PHILIPPIANS
By DR. LLOYD T. ANDERSON Dr. Anderson is the pastor of Beth any Baptist Church of West Co vina. Philippians has been properly known as "The Joy Book" of the Bible. In four brief chapters, Paul speaks of the subject specifically 16 times. It is one thing to tell peo ple to rejoice, but quite another to do it yourself. Paul had learned in whatever state he was to be ab solutely content in Christ. He was overflowing with personal victory and complete satisfaction. Some of the most beloved verses in the Bible are found in this book. Many of us have found the spiritual ben efit of memorizing them for our selves. This little epistle is also noteworthy for its great declara tions. Great expressions of Chris tian truth seem to fall like ripe fruit from the Apostle's inspired pen. The sum of his teaching about the resurrection, given to us in I Cor inthians 15, is also found in Philip pians 3:20-21. Perhaps the greatest doctrinal passage about Jesus Christ in the whole Bible is in Philippians 2:5-11. In a very special way the book of Philippians reveals the mind of the Apostle which seemed to be filled always with peace as he re joiced in the preaching of the Gos pel. This is especially significant since he was writing during the
last years of his life, facing the prospect of imminent execution while incarcerated in a Roman pris on. Except for Timothy, Epaphro- ditus, and a few friends, he was absolutely alone. It is not generally recognized how poorly Paul had been received in the city of Rome. Thinking of the book of Romans you would imagine that the church which had received this letter would owe undying gratitude to him. Certainly this was not the case. Luke tells us that when Paul arrived in the city of Rome as a prisoner of the emperor many of the Christians went out to meet him. But in prison, after two years had passed by, some of the pastors became jealous of him and pur posely neglected him. The people forgot their duty, too, so that Paul languished in prison by himself. Think of it! The great Apostle in a dirty Roman prison, deserted by most of his friends and almost for gotten by the church. Yet he writes the Philippian epistle with joy, re joicing in the riches that belong to all believers in Jesus Christ. The secret is that Paul had his mind filled with Christ. He allowed his mind to be filled with the Saviour so that all of his problems in the light of eternity faded into abso lute insignificance. What a lesson for you and me! Did you know that the name of Christ occurs 17 times in the first
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