A COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS  

 By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

 © God’s Breath Publications

 

 Chapter Two

 

Be the Same as Christ

 

In the second chapter of Philippians, Paul in his loving and encouraging manner challenges the believers in Philippi to live for Christ and to be unified with each other in the Christian fellowship. God challenges us today in the same way with this command of Paul’s in chapter two to in essence “Be the same as Christ.” This passage, inspired by the Holy Spirit, seeks to have us examine and evaluate our inner spiritual life, our relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit, as well as our Christian witness before others.

 

Notice the beginning word in chapter 2 verse 1; “therefore.” When you see a therefore in scripture you should always ask; “What is it there for?” It is a question that comes from reading Philippians 1:27-30 where Paul issues some commands of how to live as a Disciple of Christ.

 

Paul, after writing “therefore” begins with asking four BIG “Ifs.”

 

Philippians 2:1

“1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,”

 

Paul’s intention of his words in this first verse was for the Christians at Philippi to evaluate their spiritual condition. This applies to us as well today. We are called to examine our inner spiritual condition as well as our relationship with God, specifically the relationship we have with the Holy Spirit that lives within us as Christians. As we evaluate our spiritual life and our devotion to our triune God we are to use these “ifs” of Paul as a standard and guide to challenge us to live like Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

 

The first “If” is; do we have encouragement in our lives from accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior? It is a given, that if we really have dedicated our lives to Christ and accepted Him as our Savior then we will be encouraged in our new holy standing before our Heavenly Father made possible by Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. If we are not encouraged, then possibly we need to evaluate our commitment to Jesus Christ. Possibly we fail to understand adequately the commitment we have made. Maybe we don’t understand all the benefits we have as a child of God. Whatever the case, if we truly have been saved of our sins, then we will experience an encouragement in our heart, mind and soul as we live for Christ. As we understand the help and power that the Father gives us through the indwelling of the Spirit we can live more responsibly and consistently in this world. An important element of living for Christ is seeking to bring Him glory and honor in how we think, behave and treat others. Consider giving thanks to God for the numerous ways He gives us encouragement to live this victorious life. He gives us salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit who seals us on the day we accept Christ as our Savior. He gives us His Holy and Truthful Word as a guidebook to train us and He gives us other Christians and our church fellowship to support us with the numerous and various spiritual gifts that are bestowed upon each Disciple of Christ.

 

The second “If” is; do we have consolation and comfort from experiencing the love of Jesus Christ? When we accept Christ as our Savior there is a mental commitment we make to the facts of the gospel. We understand we are sinful and there is a penalty for that sin. We understand that Christ paid the penalty on the cross for this sin and if we accept Him as our Savior then our sins are paid for and we have a clean standing before our Heavenly Father. But with this mental awareness of what is accomplished in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ comes a deep comfort in our heart, soul and spirit from the love shown to us by Jesus’ willingness to die for our sins and make it possible for our salvation to be established for eternity. As we come to understand that the wrath of God’s judgment had been hanging over our head because of our sins and now with our belief in Christ’s work on the cross that this judgment is no longer present should bring great comfort to us and inexpressible joy. This love comforts us but also empowers us to obey and live for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This love stimulates us to seek to love others in the Christian fellowship as well as share the Gospel with those who do not know the Lord as their Savior.

 

The next “If” is; we have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. This is a much more critical “If” because the Holy Spirit living within us gives us the resources and power to live a godly and holy life. This relationship with the Holy Spirit enables us to live like Christ because without the Spirit we would never ever be able to live holy and pure. When our fellowship with the Holy Spirit is not healthy then we are not healthy as a Christian. The Holy Spirit is given to each believer when they accept Christ as Savior and His ministry is to comfort us in difficult times, teach us God’s Holy Word, instructs us how to live a holy life and convict us of sin in our lives. This fellowship with the Holy Spirit is vitally important to us as servants of Christ. So this “if” Paul mentions is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life for it enables us to love others as God loves.

