The Glorious Humility of Jesus (Philippians 2:5–8)

By | October 9, 2025
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How does one sing about the incarnation, crucifixion, and Trinitarian truths in just nine lines?

This question stems from Philippians 2:6–8, a passage many see as part of an ancient hymn. Some continue the hymn through Philippians 2:9–11. Seeing Paul’s usual grammar and logic in Philippians 2:9–11 (“For this reason… so that”), some stop short of hymnody to identify these lines as “exalted prose,” masterfully describing the humiliation and exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul gives three primary verbs (did not regard, emptied, humbled) and attaches two verbal phrases to each (existed, to be; taking, being made; and being found, becoming). He upholds Christ as God in Philippians 2:6 and powerfully contrasts this divinity with His humanity and humiliation in Philippians 2:7–8.

Whether hymn or not, this passage reveals the Father’s thoughts about Christ, given by the Spirit through the pen of Paul, truth for us today. And, the passage is not so much meant to captivate us by its ornate structure or its Trinitarian implications as it is to function as a command with an illustration (though its structure and especially its theology are worth extra attention in themselves). In context, Paul reinforces his earlier command for the church to be of the same mind in Philippians 2:2–4.

  • The command in Philippians 2:5 is to have a mind like Jesus.
  • The actions of Christ Jesus in Philippians 2:6–8 illustrate this mindset.

So, let’s consider the command and illustration that Philippians 2:5–8 provides through the four headings below.

Christ’s Humility in Us (2:5)

The command in Philippians in Philippians 2:5 literally reads something like, “This, think in you.”1 “This” refers back to the command in Philippians 2:2, to be of the same mind, of the same love, together thinking as one. Paul sees obedience to his “mind” commands in Philippians 2:2 and 2:5 as the fruit of a shared encouragement, love, fellowship, and affection and compassion for one another (Philippians 2:1). This command is not selfish or proud but expressed in humility (Philippians 2:3). It looks out not for one’s own things but the things of others (Philippians 2:4).

What is new in Philippians 2:5 is not so much the command itself as the illustration of this mindset that Paul gives in Christ Jesus. The way we are commanded to think in Philippians 2:1–4—Christ illustrates how to live this mindset out, as we see in Philippians 2:6–8.

Christ’s Humility in Heaven (2:6)

The Son “existed in the form of God,” meaning that Christ is essentially God. All things that God is, He is because He is God. Within this verse, a similar thought is that Christ has an inherent “equality with God.” This equality and existence as God is who the Son eternally is. And yet, His humility is that “He… did not regard” His “equality” with all of its privileges a thing to be “grasped” and selfishly held. Even in eternity past, He was willing to be sent by the Father to take on human flesh and die for us.

Christ’s Humility on Earth (2:7)

Christ “emptied Himself” of much in heaven to come to earth below. The blessings of heaven—His glory, His riches, His fellowship, the full exertion and manifestation of who He was as the Son of God (cf. John 17:5, 24; 2 Cor 8:9)—these He voluntarily chose not to fully enjoy and express. He submitted Himself to the Father’s will and ministered in the power of the Spirit (John 6:38; Acts 10:38–39).

He emptied Himself by “taking the form of a bond-servant” and “being made in the likeness of men.” He was fully man and yet unlike man in His sinlessness and divinity. And yet though God, He humbly emptied Himself by adding humanity to Himself to live as a man to die for us.

Christ’s Humility on the Cross (2:8)

Christ Jesus was “found in appearance as a man” who could be observed to walk and talk and breathe and sleep. Fully man, Jesus further “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,” and a gruesome death at that—“even death on a cross.” He gladly obeyed His Father’s will (Hebrews 10:7; cf. Psalm 40:8), learned obedience in His humanity (Hebrews 5:8–9), and died righteously for all (Romans 5:19).

The Glorious Humility of Jesus

As a reward for His perfect life and sinless death, Jesus received His reward. He returned to the glory and riches of heaven above and received the name Lord, to which every knee will bow (Philippians 2:9–11). Implied is that believers, too, as they humbly serve one another, will be exalted by God one day.

Summarizing our passage, we must have a mind like Jesus. He had a mind to humble Himself when He gladly chose to leave heaven above. As He did, He emptied Himself to become a slave, fully human, here on earth below. What is more, as a man, He humbled Himself to die for you and me, a death that only the worst of men would die, even death on a cross.

May we be forever grateful for that the Son of God came and died for us. And may we serve one another as He served us—with humility for the glory of God.

—

All Scriptural quotations are from the NASB95.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

  1. “Have this attitude” in Philippians 2:5 translates from phroneō, the same word translated “being of.. mind” and “intent” in Philippians 2:2. “Humility of mind” in Philippians 2:3 is a similar “thinking word” (tapeinophrosunē), a combination of “to humble” (tapeinoō) and “mind” (phrēn). We must think as Christ thinks (phroneō), and “He humbled himself” (tapeinoō) for us (Philippians 2:5, 8). [↩]

Praying for Help when You are Helpless, Part 1: A God who Hears, Remembers, Sees, and Knows

By | September 25, 2025
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Israel’s Cry for Deliverance

After almost 400 years of slavery in Egypt, Israel is recorded to have groaned and cried out for help.

