Skip to main content

Philippians 2:5-8

Now, we come to the heart of the matter. Paul has been talking about unity. Now he shares a poem. Then he'll transition to talking about holiness. His point is that unity and holiness comes together in the story of Jesus.

Notes on Phil. 2:5-8

  • Verses 6-11 are a poem
  • This poem tells the story of Jesus, of who Jesus was before he was born, and of the choice he made.
  • This poem tells the story of the servant, as it echoes Isaiah chapters 40-55. That section of scripture is a collection of poems which describes Israel as a servant, then someone comes and does for them (and for the world) what they never could do.
  • This poem tells the story of how Jesus is reversing the story of Adam. Who else could verse 6 be referring to?
  • This poem tells the story of God. 
  • Jesus revealed God (and what it meant to be God in person).
  • Jesus redefines God.
  • So we have to refocus our ideas about who God is around Jesus. Have you ever had to do this?
  • This poem is helping Paul make the point that if we want to be united (as a community) and holy (as a community), we have to learn to think differently--to think like Jesus.
  • N.T. Wright also says, "For Paul, the cross is the ultimate revelation of the love of God" because as we look at the cross, we realize "this is what God himself did"
Reflection question: How does the story of Jesus reshape your personal understanding of God?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ash Wednesday 2019

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your hearts, with fasting, with weeping, and with sorrow; tear your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, very patient, full of faithful love, and ready to forgive (Joel 2:12-13 CEB) Today is a new beginning. A new season. And anytime we step into something new, we can feel vulnerable. We know our own brokenness. This is a season where we journey through the wilderness of our hearts and souls to the heart of God. This is a time that calls for us to walk carefully and to think deeply. And if we are to make progress on our pilgrim's path, then we must be willing to lay bare all that is hidden, buried, or repressed inside of ourselves. This path is uncomfortable. But if we want to move closer to God, then it is a path we must take. Lent doesn't make sense. It's counter-intuitive. We begin with death and move towards life. Today, many Christians will go to chu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Philippians 2:19-30

The way many people see Philippians 2:19-30 is that Paul is doing something similar to many preachers who say, "And one more thing . . ." and then preach for another twenty minutes. But I don't see Paul as the typical Baptist preacher. I think this pause is intentional. I don't think it was an early ending and then Paul had more ideas and kept writing. Paul is sending two people to the Philippians, and he's explaining why he's sending them. They are, as Bishop Wright says, "working models" of what Paul has been teaching. They think like Jesus. They understand the gospel, it's meaning, and they're practicing it. They are humble and they are living in this new Jesus way. While these verses may not be the most exciting, they help us to piece together the story of what's going on. Around the year 55 or 56 AD, Paul is in prison--likely in Ephesus. During that time, Paul wrote this letter. Timothy will hand-deliver this letter to the P...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Grand Tour: Repentance, Justification, and Sanctification

Eventually, in life, we will all wonder if there is more to life than what we do, what we see, and what we feel. Even after we accept Jesus into our heart, we will still feel a longing. We don't believe that accepting Jesus is the final step. Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is only the beginning of our faith. The Holy Spirit continues to work in our lives. John Wesley used the illustration of a house to describe this work. When you're beginning to feel that there has to be more to life than this, you take a look at the house. Then, you’re moved to take a risk and step up on the porch of repentance. There you find new life. After that, you walk into the living room through the front door of justification. Justification is when God makes right what we never can; God, through Christ, makes things right. Wesley ended by saying that sanctification is the exploration of the rest of the house. How sad would it be to live your entire life in the living room? That would b...
Post a Comment
Read more