus who laid aside everything to redeem lost humanity and thereby bring glory to his Father. Likewise, Paul wants his readers to absorb the same truth: they are to lay down their lives in service for each other, so that their community life may bring glory to God.

To the Philippian Christians, this Christ-hymn proclaims the basis of their salvation, namely, in Christ's coming down as a human being, having laid aside his legitimate claims to equality with God. As Paul's hymn makes clear, Christ's arrival in human form, "humiliation" and death, demonstrate his willingness to "consider others" ahead of himself and disregard claims to status and honor. Of course, it is just this "attitude" Paul wants to see exemplified in the lives of the Philippians. Christ has done all of this for their salvation, and, at the same time, left his own "exaltation" entirely in the hands of God. Even so, the Philippians must lay aside their natural claim to status or position, whether as land-owner, master, Roman citizen, or other privilege, so that those who do not have this status might also be accepted within the Christian community. All human standards of importance are entirely rejected, and the new way of acknowledging other people--one based on Christ's own humiliation--takes their place. I suppose Paul might just as easily said, "Are you better than Christ? Do you see yourselves as exempt from the self-effacing conduct of our Lord?" Or perhaps, "Are you fearful that if you do give up these places of prominence, somehow, it will not turn out well for you? Did it not turn out well for Christ when he 'made himself of no reputation'?" Barclay is helpful here:
Here then is the final appeal of Paul to the Philippians. If Jesus Christ was prepared to accept this amazing humiliation, how can His followers quarrel among themselves about matters of honor and of precedence? Surely all human thoughts of exaltation of self must shrivel up before the memory of the amazing sacrificial selflessness of Jesus Christ.

Salvation Worked Out (2:12-18)
Were we to apply the rhetoric model to 2:1-18, we might well see 2:1-5 as pathos, 2:6-11 as logos, and 2:12-18 as pathos again. Paul begins his next section with the Greek conjunction hoste, which we could translate as "therefore" or "well then!", connecting the Christ-hymn to Paul's further unity appeal. He addresses the Philippians as agapetoi, that is, "beloved" or "dearly loved ones", thus preserving the warm, personal tone of his letter in spite of the difficult admonitions he must give them. He makes clear in 2:12a that his own role in their lives is not as the proverbial dripping faucet (my metaphor!), always having to order them around or look over their shoulders to make sure they are living correctly. Nothing would have robbed Paul of his joy more than having to become for them what only Christ could be: their new conscience.

"Whether I am 'absent' or 'present', Paul says, "your lives should look the same, grounded as they must be, in the sort of belief I have just written about." He then explains his thinking: Since Christ was obedient (recall Paul's words in 2:8), the Philippians must be obedient. In fact, Paul intensifies his use of the Greek word hupekousate by modifying it with the adverb pantote, "always". Perhaps some of the Philippians were accustomed to "obeying" persons of higher rank within their society only when they were around to check up on them. Begrudgingly, they performed "on command", knowing the consequences would be dire. Once their "overseer" left, they opted out of their normal diligence, or as the old saying puts it: "The cat's away, the mice will play!" Paul does not want the Philippians to see him in that secular, cultural role as the "boss man" whose influence depends on threats of censure or disapproval. Life in the Christ community must be different, Paul says, with each person consistently "obeying" whether any other human being sees them or not.

"Your salvation", he writes, requires "working out". The word "your" is in the plural, suggesting that Paul is not talking about personal, private salvation, but instead that of the whole Christ community. To Western and American ears this seems odd. But to the ancient world, where communities were viewed as having a life of their own, it made perfect sense. Disunity was the enemy of the Philippian church, since so much of the colony's diversity could be found there. Christ not only came to save individuals, he came to deliver whole communities. Yahweh's dealings with his people in the Old Testament were not just a matter of individuals being plucked from fire, but of a whole nation delivered by the saving acts of God. Paul reminds his audience that "God is working out his will and good purpose among you" (2:13). Here is the first of four metaphors Paul uses to describe the Philippians.

1) They are workmen (2:12-13), God is their "boss" (not Paul!), and He is unfolding his "salvation project" in their lives, collectively. God is forming communities in the world--alternate communities, counter-communities--where he can implement His own purposes among human beings. Remember, Paul has just taught them through a powerful hymn that Jesus is Lord (Kurios): Lord of their work and His.

