Comments on Philippians

By COGwriter

 

One of the goals of the goals Continuing Church of God is to cover as much of the Bible as possible.

 

This article goes over all the verses in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians, plus includes comments that the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God said about many of the verses.

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

You know I discovered, the King James translation is not as clear as it ought to be, and the Revised Standard is much more clear. Then there is another, more recent translation. I was looking at, that is also even more clear in the translation out of the Greek language into our English language. ...
   

The Apostle Paul sent to the church in Philippi. Now at the time Paul was in prison and apparently bound in chains. Still, he seems to have some means of communication. He seemed to have a means of writing a letter, and he was able to dispatch that letter and have it sent to them, and he speaks (as we will see) about sending another one of his elders to them. So, he did have some means of communication, although he was in prison, and apparently, as one of the translations has it, he was in chains. Now it starts out:

 

Chapter 1, verse 1, the book of Philippians:

 

Verse 1: Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with them bishops and deacons:

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now, a number of things I want to mention right there. We read right over something like that and we fail to get the meaning. You can dwell on one sentence and put the emphasis on one word and you get one meaning. Now next time you read the same sentence and put the emphasis on the word before or after that one, you get a different meaning, depending on which one you emphasize. And we read so rapidly we don't get it.

  

Now I was always a slow reader. You know the wife of my youth, when we were both twenty-five years of age, was a very rapid reader. Now I wasn't interested in religion at that time. I had been brought up in church, a Protestant church, but I was never much interested, and when I was old enough, where my parents couldn't take me, or make me go (at age eighteen) I dropped out. 
   

But my wife was quite interested in the Bible and my mother sent us a Bible when we were married, and I felt that I'd get more business and maybe I'd do better if we read it. I didn't understand any of it at that time, but nevertheless I thought maybe things would go better for me. That was a very generous attitude wasn't it? But that was the only attitude I had at the time. But my intentions were good, I just didn't know any better. 
   

But my wife did the reading. I listened to her, but it was just like saying, "da da - da da - da da." I didn't get any meaning out of it. She was a rapid reader, so she read it - we could get through quicker that way. I wasn't getting anything out of it anyway. Well, when I finally woke up and found that what few things that I had gotten out of church and thought I believed, they were just the opposite of what the Bible says. 
   

That really picked up my interest and I got interested, and so now I, being a slow reader, was a great help to me. I read slowly and I really got it as I go along. That's one reason I have been able to give you so much. So now let's go back over this again. The letter today, we sign the name at the end of a letter. We say, "Dear So and So" and we start off that way. 
   

Well in those days they started with the name of the writer, and then they tell who it is to. So, this is from Paul and Timothy; and then he tells who they are - "servants of Christ Jesus." Now he tells who it is to: "to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons."

  

Now "bishops" is a word used in the New Testament. In Paul's writings, it was used interchangeably with "elders." All ministers are called "elders" in the Bible, but the term "bishop" is sometimes used and that is usually a preaching elder at least, but it is an elder and not a deacon. Now the deacons serve in the physical things, but the elders are spiritual elders serving in the scriptures, and in the more spiritual things. 
   

Some were preachers, some were just leaders but spiritual leaders, but not really preaching sermons. That's why in the church today we have ‘local elders’ - which are leaders, are spiritually, men of the Holy Spirit, but are not actually preachers. Well then, some of them do some preaching, and after a while, we ordain them as preaching elders. And then when they are in charge of a church and are more experienced, why, many of them later, are raised to the rank of pastor and, of course, then the ... evangelist.  ... The prophets in the New Testament were used to receive the message direct from God and carry it to Paul or one of the apostles. 
   

Now to Verse 2 of Philippians:

 

Verse 2: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Paul then mentions grace. Grace is favor and also includes unmerited pardon. He also mentions the Father and Son--this is a binitarian, not trinitarian, opening (see also Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning).

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now I want you to notice, he was sending to them, and pronouncing on them, grace and peace. Now grace is undeserved pardon. Grace is a free gift from God. And also peace. He was pronouncing peace on them - or sending peace to them, but not on his power and authority. It was from God and from Christ.

 

Continuing:

 

Verse 3: I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

And Paul, as an apostle, had the authority to give that to them for God and for Christ. 
   

In other words, he was the spokesman for God and for Christ. It was really God and Christ giving them this grace and peace. Paul was only the instrument that Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, was using through whom Christ was sending this grace and peace to them. 

 

But you notice the authority. There was no bragging, no anything of that kind, no elevating of himself, just the fact that he had that authority and he was using it as he was supposed to, as a servant. So, he was sending them peace - pronouncing peace upon them. Now he begins something more personal.

 

Back to Philippians, verse 4:

Verse 4: always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,  

 

Yes, I also pray for the brethren. You should too!

 

Verse 5:

Verse 5: for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

 

I am thankful for the support of the membership. And the times we can fellowship together, which for some is only at the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now there is a lot in that verse and that is only part of a sentence. That is not a new paragraph. It looks like a new paragraph in the King James translation. It's not at all, It's just another part of the sentence and Paul writes in very long, long sentences.

 

Now I write, mostly, in short sentences. I use some long ones too, once in a while, but I find that it is easier for people to read if I break it up into shorter sentences. So I do a little more than the Apostle Paul did.

 

[HWA’s version said "thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now."] 
   

Now their partnership, in other words they were partners with Paul in getting the gospel out. Now take the situation as it is today. It hasn't changed at all. You are in partnership with me in getting the gospel to the world. I couldn't do what I do without your backing. First of all without your prayers, because without your prayers I don't know that I would have God working, and the power of God, and God opening things as He does for me. Then with your tithes, with the encouragement, and the inspiration that I get from the brethren - thousands writing in saying that they are behind this work 100%, assuring me of their love and things of that sort. And so I have to express my love, and I can't express my love just like Paul couldn't, and of course I can't even as much as he could. There are so many more different churches today than there were in Paul's day.

 

This is a much bigger world today, and if you saw the film during the Feast of "Behind the Work" it gave you a very good comparison of the difference between the work as it was in the Apostle Paul's day when they went on horseback or afoot - or in a sailboat waiting for the wind to push them. A pretty slow progress than the way we go today.  The way I go from one nation to another at a rate of over 600 miles an hour. ... That's a pretty fast speed. Of course, we're so high up that if we do see any ground down below us, it doesn't seem like we are moving very fast, because we are so high above it. But we have facilities today that they never dreamed of in that day. 

 

Anyway, Paul was thankful for their "partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." Brethren we are partners, but now he says "in the gospel." Now there's something. What is the gospel? Do you know that the Protestant churches don't know? The Methodists don't know, the Baptists don't know what is the gospel. They don't preach it. They don't know what it is. They never heard it, or if they did, they didn't believe it. The Lutherans don't believe it. The {Roman} Catholics don't believe it. The Pentecostals don't believe it. 
   

The gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The gospel is the fact that Jesus was born to be a King as well as a Savior, and the gospel is that He was born to save us from our sins. And that sin is the transgression of God's law -whereas they believe that God's law is done away, and that you can do what you want and what you please. They don't even know what the gospel is. 
   

I want you to notice this word "gospel" here. What meaning is in it? One word that the world is overlooking. They read right over that, and they think that the gospel just means that you preach that Jesus is the Christ. That's not the gospel. That's just saying that the man Jesus was a messenger, but it doesn't tell them anything about the message he brought. His message is the gospel. Jesus is not the gospel. Jesus was the messenger who brought it - by whom God said it. 

 

As far as gospel proclamation goes, we have had our English language booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, translated into over 1000 languages and dialects and continue to receive additional translations each week (see also Preaching the Gospel in Over 1000 Languages).

 

Back to Philippians Chapter 1, Verse 6:

Verse 6: being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

 

Now, that is a verse I cite a lot. It not only helps provide hope, it also should motivate us to continue no matter what problems we run into. We are guaranteed success if we do not give up.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Oh, how much truth is in that verse right there? That's only still part of a sentence, and it is just packed with knowledge. Notice it. 
   

I say that sometimes I feel that my work has been in vain. It's doing no good. I just wonder how many of our people in the church are really converted after all. In how many is the Holy Spirit really working? In how many? How many of you are being led by the Holy Spirit? And sometimes I think it's not half, and sometimes I wonder if it's any. 
   

And sometimes I get discouraged, and I've said to some people, "I just wonder, why should I go on wearing myself out. Is it doing any good?" And I can get very much discouraged. And then I read something like this, where Paul says he was sure (and he did have the mind of Christ) that "He [Christ] who began a good work in you [it wasn't Paul, it was Christ] will bring it to completion AT the day of Christ." 
   

Now the day of Christ is the day of His coming, the day when Christ begins to take over in the place of Satan. THIS IS SATAN'S WORLD! THIS IS THE DAY OF SATAN! The day of Christ is when Christ begins to intervene in this world's affairs, and that's just around the corner right now. That's when signs are in the sun and the moon and the stars and in the sky. That's when people are going to be FRIGHTENED, just preceding the second coming of Christ, the day of Christ, the time when Christ takes over the rulership of the world. 
   

One of the first things He is going to do when He comes is to get rid of Satan and put him where he can't deceive the nations anymore for the thousand years. Then he'll have just a short time to deceive them, and they'll get deceived and they'll respond. And then Satan will be put away forever. Praise God for that! Now how many know about the day of Jesus Christ? The Protestant doesn't know anything about it. They don't UNDERSTAND about it, they read right over these things, they don't get the message.

 

Do you get it brethren? Do you get it? The day of Jesus Christ is the day when He will come to RULE. The day when He starts to take over with MIGHTY POWER AND SIGNS UP IN THE SKY. Some men are going to want to die and won't be able. They're going to go hide themselves in the rocks and in the mountains and say "rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne." Christ is a ruler sitting on the throne and coming.

 

Continuing, Verse 7: 

Verse 7: just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.

Yes, I also have the membership in my heart and prayers.
 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

And so, it's right for me. And brethren I guess Christ will bring you all through. I don't know, not all of you. I don't think all of you, but I do hope most of you, by the day of the Lord, the day of Christ. So, it is right for me too as well as it was right for Paul to feel thus about you all.

   

He was right about not all being part of the true church. After his death, about 2/3 fell away--more details on this can be found in the article:The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 8: For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Brethren that's the way I feel toward all of you and I would like you to know it.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 9: And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

 

Yes, love should abound more and more. That was part of the reasons for the sermon: Mercy: Loving your enemies.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

I think one translation has it "with deep discernment" or “depth of discernment” or something like that. "And I pray that your love may abound more and more." Love is toward God and toward neighbor, away from self, not lust. It's love, and love is outgoing. "With knowledge." 
   

You know, as I look at some religious programs on television, there's one channel that has nothing but religion all day long. It's a UHF channel, I don't think many people ever turn to it. I don't think I'll even mention the number of the channel so that you will turn to it, but it's nothing but Protestant religion all day long. It's so empty. There's a lot of "Praise you Jesus, glory, glory, glory. Glory hallelujah," and they just get people to hear about Christ. That's all, you just hear about Christ, it doesn't make any difference how you live. Live any way you want but if you know Christ, if you've accepted Christ, hocus pocus it's all finished, now you'll go to heaven!