The final “If” is; do we have tenderness and compassion? These are expressions of behavior that flow from having positive answers to all the previous “ifs.” If we have encouragement, comfort and fellowship in our relationship with God then it follows that we will express tenderness and compassion towards others. These are the “Christ-like” qualities that Jesus possessed and expressed while on the earth. While His main purpose for coming to be born as a innocent babe was to live and then die for our sins; He also came to minister to others and demonstrate what a true godly life entails. He is our ultimate role model that we can emulate as we rely on the Spirit within us as Christians to help us live out the Holy Scriptures.

 

Paul, after sharing these BIG “If’s” then makes a request that relates to how the Disciples of Christ at Philippi are living out their faith in God.

 

This request was made of the Philippian believers, but it applies to us as well. He states in verse 2:

 

Philippians 2:2

“2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

 

God was speaking to the Philippians through Paul and God is saying to you and me right now: If you have any encouragement from being saved, if you have any comfort from knowing your sins have been forgiven, if you have ongoing and consistent fellowship with the Holy Spirit then seek to please God with your attitude, behavior and actions towards other Christians. Paul’s joy and God’s joy would be made complete if the Christians at Philippi would be in agreement in their dealings with one another, if they have deep Christian love for one another, if they will be united by the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide all their decisions and actions and if they will rally around the one purpose of glorifying God in their local fellowship and the impact it has on the local community in which they live.

 

I’ve elaborated on what these verses have stated and I believe it is an accurate commentary of what God inspired Paul to request of the Philippian believers. This request by Paul is also, I believe, made of us today as we read this passage. We bring God joy when we are unified with other Christians in love and serve one another with the spiritual gifts God has bestowed upon us. These spiritual gifts are manifested by the power and influence of the Holy Spirit that lives within us as Followers of Christ.

 

Numerous times in scripture we are commanded to “love one another.” This priority of love and unity within God’s church is a high priority to our Heavenly Father. The next time we are tempted to think or say something bad about another Christian we need to check our spirit and remember this passage. But the message of this passage does not stop here. Paul continues with further advice and recommendations for Christian conduct. Verses 3 and 4 state;

 

 Philippians 2:3-4

“3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

 

These verses hit the fleshly motivations that live within us right on their head. Our “selfish ambition” is the thoughts and desires that we have for what will best serve our needs and desires. Our “vain conceit” is the desire for personal attention and honor that can influence our attitudes and behaviors. This passage is commanding us NOT to let these selfish motivations influence our behaviors or thought life. As with most godly commands we are to avoid certain ungodly actions and in their place manifest godly behavior. The godly recommendations here are to seek humility and consider others better or more important than us. We naturally look out for our own interests, but here in verse 4 we are also told to strongly consider the interests of others as we go about daily life. We must broaden our concerns and priorities to not just include our own wants and needs but also the needs and desires of others. Why? Verse 5 answers this question and implied in the answer is the basic core calling of each and every Christian: Because we are called to be Christ-like. Jesus Christ put the needs and desires of others first and that is what we are called to do as well. Christ is our best example to emulate as we seek to live for God as holy and pure followers of Christ. We can only do this if we rely upon the guidance of the written Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Verses 5 through 8 present the role model we are to strive for in our Christian lifestyle that includes the innermost parts of our heart and soul as well as the thoughts that we process and contemplate within our mind. It is the model Jesus Christ lived out while on earth as He lived obediently to His Heavenly Father.

 

Philippians 2:5-8

“5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

 

Christ had a unique dual nature, being both fully God and fully man. Even though He was completely and fully divine, He did not grasp or cling to this godly nature and avoid the responsibility that lay before Him. Scripture tells us that he was fully human just like us. He humbled Himself completely being obedient to God the Father in order to accomplish His ministry to pay the penalty for all of our sins through dying on the cross. It is amazing that Jesus Christ came to earth to die on the cross at this specific time in history; just at the time that the Roman Empire instituted the punishment of crucifixion to punish criminals and to persecute Christians.

Because of His obedience and sacrifice His Heavenly Father exalted Him, as it states in verses 9 through 11, to the point that everyone will confess that Jesus is Lord.

