Paul opened his epistle to the Philippians with prayer and thanksgiving. It features two significant themes, God’s work in us and growing in godliness.
God’s good work
“And 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.”
God’s good work is our salvation, the plan He began before He established the earth. It features several orderly steps that theologians call the Ordo Salutis or Order of Salvation. It comes from Romans 8:29-30, which says, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
The Ordo Salutis began with our election when God chose the ones He would save, and it culminates in our glorification when God permanently frees us from sin.
After conversion and all that it entails, Christians enter the penultimate step of the Ordo Salutis, which is sanctification. It’s the process by which we progressively separate from sin and conform to the image of Christ. For the Philippians, their generosity and selflessness were evidence of their sanctification.
Humans are naturally selfish, but God is abundantly generous. So much so He gave His only Son so we may have eternal life (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9). The Philippians exhibited Christ-like generosity. They partnered with Paul in his ministry from the moment he founded their church (Phil 1:5), they gave when no other churches did (Phil: 4:15), and they went above and beyond their means to help the saints at Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8:3-5). They could only be so generous because they “gave themselves first to the Lord.”
Despite the Philippian’s generosity and other good fruits, they still stumbled because of indwelling sin. So Paul encouraged them (and us) to press on, because God is still working, and He is faithful to finish what He began. On the day of Christ, which is the day Jesus returns with all His saints, we will be in glory, and God’s excellent work will finally be complete and perfect.
Growth in love
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”
Paul had a special affection for the Philippians, perhaps more than he had for the other congregations he founded. The word he used to describe his feelings for them in Greek is bowels or intestines. That is, Paul loved them from deep within him, with his entire being. He yearned for them with the “affection of Christ,” which is agape love. Agape is the unconditional love of God that involves choice, self-sacrifice, and goodwill towards others. (See, Three Things Remain: What is Love?).
Paul wanted the Philippians to love one another with agape. He probably prayed for their love to grow abundantly and exceedingly more because of quarrels and division in the congregation (Phil 4:2). But it wasn’t a prescription to accept one another blindly or engage in vain emotionalism. Biblical love comes with knowledge, discernment, and testing.
Knowledge
The Greek word for knowledge here is epignosis, and it means real, precise, or correct knowledge. In the New Testament, it refers to knowing things ethical and divine. But it’s more than merely learning a bunch of facts. It’s a knowledge that comes through contact or first-hand experience, such as when a man knows his wife. In this context, it involves knowing God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Col 1:9), every good thing (Phil 1:6), and knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:18). We gain this knowledge through personal interaction with God through His living Word.
Discernment
When we possess true knowledge of God, we must use it to discern wisely. The Greek word for discernment is aisthesis, and it means perception. It’s the ability to “size up things or discern ethical (moral) matters.” Biblical discernment is not merely choosing between right and wrong; it’s also choosing between right and almost or seemingly right. Discernment based on biblical knowledge equips us to love one another by God’s standards instead of the world’s.
Approval
Next, we must use our knowledge and discernment to approve what is excellent. The Greek word for approval is dokimazo, and it means to put to the test. It’s examining something to see whether it’s genuine, such as testing metals. Excellent in Greek is diaphero, and it means to differ or make a difference. There are many ways we can “show love” to one another, but they may not all be right. So we need knowledge and discernment to test different available options and choose what is right.
Paul prayed for our Growth in love so we may be pure and blameless. The Greek word for pure means sincere or “judged by sunlight.” It denotes testing something under the light of God (intense scrutiny). For example, a merchant holding a dollar bill under the light to see if it’s a counterfeit or real. Blameless means without offense/stumbling or not causing offense/stumbling.
Love makes us pure and blameless because love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8, Romans 13:10). Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God and love one another. And on these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:36-40). We resemble God most when we love others as He does. Knowledge, discernment, and approval are essential because love does not rejoice in wrongdoing or unrighteousness; it rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6).
This love is not something we muster in our strength; it comes from God through Christ Jesus (1 John 4:7-8). When we abide in love, we abide in God and God in us (1 John 4:16), and His love is perfected with us (1 John 4:12). This brings glory and praise to God, for Jesus said all people would know we are His disciples because of our love (John 13:35).
Heart Check
One glorious day, Jesus will return for His bride and will make us perfect and holy like Him. This tremendous promise should encourage us to kill sin daily because we know our struggle will soon end. We must not use it as an excuse to be passive with our sin because we are not perfect yet.
Many Christians neglect theology and doctrine in favor of emotion and feelings. But biblical love goes hand in hand with knowledge. We must take care not to focus on one while neglecting the other. If we don’t have sound biblical understanding, we might confuse tolerance with love and enable others in their sin. But if we have all knowledge but have no love, we are nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2).
What are your thoughts on this week’s study? Share in the comments below!
Recommended resources
Elements of Joy by John MacArthur 1 | 2 | 3
Essentials for Growth in Godliness by John MacArthur 1 |2
Everyone’s a Theologian by R.C. Sproul
Next study
Readings
Read and study Philippians 1:12-18a.
Memorization
Philippians 1:12-18a if you are doing the challenge, if not verse 18.
Questions for reflection
- Despite his afflictions, Paul rejoiced. What is his secret? How can it help you choose joy even when life is hard?
- What difficulties are you facing? How can God use it or has used it for the gospel?
- Paul’s circumstances and his response had a significant impact on others. What witness are you giving to others through your response to trials?
- How could Paul rejoice of people preaching Christ with false motives? Why is his reaction different from his response in Galatians 1:8? How should we know when to rejoice or be revolted?