 

They aren't going to do anything of the kind. But you see there's no knowledge. They don't have any knowledge. They don't believe you have to get knowledge; you just receive Christ. But brethren we have to grow in KNOWLEDGE. We have to LEARN more about God's way of life and about the Kingdom of God. You want to notice that here and then the world is not getting any of this. [reading verse 9] "more and more with knowledge and all discernment," or wisdom. I think it is "wisdom" in the King James. 

 

Back to Philippians, chapter 1, verse 10:

 

Verse 10: that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,

 

Philadelphian Christians should be among those that approve the things that are excellent.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Again, for the time of Christ's coming, and that's very soon, in our generation. Are we prepared? Are we ready? I don't think we are fully, yet. Brethren we have been getting ready. Let's continue.

 

At this instant, I expect that return to be in the next decade.

 

So, there is time yet, but it would be foolish to wait too long to change--we all need to grow in grace and knoweldge and change to be more like God on a daily basis.

 

Next verse:

Verse 11: being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

And what is righteousness? It is going the way of God's law. God's law defines the way of righteousness - love toward God and love toward neighbor. Love toward God means that you exalt God, not the self. It's not vanity. Cigarette smoking is not righteousness ... I say that by the authority of Jesus Christ. Now if you don't think I have that authority, get up and walk out. "Filled with the fruits of righteousness," which is right-doing and the going the way of God's law of love toward God, and that exalts God alone and humbles the self, not exalting the self. Not the glory and praise of the self but to the GLORY and the PRAISE of GOD. And that should be... everything should be to the glory and the praise of God, never to the self, or to other men.

 

Psalm 119:172 says:

My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.

Continuing in verse 12:

 

Verse 12: But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Oh brethren, how true that is today. What happened to all of us, now almost three years ago, when the State of California invaded this campus and tried to take over this church. And look how it happens the same way today because it is the same God up there above. 

"I want you to know, brethren." Now I say the same words to you tonight, I want you to know brethren, you brethren right here, that what has happened to me and what has happened to the church, has really served to advance the gospel. And the gospel is the message that Christ brought.

 

The Apostle Paul also wrote:

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

And in the case of the CCOG, having people depart and attack us--which, basically is what caused the State of California matter that Herbert W. Armstrong mentioned to affect WCG.

 

Now to verse 13:

 

Verse 13: so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

And the invasion of the State of California and its lawsuit against this church, did more to solidify this church and to help us to get back on the track, and to get the message of the Worldwide Church of God out to the WHOLE WORLD, than anything else. 
   

I want to tell you that the most important people in this United States of America were reading the full pages that I was able to put in the Wall Street Journal at that time. A newspaper six days....no, let's see....five days a week, Monday through Friday, that reaches everybody who either owns or wants to own, and rules or wants to rule, these United States. Oh yes they've all read it. They've read it. There were newspaper editorials in some newspapers about that series of full pages that I had in the Wall Street Journal. I don't call them ads, they were just like columns of the whole page to display the whole column.

 

In the CCOG's case, we were shed of non-Philadelphians who had the wrong focus, who did not accept Phileadelphian era governance (see The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government), who did not truly appreciate what we were doing regarding Romans 11:25 and Gentiles (see also What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?), who rejected that God has used dreams and prophecies in these last days (see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?), as well as those who accepted non-biblical superstitions on matters such as curses from witch doctors (see also Can Christians Actually be Cursed By Witches or Witch Doctors?).

 

Back to chapter 1, verse 14:

 

Verse 14: and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

 

We have more harmony since those who disagreed left, and we have been able to reach more since they left on the radio, more languages, and thru other media.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 15: Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:

 

We witnessed that over the past year--of course they don't think so.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now some, even today, are preaching out of rivalry to try to get our members, and try to get the tithe money of our members, to follow them and let them have the money. You see it's not our tithe money, it's not your tithe money, it's God's and it belongs in God's church. And we who have the authority over it, of how it is dispensed, have to account to God for how it is done because it is His money. And we have to do it. We're only instruments of God, handling it for Him in the way that He wants it done. And His gospel is going to the whole world, and it never has gone for nineteen hundred years to this world.

 

Continuing in verse 16:

 

Verse 16: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;

 

We have seen that in the past year.

Chapter 1, verse 17:

 

Verse 17: but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Well, I'm not in prison. I can't say that part of it, but we have men who are trying to take members away from this church and have been now for three and a half years, or four. In fact, some were trying it ever since - especially since 1974. But they didn't get very far, and this church continued on. This is the Church of God, and Christ is its head. 

 

Those that left us and tried to destroy the CCOG have failed.

 

We have endured some financial losses, but in terms of membership we have had significant growth.

 

Next verse in Chapter 1:

 

Verse 18: What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

 

Paul was happy Jesus was in some ways being preached, but He should be preached in truth.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

And I suppose, brethren, that we should rejoice. The Protestant churches, they preach Christ, and sometimes I rather feel that maybe once in a while I've resented that. They just preach Christ but they preach a false Christ. They misrepresent the true Christ; they don't preach His gospel. They preach a Christ who was a smart-alec young man that knew more than His Father and came to do away with His Father's law. But nevertheless, Christ is preached. Now I can see where some good can come from all of that, yet, and I'm afraid I didn't fully realize it until I was reading this. I want you to notice [quoting the RSV]: Those who preach "for partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to [do harm] What then?" Only that [in every case] in every way, whether in pretense or in truth. Christ is proclaimed;" even though it's a false Christ. And when the signs in the heaven come and when Christ does come, they will recognize the true Christ. And then many are going to turn to Him and accept Him then, that are not doing it now. So maybe good will come of a lot of that after all, because God will turn it out for good. 

 

How Protestants have helped, they have helped in biblical translations, biblical commentaries, distribution of Bibles, and getting people aware that there was a Jesus and that God's word is contained in the Bible. But, when it comes to matters like salvation, they have misled many. The CCOG is not Protestant. We have a free online book related to that titled: Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism.

 

Back to Philippians, chapter 1, verse 19:

 

Verse 19: For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

 

Yes, God's plan will succeed. Yes, please pray for the church and its leadership. Paul often asked for pryaer, here is another place he did so:

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:17-20)

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

And I can say this now to you, I can just... this is myself talking to you right here - yes and I shall rejoice! For I know that through your prayers, it's the same as the Spirit of God, this will turn out for my deliverance. It will turn out for the deliverance of the church and for us all. It really will.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 20: according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.

 

We see that Paul brought up boldness here as well as in Ephesians.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

That is that he won't do anything to be ashamed of, that he won't do wrong, is what he means here because he didn't know whether he was going to get out of that prison alive. And brethren, because of age, I don't know if I will get out of this 90th year or not, into the 91st. I don't know. It's just the will of God. The will of Christ. 

 

Verse 21:

 

Verse 21: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

You know I was surprised, one of the young women of the church wrote me a letter the other day that I was so glad to receive. And in it she mentioned that she was glad that I was going on, though it's hard, for the sake of the church, and for the sake of all of you brethren in the church, and the other thousands just like you scattered all over the world; when maybe it would be just easier for me to die, and in the next second of my consciousness, be in the Kingdom of God. I often felt the same way. How long God will keep my hanging on, I don't know. But I feel just now, exactly as Paul felt when he wrote this letter. 

 

I understand that as in many ways it would seem easier not to always take the time it takes to do the work.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 22: But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

And that's what it means for me, and it is that fruitful labor, and it is hard labor. Well I can't tell, because it isn't my - it isn't I in this case whose going to choose it. Jesus Christ will. I will do what I can to keep myself alive. I must do that, and I will. I shall, but the answer as to how long He keeps me alive is up to Christ and to God the Father. 

This also brought to mind the following, which by tradition, we believe was written by the Apostle Paul:

9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:9-12)

God is faithful--believe and serve Him!

 

Chapter 1 verse 23:

 

Verse 23: For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Verse 24: Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

 

At this stage, Paul was convinced that God still wanted him to serve the Christians on the earth.

 

Verse 25:

 

Verse 25: And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,

 

Notice that we are to make progress in the joy of faith.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

You know, brethren, you have to get a little older and you have to have gone through the wars, so to speak (if you know what I mean). I don't mean real wars with bullets and swords and spears and guns, but I've been through the wars, and sometimes I feel like I don't want to go on. But when thousands of you write in that you're behind me 100%, and how necessary it is, then I feel I do want to go on as long as God makes it possible. And that's what I shall do.


Yes, brethren can be encouraging.  

 

Philippians, chapter 1, verse 26:

 

Verse 26: that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now Paul was in prison and he wanted to come up to Philippi and visit them again,

 

Paul was happy for their support. But some people probably though he must be a criminal because he is in court. Because of lies about me and others in the CCOG, many sadly have fallen into Satan's trap and belived lies instead of rightly discerning the truth. The Bible refers to Satan as the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). Sadly, some people are talebearers and prefer to believe accusatory gossip.

 

Chapter 1, Verse 27:

 

Verse 27: Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, 

 

Paul wanted them to live as proper Christian examples.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now you know, so many in the Protestant religion today don't seem to think the manner of life enters into it. Now some Protestant churches do, but they have their own idea of right and wrong. They have their idea of what they must do to live a right life. Others think, well you just have to have the password of Christ, that's all. If you've got the password you'll get in... you'll go to heaven. That's as much as they know. They don't have knowledge. They don't go into any depth of it whatsoever. They are just deceived. They don't have the truth. They don't have God's Spirit. 

 

"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel." [HWA quotes the RSV] What is the gospel? It's the Kingdom of God and it's coming out from the world and being separate. It is living the way of the law and the way of God. "Repent and believe the gospel." That's what Jesus said. It's a change in life. It's a WAY of life. It's the way of the law of God, the way of God's love.

 

[RSV again]…that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel…

 

Oh brethren, do you get the importance of that right there? Standing side by side, ALL SPEAKING THE SAME THING. Why here, just three, four, five years ago there was every effort. The ministry here at Headquarters was all divided. They were trying to water down the gospel. They were trying to water down God's truth. They were getting liberal. “Well now, I don't see any harm in that, and if it isn't wrong, can't we do it?"  ...

 

But we're to be in one spirit, and of one mind, all speaking the same thing. One truth. God is not divided. ONE CHURCH. It's only one church, one body that is going to rise to meet Christ in the air. I've heard on television, in these so-called different divisions of Protestantism, saying in the last twenty four hours that there are... all of these different churches, they are all in the real body of Christ. They'll all rise and meet Christ (of course in the rapture they call it) and go to heaven. 

And, of course, there isn't any such thing as a rapture and isn't even anything like that mentioned in the Bible at all. They don't understand it. [RSV] "With one mind striving side by side." That is with unity, together (togetherness) "for the faith of the gospel." And what is the gospel again? I say, the world hasn't heard it. They just have not heard it.  

 

Continuing in chapter 1, verse 28:

 

Verse 28: and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now Paul is mentioning that he had opponents and he's going to be mentioning a little more of that now.

 

While we have long faced local opponents in Africa and from anti-COG sources on the internet, it was not until 2023 that we faced much of what we might consider to be local opposition.