During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. (Exodus 2:23)

Although there is no specific mention here as to whether the people are crying out to God, elsewhere Israel claims that the Lord heard their cry to Him.

Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. (Deuteronomy 26:7; cf. Numbers 20:16)

God’s Response to Israel’s Cry for Deliverance

Israel’s cry for rescue “came up to God.” How did God respond?

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. (Ex 2:24-25)

Moses records 4 verbs that explain God’s response to Israel’s groaning, their cry for help.

God heard their groaning.

Israel’s prayers did not go ignored. And this narrative is not the first in which God is recorded to hear distress. After Isaac was born and weaned, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away by Abraham into the wilderness with bread and water. After their water was gone, Hagar put Ishmael under bushes far away from her so she wouldn’t watch him die. She wept, and it seems that Ishmael did too, for this is what God said:

And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. (Genesis 21:17)

Even before Ishmael was born, God had earlier told Hagar to call him Ishmael, which means, “God hears.” He told her to name him this “because the Lord has listened to your affliction” (Genesis 16:11).

God is a God who hears when people are distressed.

God remembered his covenant.

Beginning in Genesis 12 (and repeated and expanded throughout Genesis), God promised Abraham land, blessing, and great number of descendants. Israel had certainly grown into a greater number, but they had no land and were experiencing oppression rather than blessing. But God had not forgotten his covenant.

“For God to remember is not to recollect accidentally, but to take action deliberately on what is recalled. . . . Even if they had not cried out, even if life in Goshen had been serene and idyllic, God still would have delivered them. He cannot be faithful to his covenant and do otherwise.”1

God is a God who remembers and is faithful to keep his promises.

God saw the people of Israel.

As noted earlier in Deuteronomy 26:7, God not only saw Israel, he saw their toil, their affliction, and their oppression. God himself told Moses:

“I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings.” (Exodus 3:7)

Again, this is not the first time God saw people in their distress. When Hagar fled from Sarai the first time and God gave Ishmael his name (as we noted above), he told her to return to her mistress and gave her a promise that he would multiply Ishmael’s descendants into an innumerable multitude. Hagar responded:

“Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” (Genesis 16:13, NKJV)

God is a God who sees people.

God knew.

Although there is no direct object in that sentence, one can assume that what God knew was their sufferings, as he said to Moses in Exodus 3:7: “I know their sufferings.” Not only did he know, but he cared. He also told Moses to tell this to the elders of Israel:

“I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt” (Exodus 3:16, NASB).

God is a God who knows what is going on in peoples’ lives.

We recall that God did indeed deliver Israel from Egypt. He promised that he would.

“I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:17)

And he delivered on that promise.

And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (Deuteronomy 26:8-9)

What an encouragement it is to see examples of people in distress crying out to God and being heard, remembered, seen, and known. We know that God is a God who is faithful. We’ve seen him over and over keep his promises throughout the Old Testament, culminating with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. We know that he will always be faithful to continue to keep them.

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Image created by ChatGPT

 

 

  1. Victor Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011), p. 3). [↩]

The Results of Rejecting Complementarianism

By | September 18, 2025
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This post is a brief follow-up to my recent post, “A Brief Look at Complementarianism.”

What happens when someone rejects complementarianism?

The opposite of complementarianism is egalitarianism, understanding that men and women are not only created as equal in the image of God, but also in role and function. This belief holds that men and women can function in the home and church without a specified role.

First, it wrongly understands and wrongly applies the clear truth of God.

I believe this issue is patently clear in Scripture. It’s not like trying to figure out who are the two witnesses of God in Revelation 11 or the identity of the sons of God in Genesis 6. It’s not even like trying to figure out the method and meaning of baptism (though, for me, I’m convinced on the matter). Complementarianism stems from clear commands and teaching from biblical authors in multiple passages in the Bible. To deny the clear teaching of Scripture is a pretty serious matter. Which leads to my second point…

Second, a wrong understanding and application of this issue typically leads to further wrong understandings and applications in other passages of the Bible.

It has been my experience with egalitarians that, as they fail to understand what I believe is a clearly taught issue in Scripture, so also they misunderstand other matters in Scripture as well. I know this may sound like something of a generalization and a caricature, but, in my view, it is not. Perhaps I could ask it like this: if someone so misunderstands and denies the teaching of the passages mentioned above, what are other passages in Scripture that they also misunderstand and misapply?

Third, it reverses the roles of men and women in the home and the church and effectively institutionalizes sin.

