Year 2, Day 184: Philippians 2

Creed

Philippians 2 contains my all-time favorite creed.  It is my favorite for many reasons.

• First, it is probably the oldest creed of which we know. 
• Second, it is a part of Paul’s letters and that’s always a good thing in my book. 
• Third, and most importantly, it really focuses in on Jesus Christ and His humbleness. 

So let’s look at this text.  For the record, the creed is Philippians 2:6-11.  It is typically referred to as the “Christ Hymn,” so if you ever hear anyone mention the Christ Hymn they are speaking about these six verses of Philippians 2.

Before we actually get to the Christ hymn, let’s look at the way Paul sets up these words.  Paul is speaking to a congregation that already knows Christ’s love and they are already spiritually engaged with one another.  So what does Paul do? He encourages them to increase in that love.  He encourages them to be like-minded and united under Christ.  He encourages them to be humble and to put aside personal agendas.  Following Christ is fundamentally about “killing the self-monger within” and then picking up the cross in order to follow Christ.

If we are to follow Christ, then we must know the example before we can follow it.  Who is Christ, and for what did He stand?

• He was God in His very essence (nature).
• He did not consider the form of God something that should be forcibly held onto.
• He emptied Himself and took upon Himself the humble form of a man.
• He took on the form of a slave (yes, slave, not servant).
• He humbled Himself in obedience to God.
• He was obedient even to the point of dying upon a cross for our sake.
• God exalted Him because of His humble obedience.
• Every knee will eventually bow to Him
• Every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

What are the predominant images of Jesus Christ in the earliest of confessional creeds?  Humbleness.  Obedience.  Relationship with God.  That is what we are to strive after!

We are to follow the Christ.  We are to be like Him.  We are to see His example and “go and do likewise.”  What does that mean?

Imitating Humbleness

Quite simply, it means understanding that God will exalt us not for our greatness but for our humble service to Him.  It means desiring God’s exaltation for our humble service more than any kind of self-exaltation we can make for ourselves in this world.  Fundamentally, this means that we must be obedient to God.  We must consider ourselves the same as slaves consider themselves.  We must want what He wants.  We must be willing to give up everything for Him – whatever He asks – even our life. 

Think about it.  We see here why Christ was so special in life.  What about the Apostle Paul?  Yes, Paul is special first and foremost because of God’s work in him.  My point?  Paul was obedient.  Paul sacrificed his life for God.  What about Peter?  The same is true.  And James? Philip?  Stephen?  The rest of the disciples?  Isn’t it true that this is the example that we see set before us?  If we want to follow Christ, do we not need to follow this example of destroying the self-monger within and living for God’s desires?

To emphasize this point, what does Paul say immediately after the Christ Hymn?  “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now.”  Paul’s focus is on obedience.  What is the trademark characteristic of the Christian?  Humble obedience to God.

Working Out Salvation

Then Paul speaks about “working out” one’s salvation.  This needs a moment, because it is easy to hear these words and confuse them with “works-based salvation.”  The word for “work out” is a word that is hard to translate.  It means something like “to be in a particular situation” or “to be is a certain state.”  Thus, Paul is telling the Philippians that they should work out the state of salvation in which they find themselves.  Paul is not telling them that they are saved because of their works.  Rather, he is telling them that because they are in the state of salvation they need to do something about it.  It goes back to obedience.  We are not saved because of our obedience.  We are obedient because we are in a state of salvation.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

Paul then turns to give praise to Timothy and Epaphroditus.  I’ll speak about Epaphroditus first.  Epaphroditus was from Philippi and he brought the Philippians’ offering to Paul.  He grew sick along the way and as Paul says, he almost died.  Paul exalts his service and his willingness to put his life on the line.  Again we hear the theme of obedience and genuinely following Christ.

Paul also talks about Timothy.  Here is a great character.  As Paul says, there is none like him.  He is compassionate.  He is strong in the Lord.  Remember that Timothy was picked up when Paul went to Lystra and did ministry there.  He was trained in the faith by a loving mother and a loving grandmother before meeting Paul.  He is an exemplar in what it means to be a disciple and to be a mentee underneath a great spiritual mentor.  But we also see here that Timothy is making the transition from mentee to mentor.  Paul is sending him to Philippi on his own.  Here is a chance for Timothy to come out from underneath the shadow of Paul and do what God has called him to do.  Timothy is a great character in the Bible and can show us a tremendous example of discipleship in humble obedience in Christ.

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