 

Verse 29:

 

Verse 29: For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

 

Related to suffering, Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

And brethren, some of us are going to have to suffer for His sake. Now I sent out a message some little time ago - begin to tighten up your belts financially because harder times are coming. Well they're coming now, they're coming. We are going to have to lower our financial standard of living. You might as well get adjusted to it, because it's coming. I tell you. And when it comes don't say, "Well why didn't you tell us?" I have told you. I'm telling you now.

 

Yes, some of the opposition caused suffering, but it also pushed some people away from being Philadelphian. Those who ones who left us failed to do something else that the Apostle Paul wrote should be done:

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV)

The same thing happened to the old WCG. Tens of thousands attended and believed to a degree, but they failed to prove all things and hold fast to the truth. Those who left the CCOG were like those who left WCG, or who left and were satisfied to be Laodicenans. Of course, people convince themselves otherwise, but if people truly proved all things about being a Philadelphian Christian nowadays, they would be with the CCOG.

 

That does not mean that all with us are Philadelphian, or that there are not confused Philadelphians that are still not with us. But the CCOG is the only Philadelphian organization I am aware of. And according to HWA, God uses one man at a time, particularly for the Philadelphian portion of the COG.

 

Let me also add that those who left us obviously did not prove all things or they would have not left, or if they had, they would be back. Or if they are now truly willing to prove all things, they will come back.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 30: having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

 

Paul is basically saying Jesus was persecuted and so was he.

 

Persecution is something that we can expect to occur.

 

Philippians, Chapter 2

 

Verses 1-2:

 

Verse 1: Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,

Verse 2: fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Yes, that helps a lot. Working together, in love, helps us get a lot done.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Well I will say the same thing to you brethren, and oh how happy that makes me if I can see you all of the same mind; all speaking the same thing that Christ speaks here in the Bible. Having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind". 

 

How much does the mind have to do with your salvation? It's with the mind that we come to learn the truth. It's with the mind that we repent. It's with the mind that we grow in knowledge, and it's with the mind that we receive the love of God and let that love flow out from us back to Him and to others. And that we obey Christ; that we obey God; that we believe; that we have faith. That's all in the mind.

 

That's not in your little toe or your thumb, or some other part of the body. 

We actually should strive to serve God with all our being--but it starts in the mind and willingness to accept God's calling.

 

Chapter 2, verse 3:

 

Verse 3a: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit,

 

Some who try things based on selfish ambition and conceit often do not realize that they cannot succeed in what they are trying to do.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Don't seek the chief seat. But if responsibility does come to you, and God gives responsibility to you, then in faith in HIM and in the confidence that comes from HIM, and that HE is back of it, then step out with full power and authority and do it. But don't shove yourself in and jerk the rug out from someone ahead of you. You know, I think my own experience in life might have something to with that there. As a young boy, sixteen years of age, ambition was aroused in me. Now I wanted to succeed in life. I wanted to get somewhere. It wasn't that I wanted to take something away from somebody else, I wanted to achieve success by my own efforts. 

I wanted to study. I knew I had to pay the price. I knew it meant study. I knew it meant education. I chose to educate myself, but I did not neglect study. Now I put myself in jobs where I would be under men where I would learn the most, and it would help me to become a success. I didn't seek to take their jobs away from them, I just sought to perform my job the best way I could. And when they said, “Well you've done that so well, now step up to a higher position," I did. And I tried to do that the best I could. 
   

Now I wanted to succeed, but when I was converted it all changed. My ambition wasn't in self. It wasn't that I wanted to get a certain thing, For example, let me give you this comparison. There was a man who came to Ambassador College. He graduated and he became a minister, and after some few years he had gone up to the place where he was ordained an Evangelist, and he bragged and said, "I made it right on target. When I first came... just began in the ministry as sort of a ministerial assistant, I said by a certain year I am going to be an evangelist." And he said, "I made it right on target." He was only thinking of how he can climb up. Now that was a wrong attitude. To think how I can serve better where I am, that's a right attitude. And because I thought he was serving better where he was, he was raised constantly, and would have been - and Christ would have continued to raise him. But you see his motive was for self, and not for Christ, and not to serve. It wasn't to serve others, it was to serve self. That's what was in his heart. He's not in the church any longer. He's now competing with this church trying to take members away from it. Now it's probably not who you think it is so don't try to think you know who I am talking about.

 

Now, see, the man who said he made it on target when he was made an Evangelist, he was GRASPING for SELF and he GRASPED something. That is a wrong attitude. It's not something to be grasped for your own sake, but rather to serve and to serve for God in whatever position you are in. I know some people who do far more than they are expected to do. They're not trying to grasp a higher position, but they are trying to serve so well where they are. 
   

Now you find a scripture that says if we do all that is required of us, we are "unprofitable servants." If we don't do more than is expected, or required of us, we're not profitable servants. Well, I know a man who is a profitable servant. He doesn't have the highest position in the church, and he is not grasping, but he tries to serve in his position better and better and better all the time. He's going to have a high position in the Kingdom of God.    

It isn't how high a position you get now here in this life after all, it's how high a position you're going to have FOREVER in IMMORTAL life. That's going to last for millions and trillions of years.

 

I, by the way, did not want to have to go out and form a new COG organization. I was content as an advisor, and did not seek to be appointed in that role--anyway but I had to leave when my prior association turned away from having a love of the truth, and also its top leadership did not believe it had to keep its word to someone like me. But we all must keep our word with everyone, no matter what position or lack of position they hold.

 

Verse 3b:

but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

That is something that is often hard to do. But that is something that needs to be done. See also the article: Mercy: Love Your Enemies.

 

Chapter 2, verse 4: 

Verse 4: Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Many realize that tends to go against our carnal nature, but that is something we are supposed to to.

 

Don't think you have too much of your own troubles to be bothered by concerns of others.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

In other words; don't just consider just yourself and what's going to happen to you and how high you can get yourself. Think of helping others. Think of serving others. Love toward others. Love toward God, not just love toward self alone. Of course one of the commandments (the great commandment) is "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." 
   

But if you know how you love yourself, it doesn't mean selfishly. That means love yourself which is the body of the Holy Spirit (the temple of the Holy Spirit) to take care of it as God intended. Of your mind above all, and also of your whole body. Watch what you eat. Watch the way you live in every way. That is necessary. You have to have that much love for self, but not the selfish kind that is only concerned of yourself and not of others. Paul is certainly teaching what real Christian living here is to the Philippians.

 

Verse 5:

Verse 5: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Have the mind of Christ. You've heard me say that I feel like the apostle Paul said he had, that I do have the mind of Christ. I want His mind to come into me and fill my mind so I have the same attitude of mind. I don't have all of the knowledge that Christ had. I don't have all of the understanding that He had, but as far as He has given me knowledge and understanding, I want it to be the same that He had. And I hope to gain more, and I've been gaining more in this year of 1981. I've learned things I didn't know on January 1st this year, and so should you have, all of us should have.    

But I thank God for new knowledge. I thank Him for revealing knowledge, but I thank Him more because He allows me to share it with so many others, and not just for selfish use. [RSV] "Have this mind [among you] among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus." Or the same mind that Christ had. Let His mind be in you. 

 

Continuing in chapter 2 of Philippians, verse 6:

Verse 6: who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

Why?

 

Because Jesus was Divine before He became human.

 

The unitarians (see Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church?) and Muslims do not accept that. Both of those groups basically claim that the New Testament was corrupted to indicate that Jesus was Divine. So, neither truly believe what the Bible says about Jesus.

 

Next verse:

Verse 7: but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Jesus Christ came as a servant, He didn't come trying to get the top seat. He came as a servant… And He came so He could die, and die for you and for me. The most despicable, disgraceful kind of a death that He was willing to suffer for you and for me. What an example. 

 

Well, verse 7 is not properly translated in the NKJV. Here is what the Literal Standard Version shows:

but emptied Himself, having taken the form of a servant, having been made in the likeness of men,

Jesus emptied Himself of His Divinity when was on the earth and did not regain it until His resurrection.

 

Jesus truly came in the flesh and truly died.

 

Yet, that is something that the trinitarians do not actually believe. They falsely teach that God is three co-equal persons, despite the fact that no early Christian professed anything that sounded like the trinity (see Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity?).

 

According to the Apostle John, not truly accepting that Jesus came in the flesh is an antichrist doctrine:

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist (2 John 7).

See also: Some Doctrines of Antichrist.

 

Consider also that Jesus said:

28 My Father is greater than I (John 14:28).

If Jesus was co-equal to the Father He would not have said that.

 

Philipains 2:7 is another strong argument against the Trinity doctrine that Emperor Theodosius pushed the Greco-Roman Catholics to accept.

 

Chapter 2, Verse 8:

 

Verse 8: And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

 

Yes, Jesus appeared as a man, because He was a man until His resurrection. God is Spirit and cannot die. Jesus was flesh and obeyed to the point of actual death.

 

Continuing in verse 9:

 

Verse 9: Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Except for just God it's above every name, and yet He was as human as you and I. He did have the Holy Spirit though from birth which we have not had, but He still had to use His mind just like you and I do. He was tempted in every way like we are. He had to fight against sin. 

 

Chapter 2, verse 10:

Verse 10: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

That reminds me of an incident, I don't know if I have time to tell it. There was an atheist. He had come to my office one time up in Eugene, Oregon way before I ever came down here, and that must have been at least forty years ago. And he was going to prove to me that evolution is true by making a monkey out of me. He claimed there is no God. I said, "Well sit down." I had a Bible in front of me. I shoved it to the side. I said, "I'll shove this aside, you don't believe in that." So I began asking questions, and finally I had him admitting that God does exist. Well then, he got kind of flustered. "Well" he said, "I won't worship that God even if you do make me admit he exists." Well he left. Sometime later, probably a month or two or three later, I met him on a downtown street in Eugene, Oregon. He came up and he said, still defiantly, "Well," he says, "I still won't worship that God if you do make me admit he existed." And I quoted this scripture to him. I said, "Your knee will bend to him" if God has to break your bones. You're going to bow to him. He said so. I never saw him again. That was enough of him. 

 

Verse 11:

 

Verse 11: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

… now that man is going to confess it someday. Oh you bet he is… and everything should be to the glory of God, not to our glory, or the glory of a man.

 

So, will almost everyone else.

 

Continuing in verse 12:

 

Verse 12: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 

 

Understand that I cannot save you. Your spouse cannot save you. Your parents cannot save you. Your government cannot save you. Only Jesus can, and you must obey God for Him to do that.

 

You need to work out your own salvation according to the instructions, including obeying various rules, that are in the Bible.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

You know some of them say, "Oh if you just got saved when you believe in Christ, that's all there is to it." Oh no. WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION! You have to GROW in KNOWLEDGE and in the grace of God. We have to OVERCOME, and we have to endure to the end, constantly growing. Have you grown this year over last year? Do you know more? Has more truth been revealed to you this year than a year ago? Have you grown in spiritual character? 

 

While one thing we must do is believe Jesus is the Saviour, we still must obey.

 

The Book of Hebrews shows us:

9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9)

The Bible clear ties salvation in with obedience.

 

You will not receive God's Holy Spirit unless you obey according to the Bible.

 

As the apostles said:

30 ... the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey Him (Acts 5:29)

While salvation is a free gift, repentance and obedience are required (see also Acts 2:38-39).