Perhaps saying “no one is the head of the home” or “we head this home together” is not quite the opposite of “the husband is the head of the home.” But it’s still not scriptural. For a woman to lead the home is indeed opposite of what God intends. Worse, though, is when a woman leads a church as its pastor—also the opposite of what God commands, providing a public example for what is supposedly okay in the home as well. If Paul’s instructions for the leadership of the church find their basis in the created order and the home, then to set up a woman as pastor is to say that she can lead the home as well.

This reversal institutionalizes disobedience in the church by violating God’s command on the matter and encourages this reversal in the home.

Closing Thoughts

For those who have already studied this matter to some degree, I acknowledge again that I’ve said nothing new. I’ve not even delved into any fine-tuned questions that many might have. A post like this can only be so long. But I hope the above is still helpful to anyone who took the time to give it a read.

The push against complementarianism is nothing new. God made clear to Adam and Eve that their sin resulted in a perpetual struggle for men and women to live out their intended roles.

However, by the grace of God, we can overcome sin’s effects on the roles of men and women and glorify Him as He made us to serve. Men lead in the home, and as they are qualified and called by the church, they can lead in the church as well. Women can glorify God just the same in the role that He has designed for them. Both are equally made in His image, equal in dignity and worth. May God help us each to reflect who He is for His glory in our respective roles.

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A Brief Look at Complementarianism

By | September 18, 2025
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What is complementarianism?

Complementarianism understands man and woman as complementary to one another, meaning that they are equally made in the image of God and yet distinct in their roles, completing one another as defined in Scripture.

In past decades, sound theologians have thoroughly explored this issue. I don’t really have anything new to say. My reason for saying anything at all is that our society continues to rush downhill on this matter, rejecting God’s truth and attempting to redefine what it means to be a man or a woman, if any clear definition is even given at all. In response to their unbelief, God has judged many by giving them over to their sin and the delusion of thinking that this sin is something to celebrate (Romans 1:26–27, 32).

Here’s a quick summary of complementarianism, organized according to the storyline of the Bible.

God created mankind with complementary roles.

God created mankind in His image, distinct as male and female who are equal in dignity and worth (Gen 1:26–28). They are fellow heirs of the grace of life (1 Peter 3:7). God created Adam first to be the authority and head of the home, and God created Eve to be his helper (Gen 2:18; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:13). As husband and wife, they would be joined together as one (Genesis 2:24). As Paul would explain in time, marriage would picture Christ and the church by means of how the husband sacrificially loves his wife and how the wife respects and submits to her husband (Ephesians 5:22–33).

God continued these roles after mankind’s fall into sin.

Man fell into sin (Genesis 3:1–7; Romans 5:12), affecting all of creation (cf. Romans 8:19–22), himself and marriage included. In her sinfulness, the woman would desire to reverse the marriage roles and rule over her husband. In his sinful response, the man would harshly rule over her (Genesis 3:16b). It is therefore no surprise that the primary commands about marriage in the New Testament are for husbands to love their wives and for wives to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22–33; Colossians 3:18–19). By faith in Christ, a husband and wife can glorify God and live out the complementary roles that they are given. In common grace, unbelieving couples can reflect what God intends a marriage to be as well.

Multiple passages clearly teach that complementarianism spans the Testaments. In the New Testament, Paul repeatedly looks back to Adam and Eve when giving instruction for today (1 Corinthians 11:3, 7–9; 1 Timothy 2:11–15). Peter uses the example of Abraham and Sarah as well (1 Peter 3:5–6). Whether Adam and Eve before mankind’s fall into sin, the Old Testament after the fall, or the New Testament thereafter, complementarianism continues from one Testament to the next and into our present day.

God confirms these roles in the church.

Just as male headship exists in the home, so also it does in the church. Women may not teach or exercise authority over men in the church (and thus the church as a whole) and may therefore not function as pastors (1 Tim 2:11–14; cf. 1 Corinthians 14:34–35). Pastors may only be men and only as they fit the qualifications given by God (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:6–9). To be sure, women use their spiritual gifts in the church, disciple other women in the church (Titus 2:3–5), and can clearly build up both men and women in their fellowship with one another (e.g., Acts 18:26). Both men and women glorify God together as one in Christ in their service to Him and to one another in the church (1 Cor 12:12–26; Gal 3:28).

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Thinking Biblically About the Assassination of Charlie Kirk

By | September 11, 2025
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Suppose a man gives his life to speaking to large crowds. He talks to people one by one. Whether before one or one thousand, his message is incredibly effective. He rises to fame.  Everyone sees his success everywhere he goes. He might be a young man, but he is a rising star.

But not everyone agrees with him. Opponents sneer and jeer, heckling him every step of the way. His very presence is controversial. As much as some people believe, others don’t. In fact, they heatedly disagree. If people anticipate this man’s arrival and sense that he might give a speech, they also anticipate an element of danger because agitators could attack and push the crowd into chaos at any moment. Nobody wants to suffer the panic of a mob moved to mayhem by an assassination.

In spite of all this, this man continues to speak with authority. He knows the danger, but he silences his opponents. His life is on the line, and yet he makes them to look the fool in front of the masses. Knowing the hatred he will provoke, he still calls out his enemies for who they are and even gives them fitting names.

