It was a great beginning! The Day of Pentecost was a watershed event for everyone who responded to Peter’s words. Everything had changed for everyone—they all realized just how far they had been brought, from rejecting Messiah to having their sins washed away and being filled with God’s Spirit.

And they saw in each other a reflection of themselves—sinners who were accepted, redeemed, and taken in by God. They had ALL been brought FROM the same place, TO the same place—and that realization helped them become one big, joyful community. “All the believers were together and had everything in common” (Acts 2:44).

It wasn’t long, though, before the seeds of jealousy threatened that joy. All it took was a couple who envied the attention given another brother over his generous gifts to the community, and the church found its first significant conflict (see Acts 5:1-11). Jealousy was also at the root of the conflict that gave birth to the Seven—some thought that their people were being ignored in favor of others (see Acts 6:1-7). And as the church spread across the Roman Empire, it took with it both the joy that properly marks the community of God, and the issues that imperfect men bring to such a community.

The church at Philippi was no exception. In today’s passage, Paul supplies principles to help us avoid some of the failings common to a gathered people, and to help foster joy in the community of God.

An Example to Follow
Paul bookends the passage with matching exhortations to look at him as an example of how to live: “Join with others in following my example. . . . Whatever you have . . . seen in me” (3:17; 4:9). In other letters, Paul also says to imitate him. Why? Because “many live as enemies of the cross of Christ” (v. 18), and Paul knows that a different view of life—the perspective demonstrated by his life committed to Christ—is necessary to resist the influence of those “many.”

In verses 19-21, Paul contrasts the two views—friends of Christ (“Paul” or “we”) and enemies of Christ (“many” or “they”)—from three perspectives that shape who we are.

Destiny (Where are we going?): Many have only destruction to look forward to; we await a Savior from Heaven, where our citizenship is held for us.

Values (Why do we do what we do?): They worship only their own desires (a weak god indeed); we obey the God who is sovereign over all.

Fulfillment (In what do we find joy?): They boast in the earthly things that should instead bring them shame; we anticipate our earthly forms being made to reflect the very glory of God!

No wonder Paul wants us to follow his life rather than theirs! In 4:1, he reemphasizes this fact: “Stand firm in the Lord!”

A Joy to Pursue
If that doesn’t infuse the Christian community with joy, what more could we ask for? Yet Paul sees firsthand how easy it is for believers to allow other attitudes to deflect the joy that should characterize their community. And so he addresses the issue with the Philippians.

First he pleads with friends to be united in the Lord (vv. 3 and 4). We don’t know what the problem was. Perhaps it was jealousy—the failing that first brought conflict into the church, and which still does today. Or perhaps it was pride, which is jealousy’s close partner.

How often has the desire to be seen as “right,” the one with the answer, or the admired or important one, driven brothers and sisters apart? “Why should Barnabas get all the attention?” “Why should they be treated better than us?” Whenever we desire glory for ourselves, and take glory from God, we drive joy out of the community.

Paul then gives three commands to help us stand firm in the Lord and keep joy in the community. Each is a reverse-order, mirror image of a principle in verses 19-21:

Fulfillment (v. 4): Find your satisfaction in God—“Rejoice in the Lord always”—rather than in your own glory.

Values (v. 5): Let the Lord’s presence guide how you live for “the Lord is near.”

Destiny (v. 6): Trust God to bring you where you need to be, both in this life and the next. Trust alleviates anxiety and fosters joy.

The result? ”The peace of God” which helps you stand firm in the Lord (v. 7).