384
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
November, 1934
PHILIPPIANS,,, A Christian in His RightM ind c H ß ( * s i ) n o U F G - f / u j c i l -K . B y ROY V . LAURIN San Gahnel, California
“Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being o f one accord, o f one mind” (Phil. 2 :2 ). T he historical and literary significance o f this letter rests in the fact that it was written to European Christians. It was at Philippi that Europe was first visited with the gospel by Paul. His contact there was with a
Seven times in this letter,
reference is made to the
thinking o f Christians: 1. “ Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel o f Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear o f your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith o f the gospel” ( 1 :27). 2. “ Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being o f one accord, o f one mind” (2 :2 ) . 3. “ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” ( 2 :5 ). 4. “ For I have no man likemind- y ed, who will naturally care for H H \ your state” ( 2 :20).
young business woman who, in women, was in the custom or
the company resorting to the
o f other riverside
for prayer. Paul’s expedition o f grace to this place was ventured because o f a notable vision he once entertained, a vision o f
a Macedonian whose challenge v {‘Come over . . . and help us. Paul held these European Christians in deep affection. His regard for them was engen dered by great k in d n e sse s shown him by the Philippian church. Twice while he was
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5. “ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you” (3 :1 5 ). 6. “ I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that tH£y be o f the same mind in the Lord” (4 :2 ) . This instance was evi dently a specific case o f the anti- mindedness that Paul was rebuk- f ing, and if was all the more damag- ing because it prevailed among these women who were evidently women o f distinction among the local Christians. 7. “ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
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at Thessalonica, and on ce while he was at Corinth, they sent him contributions for his support; and just prior to the writing o f this epistle, they had sent Epaphroditus, a leading presbyter in the church, all the way from Philippi, across three seas— the Aegean, the Adriatic, and the Mediterranean— that he might minister to Paul, who was a prisoner at Rome. While in Rome, Epaphroditus was taken violently ill, even nigh unto death, but God spared his life, and at the time o f
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Paul’s writing, this faithful helper was ready to depart on his long journey home. He became Paul’s messenger, for he returned to Philippi with this letter. It is full of praise and affection which were not expressed as mere literary flattery. It was honest commendation, for the Philippian Christians were in a very high state o f Chris tian experience and grace. The church was apparently free from doctrinal errors and schismatic factions. How ever, it had one blemish, the blemish o f anti-mindedness. There were those among th e , Philippians who were at variance, and this factious spirit was rebuked by the apostle, lest it spread through the entire church and cause divisions as it had among the Corinthians, where a deplor able spirit o f party prevailed. This spirit o f party is as prevalent in the church o f our day as it was at Philippi and Corinth. It works havoc wherever it prevails, and it becomes the solemn obligation o f every believer to beware o f anti-mindedness and to assiduously espouse the ensign o f Christian unity, wherein all will say, “ I also am o f Christ.” “ R ooted and G rounded in L ove ” It is particularly noticeable that Philippians deals with the thinking o f Christians, not so much on the basis o f logic as on the basis o f love. [This is the third of the series o f articles on “ The Gist of Four Great Letters,” prepared for the K in g ’ s B usiness by the pastor o f the San Gabriel Union Church. — E ditor .]
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are o f good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (4 :8 ). In these verses is .to be found the gist o f Philippians, and they show us a Christian in his right mind.. When is a Christian in his right mind ? A Christian is right-minded when he is like-minded. And he is like-minded when he is Christ-minded. M ental A ttitudes The subject o f right-mindedness passes beyond Philip pians to the broader sweep o f the entire Scriptures, where there may be found at least seven mental attitudes. Open-mindedness : “ How long halt ye between two opinions ? if the Lord be God, follow him : but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Ki. 18:21). Ordinarily the fact o f a choice being made between two opinions would give evidence o f genuine open-mind edness. But this case is an illustration o f that which is popularly called an “ open mind,” but which is in reality no mind at all. Here the word “ halt” does not mean the careful consideration of two opinions- It means “ to leap” or “ to pass over.” And here were a people who were leaping back and forth between two opinions, first on one side and then on the other. When we speak o f an “ open mind,” we mean a mind
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