They hate it. Wow, do they hate it. They plot his murder. They don’t care if he’s a young man in his thirties. They don’t care if he is innocent. They don’t care if their slanders never stick. They will murder him. And they will do it in cold, calculated precision. Amazingly, they even do it before the public eye.

As good people watch this man die, they are shocked. They are saddened, outraged, and confused. They bury him with tears and broken hearts, wondering what God will do to the evil men who ended his life. The injustice of it all.

Thankfully, the Father raised this man from the dead. I’m talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. His unjust murder should outrage us. He certainly didn’t deserve it, so the Father shouted his innocence to the world by giving him life from the dead. He exalted him by bringing him to the throne of heaven where he rules as Lord over all.

I don’t mean to diminish the injustice of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. It is evil to murder anyone, whatever anyone’s political persuasion may be. The evil and suffering are compounded as a grieving mother and children are left behind. Those who agree with his political views feel that the gun was pointed at them to some degree as well. By shooting the messenger, people feel like their message was being shot. I get it. I hope true justice takes place—that this murderer is found, and if the law properly has its way as God intended, this killer himself will be killed (Genesis 9:5–6; Romans 13:3–4).

But don’t let one unrighteous murder overshadow the other. It should stir up righteous indignation within us to hear about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. But it should stir up even more indignation within us to think about the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, as we think of our sins that put him on his cross, we should be moved to sadness and repentance. And the power that raised him from the dead will be within us to live the Christian life and bring about our own resurrection and glorification one day.

What is more, we have the hope that perfect justice will take place. Christ will bring in his kingdom and make all wrongs right. Every assassin will stand before him and answer for every trigger pulled. Every sinner will answer for every deed he has ever done.

Our confidence as Christians is that we will stand there with forgiveness from sin and with the righteousness of Christ, thanks to our faith in him. Like other murderers in the Bible—Moses, David, the thief on the cross, Paul—Charlie Kirk’s assassin could find this forgiveness and righteousness as well. Let’s pray he does. But let’s pray that he still faces the proper consequences for his sin as well. A 1980’s serial killer Ted Bundy made a profession of faith before his execution, but the law still lawfully executed him for his evil deeds.

Our concern for the faithless is that they will have to answer for their sins in another way, whether murder or anything else. And their judgment will be in a lake of fire forever according to the perfect justice of God.

Christ came and sacrificially faced the justice of God for our sins on the cross. He is coming again to deal justly with sinners who find no refuge in him. Let’s pray that justice will be done here on earth, and let’s take hope that it will be carried out in full one day.

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Should You Take Your Children to a Funeral?

By | August 15, 2025
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As a pastor, I have presided over and preached for several funerals. These are bittersweet times. If it is a Christian who has died, we know that he or she is absent from the body but now present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). Jesus Christ was always there for this person in life, there in the final moments before death, and there to welcome His own to heaven (Ps 23:4; Phil 1:23). Even if the dead was not in Christ, it is still an honor and joy to point folks to Him by giving the gospel in a time of loss.

Sometimes it has been a funeral of just three people where I said a few words and sang “Amazing Grace” at the graveside. Sometimes it has been more formal service, whether at a funeral home or a church’s building. Some funerals had fewer people, some more, and if children were present, there were sometimes more and sometimes not so many. Sometimes none at all.

Whatever the size or venue, here’s a question for parents to consider: should you take your children to a funeral?

My answer is a sure yes, and here are several reasons why.

Your child will face his own death one day. 

Though an uncomfortable thought, “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb 9:27). As eulogies and sermons faithfully point to Christ, your child will hear how the hope of the gospel overcomes death. Christ died for sin, arose, and sits in heaven above. At our resurrection, He will come again to call His own to Himself, both the dead and those who remain (1 Thess 4:13–18). A Christian who dies is in the “in-between” of earthly life and resurrection, an existence free of sin and suffering with Christ above (2 Cor 5:1–10). A child will hear and think through all these truths and more at a funeral, especially if he knows and loves the one who died. He will have to think through these truths as they apply to him as he thinks of his own inevitable death. Funerals can be gospel moments, leading to opportunities to talk through these realities with your child.

Your child will face your own death one day. 

Seeing people die, processing what has taken place… who better to teach them about such things than you as parents at a funeral for someone else? Then, by the time you yourself pass away, there is a bed of truth within your child that God can use to encourage him through your death or the death of any other loved one.

Your child will gain more wisdom from thinking about death than living a life of fun and games.

Sometimes parents want to protect their children from the harsh reality of death by keeping them from a funeral. But Solomon says, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go a house of feasting. Because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart” (Ecc 7:2). Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom” (Ps 90:2). Yes, there are times to laugh and enjoy life, but life also has occasional funerals when we weep and mourn (Ecc 3:3). I’m certainly not saying that children or all of us must live life as a perpetual dirge. Children are children, and as I’ve seen, their natural joy can be a great source of encouragement to the grieving, even at a funeral. But when the funerals come, children should come to them as well. Shielding them from reality may actually cripple them from knowing how to handle what will inevitably come their way.

