Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
Who, being in very nature God…
Summary: Understanding the nature of God is a tall order. Perhaps the best we can do is to understand that we are not God and then learn to recognize who God is.
Imagine for a moment that you are a puppet. (You can be any kind of a puppet you would like to be!) You live in a world populated by puppets of all different types. Some are nice, others are mean. You know the world we live in.
Continue reading “Philippians 2:6a – Punch and Jesus”
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Summary: Paul is preparing us to see something very special. He wants our hearts and minds to be open to what he is about to show us.
Paul is about to show us a portrait of Jesus. As he takes us down the hall to the gallery where the portrait waits, he reaches out his hands to us and gently speaks these words:
Continue reading “Philippians 2:5 – A Portrait of Jesus”
… not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Summary: Paul’s words about looking out for the interests of others echo similar words Jesus said when he was on earth.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone were looking out for me? I mean, really, think about it. If everyone looked out for me, I wouldn’t have to look out for me and I could look to the interests of others.
Continue reading “Philippians 2:4 – The Good Neighbor”[Therefore, if you ….make my joy complete by being like-minded]… having the same love…
Summary: Having the “same love” as Christ is a challenge. Understanding why helps us to focus our efforts on serving God’s will.
Paul’s sentences are famously long and convoluted. In this passage, he begins with a series of “if’s,” and then, when he reaches his “then,” he asks his readers to “make my joy complete by being like-minded.”
Continue reading “Philippians 2:2c – Two Kinds of Love”
… then make my joy complete…
Summary: Paul’s plea for unity among believers is one that echoes through the centuries and still haunts us today.
This phrase of Paul’s is heart-wrenching.
Paul, now an old man as he writes these words, is a prisoner. The man who was once free to roam the known world is now trapped like a bird in a cage. His heart longs to be with the Philippians, but his body is chained to the floor in Rome.*
Continue reading “Philippians 2:2a – In Search of Unity”
[Therefore] … if [you have] any tenderness and compassion …[from being united with Christ]
Summary: Paul points us to a softness of heart that forms inside the breast of each believer.
The emotion that Paul describes in this passage is not a shallow feeling. Paul is talking about an emotion that comes from deep inside. In fact, Strong’s points us to the root of tenderness as being in the spleen.
Continue reading “Philippians 2:1d – A Gentle Whisper”
[Therefore] … if [you have] any common sharing in the Spirit,
Summary: In this portion of Paul’s passage about our relationship with Christ, Paul points us to our relationship with God’s Holy Spirit.
As we continue exploring Paul’s pre-flight checklist of spiritual connection to Christ, we come to this passage: “[Therefore] … if [you have] any common sharing in the Spirit…” (NIV).
Continue reading “Philippians 2:1c – Koinōnia”
[Therefore] if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ…
Summary: It has been several days since we took a break from Philippians, so it might be worthwhile to review our last meditation, “Philippians 2:1-2 – Paul’s Request,” before continuing with this one.
There is a theme that runs through Paul’s collection of claims and clauses in his sentence. Behind the workings of his finely tuned academic brain, I hear a question that seems to come from his heart. It sounds like this:
Continue reading “Philippians 2:1a – Specks and Planks”
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
Summary: Paul’s thoughts are sometimes complex. In this meditation, we take a 30,000-foot view of Paul’s thoughts in his passage in hopes of seeing the “bigger picture.”
If you have read this blog for any length of time, you are probably shocked to see a meditation that is based on two entire verses at once. Never fear! We will, no doubt, dissect this in future meditations. However, given the complexity of Paul’s thought here, I thought it best to begin with an overview.
Continue reading “Philippians 2:1-2 – Paul’s Request”
… since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Summary: The NIV’s use of the word “struggle” prompts us to examine Paul’s intent more closely.
Struggle? What struggle?
Continue reading “Philippians 1:30 – Struggles”