 

Philippians 2:9-11

“9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

 

As Christians we have confessed He is Lord when we accepted Him as our Savior. We are confessing Him as Lord as we live godly each and every day. And we will confess Him as Lord as we live eternally in Heaven with Him. At the great judgment, non-believers will also confess Him as Lord as they kneel before Him and accept the penalty for their refusal to accept His sacrifice for their sins. Every tongue will say to His face, “You are Lord over all.”

 

Finally in verses 12 through 16 Paul shares some encouragements for Christian living that we should take to heart that result from having encouragement and comfort from accepting Christ as Savior and having fellowship with the Holy Spirit. He states,

 

Philippians 2:12-16

“12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.”

 

Here we are instructed to obey God at all times; not just when we are around other Followers of Christ at church, in Bible studies or serving in ministry. The implication is we should also not to obey God only in our outward actions, but also in our inwards thoughts and desires which can remain hidden to others, but not to the Father, Son or Spirit who lives within us. We are to continue to work out our Salvation by obeying God with great reverence and respect and allow God to work in us the transformation that He desires to do, to make us more like Christ each and every day. We are to do this without bickering and complaining so that our witness will be without blemish. If we live out our faith in this manner, we will be pure and holy examples in a wicked sinful world and demonstrate what God can do when humble individuals submit to His love and will. Our witness will shine like bright white stars if we live out the Word in our inward thoughts and outward actions.

 

In verse 16 Paul ends this passage with a desire that his efforts to disciple the Philippians will not be in vain. We should have this same desire for our Christian brothers and sisters. We should strive to love, encourage, uphold and stimulate each other as Christians so that each of us becomes more Christ-like. As we do this in unity through serving one another, each of us will not have labored in vain in our efforts to help each other to grow in Christ. 

 

We see in verses 17-18 of chapter 2 that Paul expresses his ultimate commitment not only to the Lord Jesus Christ, but also those led to Christ, those he discipled and those he ministered to with his letters and teachings. He had experienced many physical and emotional traumas due to his witness of Christ and had probably suspected that there may come a day where he would die for his faith in God. This possibly may have been something that Jesus foretold him when he taught him for three years in the desert of Arabia

 

Philippians 2:17-18

“17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”

 

John MacArthur states in his commentary on this portion of Philippians the following;

 

“Nothing characterized Paul’s life and ministry more than love — for the Lord, His work, and His people. He also loved the unsaved, especially those among his fellow Jews, about whom he testified: “I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:3). But he had a special love for believers, as exemplified by his testimony to those in Corinth: “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you” (2 Corinthians 2:4). That love compelled Paul to serve unreservedly and sacrificially. He feared that unless he gave his maximum effort, he would be disqualified and his reward diminished (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). He was keenly aware that he had a special calling, giftedness, and empowerment for which the Lord would hold him accountable. He wrote of that accountability to the Corinthians: “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). Because of that accountability, Paul exercised self-discipline: “I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27). He was confident “that in the day of Christ [he would have] reason to glory because [he] did not run in vain nor toil in vain” (Philippians 2:16).

 

Contrary to what some interpreters suggest, Paul was not here speaking of his eventual martyrdom. The present tense clearly indicates that he was speaking of his current experience as a prisoner in Rome. He saw his life, not his death, as his ultimate act of sacrifice to the Lord. He was a living sacrifice, not a dead one (Romans 12:1). His comments elsewhere in this letter indicate that he did not anticipate imminent execution, although he clearly understood that that was a possibility. He had already said: “To remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith” (1:24-25). Later in the present chapter he wrote, “I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly” (2:24).”

 

Paul sets a good example for us as to how we are to encourage others in the faith and support them in our prayers as well as being involved in their lives so we can minister to them whenever possible. The specific spiritual gifts that each of us are given are meant to be used within the Body of Christ to serve one another and bring glory to God. Numerous passages in the New Testament speak of how we are to encourage each others as Disciples of Christ and to live holy and pure.

   

1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

 

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

“And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

 

2 Timothy 4:2-3

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.”

 

Hebrews 3:13

“But encourage one another daily.”

 

Hebrews 10:25

“Let us encourage one another.”

 

 1 Peter 1:15-16

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”