Phil. 1:27-2:4; Acts 16:35-40, Gospel Conduct

Philippians is a personal letter.  Personal letters are usually hard to outline; but letters from Paul are almost always easy to outline. It’s the way Paul was: a man with a logical, step-by-step way of speaking.  In one sense the entire letter has is concerned with the unity of the church.  Yet we see two parts:

Phil. 1-2 are personal, about Paul’s conduct and the Philippians conduct.

Phil 3-4 are a response to a “situation” the Philippians asked about.

I believe we have come to a slight turn in today’s passage.  Paul has been speaking of his conduct while in prison in Rome.  His whole attitude is colored by his bond-slave mentality that is defined as: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (By the way, the two words “is” are in italics in my Bible meaning they are supplied by the translators; read the verse without them and you get the idea of Paul: For to me to live: Christ; and to die: gain!)

But now Paul’s attention now turns to the Philippians: only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ.  From 1:27 to 2:30 he will encourage them with the very same keys-to-joy he has spoken of in his own conduct:

The advance of the gospel, 1:27-30

The experience of fellowship, 2:1-4

The bond-slave mentality, 2:5-11, 17-30

The edification of the Body of Christ, 2:12-16

What we see is that throughout this passage there is a strong emphasis on the need for oneness.  Paul had full joy because Christ was everything to him; the local church will have full joy as they together make Christ everything.  Take, for example, 1:27-30.  Paul is emphasizing the need to stand for the gospel.  Here is what I would call a literal translation of 1:27:

Only practice citizenship that is worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or being absent hear concerning you, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving together in the faith of the gospel.

Paul uses a citizenship term to speak of their conduct.  Philippi was a proud Roman colony.  They were concerned about honoring and maintaining that standing by not doing anything to ruin that special right (cf. Acts 16:35-40).  So  Paul is speaking of how a good citizen of heaven should act (Phil. 3:20).  Also Paul does not simply call them to be a unified organization or even to have the same goals.  He calls them to one spirit and one soul.  He is using terms that involve the entirety of our inner man.  A church can be in lock-step but not of one spirit or one soul.  Paul says this is required for standing fast for the faith of the gospel.  And he will also tell us this oneness is possible and he will tell us how when we come to 2:5-11!  More on this passage tomorrow.