2) They are stars (2:14-15). If God is truly working out His purpose in their lives, then they are not without direction, nor is their work being performed simply at the whim of a ruthless taskmaster. How will Paul further develop this idea of "purpose"? He encourages them to stop their "grumbling and arguing", using the Greek words choris goggusmon kai dialogismon. The first of these words, goggusmos, is an example of onomatopoeia, that is, a word that sounds like what it means, at least to a Greek or Roman! In classical use, it means simply to "mutter", a kind of guttural, gurgling sound made deep in the throat. These are the mutters of a worker who hates doing what he's doing, and who hates the taskmaster who stands over him. We might pause to think in broader terms about the sorry state of management-labor relationship across the centuries. Workers exploited or employers cheated, and neither liking the other very much. Things were not significantly different in Paul's time. Much of the labor-management relationship involved slavery, where the master held all the power. It was not much different for peasants who were held captive to the land by their tenants, and who no doubt muttered often about the inequity of their situation. Paul sides with neither party, but calls on all of them to "shine like stars" in the dark world around them, a world crooked and twisted, and one in which, as stars, they could make a difference.

In describing the state of their society, Paul uses the Greek words skolia, meaning "twisted" and diastrammene, meaning "perverted". Both words reveal a society that has lost its way, and is "off course" heading nowhere. That is why the Philippians must live in unity with each other: they offer unparalleled examples of how communities can actually work, and as such, they are "stars" in the sky mapping fixed points of reference for the sailors of civilization to follow. Stars are not so much known for their brightness, as for their reference. If the Philippian live in unity among themselves, as God lives among them, they will offer to the human race "the last best hope" for finding its way back to God. Paul calls on the Philippians to be "children of God", that is, embodiments of God's character, something Paul has already described at some length in 2:1-11. Of all the virtues Paul emphasizes, these are most significant: akeraios (literally, "without mixture", "undiluted"), implying simplicity of character, purity, guiltlessness, or innocence. He couples this word with amemptos, meaning "without blame", "above reproach", "free from legitimate criticism". When the Philippians embody the truth of Jesus Christ in their lives, in their mercy, compassion, tenderness, self-less service, and love, they become reference points for a world blown off course, able to supply the necessary guidance, even within a colony where Romans dominate everyone else!

3) They are runners (2:16). Surprisingly, Paul invokes a metaphor taken from the Olympic games. Torch Relay races started in ancient Greece as religious rituals held at night. Soon they turned into a team athletic event, initially among adolescents, and further developed to become one of the most popular ancient sports. The enchanting power of fire was a source of inspiration. Sacred flames lit by the rays of the sun always burned in Olympia, in an altar dedicated to Hestia. Fire was ignited with the help of a concave mirror, which has the ability to concentrate the rays of the sun on a single spot. When the head priestess touched that point with the Torch, the Flame was lit. The Ancient Greeks held a lampadedromia (the Greek word for "Torch Relay"), where athletes competed by passing on the Flame in a relay race to the finish line. In ancient Athens the ritual was performed during the Panathenaia fest, held every four years in honor of the goddess Athena. The strength and purity of the sacred Flame was preserved through its transportation by the quickest means; in this case a relay of Torchbearers. The Torch Relay carried the Flame from the altar of Prometheus to the altar of goddess Athena on the Acropolis. Forty youths from the ten Athenian tribes had to run a distance of 2.5 kilometers in total. When Paul speaks of "holding forth the word of life", he also speaks of "running the race". Each Christian community is like one runner in this race, Paul himself a participant. His proclamation of the Gospel to the Philippians was the passing of the Torch, which they, in turn, must pass along to those around them. Paul risked much to pass the Torch to Philippi, and their continuing faithless to preserve the "unity of the faith" will either reward his efforts or cause him to "run in vain". That is why he uses the word epechontes to describe how the Philippians must tightly hang onto the "word of life", the real Torch in Paul's metaphor.

