Philippians 1 | To Live Is Christ, to Die Is Gain – Unpacking Philippians 1

What is the main message of Philippians 1?
Why is Paul's imprisonment significant in the book of Philippians? What does "to live is Christ, to die is gain" mean?

Philippians 1 offers a rich exploration of the Apostle Paul's reflections while in prison, underscoring the profound themes of joy, unity, and spiritual growth amidst suffering. Written as a missionary support letter, Paul expresses his gratitude to the Philippians for their partnership in the gospel, both in spirit and through financial support. He highlights the importance of perseverance and the unique opportunity his imprisonment provides to spread the gospel even among the Roman Imperial Guard, revealing how adversity can serve God’s greater purpose.

Paul's perspective on suffering is particularly striking; he views it not as a curse but as a privilege granted by Christ. He encourages the believers in Philippi to remain steadfast in their faith, embracing suffering as a means to grow spiritually and align more closely with Christ’s example. This perspective challenges modern Christians to move beyond comfort-seeking attitudes, recognizing that authentic discipleship may involve hardship and persecution.

The chapter also delves into the maturity required to handle challenges with a Christ-like attitude. Paul sets an example by rejoicing even when others preach Christ from false motives, as long as the gospel is proclaimed. This passage demonstrates Paul's deep commitment to the advancement of God's kingdom, regardless of personal cost or external circumstances. His message is a call to prioritize the gospel above personal gain or recognition.

Philippians 1 ends with a powerful exhortation for believers to live lives worthy of the gospel, unafraid of opposition and united in purpose. Paul’s closing words remind the Philippians that both belief in Christ and the willingness to suffer for His sake are divine gifts. He reassures them that God, who began a good work in them, will bring it to completion, offering hope and encouragement to all who endure trials for their faith.

Through this chapter, Paul invites believers to embrace a mindset of joy in adversity, mature faith, and unwavering commitment to the gospel. His words are a timeless reminder that God's plan often unfolds through our willingness to trust and obey, even in the midst of suffering.

#Philippians #PaulineLetters #ChristianFaith #SpiritualGrowth #JoyInSuffering #BibleStudy #NewTestament #MissionarySupport #FaithJourney #GospelAdvancement

Transcript

 Philippians 1

Philippians 1

[00:00:00] Hey everyone, welcome to God's Plan, your part, year two, where this year we're reading through and studying the entire New Testament one chapter at a time. Thanks again for joining us in discovering God's plan and your part in it. Today we are starting a brand new book. We're going into the book of God.

Philippians. So we have wrapped up Ephesians. We're kicking off Philippians. Uh, this is written, this book is written around the same time as Ephesians. Paul is writing from prison. Uh, obviously some of the same ideas are on his mind. You will see him mentioning Uh, unity, you'll see him using some of the same kinds of language that he did for the Ephesian church, though it's not explicitly exactly the same, uh, and you also see that imprisonment is certainly very much on his mind.

We see that just right here in chapter one. Uh, the other thing to be aware of is that this is most likely a missionary support kind of newsletter. I did not know that for a very long time. Uh, but if you know that going into reading [00:01:00] it, it actually makes a little bit more sense. You actually see, uh, in verse, I think it's verse two, uh, verse three.

I'm sorry. I thank God. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy because of your partnership and your love. In the gospel from the first day until now, that partnership is actual people partnering with him, uh, but it's also actual money.

So this is a missionary support, uh, letter and he is trying to encourage them and keep them up to speed with what is going on in his life. So this letter is quite short. I thought that Ephesians was very short. Um, so we will be seeing. This letter wrap up at about four chapters, which is pretty crazy. But this first one, it is very much packed with some of the same, similar themes like Ryan was saying.

And something that I noticed from this chapter is the idea of, um, again, growing in your faith, you can't just stay stagnant. You can't stay stuck in [00:02:00] your faith. You need to continue to move on, but it is like oddly mixed in. Um, with these ideas or, well, I guess just his reality of being in prison and what that looks like for him.

And I think that mindset of a missionary, um, like a missionary letter is very important and it helps you to see exactly what he's experiencing while also still very much caring for the church. Mm hmm. In his predicament. Mm hmm. Uh, one of the reasons that it's addressed Paul and Timothy, uh, one is that Timothy is probably helping him to actually physically write the letter, but two is because Timothy is actually able to freely go back and forth.

