Lesson 2 Need to sort of summarize what we had last week. First: Classroom Goals of this time together: * here to see and meet and learn of Jesus * not to learn about another book in the Bible, but to MEET HIM...here and now; not to finish another epistle, but to grow in each one of our own personal lives/relationships with Jesus * to grow in our daily day-today JOY IN Him * to grow in our vision /understanding of Jesus as our SAVIOR everyday in the midst of our lives in a pagan world ROE: * all questions are encouraged all the time * we are not obligated to agree with me or each other Obligations: * ONLY ONE - TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER THROUGHOUT OUR TIME TOGETHER, WHETHER WE AGREE OR NOT WE MUST LOVE EACH OTHER Review: 1:1-11 constitutes Pauls Greetings and Gratitude We covered an intro to the city of Phillipi and Pauls 1st experiences there as chronicled in Acts 16 and then the first 6 verses. In just those 1st 6 vs's he presents the major themes of the whole letter, he sets the tone and mood of the whole letter: 1. JOY/REJOICE 2. FELLOWSHIP HOW?? 3. IN CHRIST!! The radical idea that what HE started, HE will finish. 1:7 Paul worked hard to start with a positive and loving spirit of encouragement and joy. Now he grows even more tender hearted and personal. He re-emphasizes with his "right/appropriate for me" to "think" (in the KJV) this of you all; Greek word trans in the KJV as "think" means much more than just a mental exercise and it's trans in NASB and NIV as "feel" means more than just an emotional mood; it better reads as "sympathetic interest and concern", a concern based on the highest interests of others; The deeply tender metaphor "hold you in my heart" is also used in 2Co7:3 and 2Thes2:17; Imprisonment, defense and confirmation are all Greek legal terms; implies that through out his legal experience, they have been there for him and with him in spirit and in prayer. Here is another "koinonia", spelled here "sunkoin--"; the "sun" is a greek preposition trans as "with" in the NIV and NASB that esp connotes a UNITED EXPERIENCE", this is an esp shared partaking or fellowship; KVJ better read as "...ye are all partakers...with me"; what is it that they are fellowshiping or partaking of together now? Grace! Only it's Gods grace, trans directly as "THE grace"; Paul seems to be saying that he and the Phillipians share together not only in suffering and conflict but also in the grace they share in thier union in the Lord; 1:8-11 Now Paul ends his greeting with an Apostolic Prayer before going into a discription of and explanation/interpretation of his most recent personal experiences in the following vs's 12-30. 1:8 "...I long for.." the Greek word is one used by Paul esp to describe his longing to see his Christian friends; ie Ro1:11; 1Th3:6; 2Ti1:4; KVJ "bowels" meant "tender mercies" since in the antient world the bowels/viscera were regarded as the seat of emotional life; "...of Christ Jesus": Here it is again!! It was a longing beyond that of just men; He felt it so deeply that he said it came from the Lord Himself; If we are to love each other this way, it MUST come from only One Source: the Lord Jesus. This is where the True and Greatest love for one another MUST come from; 1:9 True love will always result in prayer for those whom we love; and here Paul wants their love to increase: HOW?? through increased emotionalism?? through increased personal efforts?? WHY knowledge AND judgement?? NO: Their love will grow rather through the real knowledge or grasp of spiritual truth; Greek {epignosis} implies a decisive and intimate knowledge of those things which GOD has revealed about Himself, including that knowledge involved in conversion to Christianity; Knowledge is the essential foundation/basis, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH ALONE to increase their love, to increase their living a life that acts out love; to this must be added a "judgement" (KJV); better trans as a "discernment" (NIV) or "keen insight" (AMP) producing a sensitive moral perception, a discernment that selects, classifies and applies what knowledge provides to make moral decisions; AMP puts it "...that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment"; This is an example of why only intellectually studying scripture is inadequate; There MUST ALSO be a LIVING impact on what we do and how we live WITH EACH OTHER if our love IS to "abound yet more and more" KEY: Paul is trying to tell this sometimes fractous group of Christains that the most effective way to influence one another when we disagree and conflict IS TO PRAY FOR EACH OTHER; and if some disagreement or correction or evn rebuke MUST be spoken, IT MUST BE PRAYED OVER 1ST, AND THEN SPOKEN IN LOVE; 1:10 WHY?? Why does love need to grow this way or any OTHER way?? First: To "approve...excellent things"; Love displays itself in knowledge and discernment. As love abounds, it sharpens the moral perceptions for the discernment of what IS best; to distinguish the moral differences involved in living and loving in the world; "approve" in Greek means "to accept that which one has put to the test and proved"; Common Greek usage was in money: testing coins to determine what is counterfit and what is real/genuine; "Excellent" is trans from Greek "the differing"; implies that the task is to sift through differing moral issues and to choose the one of greatest importance; "the things which really matter..." (AMP): "So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value..."; Second: "...that ye may be sincere..." (KJV); Greek trans implies "unmixed, pure, genuine" AND "...without offence..." (KJV) or "blameless" (NASV); Greek carries a sense of BOTH "not stumbling" AND "not causing others to stumble..."; SO, the fulfilment of Pauls prayer will be that his beloved friends will gain the ability to discern, and then to practice in their lives, the really important issues in their corporate life as a body of believers. "...until the day of Christ..."; what is going to change then, on that day?? 1:11 THIS IS THE "HOW TO" OF THE OTHER PARTS OF HIS PRAYER'S DESIRES; Paul doesn't stop there, though; "...being filled..." (KJV) or "...having been filled..." (NASB); this gives a sense of an immediate and present experience, not one they created or produced, but rather RECIEVED; WHAT?? "...the fruit of righteousness..."; 1st, WHAT IS the righteousness?? that right standing with God; a right relationship with God 2nd, WHAT would be the "fruit" of such a righteousness?? the evidence of such a right relationship in the display of characteristics consistant with Christian living (ie The fruits of the Spirit in Gal5:22) WHAT is the SOURCE of such fruit?? AGAIN, IT'S JESUS; "...through Jesus..." WHY?? so that Gods glory may be BOTH manifested ("...to the glory...") AND recognized ("...and praise...") of God. This exists NOW for us as well; those of us that know Him, have been saved BY Him, have available to us that same "fruit of righteousness"; Jesus lives in us to GIVE us HIS love to abound in us, to BE BOTH our knowledge AND discernment; He YEARNS to make us grow in our ability to "approve", to discern what really matters, and to make us more sincere and blameless ESPECIALLY in our lives towards each other.