 

Chapter 2 verse 13 of Philippians:

 

Verse 13: for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

 

God's good pleassure is to help perfect you.

 

You probably feel that you are fairly fine, particularly if you have been in the COG for decades.

 

But God still is working with you.

 

Each year God expects us to examine ourselves prior to partaking the bread and wine for Passover (1 Corinthians 11:28).

 

Each year, we still need to purge out the old leaven (1 Corinthians 5:7).

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

... You need to compare that with Ephesians. Let me just turn back to that a second, I don't have much time but Ephesians the second chapter where the second chapter begins: 
   Ephesians 2:1 (KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;(2) Wherein in time past ye walked [in] the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, [which is Satan] the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. 

And that same spirit once worked in YOU and in ME. It did once work in you and in me, for God now is at work in you and me. It’s He instead of Satan. Satan is at work IN the people of the world. But brethren we must let GOD work in our lives. God is working in you.  …both to will and to do for His good pleasure

Now isn't God selfish? It's just His pleasure. Boy how selfish God is. But wait a minute. Now what is HIS PLEASURE? His pleasure is seeing you come to the right way that will make you HAPPY. His pleasure is seeing us all come to the way of PEACE. His pleasure is to see us come to the way that will make us PROSPEROUS and will result in great accomplishment - in peace and in love and in happiness, and in JOY. That's His pleasure. In other words His pleasure is not selfish. Oh help us to understand.

 

Continuing in verse 14:

 

Verse 14: Do all things without complaining and disputing,

 

The Bible warns about those who claim to be Christians, but are complainers:

8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. (Jude 8-11)

Korah and his supporters rebelled against God's government. They thought they were fine, but God did not as He had them killed (Numbers 16:19-49).

We see further in Jude that these people he was referring to, like Korah's followers, were complainers.

16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. (Jude 16-19)

But unlike in Korah's time, God did not have them killed.

 

But listening to them can poison you spiritually.

 

Now, that does not mean that if you have any complaints you cannot be a Christian. The above is mainly referring to people complaining about the church and its faithful leadership.

 

That said, in general, we are to be thankful and not complainers.

 

The New Testament teaches that Christians should turn away from the unthankful (2 Timothy 3:1-6), so we should all strive to be more thankful.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

You ought to make a frame of that and hang it up where you'll see it several times a day. [RSV] "Do all things without grumbling or questioning." That is, questioning God.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 15: that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 

 

We are not to grumble and complain like the world. That does not mean, for example, if you buy something that does not work, you do not try to return it and get it replaced or get your money back.

 

But it does mean that we should not view God as the world really tends to. Plus, we need to recognize that we are really part of a crooked and perverse generation--and that is consistent with various end time prophecies.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

God says, "You are the light of the world."(Matthew 5:14). Brethren you are the light of the world, and He said, "Let your light so SHINE," (Matthew 5:16), not that they will ... hear your good arguments, but that they will see your good works; your humility; your subjectiveness to God; your good works, living the way of the law of God, being led by the Holy Spirit of God. That is God's good pleasure. You are shining lights in the world, the light of the world.

 

Chapter 2, verse 16:

 

Verse 16: holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

In other words, in serving you and the church, that I didn't run in vain. Well brethren, I guess when I get discouraged sometimes I need to come out of it, because I shall not have run in vain. Many of you are going into the Kingdom with me. I wish to God it could be all of you, and it could be, it can be, it's up to you. It's up to you, if you want to and if you pray enough and ask God to help you, He will. The word of life is the Bible, the word of life. Jesus is the Word and in Him is life. It is the word of life.

 

Let me add that Jesus taught that the Philadephians were to hold fast in Revelation 3:11. And that meant through having Philadelphian love for others, supporting the work, and holding on to biblical doctrines, including Philadelphian era government. More on that latter point can be found in the article: The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 17: Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 

 

Paul knew was about to be killed, but still was rejoiceful.

 

Verse 18:

 

Verse 18: For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

 

He also wanted Christians to rejoice with him. We want you to rejoice with us, despite the difficulties and trials we often encounter.

 

Verse 19:

 

Verse 19: But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 

 

As far as trust go, the Book of Proverbs teaches:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Why do I quote that a lot?

 

Well, if you understand it, you will realize that you need to be trusting God for everything, which is more than we do.

 

Therefore, we need to be reminded of that.

 

As well as being reminded of the next verse:

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil. (Proverbs 3:7)

Yes, we tend to be wise in our own eyes and do not trust or fear God as much as we should.

 

Because of that, we do not depart as far away from evil as we often should.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now the letter, remember that this whole book of Philippians is actually a letter that Paul sent to the church. It was just a letter. He wrote one long letter. Men have divided it up in all these verses and chapters. Paul didn't have verses and chapters the way he wrote it at all. That's just something men have done since. But he was in prison, remember? And he was in chains in prison. But he must have had some access, or he couldn't have written a letter, and he couldn't have had it sent to them. He had some way of getting news out and of hearing some things. But the letter is from Timothy and Paul, although Paul did the writing. But it started out, it was from Paul and Timothy. Now he's going to send Timothy to them, he hopes. Timothy was with him. In fact, this letter was part from Timothy.

 

Chapter 2, verse 20:

 

Verse 20: For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 

 

Yes, Paul considered that Timothy a minister who was a very caring one.

 

Continuing:

 

Verse 21: For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. 

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

[RSV had ‘they’] Now, who does he mean ‘They’? He's not talking about other ministers or other people that were professing to be ministers and preached and gospel, that were liberalizing and preaching false doctrines, and especially he has in mind at this time - as he did also in the book of Galatians - those who insisted that they had to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. Now the law of Moses that is mentioned here are the ritualistic law. That was the law of physical things, of things to do, morning, noon, and night. The works of the law, and it comes from the Greek word E-R-G-O-N. I don't know how you pronounce it. Anyway, the word means, it comes from that Greek word, and it means physical labor. Is not talking about spiritual principles, but about physical work or labor. The works of the law, and wherever you see that in Romans, Galatians, or in the writings of Paul, it is speaking of that physical law and not the Ten Commandments at all. That law was given to them to teach them the habit of obedience. That's all. And it wasn't how to live. It wasn't a way of life, it was just extra things they had to do morning, noon, and night. And they didn't have to do those things any longer. It was, in other words, it was a substitute for the Holy Spirit, which would teach them what to do, and how to do it, and give them the power to do it. It was a substitute. ...

 

Well, you see, the works of the law was the substitute for the Holy Spirit, to teach them obedience by habit of doing the same thing over and over and over every day by habit. It is easier, in other words, to remember to wind a one-day watch. Now we're getting into the age of technology, and we take advantage of it. In the work I was mentioning how we have many facilities today that the apostle Paul didn't have. And I have a watch that I don't have to wind. Yeah, for some reason, I don't know how they do it, but for some reason just the motion in my wrist and it gets enough motion through the day. But in some way that winds this watch, and it just keeps going. I never wind it. Now there are other watches and clocks. I have a clock on my desk in the office. The lights at night and when we turn the lights on during the day or the sunlight in the daytime -it does something to keep that clock going. But we didn't used to have things like that until recent years. You had to wind up a clock or a watch. Now it's easier to remember to wind a one-day watch than it is an eight-day clock that you only wind every eight days. Because it becomes a fixed habit. Now for years and years I had a wristwatch that I had to wind every day and it just was habit. I'd take it off before I go to bed at night while I undressed, and it was just habit. I would wind that watch as I took it off every night. I didn't have to think about it. It would become habit. but an eight-day clock you have to remember and you have to count and it's difficult.

 

Now God gave them things to do every day until it became habit to teach them obedience. A lot of people don't understand the works of the law and what it meant. But it was a physical law. Now Paul does refer to that as we go along here, we're going to see. He's not talking very much specifically about it here to the Philippians, but he does mention it. But now he's talking about some others that he does not speak very well of, and we've had them in the church today. We have enemies in the church right now. I just got more word today of some that are up to no good thing or trying to find something to plot and to put me personally in a bad light. They think that's going to turn all of you away from me. Well, it isn't. I'm not worried about that, but anything that they can get to make anyone look bad. I was told, ‘Well, all we want is money’. Well, I said maybe we better give him the money. Because you know the old saying, ‘he who steals my purse steals trash, but if anyone takes my good name or my character, they taking something valuable.’ Maybe we should give him the money. It all depends on the circumstances. The minister I was talking to said, well, if we don't, what they'll probably do is go to the newspapers. We'll they’ve done that before. And that isn't going to hurt us, is it? If they go to the newspapers, that isn't going to make you get up and walk out of this auditorium. They will go with false things and the reporters probably won't even repeat it like they give it to them anyway. And it'll be bad in the first place, and reporters will make it worse. But I don't think we're going to believe it. Whatever it is.

 

But Timothy's worth continues as you know. Now there were some others, he said, that look after their own interests and not those of Jesus Christ. Well, we have those today. There's one man who's been disfellowshipped and now he wants money. Or he wants to be put back in the fellowship or he's trying to buy your fellowship to come into fellowship with the church and he’s threatening a lawsuit if he doesn't get. You don't get into the fellowship of Christ that way, or of Christ's people. You just don't. There's nothing they can do. We're not any of us going to live forever. I'm looking for another life, aren't you? Well, they're looking for what they get right here and now. They're going to have their reward now. And they won't take it with them, and they're not going to live too long, because nobody is. But Timothy's worth, you know.

 

Chapter 2, verse 22:

 

Verse 22: But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. 

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Timothy was the son of Paul. Now I just had marked here to compare that with he had. A few people, but we have so many today. Our work is so much larger and more complicated today than it was in the days of the apostle Paul. There are more people or more people in the church.

 

As far as character goes, we are to build and have proven character.

The Apostle Paul also wrote the following about character:

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:1-4)

Herbert Armstrong taught the following about character:

The human spirit of itself cannot see, hear, think or know. The only real LIFE, inherent and self-containing, lies in the Holy Spirit of God, united with the human spirit ... At death, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (Eccl. 12:7). The spirit is the depository of memory and character. The spirit is like a mold. It retains even the human form and shape of the deceased, so that in the resurrection to judgment those who have died shall look as they did in life, retain whatever character they established in life, remember everything that was stored in their memory. But in the meantime, in death, there is no consciousness--they "know not any thing" (Eccl. 9:5) (Armstrong HW.  Mystery of the Ages, Chapter 3)

WHY did the Creator God put MAN on the earth? For God's ultimate supreme purpose of reproducing himself--of recreating himself, as it were, by the supreme objective of creating the righteous divine character ultimately in millions unnumbered begotten and born children who shall become God beings, members of the God family. Man was to improve the physical earth as God gave it to him, finishing its creation (which sinning angels had deliberately refused to do) and, in so doing, to RESTORE the GOVERNMENT OF GOD, with God's WAY of life; and further, in this very process FINISHING THE CREATION OF MAN by the development of God's holy, righteous CHARACTER, with man's own assent. Once this perfect and righteous character is instilled in man, and man converted from mortal flesh to immortal spirit, then is to come the INCREDIBLE HUMAN POTENTIAL--man being BORN INTO the divine FAMILY of God, restoring the government of God to the earth, and then participating in the completion of the CREATION over the entire endless expanse of the UNIVERSE! ... God shall have reproduced HIMSELF untold millions of times over! So, on the sixth day of that re-creation week, God (Elohim) said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Man was made to have (with his assent) a special relationship with his Maker! He was made in the form and shape of God. He was given a spirit (essence in form) to make the relationship possible (Armstrong HW.  Mystery of the Ages, pp. 102-103).

