Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 5 (weeks 25-28; June 23–July 14, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com.
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Lesson Aim: Speak up by holding out the Word in your life.
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By Mark Scott
Words matter. God used them to create
the world (Genesis 1:3). Jesus used them to give life to the world (John 6:63).
The apostles used them to save the world (Acts 11:14). That being said, deeds
also matter. Not all speaking is voicing words. Talk must be walked for
consistent witness. The old saying is true, “Your actions are speaking so loudly
I cannot hear what you are saying.”
Believers speak up for God in the
midst of a warped (crooked or bent due to dryness) and crooked (twisted or
perverted) generation by the witness of their lives. Paul addressed this
calling to the Philippians following the beautiful hymn about the selfless Christ
(2:5-11) and preceding the examples of selfless Timothy and Epaphroditus
(2:19-30).
His Children Work Out
What God Works In | Philippians 2:12, 13
The word therefore
causes the reader to go back to Paul’s call for unity and selflessness (2:2-4).
By his salvific power God had worked into the believers encouragement,
comfort, common sharing,
tenderness, and compassion (v. 1). These Christian virtues are most evident
when they are lived out. Paul seemed confident that the Philippians, whom he
referred to as dear friends (beloved) and children
(vv. 12, 14), would obey (hear) him whether he was with them or not.
One way God’s children speak up for
him is by working out what God has worked in. Like a person who worked yeast
into dough, God worked salvation into the believers’ lives. The word for work in
both verses is where we get the English ergonomic (as in an
ergonomic chair). But what God worked in, believers must work out—in fear (phobia) and trembling (trauma or
profound reverence). This is somewhat of a paradox in the Bible. God does the
providing of our salvation. But we must do the partaking. Certainly God made
salvation possible, but there are what are called “The Imperatives of
Salvation” (essay by Seth Wilson in Learning from Jesus).
We are not saved by anything we do (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8). Yet, we
must do many things to be saved (Matthew 19:17; Luke 10:27, 28; Acts 2:38;
16:31). Perhaps the unspoken entity here is the Holy Spirit. It is God’s Spirit
working in us that unites the divine and the human efforts in salvation. Divine
enablement goes hand-in-hand with human responsibility.
His Children Avoid
Grumbling to Gain Their Witness | Philippians 2:14-17
Sometimes we speak by what we do not
say. We do not grumble (murmur from discontent as in
Exodus 16:7, 8, 12) nor do we argue (dialogue with evil
thoughts). Grandma used to say, “Sometimes the best thing to say is to say
nothing at all.” When we hold our tongues (James 3:1-12) we can be blameless (above reproach) and pure (without deceit or
defilement). When people notice our restraint, we might just gain their ears. Being
without fault (spot; blemish; not diluted; a technical term to
designate something amiss in a sacrifice) takes stumbling blocks out of the way
of our witness.
If the Philippians could avoid
grumbling, two things would result. First, they would shine like stars as they would hold firmly to the word of life. The simile is easily
understood. Stars make their presence known though they are millions of miles
away. But there might also be a vague reference to the Abrahamic covenant here
as well (Genesis 15:5; Hebrews 11:12). Regardless, believers can hold firmly (as in giving someone a cup from which to drink) the message of
life by not grumbling.
A second result would be that Paul
could appropriately boast about the church when Jesus returns (the day of Christ).
Paul’s ministry with the Philippians would not be compromised in any way. Their
witness by what they would not say would cause Paul to realize that he did not
run or labor in vain.
Paul was not asking too much of the Philippians. He was glad to spend and be spent for them (see 2 Corinthians 12:15). He expressed this in terms of a drink offering on the sacrifice that the Philippians had put forth. Paul used this self-disclosing metaphor more than once (2 Timothy 4:7). He seemed overjoyed to be used by God this way. In fact, in these last two verses Paul used a form of the word joy four times (glad and rejoice). He was filled with joy, and he wanted the Philippians to be filled with joy, too. There are few joys greater than that of putting one’s head on the pillow at night knowing that, on that day Christ’s mission was advanced through speaking up by “being.”
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Lesson study ©2018, Christian Standard Media. Print and digital subscribers are permitted to make one print copy per week of lesson material for personal use. Lesson based on the scope and sequence, ©2018 by Christian Standard Media. Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, ©2011, unless otherwise indicated.
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. He also serves as minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin.
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