Philippians 1:3-11

I was going to mention the historical setting but am find it hard to come by and will put that aside to focus on the content and application.

Philippians 1:3-11

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Paul is thankful and prays joyfully because of the faithful partnership/participation of the Philippi saints in the gospel.

Which brings us to the a very commonly quoted verse

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”

“He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”

It is notable to me how this statement is sandwiched in scripture. Before it Paul speaks of the faithful participation in the gospel from beginning to now. He follows it with it is right for me to feel this way…and speaks of their sharing with Paul in the grace God (implying also trails/sufferings).

Paul could be confident of this progressive work being done without fail to completion for a couple of reasons. Firstly and most importantly, that it is God doing the work (he will speak of this later in his letter as well), that it was God who began the work and it will be God who does the progressive continuing work, and it will be God who completes the work on the Day of Christ Jesus (speaking of His return). Secondly, Paul was able to joyfully and gratefully see the fruit of the Grace of God in their lives through the participation in the gospel(**).

Then Paul prays for them. That these faithful Christ followers, made holy and being made holy, those he loves and is grateful for, that they would increase in LOVE more and more – speaking of a progressive growth of the place where love dwells and is active in their lives. If fact the language Paul uses here implies that they are already living a life of brotherly kindness and love, but Paul prays that this increases more and more. Here again in the new testament is the importance of love. But love coupled with understanding. As we continue to read the prayer, Paul tells us that as this love grows, what also grows (or must grow) is knowledge and discernment (implied of God and the things of God). This knowledge and discernment will enable us to prove/approve (rightly recognize and prove with word, deed, and attitude{*}) the best of things from the rest of things, or rather that we would carry out more and more throughout our whole lives the excellence/highest things of Christ. “In order that” (producing the result of) we would become sincere, pure, blameless, on through to the day of Christ, being filled to the fullness with the fruit of righteousness that comes from Jesus alone, and to the glory of God alone.

Rephrase: Love must grow more and more. Love grows in conjunction with knowledge and discernment – which enables us to carry out in word, deed, and attitude the excellence of Christ more and more, and the fruit of Christ’s righteousness will be produced more and more in our lives, not to our glory but to the glory of God.

My heart and spirit say AMEN, make is so.

(**)Gospel
1 a reward for good tidings
2 good tidings
A the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up, and subsequently also of Jesus the Messiah, the founder of this kingdom. After the death of Christ, the term comprises also the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for the men in the kingdom of God, but as restored to life and exalted to the right hand of God in heaven, thence to return in majesty to consummate the kingdom of God
B the glad tidings of salvation through Christ
C the proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ
D the gospel
E as the messianic rank of Jesus was proved by his words, his deeds, and his death, the narrative of the sayings, deeds, and death of Jesus Christ came to be called the gospel or glad tidings
King James Word Usage - gospel 46, gospel of Christ 11, gospel of God 7, gospel of the Kingdom 3

{*}approve the things that are excellent
Definition
1 to bear or carry through any place
2 to carry different ways
A to carry in different directions, to different places
(1)i of people who are carried hither and thither in a ship, driven to and fro
B to differ, to test, prove, the good things that differ,
(1) to distinguish between good and evil, lawful and unlawful, to approve of things that excel, to differ from one
C to excel, surpass one
(1) impersonally, it makes a difference, it matters, is of importance
NAS Word Usage - carry 1, differ 1, differs 1, driven about 1, essential 1, excellent 1, makes...difference 1, more valuable 3, spread 1, valuable 1, worth...more 1