So mark well this super-vital truism - that perfect, holy and righteous character is the supreme feat of accomplishment possible for Almighty God the Creator - it is also the means to His ultimate supreme purpose. His final objective.

But how? ... such perfect character must be developed. It requires the free choice and decision of the separate entity in whom it is to be created. But, further, even then it must be instilled by and from the Holy God who, only, has such righteous character to endow.

Perfect, holy and righteous character is the ability in such separate entity to come to discern the true and right way from the false, to make voluntarily a full and unconditional surrender to God and His perfect way - to yield to be conquered by God - to determine even against temptation or self-desire, to live and to do the right. And even then such holy character is the gift of God. It comes by yielding to God to instill His law (God’s right way of life) within the entity who so decides and wills.

Actually, this perfect character comes only from God, as instilled within the entity of His creation, upon voluntary acquiescence, even after severe trial and test...

God made us in His image, after His likeness (form and shape), only composed of matter instead of Spirit. But God says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5). (Armstrong HW. The Incredible Human Potential, pp. 39-40, 52)

How Christ Was Made Perfect

Now grasp this: ". .. to make the CAPTAIN of their salvation. ..... Christ is the CAPTAIN of our salvation. Or, that may be translated also as the PIONEER, who has gone on ahead, before us, into this matchless GLORY. He already has inherited all things-the universe!

But notice further: "to make the captain of their salvation PERFECT"-HOW? How was even Christ made perfect?-"THROUGH SUFFERINGS"!

And notice, in verse 11: "… he is not ashamed to call them brethren." Christ, in GLORY, is not ashamed to call us-who have His Spirit-who rely on and obey Him -BRETHREN!

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Heb. 5:8-9).

There it is again. Jesus is the author of our salvation-He wrote that salvation by His experience, and that was the first writing of it-He was the first human ever to achieve it-to be perfected, finished as a perfect character!

Jesus learned! He suffered! But out of it came perfection.

Do you see?

Do you begin to understand?

Satan did not upset God's Plan. All that has happened, God foreknew and permitted-for a purpose. Redemption is not a repairing of the damage-not a restoring to a condition "just as good" as Adam before the "fall." No, that was merely the beginning-the material creation. Redemption is the great spiritual creation. In it, God is creating in us something infinitely superior to Adam before he sinned.

Do you see now WHAT God is creating, in you and me?

He is creating something higher than angels or archangels. He is creating the supreme masterpiece of all God's creation. .. holy, perfect spiritual characters.

And what is character? 

What Spiritual Righteous Character Is

Perfect character, such as God is creating in us, is a person finally made immortal, who is a separate entity from God; who, through independent free choice has come to know, and to choose, and to do, what is right. And that means to believe and know that what God instructs is what is RIGHT.

Inanimate rock will roll downhill by power of gravity. Water runs in its channels through creeks and rivers into oceans. Great planets, some many times larger than the earth, must travel in God's ordained course. These things are marvelous examples of the creative power of God. Yet these things are inanimate-they have no mind, no free choice, no character.

Dumb animals do not sin. They do not know enough to sin. They act by instinct, or according to training of others. They do not have this character.

Character is the possession and practice of love, patience, mercy, faith, kindness, gentleness, meekness, temperance, self-restraint, and right self-direction. Character involves knowledge, wisdom, purpose, ability, all properly controlled and developed, and through independent choice.

Holy, righteous character is something that is developed only through experience. Experience requires time, and circumstances. And so God creates time and God creates circumstances which produce character.

Yes, we need to develop loving charcter.

 

Consider also:

33 Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV)

Yes, even for Christians.

 

Verse 23:

 

Verse 23: Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

That is, he was in prison. He was back and forth between whether to die and be with Christ or to remain and carry on for the church. I am the same kind of commission. That’s all I do now. There’s nothing left for me to live for any longer. And you remember that we were reading last Friday night how he was in a straight between two - whether to die and to be, in the next second of his consciousness, with Christ or to remain and carry on for them. And I said that I am in the same kind of condition. I just have to push myself on and try to keep living because that's all I do live for now. There's nothing else for me to live for any longer. That what I can do for you and the church, and for Christ, and as his instrument let him use me. Paul said it was more necessary for him to continue living for them, so he decided to do that and that's what I hope to do. [Quoting the RSV] So, I hope, therefore, to send him just as soon as I see how it will be with me.

 

Verse 24:

 

Verse 24: But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now he is trusting in the Lord for that. He wasn't trusting the luck, he wasn't trusting to any scheme or plot that he had, that he could escape or get out of prison, but he was trusting in the Lord, and that's what we have to do for all things.

 

Continuing with verse 25:

Verse 25: Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need;

Next verse:

Verse 26: since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now he was sorry that it caused them concern. You know what Paul wrote to the Corinthians that if one member of the Church of the body, he was talking to the Church of the body and referring to the different organs or members of the human body as the different members of the church, and if one member suffers they all do. Do you ever happen to stub your little toe against something till it was bruised and hurt? And you hurt all over the whole body? I have done that, I know. And if we love one another in the church, if one is sick that distresses us all because of love and because we love whichever one is ill at the time. That brings distress to all of us. And so, it brought distress to him because then they would suffer. That shows the kind of love that I just wonder if we have that kind of love today. 

Philippians 2, chapter, 2 verse 27:

Verse 27: For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Herbert Armstrong commented:

Because Paul would have had great sorrow if he had died.

Next verse:

Verse 28: Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful.

That way, they would all see that Timothy was fine and stop worrying about him.

Verse 29:

Verse 29: Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem;

Yes, they would be glad to see him. They were also told to hold him, and church leaders like him, in esteem.

Verse 30:

Verse 30: because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.

 

He nearly died doing the work of God.

 

But God did not let him die--his part of the work of God was not done.

 

It also was not the time for him to die.

 

Scripture supports the view that people die at the time that is best for them and others.

 

So, why do people die when they do?

The Bible teaches:

1 The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
Merciful men are taken away,
While no one considers
That the righteous is taken away from evil.
2 He shall enter into peace;
They shall rest in their beds,
Each one walking in his uprightness. (Isaiah 57:1-2)

Notice that when God’s people die, they rest. As other scriptures show, death is like sleep.

Why do they die when they do?

Because they die when it is best for them.

It may be best because they will cease physical suffering.

It may be because negative events are coming that they would be best to avoid.

It may be because they refuse to properly repent further.

It would seem to be when that have learned/experienced what they need which will help them after they are resurrected.

The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches:

1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born,
And a time to die; (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

17 Do not be overly wicked,
Nor be foolish:
Why should you die before your time?  (Ecclesiastes 7:17)

While there is a time to die, notice that foolishness and wickedness can have one die earlier than what would otherwise happen.

Death may be best because they would ‘backslide’ more into wrong attitudes of sin if they did not die when they did so they do not commit what in known as the unpardonable sin.

We are to to grow and overcome:

18 … grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)

11 … He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. (Revelation 2:11)

God wants none to experience the second death and perish.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9)

Yes, God will allow the flesh to perish to save the spirit. That is consistent with the following from the Psalms:

11 When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,
You make his beauty melt away like a moth;
Surely every man is vapor. Selah (Psalm 39:11)

The above is consistent with God using melting away through aging and/or illness followed by dying to correct. The Hebrew word Selah means “pause” and death is merely a pause for Christians until they can gain eternal life.

Another reason death comes to God’s people is that may be best because they have built all the character that they will be able to build in this life.

The New Testament teaches:

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

All things would include death.

Notice also:

13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14 From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
15 He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.  (Psalm 33:13-15)

God considers all our works and has all work together best for us.

Because of that, it has long been my view that God has people die when it is spiritually best for them as well as for those who knew the deceased.

God is love (1 John 4:8,16).

What God does and allows is ALWAYS motivated by love–EVEN IF WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9).

See also: Why Do Christian People Die?

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

Now, they had been serving Paul and they had been ministering to Paul with tithes and offerings and things of that kind, when Paul had been in need. We're going to see that later as we read on through the letter.

Chapter 3

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now we come to Philippines. The third chapter. Well, I was just thinking of how different things are now than when the Apostle Paul was writing this letter to the brethren at Philippi. I'm reminded once again of ... the difference between the work now and the way it was in the first century.  We have the same gospel, the same message to preach precisely, but the methods that are afforded us now are so entirely different. The world is so different. ... The population is multiplied so many, many times over. Just a multiplied population. The world, should I say progressed or retrogressed, and I think the latter would be more true. It’s an entirely different world than it was in days of Paul. What we call human nature probably hasn't changed because that comes from Satan, and he began pumping that into the very children of Adam and Eve, as soon as they were born. So that their first son rose up in anger against his brother. And then God, in the person of the Word who became Christ, talked to him about it and warned him of what would happen if he if he didn't curb that temper. And even after that warning, then Cain rose up and slew his brother. They did have a little knowledge of the truth of God, because Abel offered the sacrifice of the lamb. He knew there would be the Messiah coming.

 

But you know, this week the question came to me, just how much did the world know back in those days and before the flood and even after the flood? How much did they know about the Sabbath? When did they learn about the Sabbath, and did they even know about God's Sabbath? Which day it was and whether it made any difference whether they keep it or not? Until the children of Israel were on the way over to Mount Sinai, almost there, when they were griping because they didn't have enough to eat, and God began to rain manna down from heaven - you read that in the 16th chapter of Exodus. And probably that's the first time God revealed the Sabbath to them. Well, of course Adam knew all about the Sabbath and he lived until Methuselah, and he was probably a couple hundred years old or so before Adam died. So Adam surely taught Methuselah about it. Methuselah lived until the flood and Noah was 500 years old, so he would have taught Noah. So, they must have known all about the Sabbath. Well, is that true now? When Adam made the wrong choice, God pulled up the tree of knowledge, of spiritual knowledge, the Tree of life. And God gives life through the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit gives us revealed knowledge. I think that God probably told Adam and Eve about the Sabbath because He made them on the very eve of the Sabbath and began talking to them and preaching to them immediately after they were created. I think He must have talked to them that Friday night. He probably started talking to them before it was as dark ... I think He was talking with them for some time until they probably started the process of sleeping, that very night. Then the next day, during the day part of the Sabbath, the one who became Jesus Christ talked to them, preached to them. He preached on the Sabbath. Well, He must have told them about the Sabbath. I don't think He went into great detail about too many things. And only the very sparsest synopsis of what He said is revealed to us back there in the second chapter of Genesis.

 

He did tell them that the penalty of sin is death, that if they sinned, they would surely die. Now death is the penalty of sin, and sin is the transgression of the law of God. He couldn't pronounce the death penalty on them without telling them what sin is, and that it is the transgression of His law, of outflowing love. But of course, the law is just love, and love is never an incoming it's always outgoing. But you apply the principle in sin. And it’s love, first of all, to our Maker and Creator God, so that we may have fellowship and a relationship with Him. Because He made us to be born as His children, into His family, that He may become our Father. And then also how to deal with other people?

