Paul wrote:"Have no anxiety about anything"(
Philippians 4.6).
Lamoureaux suggests that
Philippian wanien heard the Christian message differently than men because Paul paints death as a positive and not as a punishment: "It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death.
For example, the letter to the
Philippians has in the neighborhood of 2,500 words in the Revised Standard Version; the corresponding paraphrase of Erasmus has something like 7,000 words.
Welcome what should be the commentary on
Philippians for the next generation.
Confidence: "Father, into thy hands I; commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46), says the; One "who became obedient unto death, even death on a cross" (
Philippians 2:8).
This model also provides a useful lens through which to interpret Paul's epistle to the
Philippians, and conversely the epistle provides an opportunity to illustrate the model.
Consider this advice: "in humility consider others better than yourselves" (
Philippians 2:3).
Paul in his letter to the
Philippians in support of this view.
Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45;
Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16
Instead, he encourages parents to teach discernment, which "leads to critical thinking based on clearly defined criteria." He suggests parents use scriptural principles, such as those expressed by Saint Paul when writing to the
Philippians: "[Y]our thoughts should be wholly directed to all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous, or worthy of praise" (
Philippians 4:8), to dissect the hollow philosophies put forth by pop culture.
By the end he's learned the lesson of the
Philippians, that we ought not "grasp equality with God." ***
The puzzling and vitriolic polemic in
Philippians 3, seemingly anti-Jewish, is instead -- so Wright argues -- a coded warning to the Roman city of Philippi against a much more powerful threat, paganism and particularly the Caesar cult.
Motto:
Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Parallels with the thought of
Philippians lead Buckwalter to suggest that Luke, like Paul, presents a Christology which is used in the service of commending a Jesus-like lifestyle.
The author, vice-principal of Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, is best known for his commentaries on
Philippians and Colossians and Philemon.
