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THEREFORE MY
BELOVED BRETHREN WHOM I LONG TO SEE MY JOY AND CROWN: Oste, adelphoi mou agapetoi kai
epipothetoi chara kai stephanos mou:
(Philippians
3:20
21;
2Pe 3:11-14)
(MacArthur
Phil
4:1-9 Leave Me Alone I Can't Cope)
(Philippians
2:16;
2Co 1:14)
Therefore
is a
term of conclusion
which Dwight Pentecost explains as follows...
It is unfortunate that in our text
the chapter break comes between Phil 3:21 and 4:1 for we miss Paul’s
implication. Because Jesus Christ is the Savior of the body, and
because Jesus Christ has an eternal destiny for this body, and because
this body throughout all eternity will serve a purpose in the plan of
God and will be an instrument through which God will manifest His
glory forever, we have a responsibility to God as to how we use this
body now. Whereas these false teachers are telling the Philippians
that it doesn’t matter how they live, that it doesn’t matter what they
do with their bodies, Paul says it does matter in the light of the
purpose God has for this body in the redemption that is provided by
the Savior. (Pentecost,
J. D. The Joy of Living: A study of Philippians. Kregel Publications)
Beloved (27)
(agapetos from
agape) is a word that describes one
who is very dear to another or who is very much loved. It is the very
word the Father uses of His Son declaring
"This is My beloved Son, in
whom I am well-pleased." (Mt 3:17 )
By
addressing the saints as beloved, Paul is speaking of the deep
feeling he has in his heart toward them. He adds that they are his joy and his crown,
accentuating the deep contentment which the
Philippians as a body of believers bring to his heart.
Long (1973)
(epipothetos from
epi = intensifies + pothéō = to yearn) (Click for study of related word
epipotheo) is an adjective which
describes a strong desire, an intense craving of possession, a great
affection for, a deep desire, an earnest yearning for something with
implication of need. Here it describes the natural yearning of
personal affection. Paul loved the saints at Philippi and had a
longing for the joy of renewed fellowship with them face to face.
Joy (5479)
(chara)
(Click
for word study of
chara)
is like a golden thread
Paul interweaves throughout
this letter
(Click
for all 12v with "joy")
Joy is the
deep-down sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person
who knows all is well between himself and the Lord. It is not an
experience that comes from favorable circumstances and in fact can
still be manifest when those circumstances are the most painful and
severe (Jn 16:20-22). Emotional fluctuations do not trouble this
source of joy for it is a gift of God to believers who manifest it as
they cultivate the fruit of His Spirit (Gal 5:22). Paul speaks here
than just a mood. This is a deep confidence that was rooted in God’s
sovereign control of the universe, His on unchanging divine promises &
eternal spiritual realities including the assurance of ultimate
victory for those in Christ.
Crown (4735)
(stephanos
from stepho = to encircle, twine or wreathe)) (Click
for word study of
stephanos)
refers to the crown of victory (often a laurel wreath) in the Greek athletic games, to the
runner who crossed the goal first, to the disc thrower with the
longest toss, etc. Obviously this "crown" would bring great
contentment and a sense of accomplishment to the victor, but these
feeling would fade because the laurel wreath had already become to
wilt the moment it was picked from the tree! What a contrast with the
"crown" Paul exults in! The Philippian believers were his crown which
were a source of immeasurable joy and a justifiable sense of
accomplishment.
The Philippian believers like a "crown"
testified to the genuineness of Paul's ministry. This idea of
genuineness of his ministry was alluded to earlier in this letter Paul
describing the saints as those who continually were...
holding fast the word of life, so
that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not
run (as the runners did in the ancient Olympics) in vain nor toil in vain
(uselessly, without success). (see note
Philippians 2:16)
What Paul was saying is that on
that day when he stands before the Judgment Seat of Christ, the
genuineness of the Philippian saints lives and testimony would be a
cause for Paul to exult for it would bring forth the approval of His
Lord regarding the race that he had run. And so he "wore" the
Philippians as if they were his "joy and crown", testifying to the
authenticity of His ministry and the efficacy of the gospel.