So Timothy most likely would actually go and visit places and then return and give reports to Paul. And so Paul, like the church knows Paul, the church knows Timothy. Timothy, uh, that's probably why there's this back and forth and this recognition from the very top that it's both of them. Paul's also intentionally raising up Timothy as his protege [00:03:00] to take on the work of the ministry that he started.

So you'll see that in this letter as well. When you look at verses 12 to 30, there's a lot packed in there, but Paul is saying after he kind of, like, gives in a little, I guess, rundown of his time in prison, and he does say, like, hey, even though this is happening to me, and even though I would just love to be with the Lord, and I would love to just kind of, like, see the other side of this, The spreading of the gospel like it's still happening.

It's still going on. It's still advancing And so it's like he's telling them his own story, but he's also being really encouraging in that There's gonna be stuff that happens to you, but you have to be mature You have to go in your faith. You have to allow the spirit to work in you And God's gonna do what he's gonna do regardless of your circumstances.

And so like, you kind of have like this, this fork in the road where you can decide to like glorify God in it, knowing that his work is [00:04:00] going to be done or get stuck in a weird place and not grow mature or grow maturely or spiritually mature, um, because of your circumstances. And God, again, he's still going to do what he's going to do.

It's actually very fun, like interesting. I guess funny. It's not quite the right word, but when he talks about his imprisonment one, he talks about. How thankful he is for being imprisoned, uh, because he's able to spread the gospel among the, like the Royal Roman Guard, the Imperial Guard. Uh, so he's actually thankful for the opportunity to share the gospel with the people who have jailed him.

And he apparently is having a serious impact on those who have jailed him. Then he goes on to make the case that yes, he is aware of people who are. Um, preaching the gospel from false motives. They're actually preaching Christ just so that Paul gets into even more trouble. And Paul says that what is important is that Christ gets the [00:05:00] attention.

So Paul is aware. I would assume he actually knows people's names. Uh, people that are preaching the gospel just to make his time in prison. Even worse, they're not righteously motivated. Uh, they're, they do not care about discipling people. They just want Paul's life to be worse. And Paul actually says, Hey, I see this as a good thing because even though they're not righteously motivated, more people will know about Jesus.

And I'm thankful for that. You want to talk about maturity. Look at this guy who has no problem with people, um, deceitfully preaching the gospel, and he's Thankful that more people are aware of who Jesus is. That is very wild. It is pretty nuts. Um, but again, he does say that he would much rather, um, desire and be with Christ or depart and be with Christ.

His desire is to do that. Um, because he is in verse 23, he is pressed hard. However. I do really like, uh, where was your verse? Your verse that you really [00:06:00] resonated with. I really like verse 21. It's what you're just loosely referring to. I'm like, kind of like right there. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Right, right. So it's just, it's interesting how his perspective is not one that we are all too familiar with. We definitely resonate with like, Oh yeah, that's, that's really great. But when it comes time to like rubber meets the road for us, we can often like, you know, Like slink back and just be happy complaining about how uncomfortable we are.

Um, I do the same thing all the time. But that verse is really important, I think, to Because Paul recognizes his humanity. He recognizes like the discomfort, but says, no, you know what, like to live is Christ and to die is gain. So definitely hit another park. That's sort of rounding out the chapter. I do think this is important to touch on.

Uh, this is verse 29 for it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him, but also. [00:07:00] Suffer for his sake engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have this is a pretty radical verse and I think it should be convicting to most of us because this is verse 29 just just to repeat it for it has been granted to you.

That for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him, but also suffer. The reason I'm pointing this out is because I think in today's modern world and today's kind of subtly corrupted Christianity, I think we would expect him to use the word prosper or do well or have a fantastic plan for your life.

But actually what he says is that you Uh, and I'll just use his exact words again for the sake of Christ. You should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. And then he builds on that in case you're confused, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had. And now here that I [00:08:00] still have, this is a man in prison for preaching the gospel saying, Oh man, what a joy it is, how thankful we can be.

Not only that we can believe in Christ, but we can also have the opportunity to suffer. With him, there has been some elements of this that has been lost on us. And I don't know, you know, obviously I don't know every single one of you and actually shout out, there are a lot of new listeners lately. So we are glad that you are tuning in and listening to the podcast.

We appreciate it. Uh, we appreciate, you know, All the support that you give us. We're very thankful for it. Um, it's interesting that this is not what most Christian speakers sound like today because it seems like we've kind of shifted to this weird marketing mode where it's like, God wants, that's exactly right.