Your whole family will honor the dead and encourage the grieving.

People notice if you think well enough to honor the dead by bringing your whole family. It can greatly encourage the grieving as well (if they are able to notice these details in the midst of their grief). They might also notice if it appears you want to make an obligatory visit while the kids stay home or do some other nonessential activity. Yes, there are times when we must miss funerals because of God-given obligations that take priority even in the event of a death, but, generally speaking, not many things override the priority of honoring the dead and encouraging the living in the event of a funeral.

You can teach your children how to minister to the grieving.

Apart from the funeral itself, children can learn by example that friends can minister to the grieving in many ways. Providing meals at a busy time, helping make decisions about the funeral and burial, following up to encourage as time goes on—there is no end to opportunities to minister to the grieving if one simply has eyes to see. As Christians, a funeral should simply be one of many ways we encourage the grieving. As children hear their parents receive thanks for their ministry in the event of a death, they learn by example how they can similarly serve in time to come.

Your children may need the encouragement from the funeral as well.

If your child knew the deceased, what better way to encourage your child than to attend the funeral? Christian funerals have many means of grace: fellowship, prayer, hymns, the reading of Scripture, and the preaching of God’s Word. God ministers grace to us with all of these things every time the church gathers. In many ways, a funeral is simply a special type of service by the church. When we lose a loved one, we all need this encouragement, whether adult or child.

We could add more reasons, to be sure, but the reasons above, I hope, are sufficient to encourage parents to take their children to funerals as opportunity allows. Your children will be the better for it!

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An Overview of Philippians

By | July 22, 2025
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The Apostle Paul by Rembrandt, c. 1660’s

A friendly letter with a bunch of commands—this could be one way to caricature the apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

Looking more closely, we can better appreciate the rich context and content of this letter.1

As to context, Paul had just called himself an old man at this point in his life (Philemon 9). He was around 60 years old, having served for roughly 35 years since his conversion and calling in Acts 9, around 15 of the latter years with Timothy who was with him at this time (cf. Philippians 1:1). In fact, after joining Paul and Silas to minister to some established churches (cf. Acts 16:1–5), Philippi was Timothy’s first church-plant with Paul. They received “the Macedonian call” (Acts 16:6–10) and came to Philippi. Lydia, the Philippian jailer, and their households were won to Christ, and the miracles of an exorcism and an earthquake showed that the hand of God was at work (Acts 16:11–40). Lydia housed the missionaries, and the church continued to support Paul and his endeavors, both financially and through prayer (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:1–5; Philippians 4:10–20).

Paul wrote Philippians during his first Roman imprisonment (Philippians 1:7, 12–18; 4:22; cf. Acts 28:30–31). He also wrote Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon while during this imprisonment (cf. Eph 6:20; Col 4:3; Phm 9, 22), but Philippians was likely written shortly after, perhaps AD 62, and gives us the idea that he expected a soon release and eventual return to Philippi (Philippians 1:25–26; 2:23–24).

His letter stemmed from the coming of Epaphroditus with a financial gift to help Paul out during this time (Philippians 2:25–30; 4:10–20). Yet Paul had much more to say. Memorable moments in this letter are the exalted prose about Christ (Philippians 2:6–11), the inspiring language of pressing on toward the prize (Philippians 3:14), Paul’s exemplary contentment (Philippians 4:11), and the encouraging promise of being able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

And yet there’s more. A simple look at the letter could outline it like this: Paul gave an introduction and a prayer for the Philippians (Philippians 1:1–11). He spoke of his own affairs (Philippians 1:12–26) and then theirs (Philippians 1:27–2:18). He spoke of their future and shared affairs (Philippians 2:19–30) and then gave a range of exhortations (Philippians 3:1–4:4), ended with some final commands (Philippians 4:4–9). He finally said “thank you” for their financial gift (Philippians 4:10–20), and closed the book with some greetings and a prayer (Philippians 4:21–23).

So, at this point, we have some context and some content for the letter to the Philippians. But if we could do one more sweep through the book, we could pull several themes together to learn that, just as Paul wanted them to be then, so also God wants the same for us today: We must have a harmonious, happy, and hopeful fellowship in the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Let’s break that statement into its several parts.

I say “we” because this is God’s Word, which is for salvation and sanctification us today as well (cf. 2 Tim 3:14–17).

I say “must have” because it lets us feel the force of many commands that Paul gives throughout this letter.

As to some of those themes, one of them is to be “harmonious,” and especially “likeminded.” Paul regularly exhorts the Philippians to be unified in their fellowship of the gospel, placing their own interests to the side for the sake of serving others, having a mind to do so just like our Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:27; 2:2–4; 3:15; 4:2, 10).