4) They are sacrifices (2:17-18). Paul compares his own life to a "libation", that is something "poured out" over the sacrificial altar. The Greek word here is spendomai, and we can almost see our English word "spend" contained within it. In the ancient world sacrifices, both pagan and Jewish, were usually accompanied and completed by a libation of wine poured out either on top of the sacrifice or at the foot of the altar to honor the god. But these were not libations of blood, suggesting somehow that Paul looks forward to his death. In fact, the tense of the verb is in the present, indicating that Paul is even now being poured out, and perhaps in a continuing way. By using this imagery, Paul is vividly referring to his sufferings for the sake of the Christ followers in general, and for the sake of the Philippians in particular. As such Paul's libation of himself places a "seal of approval" on whatever sacrificial service they Philippians may make, just as the libation completes any offering made to God. And that's what Paul wanted from the start: "to complete my joy" (2:2). Paul's sufferings, mingled with the Philippians, form a complete sacrifice to God, and here is real reason for joy, both for him and for them. This is precisely what he writes to conclude this fourth metaphor (2:17b-18).

Argument Two: Christ-Followers as Exemplars (2:19-30)
The second half of Philippians 2 is devoted to illustrating the sort of selfless and others-oriented lifestyle Paul want to take root in the Philippians' own community. Having appealed for unity based on the character of God, the humiliation of Christ, and the four-fold metaphors in 2:12-18, Paul now turns to some real flesh-and-blood exemplars. Part of Philippi's audience might have listened to the letter thus far, and then thrown their arms up in helpless despair: "Who can live like this, Paul? It's all well and good for you to tell us that God is a unity who expresses mercy and compassion, fellowship and love. And we certainly accept the Gospel story about Jesus coming down to earth, becoming a man, living, dying and rising again. Oh, and we surely respect you, Paul, for your sacrificial service for God's work and for us. But after all, you are an apostle, and that's what apostles do, isn't it? We, on the other hand, are just ordinary people living in a colony with its own problems, some of them deeply ingrained in the layers of our society. We just can't imagine regular people like us living this sort of life. It just isn't practical. It's just not possible."

How might Paul respond to our imaginary critic of his words? In true-to-life rhetorical form, as Ben Witherington, III points out, this material provides the audience with two examples of Christians who have followed Christ's example. Furthermore, both Timothy and Epaphroditus through their sacrificial acts and attitude provide the examples of behavior that produces unity and concord. Paul stresses how these leaders are his co-workers, fellow soldiers, owning shared goals and desires. Their relationship with Paul provides the social example of how things ought to be among and between the Philippians.

Timothy (2:19-24).
The opening verses of Philippians called Timothy a doulos, a slave for Christ, along with Paul himself (1:1). In turn, here, Paul refers to Timothy as his slave and "child" (Paul prefers the Greek teknon, "child" in lieu of huios, "son", underscoring the closeness of this relationship), who has served Paul "in the Gospel" (see Appendix One at the end of these notes for a full bio on Timothy). In describing him, Paul uses a rare Greek work, isopsuchos, prefixed by the word iso- which means "equality" or "like-ness", as in "isomorphic" ("same "form") or in "isosceles " ("same scale", like a triangle with two equal sides/angles). We might translate this word "like-soul-ed" or "like-minded", or, as Witherington does, "alike in the depths of his being". The Greek version of the Old Testament uses this word in Psalm 54:14 where it means "a man who is my equal", communicating the idea of close human friendship. R.P. Martin notes: "The sense of the passage seems to be that of all his [Paul's] Christian friends in the place of his confinement, i.e. the brethren who are with him (4:21) and the 'saints' and members of Caesar's household (4:22), there is no-one who shares so intimately Timothy's deep concern for the Philippians" (Martin, Philippians, p.128).

Why does he say this about Timothy? No doubt Paul and Timothy had a special relationship, akin to father and son, but "in the faith". Paul feels free to send Timothy to the Philippians because Timothy knows Paul's mind and heart so well, that he can act as Paul's "stand-in" (a kind of proxy) in ways that no one else could. And of course, that is not only valuable to Paul, who obviously wants his concerns accurately represented, but also for the Philippians, because they can see someone who has bonded so strongly with another. And that's exactly what Paul wants them to do with each other. "There should be," Paul is telling the Philippians through this example of Timothy, "the same sort of connections among yourselves, as exist between myself and Timothy, and he with me."

