Philippians: Resilient Joy - Week 4

Philippians 2:1-11

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The Humble King

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Philippians 2:1-11 〰️ The Humble King 〰️

Now, making our way to chapter 2, we get to some more meat of the book. Paul has framed up the certainties that come with following Christ, bringing us to the if/then clause that begins Chapter 2. The proper way to read this is not “if” as a possibility but “if” as a certainty. As those who follow Christ, we can understand verse 1 like this: “Since, then, there is encouragement in Christ, since there is consolation of love, since there is fellowship with the Spirit, since there is affection and mercy…” The use of “if” is fully justified and helpful, however, as it speaks to those who truly are following Christ and those who are not. What this helps us see is that for those who follow Christ and have been (and are being) changed by Him, these things are proof and validation.

Next, we see Paul shift to his personal hopes and reasons for calling the Philippians to these things. Paul tells them that, in these fruits of following Christ, they will “make [Paul’s] joy complete” and will further grow as a community. Verse 1-4, as a whole, gives us a picture of the certainties that come with following Christ:

1. encouragement from being unified with Christ

2. comfort from his love

3. fellowship with the Spirit

4. tenderness and compassion

5. thinking, loving, living, and working as a body in unity

One of the enemy’s most powerful weapons is division, and the body of Christ is his favorite point of attack. The ministries and churches that have been undone, undermined, or made ineffective because of division are staggering. Paul knows this and rightly pleads with the Philippians to be unified with one another in Christ. This is not simply an internal call to not quarrel or be argumentative with one another but to stand together in Christ against external opposition. If you’ve ever seen the movie 300, you might remember their use of shields to protect one another. Called the Phalanx Formation, the concept is where soldiers advancing would hold their shields together, side by side, preventing arrows or any ground attack from penetrating. If one member could not hold his shield, the entire group was compromised. So is the same with the church. If we are not unified with one another, we can not properly oppose external opposition.

But how are we unified with one another in Christ? Paul gives us the answer to this in verse 4, expanding on it in 5-11: “Look not to [your] own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” This is one of the core values and messages of the Gospel. Seeking to serve and love others more than yourself. While the world says “me first,” Jesus and His followers say “you first.” This is how Jesus lived His life. We should aim to be transformed and conform to this way of living.

There is an old story about seminary students who were unknowingly being tested by their professors. Their official assignment was to study, write, and preach on Luke 10:25-37, the parable of the good Samaritan. Just outside of their building, there was a homeless gentleman who was in desperate need of help. What the professors were actually testing the seminary students on was application. They were not graded on their communication, head-knowledge, or understanding of the passage but on how much they were transformed or changed by the words of Jesus in Luke 10. Those professors knew the difference between learning about and being transformed by God’s Word.

Being changed by Jesus is not something we can force or work our way towards; instead, it comes through patient submission to God and His Word. The tricky caveat to this is that we are still summoned to obedience. Jesus still calls us to humility by way of example, and Paul agrees, writing, “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who…emptied himself…humbled himself…to the glory of God” (v5, 7, 8, 11).

HEADS UP:

This passage does have some potential for raising questions about Jesus as fully God and fully man. We read in verse 7 that Jesus came, emptying himself. This can often be a passage read in favor of the argument that Jesus gave up his diety and was not fully God and fully man. This is not the case. The theological term we use for this belief is hypostatic union. Hypostatic union simply means that while on earth, from birth to ascension, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He never gave up His authority, diety, or holiness to become man. He was both at once. For more detail on this, The Gospel Coalition has a short but excellent article on hypostatic union.

Closing out the passage, we’re presented with the purpose and reason for Jesus humbling Himself. Verses 9-10 tell us that Christ emptied Himself “so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow…and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (v10-11). Here, we see the conclusion to Paul’s train of thought and his exhortation for us.

1. If we’re in Christ, we’re unified with one another in Him

2. We can be unified by placing others first and humbling ourselves. This is the cornerstone of unity

3. Christ went first in this and led by example, humbling Himself on earth

4. He did this for the glory of God, and so should we

Living with humility and with others in mind is countercultural and contrary to how the world thinks and lives. It remains as one of the greatest testimonies of a transformed life in Christ. As followers of Jesus, we should primarily be marked by what, how, and who we love rather than what we don’t. The world looks in on the church, waiting for disarray and disunity, while God calls us to love and be unified.

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 Discussion Questions

• What stood out to you from the passage?

• What are some repeating words, phrases, or concepts in this passage?

• What does Paul say believers should unite around?

• What are some things we shouldn’t unite around or that prevent us from being unified?

• What does the passage say is the purpose of Christ humbling Himself?

• What are some ways you’ve struggled to be unified with others in the church? 

• Why do you think Paul emphasizes unity in the church?

• What practical way can you live out verse 4 this week?