In a similar display of affection
for the Thessalonian saints Paul wrote
"who is our hope or
joy
or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our
Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and
joy" (see notes
1Thessalonians 2:19;
2:20)
Paul later added in the same
letter
"what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all
the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account as
we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your
face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?." (See notes
1Thessalonians 3:9;
3:10)
Is there some brother or sister
in Christ who will be your joy and crown
in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? If you cannot answer
in the affirmative, then empowered by His Spirit and the authoritative
command of our Lord Jesus
"Go therefore and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that (Jesus)
commanded", in full confidence that you will succeed for He
Himself promised "lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age." (Mt
28:18-20)
Daniel records
that
"those who have insight will
shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those
who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." (Daniel
12:3)
Beloved, redeem this brief moment
in eternity He has graciously allotted you to perform good works (see
study of
Good Deeds), works
that bring Him glory throughout the ages to come.
SO
STAND
FIRM
IN THE LORD, MY BELOVED: houtos stekete (2PPAM) en kurio,
agapetoi: (Ps 27:14;
Mt 10:22;
John 15:3
15:4;
Acts 2:42;
11:23;
Ro 2:7
Col 4:12;
1Th 3:13;
2Ti 2:1;
Heb 3:14;
4:14;
10:23
10:35
10:36;
Jude 1:20;
21
Rev 3:10
3:11) (MacArthur
Spiritual
Stability)
From the
context, why would they need to "stand firm"? Paul has just
exposed some men in their midst who were enemies of the Cross of
Christ and were living solely to please self not Savior (see note
Philippians 3:20-21).
He knows that it would be tempting to follow their example, falsely
believing that it does not really matter what one does with his or her
body. He countered this aberrant thinking reminding them of the truth
concerning their glorious future. It is in this context that Paul
calls on his beloved saints to continue standing firm in the power and
Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is now their life (cf note
Colossians 3:4)
Dwight Pentecost explains it
this way...
By “stand fast in the Lord” Paul
means realizing experientially in your daily life the purpose God has
for this body. As He purposes that throughout eternity it (the body)
should be an instrument to His glory, so now, too, it should be an
instrument to His glory. It must not become a vehicle through which
lust and sin manifest themselves. It must be a vehicle through which
righteousness and holiness are manifested, through which God is
glorified in the believer’s life. This is the theme that the apostle
has emphasized over and over again. (Pentecost,
J. D. The Joy of Living: A study of Philippians. Kregel Publications)
Writing to the
church at Corinth Paul commanded them...
Flee (present
imperative = command to continually run from the presence of)
immorality (fornication = misuse of their body). Every other sin that
a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins
against his own body. Or do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God,
and that you are not your own? (Any habit that a believer has that in
any way destroys this temple is meddling with God’s property and has
no place in the life of a believer) For you have been bought with a
price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1Corinthians
6:18-20)
As discussed in (Philippians 3:20-21)
God has both a temporal and an eternal purpose for our body. It
follows that believers have no right to pervert or distort God's
purpose by using their bodies as instruments to serve self and sin. As
Paul explained to the Corinthians, the body is presently the
instrument through which God is glorified. Corinth was a city well
known for abuse of one's body in various forms of sexual sin and it
may have been tempting to invoke the modern axiom "Well everyone else
is doing it so it can't be that bad!" Paul is saying that it matters
what believers do with their bodies because both our souls and our
bodies have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and therefore our
bodies must not be used as instruments of sin but as instruments of
righteousness (right living). It is only as those who call themselves
"Christian" live supernatural lives that they present to the lost
world a proper opinion of the Creator and His power and purpose for
mankind. Paul taught the
same truth in Romans exhorting the saints to present, not their minds
or their hearts, but their bodies to God...
I urge you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living
and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service
of worship. (see note
Romans 12:1)
Stand
firm
(4739) (steko)
can mean to
stand literally ("whenever you stand praying..."
Mk 11:25) but in the other NT uses
steko is used figuratively meaning to stand firm
in faith and duty, to be constant, to persevere, to remain steadfast,
to continue in a state. It can mean to be firmly committed in
conviction or belief. Steko occurs 11 times in the NT in the NASB: (Mk
2x;
Jn 2x;
Ro;
1Co;
Gal;
Phil 2x;
1Th;
2Th)
and is translated: stand, 2; stand firm, 4; standing, 1; standing
firm, 2; stands, 2.
The
present imperative is a
command calling for the saints to continue to persevere and remain
firm in their faith in the Lord, especially as it is manifest in what
they do with their bodies!
Early Paul had declared I press
on toward the goal for the prize... (see note
Philippians 3:14)
which presents an interesting paradox. Believers can only stand
firm in the Lord by pressing on to become more like the
Lord. A Christian who is not moving forward is falling backward
whether he or she realizes it or not! Paul used (steko) exhorting the
Philippian saints to
conduct
(present
imperative) yourselves in a manner worthy of
the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain
absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm
(steko) in one
spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.
