THE GOSPEL OF JOY IN ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES - PHILIPPIANS - CONSOLATION, COMFORT, AND KOINONIA

TEXT: Philippians 2:1-4 (CSB) – “If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.”

We have viewed the principle of living – the purpose of living – “To live Christ” in our previous musings. We saw that He is the reason for living, He created life, He sustains life, and He redeems life. Thus, because of this, we should desire to “Live Christ.”

Now, as we go into this 2^nd chapter – we find Paul discussing the pattern for living. We could divide the chapter up in the concepts of --

1.     The need for a pattern – vs. 1-4

2.     Christ the pattern – vs. 5-11

3.     Paul the pattern – vs. 12-18

4.     Timothy and Epaphroditus the pattern – vs. 19-30

When we do this, we see that this pattern involves fellowship. Fellowship is one of the keys to spiritual growth. It happens when Christians communicate their love to one another – and the whole group becomes a cohesive whole.

Four times in verse 1 Paul says “if” – this is a word in the Greek that is used in the basis of logical argument.  It would probably be better translated “since” to give a clearer meaning of the Greek usage. This set of “if’s” refers back to Chapter 1:27.

“Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

“Stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel”

It is with this unity that Christ has designed His church to operate. We grow – not in isolation but in cooperation. We find joy and assurance in times of trouble and adversity – not in our solitude, but in the solidarity of fellow Christians. Unfortunately there is an old cliché that says, “Christians are the only army that shoots its own wounded.” If we honestly look around us, we can too often find this as true.

Paul outlines five virtues that are in Christ that we as Christians should exercise toward one another. Paul also gives six statements of what living in harmony composes.

Over the next few days we will dissect this, and consider the Pattern for living the Christian life as Paul taught these Philippian Believers.