THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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knew, “grace” (the favor of God, all unmerited by us cf. Rom. 11:6) and all the blessings flowing from it (cf. Eph. 2:8; Rom. 3:24; 1 Cor. 15:10), and “peace”— “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1) and “the peace of God” (PhiL 4: 7)-£-“from God our Father” (the source of grace and peace) “and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (the channel of grace and peace, the One through Whom and through Whom alone grace and peace are bestowed). Here, as everywhere in the Bible, “grace” is put before “peace” ; because there can be no “peace” except on the ground of “grace.” The way in which the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is coupled with that of God the Father in this verse clearly implies His Deity. THURSDAY, September 10. Phil. 1 : 3 , 4 Paul begins the body of his epistle with a note of thanksgiving to God for the saints in Philippi. He thanked God upon “all” his “remembrance of” them. He was always remembering them, and .always with thanksgiving. Paul con tinually found something in his con verts to thank God for (cf. Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 1:16; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2:13; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2:13; Philemon 4), even for the church in Corinth. The only exception is the Church in Galatia, which had forsaken the Gospel for legalism. Paul recog nized God as the author of all that was good in the saints. He was much in prayer for the saints in Philippi, and always, in every supplication that he offered, he made his supplication “with joy.” The “with joy” is emphatic in the Greek. “Joy” is the key note of the entire epistle, and here is its first appearance, very early in the epistle. Paul’s joy over the faith and graces and gifts and progress of his converts con stantly appears (2 Cor. 2:3; 7:4, 13; 1 Thess. 2:19, 20; 3:9; Philemon 7). But this joy especially abounds in this letter (Cf. ch. 2:2; 4:1; 1:4). He tells them that he is praying for them “all.” There were parties in Philippi (ch. 2:2; 4:2), but Paul included all parties in his prayer, and every one of the saints. When one notes the many times Paul tells the people to whom he is writing that he is remembering them in prayer, and how frequently he adds “without ceasing,” one cannot but feel that, busy and active as Paul was, much of his time was given to prayer, (cf. Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:16; Col. 1:9; 1 Thess. 1: 2; 2 Tim. 1:3). Doubtless Paul spent
much of his time when he was in prison in Caesarea and Rome in prating for the saints whom he knew in various places he had visited (here is a sug gestion of great moment for those today who are imprisoned by sickness or in other ways). FR IDAY, September 1 1 . Phillppians 1 :5 , 6. Paul’s joy over the saints in Philippi was especially because of their “fel lowship in furtherance of the gospel (literally, fellowship unto the gospel).” They had united their most earnest efforts with his own (cf. ch. 4: 15, 16). They had just sent him a'gift, which was the immediate occasion of his writ ing this letter (ch. 4:10, 18.) This fel lowship they had manifested “from the first day,” from the very beginning of their Christian life (cf. Acts 16:14, 15; Phil. 4:15, 16), and they had kept it up “until now.” They were not like some who begin well but soon give it up, in both giving and service. Paul expresses his firm confidence (not in them, but in God) that the work begun will go on to perfection, “that He (i. e., God, cf. ch. 2:13) which began a good work in you (i. e., at the time of their conversion and regeneration) will per fect it until the day of Jesus Christ.” While these words apply primarily to the saints in Philippi, to whom they were immediately written and who had already shown their steadfastness under great temptation to go back into the world, yet, as Paul’s confidence was not in them but in God, Who began and would perfect the work, it is war ranted to apply them to all in whom God has really begun a work. (cf. John 10:28, 29; 1 Thess. 5: 23, 24; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 10:38, 39; 2 Tim. 4: 18; Ps. 138:8). “The Day of Christ” occurs in two other places in this epistle (1:10; 2:16), and twenty times in all in Paul’s writings. It refers to the day in which his coming as judge culminates. Saturday, September 12 . Philippians 1 :7 . Paul here tells why it was “right (or, ju st)” for him to be so minded1as he describes himself as being—i. e., of a joyful, thankful and confident mind (vs. 3-6)—“on behalf of you all.” The reason was, because he had them all in his heart (he must have had a big heart). The peculiar expression here
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