All of which might seem surprising, once we have the whole story on Timothy's natural temperament (see last part of Appendix One for the details). At a job interview, Timothy might well come "across as somewhat nervous and unsure of himself" (N.T. Wright, Everyman's Commentary, p.108). What Paul "brags about" in Timothy's life is not that he's a superstar preacher or erudite teacher, though he may well have been both. Instead, we hear Paul saying that Timothy will genuinely care about the Philippians (Greek: gnesios, "genuinely" + meriminesei, "to care for, be concerned about, be anxious"). The description of Timothy offered in this passage has to do with unselfish love, but also with undying allegiance to Jesus Christ. Nor did Timothy arrive at this approval casually. "You know his testing…", Paul writes in 2:22, and uses the Greek word dokime to express the idea of "proof, test, ordeal". This is another one of those "Pauline words", found only in his writings (see also Romans 5:4; 2 Corinthians 2:9; 8:2; 9:13; 13:3). It's also rare in non-biblical Greek. Its use in this context suggests that Timothy has "proven himself" through his consistent and faithful service with Paul. Traveling with Paul was no doubt a "trip" in the colloquial sense! And Timothy, through thick or thin, through timidity and shyness, held up all along. Of course, this is the kind of commitment Paul wants to see in the Philippians, and is one more reason he sends Timothy to them.

Timothy has all the marks of a selfless worker who cares deeply for others. Again, the Philippians need to see that someone other than God, Christ, or Paul can live this way! This is why Paul determines to send Timothy to the Philippians.