This harmony comes with being “happy,” or better, “joyful.” Paul uses nouns and verbs throughout this letter to express his own joy and encourage them to the same (Philippians 1:4, 18, 25; 2:2, 17, 17, 28, 29; 3:1; 4:1, 4, 10).

This letter is also “hopeful.” Paul sees something to gain and something better at the end of his own life (Philippians 1:21, 23), and he also anticipates the end of this age. This age ends with the day of Christ Jesus, our resurrection, our glorification, peace, and the glory of God (Philippians 1:6, 10; 2:11, 16; 3:11, 14, 20–21; 4:5b, 9b, 19–20). This hope stands out against the trials that Paul and the Philippians experience, whether trials from without (Philippians 1:15–17, 28; 3:2, 18–19) or within (Philippians 4:2–3) the church.

This harmony, happiness, and hope is found with the church, those who have a “fellowship” together (Philippians1:5, 7; 2:1; 3:10; 4:14, 15). This “fellowship” or “sharing” or “participation” stems from “the gospel” (Philippians 1:5, 7, 12, 16, 27; 2:22; 4:3, 15), which is the good news about Christ Jesus, the central figure of this book (e.g., Philippians 1:1–2; 2:5–11; 3:9–11; 4:13).

What a wonderful book. May God help us to strive for a unified, joyful fellowship, centered around the gospel of Christ as we anticipate His soon return.

  1. See especially Gordon D. Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (NICNT; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1995), 1–53. [↩]

The Church: A Source of Glory and Joy (1 Thessalonians 5:12–24) 

By | June 12, 2025
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It is easy for pastors to say of a vibrant church, “You are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:20). On the one hand, such a church already following the Lord may “have no need for anyone to write,” and yet, on the other hand, the pastors would still say, “We urge you, brothers, to do this more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:9–10). The Thessalonians excelled in love and were encouraged to love the more. Some churches excel in many things but should be encouraged to excel yet more.

1 Thessalonians 5:12–24 contains a cluster of exhortations that, when obeyed, make the church a source of glory and joy to its pastors, just as the Thessalonians were to Paul, Timothy, and Silas (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:1). However well they did these things, Paul wrote from a distance to encourage them to excel still more, not only in love but also in all of the Christian life.

From this passage, we see that the church is a source of glory and joy when it …

… treats its pastors well (5:12–13).

Paul asked the Thessalonians “to respect… and to esteem them [their pastors] very highly.” Though the title “pastor” or an equivalent is not present, pastors are clearly in view. They “labor among” the flock, they “are over you in the Lord,” and they “admonish you.” A church is a source of glory and joy for a pastor as he serves them well and as they show their appreciation in return. This kind of relationship makes it easy to obey the final command in these two verses, “Be at peace among yourselves.”

… treats each other well (5:14–15). 

Paul captured the life and variety of the body with six commands. “Admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” Whatever the sin or weakness or evil, patience and goodness be the guardrails of every relationship. A church is a source of glory and joy for a pastor when it treats each other well. 

… thrives in every circumstance (5:16–18).

The Thessalonians were a persecuted bunch. They “received the word in much affliction,” and it continued (1 Thessalonians 1:6; cf. 2:13–16). And yet, they were to “rejoice… pray… and give thanks.” Moreover, they were to do so “always… without ceasing… in all circumstances” because “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” In short, they were to thrive spiritually, and a church that thrives in every circumstance is a source of glory and joy for any pastor.

… treasures the Word of God (5:19–22). 

The commands in this unit stick together to give a well-rounded approach to prophecy. In the Thessalonians’ day, the Spirit would give prophecies that prophets could verify as good or not (cf. 1 Corinthains 14:29; 1 John 4:1–6). The abuse of prophecy might provoke one to despise any prophecy and thus quench the Spirit. However, the Thessalonians were “test everything,” “hold fast to the good,” and “abstain from every form of evil.” 

As prophecy has ceased in this age, perhaps we can apply this passage in principle—to appreciate when the Spirit gifts someone to preach or teach the Word of God. We must test it, yes, and treasure its truth, holding fast to what is good. A church that treasures the Word of God will always be a source of glory and joy for a pastor. 

… trusts God to bring them into a perfect, peaceful eternity (5:23–24). 

Paul shifts to give a prayer with a promise for his readers. The prayer is for God to complete our sanctification and keep us blameless when Jesus returns. Moreover, God called us to this peaceful end, He is faithful to bring us to it, and He will surely do it. A church that hopes in glorification and trusts God to bring them to that point—this is a church that is a source of glory and joy for a pastor. 

May God help our churches to glorify Him in its treatment of its pastors and one another. May we also thrive in every circumstance with joy, prayer, and gratitude. May we treasure the Word of God and trust God to glorify us when His Son comes again.

—

Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash

Sarah: A Case Study of a Woman’s Faith, Hope in God, and Obedience to Her Husband

By | June 5, 2025
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As a follow-up to my study on a Theology of Woman, I wrote this lesson to give a little background to Sarah, whom Peter uses as a specific example for women to follow. Hopefully this short biography of an imperfect woman who placed her faith and hope in God and learned to obey her husband will encourage us to do the same.

