Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
Paul pictures his own possible death as an offering poured out upon the sacrifice and service of the Philippians' faith, and even in that he joys and rejoices together with them all. He can so rejoice because his toil is not in vain but is bearing fruit as they accept his labor and profit by it. Therefore in whatever calling or responsibility, duty is to be done in faith and obedience without murmurings and disputings, with cheerfulness, hope and courage, without seeking supremacy, so that believers are blameless as sons of God shining as lights in the world by holding forth the word of life. This calls for a thorough change of character into the mind that dwelt in Jesus, with order in the church, repentance and confession of wrongs, and for holding Scripture in the heart as spiritual nourishment, since receiving Christ's words is receiving spirit and life.
Paul's Sacrifice and Joy
Paul's possible death is pictured as a drink offering poured out upon the sacrifice and service of the Philippians' faith, joining his laying down of life to their faithful service to God. Even if his life were poured out in that service and in connection with that faithful service, he joys and rejoices together with them all. His sacrifice and their faith become one shared cause for joy, with him rejoicing with the believers and sharing their joy in that offering. Whether viewed as service to their faith or as dying for his own faith in Christ, the offering accompanying their faithful service is regarded as reason for mutual rejoicing rather than sorrow.
He could so joy in being offered upon the sacrifice and service of their faith because he toiled and labored with the satisfaction of knowing his efforts were bearing fruit. That fruit was seen as believers accepted his labors and profited by them, giving ground for joy and rejoicing with them all even in the face of being offered.
Obedient Life and Application
Doing everything without grumbling and arguing is what makes believers innocent and harmless as God's sons without fault in the middle of a twisted and perverse generation. They shine as lights in the world by holding out the word of life, so that gospel labor is not run or worked in vain. Even to be poured out like a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of their faith is therefore reason for joy and for rejoicing together with them all. This means doing duty in whatever calling or responsibility with faith and obedience, with cheerfulness and hope and courage in the Lord, without grasping for supremacy, leaving all exaltation to God and letting the work carry its own reward.
A complete transformation of character must take place before God recognizes believers as His children, bringing order into the church. Having the mind that lived in Jesus is necessary in order to behave rightly in God's church, along with right keeping of the Sabbath. This leads to repentance, to confessing wrongs done to brothers and sisters, and to bearing public testimony. The same text is to be kept in the heart and taken in as spiritual food, since eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood means receiving His words, which are spirit and life.
Paul pictures his own possible death as an offering poured out upon the sacrifice and service of the Philippians' faith, and even in that he joys and rejoices together with them all. He can so rejoice because his toil is not in vain but is bearing fruit as they accept his labor and profit by it. Therefore in whatever calling or responsibility, duty is to be done in faith and obedience without murmurings and disputings, with cheerfulness, hope and courage, without seeking supremacy, so that believers are blameless as sons of God shining as lights in the world by holding forth the word of life. This calls for a thorough change of character into the mind that dwelt in Jesus, with order in the church, repentance and confession of wrongs, and for holding Scripture in the heart as spiritual nourishment, since receiving Christ's words is receiving spirit and life.
Paul's Sacrifice and Joy
Paul's possible death is pictured as a drink offering poured out upon the sacrifice and service of the Philippians' faith, joining his laying down of life to their faithful service to God. Even if his life were poured out in that service and in connection with that faithful service, he joys and rejoices together with them all. His sacrifice and their faith become one shared cause for joy, with him rejoicing with the believers and sharing their joy in that offering. Whether viewed as service to their faith or as dying for his own faith in Christ, the offering accompanying their faithful service is regarded as reason for mutual rejoicing rather than sorrow.
He could so joy in being offered upon the sacrifice and service of their faith because he toiled and labored with the satisfaction of knowing his efforts were bearing fruit. That fruit was seen as believers accepted his labors and profited by them, giving ground for joy and rejoicing with them all even in the face of being offered.
Obedient Life and Application
Doing everything without grumbling and arguing is what makes believers innocent and harmless as God's sons without fault in the middle of a twisted and perverse generation. They shine as lights in the world by holding out the word of life, so that gospel labor is not run or worked in vain. Even to be poured out like a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of their faith is therefore reason for joy and for rejoicing together with them all. This means doing duty in whatever calling or responsibility with faith and obedience, with cheerfulness and hope and courage in the Lord, without grasping for supremacy, leaving all exaltation to God and letting the work carry its own reward.
A complete transformation of character must take place before God recognizes believers as His children, bringing order into the church. Having the mind that lived in Jesus is necessary in order to behave rightly in God's church, along with right keeping of the Sabbath. This leads to repentance, to confessing wrongs done to brothers and sisters, and to bearing public testimony. The same text is to be kept in the heart and taken in as spiritual food, since eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood means receiving His words, which are spirit and life.