Epaphroditus (2:25-30).
If other New Testament texts warranted an appendix for Timothy, no warrant exists for Epaphroditus. What we read in this passage is the sum total of the data! Mentioned only in Phil 2:25; 4:18. The name corresponds to the Latin "Venustus" (= handsome), and was very common in the Roman period. "The name occurs very frequently in inscriptions both Greek and Latin, whether at full length Epaphroditus, or in its contracted form Epaphras" (Lightfoot, Philippians, p. 123). The implication of 2:25 is that this man was a Philippian, sent by the church to check on Paul's situation "in chains". This would suggest, once more, the close bond between the Philippians and Paul, and their concern for him warranted a trip by Epaphroditus to Rome. During his visit with Paul, or. perhaps on his journey to Rome, he became ill, something that the Philippians discovered, and which attenuated their concern. Paul makes a special point of describing his visitor through a number of key terms.
1. "[My]Brother" (2:25), adelphos, expressive of the "family of God' model Paul wants to maintain within the Philippian community. Though he comes from Philippi, yet in Christ he is Paul's brother.
2. "[my] Fellow-worker" (2:25), sunergos, "worker with__"
3. "[my] Fellow-soldier" (2:25), sustratiotes, "soldier with__".Notes on #1-#3: The implication of the Greek text for #1-#3 is that the word "my" applies to all three descriptions of Epaphroditus. When Paul uses the compound forms of "worker" and "soldier" along with sun-, "together, with", he intends to strengthen the idea of unity which he so very much wants to see evident in the Philippian community. In the case of Epaphroditus, Paul goes out of his way to emphasize how well this man works together with others, or, as we might say, "Plays well with others"! Though he is far from home, still he steps up to the difficult task of living, working, and soldiering with Paul, while Paul is "in chains". The impression we have is that Epaphroditus, for as long as he was with Paul, and his health permitted, was doing the things that Paul himself would have done, namely, being a brother, a worker and a solider in the cause of Christ. You may recall from our comments on 2:12-18, these are some of the very traits Paul desired to see embodied among the Philippians. Therefore, Paul effectively applies his rhetorical skills to his argument for unity by bringing Epaphroditus' faithful work to the attention of his fellow-countrymen in Philippi. In effect Paul is saying, "See? This man is one of yours, and he is more than capable of living out the Christian ideal of unity as brother, worker, and solider. Now I am sending him back to you. Learn from him. Imitate him. Let him mentor you."
4. "Your messenger" (2:25). Paul uses the common word for "apostle" (apostolos) in this passage, but with the pronoun "your" so as to distinguish him from an apostle of Jesus Christ in the more formal sense. We might better render this "envoy" as it applies to Epaphroditus. However, as Hawthorne insightfully points out, "Epaphroditus is equally an 'apostle' with Paul in that both were men commissioned and sent out with full authority to perform specific tasks of service" (Hawthorne, 117).
5. "[Your] minister to my needs" (2:25). Here we see the Greek word leitourgos, commonly applied to public servants, including office holders. Rooted in Hebrew ideas, the word was applied to the priests and the whole system of Jewish worship. This is a remarkable combination of ideas. In meeting Paul's needs, Epaphroditus is performing a deeply religious activity, as sacred as that of a priest, and as important as a public servant. Later, in 4:18, Paul will call the gift Epaphroditus him a "sacrifice" (Greek: thusia). When he wrote Romans, Paul called the offering of our whole persons to God a "sacrifice" (thusia) and an acceptable form of worship (leitourgos) (Romans 12:1-2).
6. One who "longs for" the Philippians (2:26). From the Greek epipothein, the word translated "longs" implies a "yearning" akin to what one feels when homesick, as Epaphroditus no doubt was. His Christian family was back in Philippi, and the deep bonds which united him to them evoked such strong, personal, and heart-felt feeling. Again, Paul is highlighting qualities which he wants to see developing in the Philippian believers.
7. One who is "anxious" for the Philippians (2:26). Using the word ademonon, meaning "anguish", Paul deepens the rhetoric to reveal the heart of Epaphroditus. Lightfoot unpacks its meaning when he writes: "the confused, restless, half-distracted state which is produced by physical derangement or mental distress" (Lightfoot, p.123). The same word appears in Mark 14:33 (and parallels) when describing Jesus' state of mind in Gethsemane. Notice the recursive nature of his distress: he is concerned over the Philippians because they are concerned about him! Both this word and the previous one are placed into a special Greek form (knows as a "periphrastic") which underscores the continuous and persistent state of an action.
8. Worthy of "honor" (2:29). In 2:27-28 Paul offers details about Epaphroditus' illness and his near-death condition. Without offering details of his recovery, Paul attributes his healing to God's "mercy". But Paul also remarks how the healing lifted the emotional burden from himself, sparing him "wave upon wave of sorrow". The Greek here is lively: lupen epi lupen. Thus the hastened return of Epaphroditus to the Philippians. Paul seems have sensed trouble by the sudden arrival of Philippi's emissary back home, and so he makes clear how the Philippians are to receive their old friend. How so? Since Epaphroditus had been sent to Paul to help him, bearing a gift in the process, this sudden u-turn might make the Philippians feel ashamed because their emissary had somehow let Paul down or been defective. The social networks of a society like Philippi saw "shame" as negative and to be avoided. Paul, by allaying their fears and affirming their messenger, sets aside the old ways of evaluating human beings, and shows what a wonderful thing it was for "their man" to minister to Paul.Of special interest is Paul's emphasis on holding Epaphroditus "in high honor" (Greek: entimous). Classical Greek applied this term to persons of "rank", of "high office". Considering the social strata we have observed at Philippi, ordinarily based on things like social and economic status, this expression introduces Paul's understanding of what accords a person true value. Persons who serve others, as Epaphroditus served Paul, and who risk their lives to carry out the work they are sent to do for the cause of Christ--these are the people of real rank, of real status. We don't know what Epaphroditus' social rank was back in Philippi, and Paul doesn't bother saying, and for good reason. None of the old orderings of society count for much in the kingdom of God, nor should they matter in the community of Christ. Honor is Christ's reward for faithful service within the community. "Honor people like him", Paul explicitly commands. Epaphroditus beautifully exemplified such service, and that is why Paul commends him back to the Philippians.
9. Courageous "risk-taker" for the work of Christ (2:30). "He risked his life", Paul exclaims in this closing passage. Paul's Greek uses a participial form of the word paraballesthai which has a wonderful set of possible meanings: "to throw beside, to expose to danger, to set what one values upon a chance, to hazard it as at play, to stake one's life, to risk". Several commentators remark that Paul may well have coined this form of the verb as a word-play on the name of "Epaphroditus", since his name actually means "favorite of Aphrodite", who was, among other things, the goddess of gambling. When a gambler threw the dice, he would shout "epaphroditos!", thus invoking the same of the goddess. With a twinkle in his eye, Paul spins the name of his Philippian companion, as if to say, "Here's a fellow who lives up to his name!"