 

Now, whatever God did teach Adam and Eve was undoubtedly more or less basic and not in great detail. But the point is that Adam rejected that, and he turned his back on the law of God and he did not have the Holy Spirit. He chose to decide for himself what is right and what is wrong. He took to himself the knowledge of good and evil, of what is good and what is evil. The production of that knowledge. Making it up in his own mind what he would think is good and what he would think is evil. Now, God had undoubtedly told him that the Sabbath is good, and it's holy, and that he should set it apart, and he should observe it. But I doubt very much if he did it. He had turned away from all of that, and I doubt very much that he ever taught his children. I say I doubt. The reason I say that is God doesn't tell us what happened. And we don't know. We just have to surmise. But judging from what we do know, I think it does imply that he did not teach his children too much of those things, and that the world did not know much about those things. The world did know, however, that it is wrong to dishonor your parents. They did know that adultery is wrong, and that stealing and theft is wrong, that lying is wrong. And you can find every one of those Ten Commandments in force and effect before Mount Sinai, before the Ten Commandments were codified and given by God to Israel. Incidentally, God did not give them to Moses. He gave them first to the whole population of Israel. They all heard his voice. Later He gave them in tablets of stone to Moses to bring down. So most people in the world, and the Protestant churches, believe He just gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. That is not true. He gave them to the people. But they didn't know much, and they were cut off from the knowledge of God, spiritual knowledge, and I think they just did not know very much in those days.

 

So now when Christ came, the church had started. They were beginning to learn a lot of these things for the first time. God revealed a great deal to His prophets, and He did call them. And God did talk direct to them. Now God talked direct to Cain before he slew Abel. We find that Enoch walked with God. Two can't walk together except they be agreed. So, Enoch must have known a lot of the truth of God and agreed, and walked with him. And Noah found favor in God as being righteous, not that he was perfect. He was perfect in his generations, plural. That is a genealogy - his racial genealogy. That doesn't mean he was perfect spiritually. However, he did walk with God, and he did find favor with God, and God did save him and his family from the flood.

 

But sometimes I think we need to go back and realize how it was when Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians. The church was just getting knowledge that had just been revealed. And for some 4000 years the people of the world had never known these things. You know, Jesus said that even the prophets, to whom God revealed truth and who wrote it in the books of the Old Testament, had desired to know the things that He was teaching them, but they couldn't know. And knowledge has been progressive and increasing. And the prophet Daniel said in the 12th chapter of Daniel that in these latter days knowledge would be increased. And God is increasing our knowledge. Now the knowledge of God and the things of God are not increasing in the world in general, at all. In fact, they are losing knowledge. They're going backward. And I wonder if you ever realized that. In God's church, God is increasing knowledge for us. And I wonder if you realize what a blessing that is to us.

 

You see in the Protestant world, the main thing is you just receive Christ. They say, ‘oh, what a wonderful thing it is to know Christ.’ I'm going to talk about that a little bit tonight in this study. To know Christ is to have the knowledge of Christ. Know is the word from which the word knowledge is derived. Anyway, it’s what you know. But they just want to say that they believe in Christ. They say they've repented. In other words, they realize maybe they've done something they thought was wrong. They're sorry. So, they repent. Well, that's all there is. That's all in the past. They go on doing it just the same. But they say they receive Christ, so everything's alright now. They don't see that there is anything to do. Jesus said, ‘How call ye me Lord, Lord and do not the things that I say?’ The Protestants today don't see it as any doing. That you have to get knowledge of what to do, and how to do it, and then you must do it. ‘Faith without works is dead’, said James. Then we're not to be hearers of the word only, but doers of the word. And I don't know any church on the face of the earth that has that kind of knowledge, and that knows what the real gospel is, and that knows the things that God has revealed to this church.

 

Now you're sitting here tonight, on God's Sabbath, ... Now the world can't know the truth that we have. They don't want to know it. They would turn a deaf ear and they would just hate us for it if we tried to tell them.

 

Philippians, chapter 3, verse 1:

 

Verse 1: Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

 

Notice that Christians are not to complain when the ministry goes over portions of the same teachings multiple times. This is done to try to keep you safe.

 

And in these Laodicean times, that is a reason that we continually bring up differences between Philadelphian and non-Philadelphian Christians. Regarding being safe, it is only the Philadelphian Christians that Jesus promises to keep from the coming hour of trial in Revelation 3;7-13. Revelation 12:14-17 makes it clear that not all who are commandment keeping Christians will be protected.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

You know that's what we're to do with the Feast of Tabernacles. You ever stop to think what that means when you rejoice? I think it's a combination of gratitude, being thankful, and having joy in it. Rejoicing. I didn't look that word up in the dictionary. I don't know just how it is defined there, but that's what it means to me. Rejoicing is a wonderful feeling and it's a feeling of happiness. But I think it is a feeling of gratitude and thankfulness and to the extent of joy - and joy as happiness, brimful and running over. If you ever stop, think of what joy is. And rejoice is joying again, isn't it?  

 

‘For me to write to write the same things to you is not tedious...’ In some translations it says irksome. Now I've read this in about 3 or 4 translations because it didn't seem to make sense to me in the King James and not too much here, but what I get from other translations is that in repeating that again and again as he does rejoice, that it wasn't irksome to him to have to repeat it. It made him joyful and rejoice in saying it and writing them to rejoice.

Verse 2:

 

Verse 2: Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Lookout for the dogs. Lookout for the evil workers. Lookout for those who mutilate the flesh. Now he's talking about those who were opposing the gospel, trying to preach a different religion; trying to water down the religion. In those days, you see the opposition in the church at the very beginning, beginning in 31 AD. The opposition was from Jews, who would not accept Christ and the twelve apostles. When they [the apostles] started out, most of their preaching was the fact that they were eyewitnesses to the resurrection. They had spent 3 1/2 years, almost daily, with Jesus. And then they had been with Him after the resurrection. They knew that He died. Everybody knew that He died. And the news spread around Judea in those days. And there was evidence enough that He died. But they had been with him then for 40 days after His resurrection. And that's why there were twelve, like a jury that confirmed it. And we use a jury of twelve today to decide the innocence or guilt in a trial. And the twelve apostles, the reason there were twelve primarily, was to be eyewitnesses to the fact that Jesus had lived, had died, had risen from the dead.

 

The only hope that any of us have is in the resurrection from the dead. This life is not going to go on for any of us. Not at all. The only hope you have is a resurrection. And that was so important that the apostles went everywhere, at first, preaching the resurrection and preaching that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. But that got established after a few years, and as the church multiplied and as time went on, then persecution set in. Then the next persecution came from Jews that wanted the whole law of Moses to be brought in. They were proselytes, or Jews who pretended to accept Christ. But they insisted on bringing all of these works of the law in into it, which was work and which was hard to do. And to keep reminding them three times a day to do it. And that's what all the conference was about in Jerusalem, that you read about in the 15th chapter of Acts. Peter had to prove he was the chief apostle and rise up and settle them, even among the ministers. And then again, a committee can't rule anything. The ministers came together to decide a doctrine. You can't get a doctrine decided that way - by a group. They tried to decide that. If you read it in the 15th chapter of Acts, there was much contention among them - all disputing. Peter rose up and settled the matter. And as soon as he settled it, then they changed the talk to other things and discussed other things.

 

Paul and Barnabas then told the people there of their experiences, where they had been with the gospel and preaching the gospel, and other subjects altogether. And then after a while, James, who was the chairman of the meeting, so to speak because he was the pastor of the headquarters church, he rose up and said, now Peter has said so-and-so, and he put his approval on it and that made the decision. But it was Peter who really decided what would be done. There has to be a leader.

 

You see, they wanted more law. They wanted the physical law and later on, then the whole opposition was no law at all and to do away with the spiritual law. That's what the Gentiles finally brought in and that's carried on down to today. That's what the Protestants are trying to say today. The Ten Commandments are done away. They preach a physical, well a counterfeit Christ who was a smart alec young man that knew more than his father, didn't agree with his father, and did away with his father's law, and nailed the law to the cross. Well, he did not nail any Ten commandments to the cross. He said that not one jot or one tittle would be removed until all is fulfilled. He fulfilled it, setting an example and we should fulfill it also.

But now here with these opponents and among them, at this time now they were going to insist on ... the works of the law or the physical rituals. And he called it the mutilation of the flesh. Now there he was referring to circumcision.

Regarding the so-called works of the law, that was covered related to the Book of Galatians

GALATIANS Comments on Galatians Did the Apostle Paul do away with God’s law as some claim the Book of Galatians teaches? What is the false gospel? Related sermon videos related to Galatians are available: Galatians 1 and the False Gospel and Galatians 2 & 3: What Law was Added? What was Abolished? and Galatians 4 & 5: Who Does Not Inherit the Kingdom? and Galatians 5 & 6: The Gifts of the Spirit.

Onto Philippians, chapter 3, verse 3

 

Verse 3: For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 

 

Just being physically circumsized does not save men.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

Circumcision was of the flesh, and these laws were of the flesh. You see, the physical laws are what they were trying to get in. We glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. We’re not saved by physical or fleshly things, but by the spiritual law and spiritual way of life. 

Next verse:

 

Verse 4: though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:

Verse 5:

 

Verse 5: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

In other words what he means is he, himself was circumcised on the eighth day when he was eight days old, being a Jew. Only the three tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi were ever called Jews, so he was a Jew. In other words the law, the physical law, the Pharisees insisted on the physical law, and he had kept the law perfectly. That law he could keep perfectly. 

 

Paul is saying that keeping various rituals will not save you--not that you should not do what the Bible says--but that the physical does not bring spiritual salvation.

 

Chapter 3, verse 6:

 

Verse 6: concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

He had more zeal than they did, he persecuted the church.

 

Paul thought he was doing right, but he was doing terrible things. We have had people around us with similar wrong attitudes and approaches.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 7: But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

And that is, he means, physical things. You won't take physical things with you, you know, when you go into the next life.

 

Verse 8:

 

Verse 8: Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

That is spiritual knowledge. In other words, it all comes from the one word, love. Then it comes from the two great commandments of love toward God and love toward neighbor. And then it comes in, magnifying the Ten commandments, the first four tell you how to love God, the last six, how to love neighbor, and then that magnifies greater. Jesus came and magnified the law and made it honorable. He didn't do away with it. So, he counted everything lost just for having the knowledge that comes through Christ. Spiritual knowledge is what the way that really should be translated and what it really means. 

 

Continuing in verse 9:

 

Verse 9: and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

 

We are basically promised more faith from God if we have more faith.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now in the King James you will see that says ‘of the knowledge of Christ Jesus’. It isn't just knowing Christ, it is the knowledge of Christ, like Peter said in the last two verses of 2 Peter. And he closed his letter by that. 

 

If you kept the ritual laws each day it’s a lot of work and you count it as your own righteousness, that you are righteous by your own work. But that’s not righteous. ... And so, he says ‘be found in him not having my own righteousness’.  But that which is through faith in Christ, that's the Ten commandments of spiritual.