And this, this prosperity nonsense is spreading like wildfire where it's like, believe in God and he will give you stuff and he will make you successful and he will give you money. Yeah. And Paul's message is nothing like that. Paul's message is [00:09:00] what a wonderful thing it is to believe in Christ because he will cause you to suffer alongside with him.

And that is to the glory of God. So it's interesting that in the last 2000 years, uh, we've gone from being joyful in our suffering, uh, to be, being thankful for our prosperity in advance. It's, it's amazing. It's a very odd shift. Uh, I would say it's a little bit of a concerning shift, and I do think it's something we should pay attention to as we continue to read some of these Pauline letters.

And I wonder, I don't know, like, correct me if I'm wrong. I wonder how much of an issue that is for us here in the States. Like. I mean, I'm sure that it transcends many different places, but I wonder if that's like a more unique issue that we struggle with. And if it isn't like, does that look different for you?

Yeah, that's true. If it does look different for you, please let us know. You can actually text us with the link in our show notes or you can leave a comment right there on YouTube. Um, I, I do think it's, It's interesting [00:10:00] that, and I've gotten on this soapbox before, like it's very common for us today to try to compromise to be accepted by culture because we think that compromise will allow us to be accepted and we'll be doing the gospel a favor by getting more attention.

It seems like what Paul is teaching is the opposite. The exact opposite, refuse to compromise. And, and honestly, even in today's world, like I don't think you're going to get thrown in prison, uh, though I know in, certainly in some places that's very possible. Uh, but certainly if you're trying to represent authentic Christian thought and life.

Authentic Christian theology. There will be times where people will not appreciate what you have to say, and you will not be accepted and you will not prosper, honestly. And I think it's, I think it's worth noting, uh, what Paul's writing about. He is going to, he is actually going to build on that case. So I invite you to continue tuning in, uh, to listen to Philippians two, three, and four, uh, because he is going to expand on this and it actually is going to be [00:11:00] very encouraging because when we live a life that honors Christ, we are living the life.

Uh, that God has designed for us and the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. So you will be doing what God has called you to do, uh, when you glorify him, but it will not guarantee that your life will be easy and it will not guarantee that your life will be without suffering. So take that as a, your part, just a little added, um, verse for today.

Like we said earlier, verse one. Excuse me. Chapter one, verse 21 for me to live as Christ and to die as gain. So hopefully apply that to your own life today. You want to add something? I will. I'll throw another verse on top of that. Well, you get lots of your parts today. It's a your part buffet. This is verse six and I am sure of this.

That he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is God who has begun a good work in you and it is God who will bring it to completion. And we can be [00:12:00] very, very thankful for that. Like I am so happy that God is working in my, my heart, mind and soul. And it's not up to me to bring my faith to completion.

Obviously I have a part to play in that, but I did not initiate it. And I most likely will not be able to complete it without God intervening on my behalf. So we are thankful that it is the Holy Spirit that's moving and working in our lives, and he will bring it to completion when we're faithfully serving and honoring him.

So we invite you to do that. We'll be back again on Monday, uh, with Philippians chapter two, which is very powerful passage. You don't want to miss it. Uh, we'll see you then. Thanks for joining today's episode of God's Plan, Your Part. As always, please consider partnering with us as we are a listener supported podcast that we hope to continue to grow with support from listeners just like you.

We've made it super easy to partner with us and you can support us by following the link in our show notes or our description. You can support us with as little as three dollars a month. Every little bit of this helps so [00:13:00] much and we're so thankful for your support. With that in mind, here's today's reading.

Philippians chapter 1. Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi with the overseers and deacons. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in the imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

For God is my witness how I yearn for you with all the affection of Christ Jesus, and is my prayer. that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may be able to [00:14:00] approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

I want you to know, brothers, what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. So that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ and Most of the brothers having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment are much more bold to speak the word without fear Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and [00:15:00] the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me, yet which I shall overcome I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and to be with Christ, for that is far better, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you, that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving [00:16:00] side by side for the faith and of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

For it has been granted to you, that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him. But also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of God's Plan, Your Part. Don't forget, you can find us on just about every social media platform and YouTube.

Let us know what you thought of today's episode, and if you have any questions, go ahead and post them there. You can also reach out to us directly at godsplanyourpartatgmail. com As always, If you don't have a Bible, or if you'd like to use the one that we use, uh, reach out to us via email and we'll be happy to send one to you.

Thanks again for listening. We'll see you again [00:17:00] tomorrow.