Philippians 4:1-3 - Stand Firm

Paul is reaching the conclusion of his letter and some of the things he's been hinting about prior to this he gets explicit about in these verses. There has been disunity in the church and it needs to stop because there is something more valuable going on than the petty differences which often divide us. The gospel is at stake.

We could take lessons from that. In tumultuous times, indeed at all times, but especially in tumultuous times we need to focus on the gospel. It starts like this:

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, 

my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

--Philippians 4:1

Being faithful to the gospel is of paramount importance in the face of opposition, whether it's the scorn cast against the gospel in our day, or the opposition faced by the Philippians coming from the Roman culture and government. When opposition comes we are tempted to abandon the gospel for safety. The gospel is more important than safety. The gospel is more important than our avoiding the shame and contempt associated with believing something so scandalous to the world around us. We are not called to conform to this world. We are called to stand firm.

Now Paul tackles the disunity. He calls people by name. He entreats them in a loving way, without taking sides, to "agree in the Lord." Then he asks for others in the church to step in and work for reconciliation.

This is the Bible study I taught on Wednesday, October 12, 2016. I hope you will take the time to listen and be blessed by it. Just click the link below and it will take you to SoundCloud where you can stream it or download it for later listening. God bless.


Click here: Philippians 4:1-3

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