Abram & Sarai’s background in Ur: Genesis 11:28-32

Sarai and Abram were half-siblings, sharing the same father, Terah (cf. Genesis 20:12). Abram was 10 years older than Sarai (cf. Genesis 17:17). They grew up in Ur of the Chaldeans, a powerful and wealthy pagan city; it was a theocracy based upon worship of the Babylonian moon god. Their father, Terah, led their family in moving from Ur to Haran, at which point Terah died.

The only description we have of Sarai’s first 65 years is that she “was barren; she had no child” (Genesis 11:30). This was obviously the greatest point of tension for Sarai personally and within their marriage.

God’s first promise to Abram & their move from Haran: Genesis 12:1–8

At age 75, Abram received a call from God to leave his family and country and go to a land God would show him. He promised to make of Abram a great nation. Abram obeyed God in faith (cf. Hebrews 11:8). Sarai (age 65) obeyed her husband in following him, living the life of a nomad (after having lived in a wealthy, urban area), and moving somewhere but not knowing where.

God’s promise to make of Abram a great nation (Genesis 12:2) and to give his offspring land (Genesis 12:7) must have placed a great burden on Sarai.

“Sarah obviously had a key role to play in this plan. Abraham could never become the patriarch of a great nation if she did not first become mother to his offspring. She was surely aware of the Lord’s promises to Abraham. She certainly would have longed to see those promise fulfilled. As long as she remained childless, however, the sense that everything somehow hinged on her must have pressed on her like a great burden on her shoulders.”1

Abram & Sarai’s deception in Egypt: Genesis 12:9–20

Abram led his family to Egypt due to a famine in Canaan. Sarai was such a beautiful woman (even at age 65!) that Abram selfishly, cowardly, and faithlessly told Sarai ahead of time to claim that she was only his sister. Sarai obeyed her husband and followed this plan. Sure enough, Pharaoh’s princes noticed her beauty, pointed her out to Pharaoh, and brought her into his house. Pharaoh gave Abram much livestock, likely planning to marry Sarai. However, plagues in his household resulted in Pharaoh’s finding out that Sarai was Abram’s wife. Sarai was then returned to Abram, untouched and unpunished.

God’s promise to Abram reiterated: Genesis 13:14–18

God expanded His promise to Abraham, showing how much land his offspring would have and how extensive his offspring would be.

God repeats His promise when Abram questions Him: Genesis 15:1–21

Abram voiced his concern to God about being childless. He was afraid that his heir would not be his own flesh and blood, but rather a servant in his household (Eliezer).

God reassured Abram that his very own son would be his heir. God then reiterated His promise, making a one-sided, unconditional covenant with Abram.

Sarai tells Abram to take Hagar to bear a son: Genesis 16:1–16

Likely aware of God’s promise to Abram that he would have a son, Sarai was acutely cognizant that she had borne him no children. She was now 75 years old. Rather than waiting on God, she came up with her own solution.

“But as she considered her circumstances, Sarah concluded that a kind of surrogate parenting was the only possible solution to her predicament. If God’s promise to Abraham were ever going to be fulfilled, Abraham had to father children by some means. Sarah thus took it upon herself to try to engineer a fulfillment of the divine promise to Abraham. She unwittingly stepped into the role of God.”2

At Sarai’s urging, Abram took his wife’s maidservant, Hagar, as his concubine. Hagar conceived and began to treat Sarai with disrespect and contempt. Sarai, provoked by Hagar’s disrespect, became angry and blamed Abram. Abram simply told Sarai to deal with Hagar as she wished. Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar, and Hagar fled. The Lord, however, told Hagar to return to her mistress and submit to her. Hagar bore a son, Ishmael, to Abram when he was 86.

God promises Abraham & Sarah a son: Genesis 17:1–21

God here changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s to Sarah. Once more, God reiterated His promises to Abram, but this time he specifically included Sarah. He stated,

“I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her” (Genesis 17:16).

Abraham asked that God not overlook Ishmael, yet God immediately emphasized that Abraham’s heir would be Sarah’s son.

God promises Abraham & Sarah a son in Sarah’s hearing: Genesis 18:1–15

God again came to repeat His promise, but He specifically did so in Sarah’s hearing.

Sarah was obedient to Abraham’s commands to help prepare an elaborate meal on short notice for three unexpected guests.

Sarah laughed when she heard that she, at 90, and Abraham, at 100, would have a son. The Lord asked why she laughed, asking if anything was too hard for the Lord. Sarah denied laughing.

Abraham & Sarah’s deception of Abimelech, King of Gerar: Genesis 20:1–18

Having not learned from their experience in Egypt, Abraham and Sarah deceived another king, claiming that Sarah was only Abraham’s sister. Once again, Sarah was not violated in any way as God protected them.