 

[RSV says For righteousness and his right doing…]

 

In other words, the Ten Commandments shows the right way to live toward God and toward neighbors. Now man, with the one spirit in him, the natural mind of man can deal with matter. He can deal with the Earth. He came out of the Earth. He can deal with the Earth. But people have the spirit in them, and one man with the spirit can't deal with another man with another human spirit, without the Holy Spirit of God to show him the way and give him the power to do it. That's why we have trouble. That's why husband and wife can't get along. And I was noticing on the early news this evening that murder is increasing, and especially in the cities, and the murder per capita is greater in Los Angeles than any other city in the United States. And so much of that is right inside of a home. Husband against wife or wife against husband, children against parents and parents against children. Brother against brother, and Brother against sister, and sister against brother, and so on. People can't get along. But man can work with matter. He came out of matter, and he can work with matter and all of the things - everything that they teach in college.

 

I was asked today about when I saw the President Costa Rica, and that came up into a conversation today. And the first question he asked me ‘What is wrong with education today? The person I was talking with was Miss Lucy Martin, who was the first member of the faculty on this campus when the college first began, and is in retirement now after so many years. But something came up about Costa Rica and I mentioned that the first question that was asked was what's wrong with education. She burst out laughing and said you certainly could answer that Mr. Armstrong! I certainly could. As a matter of fact, the president's daughter and son-in-law came up to this campus to look in to see what our system was and why it's better than the universities and colleges of this world. And I was just thinking of that.

 

But, all education is dealing with matter. The things that come out of the ground. It's all material, everything. They try to teach you how to get along with other people, but they don't understand it. They don't understand psychology. Psychiatrists don't understand. They don't know what the human mind is. They don't know how it's made-up. They don't know there is a spirit in man and the part that the spirit has in the working of the human mind. They just don't know. Remember the Mutt and Jeff cartoons. I forget which one said it - the big, tall one anyway, he said, ‘Your ignorance is refreshing.’ And I think that's true about the scholarly people in the universities today. They're ignorance is refreshing.

 

Well, in the 21st cebtury we have seen more and more moves towards indoctrination of anti-biblical agendas.

 

Continuing in chapter 3, verse 10

 

Verse 10:  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

‘That I may and know him’, or again that I may have his knowledge. I may have the spiritual knowledge is what that really means, if it were translated correctly. Let's see, that's verse 10 in chapter three. Let me just see for a minute how that is here in the King James. No, that's apparently not it. Verse 9 ‘and be found of him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law’, meaning the law of rituals not the law of the Ten Commandments. ‘But that which is through the faith of Christ’. Now the King James has that right. It's not our faith with our believing in Christ. It's Christ's faith put in us by the Holy Spirit! When you receive the Holy Spirit, the first thing the Holy Spirit does of course is to impregnate you as a begotten child of God with eternal life to be. But the first thing that really hits your mind, that you notice, is to open your mind to understand spiritual knowledge. To begin to understand the spiritual knowledge revealed through the Bible.

 

Now the next thing that it will give you is the love of God, in order to follow that way of love. And then comes faith. The faith of Christ. It's Christ's faith, the same faith He used to walk on the water, the same faith that Jesus used to turn water into wine, to heal the sick, to cast out demons. That same faith Jesus gives us. You wonder why you don't have faith? Jesus has faith, and through the Holy Spirit if we are obedient to Him, if we have really repented, if we really are living His way in according to His law, sending His word, praying to Him and keeping in constant touch with Him, He will give you His faith. That is the faith that could move mountains. I think could - it isn't going to because that isn't God's will - but it is a power that if it were God's will, it would move the whole mountain. It's the faith of Christ and not many have that straight. But in the King James, you'll notice it says there, the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. And it's the faith that even God gives us. That faith, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. As you read in the Book of Ephesians.

 

And the power of His resurrection, because the only hope we have is in the resurrection. There's no hope in this life if. If we have all hope only in this life, we're of all men most miserable. And Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians the 15th chapter.

 

Verse 11:

 

Verse 11: if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

 

Notice that Paul did not say, "Well Jesus called me, and I accepted Him, therefore nothing else needs to be done." No, instead he was basically saying he would do anything he thought God wanted him to do. We should do so likewise.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Christ died and rose again. Well, we have to die to the wrong things, die to sin and be dead to the law. In other words, to the penalty of the law over us because we are keeping the spiritual law. So, we die so far as these physical things are concerned, and we're going to die. It’s appointed to man once to die, and after this the judgment and that comes by a resurrection.

 

Continuing:

 

Verse 12: Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 

 

Again, notice that Paul did not teach, like some Protestants teach, since I accepted Jesus all is done and I needn't bother with anything else.

 

Next verse, verse 13:

 

Verse 13: Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

In other words, he's not perfect yet. He hasn't really made it yet, accomplished it so to speak. Now let me see. That's verse 13. Let me get that in the King James. ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. This one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind. And reaching forth unto those things which are before [verse 14] I press toward the mark. For the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded.’

 

You know that this speaks about the mind so much and how you have to learn the things of God. It's changing the way of life and knowing the spiritual knowledge of God. We have to grow in knowledge. Brethren, how much more do you know of God and spiritual knowledge than you knew a year ago? Have you really grown in knowledge? If you haven't, you're going to be thrown aside. You'll never get into God's Kingdom. I mean that, brother. I'm talking to you people and you up there in the balcony. I'm talking to you right here. We have to grow spiritually. We grow in knowledge, but we have to be doers of the word and not hearers only. The knowledge is of no value. How many times have I said that? I've said that to our students in college ever since this college was founded. Knowledge is of no value except as you use it and put it to work. You know, just thirsting for knowledge that you can't use is no good. What good is it going to do you? I doesn’t do you any good and it doesn't do anybody else any good. Knowledge is to be used. And so, you'll find here that Paul is teaching a whole lot about spiritual knowledge, and we have to gain that kind of knowledge.

 

Now in school first you get reading, writing and arithmetic, as we say. And then you get into high school and you learn a few other things. You get English, you get grammar, and you get into algebra and a few other things in high school, and you get into higher mathematics in college and you get into other so-called sciences and things. And maybe even in high school and get a certain amount of the sciences and a few of those things. A lot of people think if you get some of that knowledge, that's all you need. But the knowledge taught is physical, not trying to teach spiritual knowledge and getting along with people and things in psychology. And they don't know what they're talking. About they just don't understand the human mind and you're not getting the right kind of education. But brethren, we need to go to school! We need to learn the things of God!

 

You know, I often think, I go out and preach to other groups and people say, ‘Well, we got to see Mr. Armstrong.’

‘Oh, you did? Wasn't that wonderful? Well, did you hear him?’

‘Yes, well, yes. I heard him. Yeah, he was powerful.’

‘Is that so? Well, what did he talk about?’

‘Oh well, I don't believe I remember. I wasn't paying any attention to what he said I. Just wanted to see.’

 

Oh, brethren! I'm not here to be looked at. I'm not putting on the show. I'm not an entertainer. I'm trying to teach you something. I'm trying to give you knowledge. I want to get this into your minds. It's going in your ear, but is it being recorded in your minds? Are you listening to what I say? You must be going to school. You must be learning spiritual knowledge that you didn't know before. Now the Protestant world doesn't do that. The Methodist Church doesn't do it. The Baptists don't do it. The Presbyterians and Catholics, well the Catholics do teach you their kind of knowledge, but that's not scriptural knowledge. They don't teach you the Bible at all. At least it's a little, but it's only as much as they want you to have.

 

Philippians, chapter 3, verse 14:

 

Verse 14: I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Now I know this one translation says a heavenly call, and someone who reads that translation is going to say, ‘See, that's what we're going to go to heaven’. No, it's right here. It means the high calling or the upward call. In the King James it's the high calling in the Revised Standard it’s the upward calling, but it is a heavenly calling but it doesn't mean we're going to heaven.

 

Paul mentioned the prize. The more you do with what you have, the better the prize you will receive.

 

Jesus taught the following parable which supports that:

14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'

26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matthew 25:14-30)

Do not think you do not have to change and can bury your talent. Use what God has given you and God will give you even more.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 15: Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Again, it's how you are minded. The whole thing is in the mind. You repent with the mind. You receive Christ with the mind. The Holy Spirit comes into the mind and gives you a sound mind. The spirit of a sound mind. We have to be like-minded with Christ. Let this mind be in you, as we heard last Friday night, which was in Christ Jesus. It’s so much in the mind and the knowing and we must be going to school daily. You must be studying the Bible, not just to read it.

 

[Referencing God will reveal this to you] If your mind is on all the things in the Bible and you’re praying enough, God will remind you of things like that. They'll come to your mind.

 

Verse 16:

 

Verse 16: Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

 

Paul had made spiritual progress but was not done.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

There are too many people in the church brethren who don't grow. They go backward. And if you go backward, you will never get into the Kingdom. You're only living a temporary existence. And if you do that, judgment is on us. We're being judged now, brethren. You won't have any chance in the world tomorrow. You're either going to make it now or you don't make it. And so will I, and I know that. And I have to cry out to God for help. Like Paul said he had to do that unless he be a castaway, in other words, and he might lose out yet. And I know that I could lose out yet, easy. And it would be easy too. If I want to just sort of drift back, and there's too many in the church that have done that. Don't let it happen to you, brethren.

 

Now when I was a boy, I used to go down to the country and an uncle of mine that lived down in the country. He had a son who was my age and that was my cousin. I went down to see him. And of course we boys do some things we shouldn't have done when we 11 or 12 years old, I think. I know one time I bought a .22 pistol revolver and we had dug a cave of our own down there. They had quite a lot of ground, a few acres, and lived on the edge of the little town. And we had got into that cave and we were shooting the gun. All of a sudden, his father came and grabbed us and took us in and whipped me and whipped him both. He took the gun away from us. Later my father told me about it, and he had given the gun to my father and my father said he threw it in the Des Moines River. That's what happened to that revolver.

 

Well, I was just thinking today, we just had Halloween you know this last week. Something that I did when I was 11 years old. You think I've always been perfect? Let me tell you what a little rascal I was when I was 11 years old. There was an elderly lady in the neighborhood that we boys didn't like. I don't remember why we didn't like her, but we didn't. And there was must have been about three of us, at least, I don't know. I know I didn't do it alone. But she had a cow. And we got her cow. And got a rope around his neck. Got it up on her front porch with a rope around his neck and got that rope tied on her front doorknob. And then we knocked on the door and when she came to the door, and began to open the door, it just brought her cow right on into the house. I don't think my dad ever knew about that or I would have been spanked. As I should have been. Well, I've done little things like that. I don't think I was ever deliberately mean in the sense of intending to see how bad I could be, but I guess I can't say any more than Paul that I've apprehended it yet, anyway, I don't think any of us can.

 

Continuing in verse 17 of chapter 3:

 

Verse 17: Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.

 

We are supposed to follow the Apostle Paul's example. He kept God's commandments, including the Holy Days, and was willing to do whatever he could to support the work of God.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 18: For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 

 

Yes, Paul and other real Christians had enemies.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

That shows you how much in earnest Paul was. He wasn't kidding about these things. He was on dead earnest. Now once again he's referring to those ministers that were misleading them at that time. And there are those, and we have to be warned about it, and not misled by them.

