Title Beginning of Philippians/Philippians 1:1-2
Content Beginning with the Book of Philippians/Phil 1:1-2 Rev. Sang-Kyun Han
I will tell you three characteristics of the book of Philippians.
First, the book of Philippians is a prison epistle.
Paul is now imprisoned in a Roman prison. And he wrote this letter.
Although in prison, why does Jesus' servant have to go to prison? I can't find a single annoying tone of voice. I can't see him complaining that I am suffering unfairly.
He is living in an unsettling prison with no promise for tomorrow, but he is not afraid of death at all.
Therefore, the book of Philippians transcends death. It is a word that transcends suffering and pain.
In this respect, we love the book of Philippians, and this is why we like it.
Second, Philippians is a letter from the Lord.
The ‘Essay in the Lord’ means that the Lord is his own Master. It means that he and Christ are united. Christ and He are one. It refers to the whole of life. It means that he is one with the Lord Jesus Christ, his life and the life of the Lord.
Paul's epistle to Ephesians also uses the word "in the Lord" a lot. However, in this book of the Philippians, the phrase ‘in Christ in the Lord Jesus’ is used a lot, and the word ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ is used the most. Every time Paul opens his mouth, ‘Lord Jesus’ comes out of his mouth. When we think about it, Paul feels filled with the Lord Jesus Christ from head to toe. It is Paul who is filled with the Lord Jesus. So, in this book of Philippians, the phrase “in the Lord Jesus Christ” appears 57 times. The word ‘Jesus Christ’ appears 7 times, the word ‘Christ Jesus’ 8 times, the word ‘in Christ’ 3 times, and the word ‘Christ’ 19 times.
Everyone! This is a letter that shows how much Paul wants to tell us about the Lord Jesus Christ and what he wants to convey. It tells us that the Lord Jesus is burning in Paul's heart. He is beaten for the sake of the Lord, and imprisoned because of the Lord. When he wakes up or opens his mouth, Jesus Christ comes out.
He has formed a union with Christ Jesus and life, and Jesus is Paul, and Paul is now Jesus to the extent that he is called Jesus. So, considering the fact that he says a lot in this book of the Philippians, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Lord, we find Jesus in Paul today.
Of all the Pauline epistles and among the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the book of Philippians is the one that mentions the name of the Lord Jesus the most and calls for Christ the most.
So today in Philippians 1:20 - "I want Christ to be glorified in my body, whether by life or death. To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." , that death is also beneficial.
Third, the book of Philippians is the Gospel of Joy.
Literally speaking, it is the gospel of joy, this gospel of joy, the epistle of joy. It is also called a mystery letter because it speaks of joy in prison.
Chapters 1 to 4 are connected with the joy of the Lord, the joy of Paul, the joy of the saints, that is, my joy. In this Philippians chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4, some verses speak of joy, every verse, every verse. This joy is the joy of the Lord, and this joy of the Lord is linked to the joy of Paul.
The joy of this Paul is connected to the joy of the saints, and the joy of this saint is connected to the believer's own joy. Just as water flows through a lake, this joy that springs from the Lord Jesus Christ flows through Paul and through the saints. And through myself this joy is taking hold of us.
Verse 1:4 speaks of the joy of prayer.
It is said that those who pray find joy. Also, we should pray with joy. When we give thanks before God, we should pray with joy, and of course we should weep and shed tears when we mourn over our sins! But where does true repentance of saints come from? Because it comes through the love of the cross, true repentance comes out of moving tears.
Through the love of Jesus on the cross, we realize that we are sinners, and because we have received forgiveness of our sins, we truly repent that we are sinners, and we mourn before God for all our mistakes, faults, and transgressions. Tears of mourning are also based on tears of emotion. When we see the cross of the Lord and rejoice and rejoice, we truly repent to the Lord that we are sinners. Therefore, we must know that all our prayers, thanksgiving prayers, praise prayers, repentance prayers, supplication prayers, and instrumental prayers are also based on joy and true prayer comes from joy. So Paul speaks of the joy of prayer.
1:18 speaks of the joy of evangelism.
Those who evangelize rejoice. Our evangelism comes out of joy. No matter how much a crying person tells others to believe in Jesus, he does not believe. A person who can rejoice and rejoice and give joy whenever he meets others is a person who preaches the gospel in itself. Those who live with this gospel of joy, wherever they go, as long as they know that I am a believer in Jesus, the other person will already receive evangelism. Therefore, Paul speaks of the joy of prayer and of evangelism, and of the joy of faith in 1:25. Even if you believe in Jesus for the first time today, you do not know how much your heart will be renewed after you receive Jesus Christ as your savior and receive the authority of a child of God. What's new? A joy like never before emerges. A peace like never before will come. This is the joy of faith that you have given to yourself. The pride of believers, that is, the joy of faith. Joy is a hallmark of faith.
2:2-4 speaks of the joy of love.
2:17-18 speaks of the martyr's joy in martyrdom.
2:28 speaks of the joy of fellowship, 3:1, 4:4, the joy in the Lord, and 4:1-10, the joy of the saints. Let me rejoice because of you, you rejoice over me, and if we say that we can rejoice in each other and live for each other, we are not so blessed.
Paul tells me to rejoice, because I am happy again.
I am not saying that I am happy alone, and I am not vaguely exhorting you to rejoice. Many people in this world are teaching while others do not practice. There are many people who teach others what is in their head what they have been taught and learned from books, even though they do not understand the subtle meaning of it. But Paul is not saying you should just rejoice. The great thing about the joy of this book of Philippians is that suffering is joy within. It is the joy of wealth beyond those who have in what is not. The characteristic of this book of Philippians is that even though they are beaten, they do not feel pain and are happy.
I bless you in the name of the Lord that we may love, cherish, give thanks, and live a blessed life in the Lord, rejoicing in the Lord, rejoicing in suffering, rejoicing in the absence of joy, and rejoicing in the Lord Jesus.