Sarah has a son and tells Abraham to cast out Hagar & Ishmael: Genesis 21:1–14

Just as the Lord had promised, Sarah had a son. Sarah saw humor in God’s dealings with her. Just as she and Abraham had laughed when they heard God’s promise, she realized that others will also laugh at the thought of such an old woman nursing a child. She named her son Isaac, which means “laughter.”

One person’s “laughter,” however, did not amuse Sarah. She saw Ishmael mocking Isaac and demanded that Abraham cast Hagar and Ishmael out. While Abraham did not want to cast out Ishmael, because he likely loved his firstborn son, God told Abraham not to be displeased but rather to follow through on Sarah’s request. God emphasized that it was through Sarah’s son, Isaac, that God’s promises would be fulfilled.

Sarah’s death & burial: Genesis 23:1–2

Sarah died at age 127, when Isaac was 37 years old. She is the only woman in Scripture whose age and place of burial are mentioned.

NT references to Sarah

Hebrews 11:1–2: “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”

“Sarah’s faith had. . . been well tested. She. . . demonstrated her absolute trust in God’s promises. And the stamp of God’s approval on her is contained in those New Testament passages that recognize her for her steadfast faithfulness.”3

1 Peter 3:5-6: “For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.”

“In the very same way the New Testament portrays Abraham as the spiritual father of all who believe (Rom. 4:9-11; Gal. 3:7), Sarah is pictured as the spiritual matriarch and the ancient epitome of all faithful women (1 Peter 3:6). Far from isolating those memorable instances where Sarah behaved badly, it commemorates her as the very epitome of a woman adorned with ‘the incorruptible beauty of a gently and quiet spirit’ 1 Peter 3:4 NKJV).”4

Lessons to take home

  • Despite her many failures, Sarah was praised as a holy woman with a gentle and quiet spirit who obeyed her husband and who had faith to consider God faithful to his promises. She obeyed Abraham even though he was not always exemplary himself. Her motivation was her hope in God, and we can be motivated by the same hope.
  • We also can follow in her example and have faith that God will still remain faithful to His promises, for nothing is too hard for the Lord.

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  1. John MacArthur, Twelve Extraordinary Women, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 32. [↩]
  2. Ibid., 38. [↩]
  3. Ibid., 50. [↩]
  4. Ibid., 50. [↩]

Some Brief Thoughts on Gossip and Godly Speech

By | May 15, 2025
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Out of curiosity, I looked up “gossip” in my Bible, looked up its roots in Greek, and chased down similar words in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). Since the verb “gossip” could literally mean “to whisper,” I looked up “whisper” in Proverbs to add some thoughts. Then I added some further thoughts from Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the New Testament. So, here are some word-study-guided reminders from the Bible about our speech.

The Greek verb behind gossip can literally mean “to whisper” (psithyrizō). David’s servants whispered so David could not hear them (2 Samuel 12:19). In fact, the first part of the verb sounds like whispering—psith. It even sounds like the noise of a snake. The Hebrew speaks of a serpent holding back his bite if “charmed” (Ecclesiastes 10:11), which the Septuagint terms as “whispering” (psithyrismos). The flick of the tongue in the teeth while vocalizing makes for snake-like sounds.

Perhaps the overlap between whispering and snakes is fitting. Gossip bites and poisons the soul. Gossip also holds evil company: “quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip [psithyrismos] conceit, and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20), the kinds of vices that viciously rip apart a church. Gossip as speech is “derogatory information about someone that is offered in a tone of confidentiality” (BDAG). A person who is a gossip through and through does not worship God (Romans 1:29, psithyristēs; cf. 1:18–32). Such a person is a “rumormonger” or a “tale-bearer” (BDAG).

Going back to the Old Testament, we find a similar concept in several verses to add to our understanding of gossip. Whisperers are dishonest people whose whisperings separate close friends (Proverbs 16:28). Their words pique morbid interest and penetrate listeners in a way that cannot be unheard (Proverbs 18:8; 26:22). Whisperers are like wood to the fire—no wood, no fire; and likewise, no whisperer, no quarreling (Proverbs 26:20).

And now I meander to other related thoughts. Sometimes we unintentionally create relational fires by simply saying too much. We do not intend to whisper, but we speak in ignorance, creating rumors and false information. For a matter like this, restraint in speech is prudent (Proverbs 10:19). Even if one is a fool, his silence is thought to be knowledge, wisdom, and intelligence (Proverbs 17:27–28). However, he is a fool indeed if he expresses needless opinions (Proverbs 18:2). Forecasting the future and talking about it without end leads to foolishness or madness (Ecclesiastes 10:12–14). And what we whisper to another, however confidential the setting may seem, might take flight and land into the ears of others (Ecclesiastes 10:20).

Though James 1:19 speaks against anger, it is also good advice in general: “let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak.” Similarly, “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame” (Proverbs 18:13). Whatever we say, may God help us to edify others, speak gracious words, gladden the Spirit, and show kindness in all we say (Ephesians 4:29–32).