 

Verse 19:

 

Verse 19: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

Material gain doing material things. That's all they think of and doing, material things, and still there are those, and I've received letters again this week from some women about something I'll speak on tomorrow afternoon. ‘Well, we don't see any harm in it’ and ‘Why can't we do what the world is doing?’ ‘I don't see any harm in it.’ And they say, ‘Mr. Armstrong, you've said so many times, it isn’t the thing it’s the use of the thing, though I don't think I make the wrong use of it.’ And some people don't know that wanting to be thought well of in the world, by the world, wanting to be like the world, wanting to have vanity, is wrong. You see, sin is the transgression of the law. The law is love toward God. Now it means exalting God, debasing the self, and when you try to glorify the self and you're trying to think how beautiful you are and you want to exalt the self - that is a wrong attitude, brethren. I don't care how much you deny it. You deny it all you want. You'll never get into the Kingdom with that attitude.

 

You go your way. I can only tell you. That's what Christ put me here for. It's just to tell you. He said woe to you if the world speaks well of you. You see the battle I had to fight back in 1927 when I saw the truth of the Sabbath, and saw the truth of God, and began to realize that I was really a sinner after all, and saw that it was God's law that showed the way of righteousness, and if I went that way it meant giving up all of my business colleagues and associates that I had been with so many years. And I had been very successful in business. And you know, to give them up and to give up everything that I had thought I was living for before, I knew I would. I knew they'd have nothing more to do with me. Well, that was just like giving up my life. It was like tearing out my life I've been living up to that time. I finally decided I had to do it. I did give it up and I gave myself over to Christ or I intended to. I don't think I ever did 100% do it, but I certainly intended to. But I haven't done too badly. I think Christ will have mercy on me for what little I haven't done.

 

Continuing in verse 20 in chapter 3 of the book of Philippians:

 

Verse 20: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

 

Yes, our citizenship is not really part of this world, although Paul actually had two physical citizenships--Jewish and Roman.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 21:  who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

 

Herbert Armstrong commented:

 

I like that in the King James too. ...

 

That closes that chapter, I better look at the time. And I'm not going to have time to go on and get that other chapter done. And I wanted to do that well, I take too long. I talk here and take too long, but anyway.

 

You know, you might have thought this book of Philippians is not interesting. There is so much interesting in it. And when I when I read it and try to analyze it verse by verse and think it through, there's so much truth, and the way we ought to live, and of the of the knowledge that we need. Well, I tell you there's some things that are important in this 4th chapter and I'm just going to leave that for another time and we'll take the 4th chapter and then maybe we can start into another book on another Bible study. I'm quitting a little ahead of time. If I do, I've got about 9 minutes before time is supposed to be up tonight. But let's go out just a little bit early, but don't forget what I've already given you and what Paul's given you, the apostle Paul, because I'm only just reading you what he had and trying to explain it as I believe he would if he were here.

 

We'll all have to be like-minded and I hope I'm like-minded with Paul as he was like-minded with Christ. You know, there's this place where he said follow me as I have followed Christ. But you know that's in another scripture.

 

Philippians, Chapter 4

 

Before we start chapter 4, notice some other references to Philippi in scripture.

 

The first time the Apostle Paul was in Philippi, things did not start of to well for him:

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us.

16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." 18 And this she did for many days.

But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, "These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe." 22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. (Acts 16:9-23)

So, despite being told by God is a dream to travel which brought him to Philippi, Paul had troubles. Continuing:

25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here."

29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, "Let those men go."
36 So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace."
37 But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out."

38 And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. 39 Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. (Acts 16:25-40)

Paul tried to arrange matters with the local government to help the Christians at Philippi. Paul then went to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1)

 

Paul later told those in Thessalonica:

But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. (1 Thessalonians 2:2)

So, Paul did not like what happened to him in Philippi.

 

But Luke and others went there later:

6 But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days. (Acts 20:6)

This also shows that Luke, a Greek writing to a Greek Christian, realized people would know what the Days of Unleavened Bread were, and that would have been because they wee keeping them. See also Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread?

 

Now to Chapter 4, Verse 1:

 

Verse 1: Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

 

Paul mentioned his crown and told the Philippians to stand fast. Similarly, notice something that Jesus told the Philaldelphians:

11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. (Revelation 3:11).

 

Verse 2:

Verse 2: I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 

 

Apparently there was a major difference of opinion between them that Paul wanted corrected.

 

Next verse:

 

3: And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

 

Despite differences, the women supported the gospel.

 

Regarding Clement, some claim that this is the Clement I  in the Roman Catholic succession lists. One list has him as the direct successor to Peter, whereas another has him fourth after Cletus/Anacletus.  Whether he is the same one is not known. But presuming that he was the same person that Roman includes on its lists, he would have held doctrines that we in the Continuing Church of God, not Church of Rome, now hold. See also the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? 

 

Continuing in verse 4:

 

Verse 4: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

 

We are to rejoice--and specifically also at the Feast of Tabernacles--not complain that we are biblically-required to attend.

 

Christians should be a joyous people.

 

Chapter 4, verse 5:

 

Verse 5: Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

 

Christians are supposed to be gentle as well. That is one of the fruits of God's Holy Spirit as Paul wrote to the Galatians:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-24)

Verse 6:

 

Verse 6: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 

 

We are not to have the anxiety that the world has. Plus, notice that Chrsitians are supposed to be thankful. Plus, we are to pray, which is how we let our requests be known to God.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 7; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

Peace is also one of the gifts of the Spirit.

 

And notice that God's peace passes the understanding that the world can figure.

 

Notice also that our minds are to be guarded.

 

Many think that can see, think, hears, taste, or touch anything, but we should be led by God's Spirit to be cautioned to not go where we should not go. In this day of perverse mass communications, and particularlly in entertainment, we need to guard our minds even more than the Philippians probably need to.

 

So, if Paul told them that nearly 2,000 years, how much more important is it for us to guard our minds now.

 

Verse 8:

 

Verse 8: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 

 

Mediatation. Focus on the true, the things that are just, noble, lovely, and pure. Things with a good report, not those who want to focus on bad reports. Mediate on good and praiseworthy things--this will help your motivation and character development.

 

David said:

97 Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
102 I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way. (Psalm 119:97-104)

Chapter 4, verse 9:

 

Verse 9: The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

 

Yes, think also on things from sermons and in church literature.

 

Continuing in Philippians, chapter 4 verse 10:

 

Verse 10: But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 

 

Some of you have lacked opportunity to help more, but that could change, like it did for the Philippians.

 

Verse 11:

 

Verse 11: Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 

 

Can you be content when you have needs?

 

Remember, we are supposed to follow the Apostle Paul's example.

 

He did not have an automobile, air conditioning, electricity, a mobile phone, television, radio, the internet, etc.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 12: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 

 

Notice he was able to handle hunger and being full.

 

Many have problems with either of these.

 

Notice something from Proverbs:

7 Two things I request of You
(Deprive me not before I die):
8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches —
Feed me with the food allotted to me;
9 Lest I be full and deny You,
And say, "Who is the Lord?"
Or lest I be poor and steal,
And profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9)

While we do not want to be hungry, notice that God warns about those who are full:

10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.

11 "Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest — when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end — 17 then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.'

18 "And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, (Deuteronomy 8:10-18)

Paul could handle being hungry and full. Can you?

 

Before you assure yourself that you can handle being full, realize that many people who win big in the lotteries, end up unhappy and often with little.

 

Continuing:

 

Verse 13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

This should be a key verse for Christians. Instead of focusing on what you cannot do, and perhaps thinking you cannot 'take it' anymore, realize that if you do not give up and if you trust God you will succeed.

 

The old WCG published the following:

Do you have a habit of looking back on failures in your life, like one man I knew? After this man retired he was forever lamenting all the mistakes he had made in his life, and sorry he had not accomplished more.

 

The result? He wandered from room to room, looking out the windows and feeling sorry for himself, until the day he died. But his real failure was that he looked backward instead of forward. He thought his life had already ended when he reached a certain age. And after all, isn't that what society had told him?

Live in the present and look to the wonderful things you can do now and in the future if you will only apply yourself. You say you're too old to change? Change is the name of the game in the Christian life! Make this your motto: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). You're never too old to gain new knowledge and accomplish even more. (Shoaf Norman L. Make These Your Golden Years. Good News, June-July 1984)

Yes, we are to change and Jesus can help us do that.

 

Chapter 4, verse 14:

 

Verse 14: Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. 

 

Paul appreciated their prayers as well as their actions to relieve some hunger or other problems.

 

Just because one can be hungry and content, we don't want to have to stay that way.

 

Continuing:

 

Verse 15: Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 

 

Paul is giving thanks as opposed to simply saying I am entitled or deserve the support.

 

Verse 16:

 

Verse 16: For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 

 

It looks like those in Philippi came to Paul's physical aid more than once.

 

Verse 17:

 

Verse 17: Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 

 

Paul is saying his thankfulness was not a ploy to get more from them, but he mentions that they will abound for their assistance.

 

Back to chapter 4, verse 18:

 

Verse 18: Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable

sacrifice, well pleasing to God. 

 

Here Paul is saying he got what they sent and believes that God is pleased with what they have done.

 

Verse 19:

 

Verse 19: And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

 

Here Paul is bestowing his blessing to them that God will provide what they need. We also need God to supply all or needs, whether physical or spiritual.

 

Next verse:

 

Verse 20: Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

If we truly knew how loving God was, is, and will be, we would better appreciate and extol His glory forever. And we ultimately will, but should also strive to do so in this life.

 

Continuing:

 

Verse 21: Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 

 

We should greet all Christians. Real Christians are saints.

 

Verse 22:

 

Verse 22: All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.

 

From here we see people associated with Caesar were converted. This is probably a reference to Nero, whose official name was Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus.

 

Finally, chapter 4 of Philippians, verse 23:

 

Verse 23: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

 

We all need God's love and grace at all times. 

 

And that is one of the lessons from Paul's epistle to the Philippians.

 

Sixty or so years later, Polycarp of Smyrna also wrote to the Philippians (see Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians). Here is some of what he wrote:

I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because you have followed the example of true love [as displayed by God], and have accompanied, as became you, those who were bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints, and which are indeed the diadems of the true elect of God (Colossians 3:12) and our Lord; and because the strong root of your faith, ...

 

But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise up us also (1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14; Romans 8:11), if we do His will, and walk in His commandments (2 John 6;cf. Revelation 22:14-15), and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness ...

 

These things, brethren, I write to you concerning righteousness, not because I take anything upon myself, but because you have invited me to do so. For neither I, nor any other such one, can come up to the wisdom (cf. 2 Peter 3:15) of the blessed and glorified Paul. He, when among you, accurately and stedfastly taught the word of truth (Ephesians 1:13) in the presence of those who were then alive (cf. Acts 16:13). And when absent from you, he wrote you a letter (Philippians), which, if you carefully study, you will find to be the means of building you up in that faith which has been given you, and which, being followed by hope, and preceded by love towards God, and Christ, and our neighbour, “is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26). For if any one be inwardly possessed of these graces, he hath fulfilled the command of righteousness, since he that hath love is far from all sin (cf. James 2:8-9).

Notice that Polycarp wrote that Philippians followed the example of God's love, should keep the righteous commandments, and that the Epistle that Paul wrote to them, should be carefully studied to help build up our faith.

These are things that this article has attempted to do.

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