(see note
Philippians 1:27)
How does one stand
firm?
In context first it is by doing so "in
the LORD", in the
strength He supplies and abiding in His word (Jn 8:31-32).
Jesus reminded His disciples to
Abide
(aorist
imperative - Do
this now! Don't delay!)
in Me,
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it
abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide
in Me.
(Jn
15:4)
The Psalmist adds that
Those who trust in the LORD
are as Mount Zion (God's
holy city firmly set by Him on the hill), which cannot be moved,
but abides forever." (Ps 125:1)
(Spurgeon's
comment - They that
trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion. The emphasis lies upon the
object of their trust, namely, Jehovah the Lord. What a privilege to
be allowed to repose in God] How condescending is Jehovah to become
the confidence of his people! To trust elsewhere is vanity; and the
more implicit such misplaced trust becomes the more bitter will be the
ensuing disappointment; but to trust in the living God is sanctified
common sense which needs no excuse, its result shall be its best
vindication. There is no conceivable reason why we should not trust in
Jehovah, and there is every possible argument for so doing; but, apart
from all argument, the end will prove the wisdom of the confidence.
The result of faith is not occasional and accidental; its blessing
comes, not to some who trust, but to all who trust in the Lord.
Trusters in Jehovah shall be as fixed, firm, and stable as the mount
where David dwelt, and where the ark abode. To move mount Zion was
impossible: the mere supposition was absurd.) In
Acts we see the role of encouragement in standing firm as Paul and
Barnabas were
"strengthening
the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith,
and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of
God" (Acts 14:22)
Forewarned
is
Forearmed Paul exhorted his beloved Corinthian
saints to
be
(present
imperative) steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord"
(1Co 15:58)
In the same
letter Paul later exhorted them to
Be on the alert,
stand firm (steko)
in the faith,
act like men,
be strong.
(1Cor 16:13)
(Each verb in
red
is a command - all
present imperatives) To the Galatian church in danger of falling into the fleshly trap of
legalism Paul wrote that
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore
keep
standing firm (present
imperative) (steko)
and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
(Gal 5:1)
To the Ephesian church in the midst of intense spiritual warfare
Paul
wrote
be strong
(present
imperative) in
the Lord, and in the strength of His might.
Put on
(aorist
imperative - Do
this now! Don't delay!) the full armor of God, that you may be
able to
stand firm
against the schemes of the devil...(and)
take up
(aorist
imperative - Do
this now! Don't delay!) the full armor of God, that you may be
able to resist
in the evil day, and having done
everything, to stand
firm.
Stand firm
(aorist
imperative - Do
this now! Don't delay!)
therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE
BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE
PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE in addition to all, taking up the
shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the
flaming missiles of the evil one. And
take
(aorist
imperative - Do
this now! Don't delay!) THE HELMET OF SALVATION,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer
and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view,
be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints."
(see
notes on spiritual warfare
Ephesians 6:10;
11;
12;
13;
14;
15;
16;
17;18)
Did you note the
repetition of standing firm in the context of spiritual warfare?
Paul shows us the role of prayer in standing firm
reminding the saints at Colossae that
Epaphras, who is one of your
number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always
laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that (purpose
clause -- the purpose of his intense praying) you may
stand
perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. (see
note
Colossians 4:12) Paul reminded the Thessalonians of the impact their walk had on him,
writing
for now we really live, if you
stand firm
(steko) in the Lord." (see note
1Thessalonians 3:8)
encouraging them in his second letter to "stand
firm (steko) and hold to the
traditions which you were taught (not "traditions of men" but the
truths taught by Paul as he received them from the Lord), whether
by word of mouth or by letter from us."
(2Th 2:15)
Peter also emphasizes the importance of truth in assuring that
one stands firm reminding and exhorting them that
"knowing this beforehand (that "untaught and unstable"
people will "distort... the Scriptures to their own destruction"), be on your guard lest, being carried away by the
error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness"
(see note
2 Peter 3:17)
Jude eloquently sums up this topic of standing firm in the Lord,
with this beautiful benediction
Now to Him who is able to keep
you from stumbling, and
to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with
great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and
forever. Amen."
(Jude
1:24
25)
So now dear
beloved of Jehovah, "Stand firm in the Lord." |