Some Final Thoughts on Philippians 2
What a marvelous journey this chapter has been! Unity was Paul's burden for the Philippians. All kinds of factors conspired to destroy the "like-mindedness" of the Philippian Christ-followers. Perhaps even Paul's "chains" were an embarrassment to them, and they may have been chooseing sides over what that implied about his usefulness to God and the Gospel. No doubt Paul also sensed the stresses created by living in highly stratified Philippi, and how some of those fractures were beginning to form inside the church. Soldiers, citizens, slaves, farmers, service-workers, Greeks, Romans, men, women, rich and poor streamed into the Christ-community in response to Paul's preaching. Now he is absent, held in detention under Roman guard, some distance from them. Unable to personally address the enemies to their unity, Paul crafts his letter instead. Grounding Christian unity in the person of God (2:1-4), he joyously composed the Christ-hymn to show how Christ himself had stooped very low in accomplishing salvation. Ultimately, shame did not have the last word for Jesus, whom God raised to the highest heavens, giving him status above all things (2:5-11). To the Philippians he gives the challenge to joyfully "work out this salvation" in their community life, and implement the example of Christ among themselves. In so doing they must become workmen, stars, runners, and sacrifices (2:12-18). Then, in a sweeping stroke of rhetorical genius, Paul invites two powerful exemplars of his appeal to unity in the persons of Timothy and Epaphroditus, calling on the Philippians to adjust their value systems so as to honor "men like this". He asks the Philippians to abandon the old standards so prevalent in Philippian society, and adopt the model of "unity", paying attention to how men like Timothy and Epaphroditus accomplish this (2:19-30).

The message of Philippians 2 is not lost in the first century. It is not confined to a heart-felt exchange between Paul and the Roman colony of Philippi. Western society groans beneath its own social strata, and persons of every rank find their way into the Christ-community. Not everyone arrives for the same reason. Some, hearing the winsome words of the Gospel, discover in the church a new kind of society where persons of every rank are welcomed, nurtured and held in high esteem. Yet, the maladies of Philippi still afflict contemporary Christ-communities. Money, power, position, talent, manners--these continue to compete for the affections of Christ's followers. The rich are courted because of "what they can do for our church". The powerful are flattered so their influence can "make things happen". The cult of youth can shove aside the wisdom of a lifetime. The result? A painful disunity where persons of all rank cease to respect each other, and the model for relationships is not mutual love, but reluctant co-existence. We tolerate each other, but we do not honor each other. It does not matter if these attitudes reign among the leadership or the person in the pew. Wherever they thrive they bring in their train, selfishness, distrust, deceit, jealousy, pandering, and the whole parade of vices rip the fabric of the Christ-community. To us, as well as to the Philippians, Paul makes his appeal. Focus on Christ and: "Make my joy complete, by being like-minded, having the same love, being in spirit and purpose" (2:2).

Glory to God! Amen.
Appendix One: Timothy Background Brief

Timothy's hometown was Lystra, where Paul and Barnabas visited on their First Missionary Journey (41-47 C.E.) (Acts 14:6-21). "They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples" (Acts 14:8). Among them, quite likely, was young Timothy. Paul adopted Timothy as his spiritual father, calling him "my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 4:17) and "my true son in the faith" (1 Timothy 1:2). When Paul and Silas returned for the Second Missionary Journey (47-51 C.E.), "the brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of" Timothy (Acts 16:2). Timothy accompanied Paul and his companions on the missionary journey (Acts 16:3).

One small problem intervened. Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother, but had a Greek father who had not circumcised him. But his mother taught him the Hebrew Bible "from infancy" (2 Timothy 3:15), and Timothy had good examples in both his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). Paul opposed forcing people to be circumcised as a prerequisite for salvation. He defended the right of another co-worker, Titus, to remain uncircumcised, since he had no Jewish parentage (Galatians 2:1-5). To Paul circumcision or uncircumcision wasn't important to salvation (Galatians 5:6; 6:15). But Paul's mission was being all things to all men in order to save some (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). His missionary strategy was to go first to the synagogue in a city and preach Christ there. When he was eventually expelled from the synagogue for preaching Jesus as the Messiah, he would organize a church, made up of converted Jews as well as converted "God-fearers," Gentiles who came to synagogue because they were attracted by Judaism.

But if Paul went to a synagogue with an uncircumcised Jewish young man as his associate, he would have been immediately ejected over the issue of circumcision, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ wouldn't get a hearing. If Timothy were to travel with Paul, he must be circumcised, not for salvation, but so he wouldn't be an impediment to Jews hearing the Gospel. So Timothy was circumcised in Lystra, received the laying on of hands by the elders at Lystra (1 Timothy 4:14), and Timothy joined the Apostolic mission.

