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Theme of this epistle: JOY. Joy and Rejoice found at least 16 times Strange theme written by a man of suffering ( 2 Cor 11:23-28 ) Prisoner – Deprived of physical freedom Been Mobbed Beaten and stoned and left for dead Suffered through shipwrecks No where to be at ease
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Theme of this epistle: JOY • Joy and Rejoice found at least 16 times • Strange theme written by a man of suffering • (2 Cor 11:23-28) • Prisoner – Deprived of physical freedom • Been Mobbed • Beaten and stoned and left for dead • Suffered through shipwrecks • No where to be at ease • However, much joy in the heart of Paul
Theme of this epistle: JOY • Each chapter is properly divided to stress joy in Christ • Chapter One – Look to Christ for Life • Chapter Two – Look to Christ for Example • Chapter Three – Look to Christ for Confidence • Chapter Four – Look to Christ for Strength • When you have these things, you have peace. (4:9)
Chapter One: Christ is our Life • Key verse 21 • “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” • Paul is “hard press” between the two options • “To live is Christ” – What does this mean? • Life devoted to doing work for Christ • Enjoyment to Paul (vs 12-14) • Other Christians, seeing what Paul is enduring, are growing in confidence (Ps 76:10; Ex 9:16) • Application: (vs 19-20) Christ will be honored – JOY
Chapter Two: Christ is our Example • Paul applies “secret” to success when dealing with divisions, arguments, and conflicts • Church at Philipi was not in any real danger • Experienced what any congregation could expect • These things hamper Joy • Paul's Solution (vs 5) “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” • “HAVE … which is YOURS” • (vs 6-8) • Christ gave up His “rights” for us
Chapter Two: Christ is our Example Comparison between Adam and Christ
Chapter Two: Christ is our Example • Application for us: • Either we can exalt ourselves and fail or we can be of the mind of Christ and let God exalt us • (vs 3) “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” • (vs 1-2) – “Complete my Joy” • (vs 19-29) – Examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus
Chapter Three: Christ is our Confidence • Paul's success is seen in his confidence in Christ • (vs 3) “ … put no confidence in the flesh” • Paul shows that if flesh gave confidence – he had a lot of things going for him • (vs 4-6) • Paul shows confidence is in Christ • (vs 7) • (2 Cor 3:4, 5) “4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.”
Chapter Three: Christ is our Confidence • Application for us: • (vs 19) – The thing in which you have confidence in will be your foundation • (vs 8-11) – Power of His resurrection • Let Christ be your confidence • Motivation is in Christ
Chapter Four: Christ is our Strength • (vs 13) “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” • (John 15:4-7) – “… abide in me, and my words abide in you …” • (Eph 6:10) “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” • Strength and Power in Salvation: • (Rom 5:6) “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (John 1:12-13)
Chapter Four: Christ is our Strength • Power to Endure: • (Col 1:11) “May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy”
Chapter Four: Christ is our Strength • Application for Us and Conclusion of the Epistle: • (vs 2) Euodia and Syntyche • (vs 6-7) – No anxieties – Christ is your strength • (vs 11-12) – Contentment in any circumstance • (vs 9) “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” • (vs 13) “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”