Thoughts on Paul’s
letter to the Philippians,
in Philippians 2:12-13
“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. For it is God who works in you to will
and to act according to his good purpose.”(NIV)
Father, in Jesus' name I
put my words and thoughts into your hands now, and I surrender myself to your
grace, knowing that according to the words we just read, it is you who works in
us to will and to act, for your own glory. In Jesus name we thank you,
amen.
INTRODUCTION
This is a great letter from Paul where he shares the love of
Christ while showing his love for his beloved Philippians. This is a letter
written by an apostle getting closer to the end of his life. Even
though we know that the letter to the Philippians wasn’t his last letter (2nd Timothy was the last one), it’s an expression of concern, love and motivation for
brothers and sisters of a church like many other Christian churches founded by Paul
and around world. Additionally,besides being the first European church founded by Paul, the church in Philippi was known for its great
support for him. Paul’s concerns are mostly expressed by his call for working
out salvation with fear and trembling. Love and motivation were both expressions
of the call to use the fear of God as the beginning of knowledge. Paul never
quoted the OT on this letter, but when he said the words “fear and trembling”,
he is, certainly quoting Proverbs 1:7 without mentioning it. Furthermore, the
context of the verses we just read, 12th and 13th of
chapter 2, has been determined by the text of the whole previous chapter, but
especially over verses 14 and 20 of chapter 1.
In those 2 verses, Paul is convinced that his courage and
endurance to preach the gospel of Jesus, was reinforced by the fact that he was
in chains and he fears God. “Because of my chains,” Paul says, “most of the
brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more
courageously and fearlessly”. Once again he calls for the principle of fear as
the beginning of knowledge, but also I’m convinced that Paul is calling the
Philippians to rely on encouragement and fearlessly as a matter of protecting
the church against oppression and persecution. (Specially against Judiazers and
Antinomians and all the threats from Roman Empire). Because of this, he rejoices,
as do we. This verse (Philippians 1:14) allows us to ask the question deep in
our hearts: due to Christ’s sufferings on the cross, are we feeling encouraged
to speak and to live the word of God more courageously and fearlessly? Can we
rejoice with him? It’s seems that Paul misses that point in the question. However,
in verse 20, Paul looks up to express intense desire to proclaim sufficient
courage to the point that he’ll let Christ be exalted in his body, “whether by
life or by death”, he says in verse 20, chapter 1.
Paul wrote a letter to express love to his brothers at
Philippi, as we said. This is a love of being with them, a love that longs for
their living together, for caring and presence like a father searching for his
children. He advises them to stay with Christ. It is as if Paul begins to feel that the end
of his battle on preaching the gospel of the Lord is getting closer to an end. He
misses his brothers at Philippi and this feeling is clearly perceived as the
letter stresses it throughout its words. At certain point, Paul describes desires
to go way to be with Christ as a deep feeling and yearning. Should he be alone
in the darkness of a prison, a man of sorrow, a man of sufferings, in chains, a
criminal alike asking himself, what has happened to me to be in this cold prison? But
as he certainly knew, this was for God’s sake, therefore the answer to this
question. It was for the love of Christ. For the same love he asks the
Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.
As we read the letter, we soon understand why Paul seems to
insist in an intense love for his brothers, in the question "should I go to
Christ, or should I stay with you, as you wish?" He deeply expresses his love
for the church he built with faith and pain. We can feel the declaration of his
heart toward his beloved brothers and sisters. “I will go to the mountain of
myrrh and to the hill of incense. All beautiful you are, my darling”, he seems
to say, like in Song of Songs, 4:6-7. Christ himself should be feeling sorrow
and love, watching both, Paul and the church at Philippi from heaven. Christ
knew the depths of Paul’s suffering, because Christ himself told Ananias in
Acts 9 verse 16: “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name”, way
before Paul starts preaching. But soon Paul wakes from sorrow to joy with
Philippians in verse 26 Chapter 1: “So that through my being with you again
your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me”. Shortly afterwards, Paul
will say the words that fulfill verses 12 and 13 of the second chapter. Soon Paul’s
heart will be moving on to an expression of encouragement toward his beloved
from Philippi. “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the
gospel”. Whatever happens, you stand firm. Whatever happens, fight for the
truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with fear and trembling. Whatever happens
to you, on behalf of Christ, believe in
him in all circumstances. You will suffer for him, because as you know,
suffering as well as faith is a blessing for his followers. It is an expression
of commitment that Christians everywhere will face one day in their lives and
ministries. Love is greater than sufferings as Christ’s love demonstrates
toward his church everywhere.
We cannot know exactly
what the time frame is between one missionary journey and the other, or what
really happened between the time Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, and when
he had a chance to deliver it. The letter shows an endurance of love that
today’s missionary journeys can’t sustain. One thing we do know, though, is that the salvation
mentioned in chapter 2 verse 12, either refers to deliverance from the
difficulties God brings upon the disobedient or to deliverance through the
trials that the faithful experience in everyday life. It is believed that Paul
was in prison by the time he wrote this letter, certainly he was filled with fear
and trembling.
Moving from one point to another, Paul seems to transmit in
his letter all the struggles he faces for the brothers he misses as in the same
unit of feelings. As if, even though he’s far from them, they belong to the
same spiritual body. He seems to say that not even distance produces difference. “If you have any encouragement
from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any tenderness
and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same
love, being one in spirit and purpose.” (Philippians 2:1-2.) Paul now is declaring
one of the greatest thoughts of this letter. The next time Paul mentions the word “Purpose”
he calls the Philippians to endurance and perseverance, fear and trembling, as
a pivotal expression of his state of mind and spirit. In Paul’s letter and
struggle, “like-minded” means supporting chains and suffering for the love of
Christ. If you as a Christian elsewhere struggle due to persecution, prison, misfortune
and death over the Christian churches at this time, I will do the same here in
chains.
CONCLUSION -
But he did it, like
Paul seems to say, I did it and I want you to do in the same way, as you brothers
and sisters, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling the
way I did. If God keeps me strong up to this point in my life, he will do the
same to you. Because God is the one that works in you, - as He did in me -, to
will and to do, according to his good purpose. It is God who keeps us connected
in love, even though you are far away from me.
The experience of Paul shows the life of a man who really would love to
be with his brothers in Philippi. By showing his identity and his Christian-like
character, Paul is as one in Christ as he wants to be with the Philippians. His
letter is a real expression of the love that Christ put in his heart and that
he wanted to pour out in his brother’s minds and hearts. Amen.
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