From this time on, Timothy is a close, trusted associate of Paul's. They have a kind of mentor-protégé, father-son relationship. As he grows in the faith, Paul entrusts him with the most delicate of missions. Hawthorne observes, "Timothy was a young man with exceptional potential for missionary statesmanship and church leadership." Some historical facts about Timothy's life experience help us better grasp his importance to Paul as expressed in Philippians 2:19-24.

1. He is left behind in Berea to continue the work after Paul is forced to leave because of threats against his life (Acts 17:14).
2. During a time of persecution he is sent to Thessalonica to strengthen the believers in their faith (1 Thessalonians 3:1-3).
3. He is sent to Macedonia from Ephesus with a similar mission (Acts 19:22).
4. He is sent as Paul's emissary to bring teaching and healing to the troubled church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:17-21).
5. He is apparently sent to Philippi and perhaps returns with a monetary gift from that church for Paul (Philippians 2:19; 4:15-16; Acts 18:5).
6. He is instructed how to appoint elders and deacons in the churches (1 Timothy 3).
7. He accompanies Paul on his last trip to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4).
8. He is at his side during his imprisonment.
9. Paul seemed to gain special comfort, encouragement, and strength from Timothy's presence (Philippians 2:20-22). He is mentioned in the salutation of the letters to Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica, and the second Corinthian letter -- probably because he was well-known to those churches.

Like all of us, however, Timothy was a person under construction by God. Paul has to encourage him against timidity (2 Timothy 1:7) and people despising his authority because of his youth (1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Corinthians 16:10). Sometimes Paul has to urge him to be diligent in spiritual matters and to persevere in the Christian ministry (1 Timothy 4:12-16; 2 Timothy 1:6; 3:14-15). Paul also instructs him how to behave towards various kinds of people (1 Timothy 5), controlling his passions (2 Timothy 2:22-23), dealing with error (2 Timothy 3:1-18), and keep himself from godless myths and speculations (1 Timothy 1:4; 4:7). Paul encourages by his own example to love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12), to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 1:18), and to keep the faith and a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:19).

Paul longs for Timothy at the closing days of his life (2 Timothy 4:9). Later, apparently Timothy himself is imprisoned and then released (Hebrews 13:23). Of his later life we know little, but that tradition says that he succeeded the Apostle John as Bishop of Ephesus and was beaten to death at age of eighty. Timothy made a remarkable contribution to the ministry of Paul and to the First Century Church.

Digger Deeper: Cross-Training: Just Focus
(Bob Brown)

To gain a deeper understanding of Cross-Training: Just Focus, carefully read the selected passages below. To aid you in your study, we invite you to visit the website http://notes.chicagofirstnaz.org, or pick up a copy of the notes at the Connect desk, or from your ABF leader. Now consider the following questions, as you ask the Lord to teach you.

Special Note: The Background Notes are especially useful in working through some of these questions. You are encouraged to secure a copy as you begin.

1. Using the following Scripture references as divisions for Philippians 2:1-30, label the main sections of the passage: (1) 2:1-18; (2) 2:19-30. Now briefly summarize the key points made by Paul in each section.
2. In 2:1, there are four "if" statements. What do each of them tell us about how unity is possible in the Christian community?
3. Similarly, 2:2 offers some results when this unity exists. What are those results?
4. What are the enemies of unity according to 2:3a? Using 2:3b-4 as the basis for your answer, what can be done to overcome these enemies?
5. Sometimes 2:5-11 is called a Christ-hymn. What are the two main parts and how would you describe each one?
6. How does Christ show his "humility" according to this hymn? In what way did God honor his obedience?
7. According to 2:5 what are we suppose to do because of Christ's example in this hymn? How did you think we are to put this into practice?
8. Paul uses four images to describe the Philippians in 2:12-18. Can you identify them? Why are they an important part of Paul's teaching on the subject of unity in the church? Consult the Background Notes for additional insight into these images.
9. What two important people are mentioned in 2:19-30. Why do you think Paul brings them into the letter at this point?
10. Create two columns and title them with the names of these people. Now fill in these columns with the following:
a. Words used to describe each.
b. Reasons why Paul uses them as exemplars.
c. Ways Paul "connected" with each of them.
d. The relationship Paul had with them which he wanted the Philippians to imitate?
11. In what ways does Philippians 2:1-30 give us solid reasons to seek unity in our church?
12. What guidance does it provide to strengthen or create that unity?