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Joy in Gospel Progress

March 4, 2018 Speaker: Brian Wilbur Series: Philippians

Topic: The Mission of Christ Passage: Philippians 1:12–18

JOY IN GOSPEL PROGRESS

An Exposition of Philippians 1:12-18a

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date:   March 4, 2018

Series: Philippians: Gospel Partnership on Mission in the World

Note:   Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

INTRODUCTION

Human beings are by nature in favor of progress. Merriam-Webster gives one definition of progress as simply “a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal).” In this sense, we are all progressives! My point, of course, is not a political one – and I am not presuming that anyone here necessarily wants to identify as a Progressive in politics. My point rather is that each and every one of us wants to see certain things move forward. But the question should immediately arise: What things? What is the objective that we are aiming toward? What is the goal of our forward movement? Where does our particular version of progress lead? And more important still, we must ask if our objectives and goals are rightly aligned with the will of God. Some priorities are worthy of our God, and others are not.

On the positive side, there are occasions when the Bible speaks of the growth of a boy in terms of progress toward full manhood. For example, Luke tells us that the twelve-year old boy “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)

Naturally we want our children to progress in the totality of their humanity: in their body, mind, and spirit, and in their relationships with people and most importantly in their relationship with the Lord. This vision of progress for our children has them eventually becoming productive members of society who are able to successfully sustain a household, raise a family, participate in a local church, and leave their own mark on the world through the faithful and wise use of their gifts. All this is good and well.

But since we are sinners with distorted desires, our vision for progress and success – whether in our own lives or in the lives of our children – tends to get off-kilter. We want to grow our financial portfolio, increase our material comforts, advance in our careers, develop an impressive social résumé, and make progress in our workouts at the gym. The perennial temptation is that any of these things might come to dominate our lives. Therefore the Bible warns us against loving money and laying up treasures on earth and living to receive praise from others. And how will we ever take up our cross, die to self, and follow Jesus, if we are addicted to our own comfort and ease?

But what would happen if the gospel got ahold of our hearts? What would happen if the Spirit of God was renewing our minds and aligning our priorities with the priorities of God’s Word? What would happen if we took our cue from the apostle Paul?

Consider the circumstances in which the apostle Paul found himself as he wrote his letter to the Philippians. As a result of preaching the gospel, he was put in prison by the authorities. Generally speaking, imprisonment is not the pathway to progress, not the pathway to fame and fortune, not the pathway to security and comfort, not the pathway to career advancement and upward mobility. Therefore, if your joy is bound up with these versions of worldly progress, then imprisonment is not the pathway to increasing joy. And yet, the suffering apostle is full of joy – because, as it turns out, his imprisonment was a pathway to progress after all. Thus we encounter the paradox of progress through setbacks.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

Paul sheds light on this paradox in Philippians 1:12-18a. Holy Scripture says:

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Philippians 1:12-18a)

THE PRIORITY AND JOY OF GOSPEL PROGRESS

The first thing we need to consider is the priority of gospel progress. Lest there be any misunderstanding, gospel progress doesn’t mean that the gospel is getting better, as if the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is somehow in need of improvement. The gospel, which is the good news about the grace of our Lord who saves His people through His death and resurrection, this gospel is perfect. This gospel is powerful and mighty to save. The gospel, in terms of the completeness of its message and the fullness of its power, cannot make progress.

So, when we speak of gospel progress, or of advancing the gospel, or (in the Book of Acts) of God’s Word increasing, what we mean is that the gospel is ‘on the move’ – the message is being proclaimed to more people and more places, more and more people are believing it and being transformed by it, and more and more places are home to a local congregation through which gospel work continues in that region. As the gospel goes hither and yon, it takes root in people’s lives and draws them into God’s family. Those who believe thus begin to walk with God and participate in God’s global missionary enterprise.

All true Christians share together in the privilege and responsibility of gospel partnership (Philippians 1:5). As partners in the gospel, gospel progress should be at the top of our priority list. Healthy partners in a business care about the success of the business. Healthy partners in a family care about the development of the family. How can we be partners in the gospel if we are indifferent about the progress of the gospel? How can we be partakers of the grace that has reached down to us and not care about whether that same grace reaches out to others?

In Philippians 1:11 Paul taught us that the highest purpose and central motivation of our lives should be “the glory and praise of God.” It is important that we understand that the priority of gospel progress and the priority of glorifying God are closely intertwined. One of the ways that we glorify God is bearing an abundance of good fruit – the fruit of righteous deeds which are the deeds of wisdom-filled love (Philippians 1:9-11). But where does this fruit come from? Philippians 1:11 speaks of “the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” Well, you could just as easily say that the fruit of righteousness comes through the gospel, because the sum and substance of the gospel is Jesus Christ and Him crucified, risen, and reigning at God’s right hand. Through the gospel we are reconciled to God, we learn of His perfect character, and we are empowered by the Spirit to reflect His character in our lives.

Now in desiring the advance of the gospel, what we are desiring is not only that the gospel would produce increasing fruit in our own lives, but also and especially that the same gospel that is transforming us would go forth and have that same powerful transforming effect in other people, too. Then more people will join us in glorifying and praising God.

It is an urgent matter of upmost importance that the gospel go forth in this way. For as Paul makes so clear in this letter, “the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10) is coming. On that day every knee will bow “at the name of Jesus” and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, “to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) The day is coming when all people – God’s friends and foes alike – will stand in awe of the majesty of Christ. Believers will do so with great delight as they enter into everlasting salvation, whereas unbelievers will do so with great dismay as they enter into everlasting destruction. Our desire for gospel progress is the desire that many people will humble themselves before the Lord and become part of God’s family while there is still time. Otherwise they will die without faith and face judgment alone, without a Savior. Our desire is that people in Paris, Maine and Paris, France; in Oxford, Maine and Oxford, England; in Belfast, Maine and Belfast, Northern Ireland; in New Brunswick and New Zealand; and in every other place would call upon the name of Jesus for salvation. Because    

““everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

“But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:13-14)

These verses from Romans 10 make it clear that the gospel progresses through preaching, which is just what our Philippians passage indicates as well. In verse 14, Paul refers to a number of brothers who are courageously “[speaking] the word without fear.” This word that they are speaking is the gospel message – the word about Christ. In verse 15 Paul refers to “[preaching] Christ” and in verse 17 to “[proclaiming] Christ”; and in verse 18 he tells us that “Christ is proclaimed.” In other words, the gospel is advancing through Christians who are proclaiming the word about Christ. This preaching of the gospel means that the truth about Christ is becoming more widely known, and as it becomes more widely known, some will believe in Christ and so become His disciples. This is the gospel ‘on the move,’ reverberating in the ears of more people in more places, commanding sinners to abandon their idols and put their trust in the living God. And by God’s grace, some do!

All this fills Paul with more joy than sports fans have when their team wins the championship. Paul is stoked! Like him, we must not only prioritize gospel progress but also experience great joy in gospel progress. It is no wonder that Paul was filled with such joy, because his whole life was devoted to the advance of the gospel. As he told the elders in Ephesus, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24) Or as he told the Christians in Rome, “… I make it my ambition to preach the gospel” (Romans 15:20). Though not all Christians are career missionaries or vocational preachers, all of us who follow Christ are partners in the gospel – all of us are called to participate in the Great Commission mandate to take the gospel to all nations. This means that all of us must care deeply about the progress of gospel mission. We shall return to this theme shortly.

THE PARADOX: THE GOSPEL ADVANCES THROUGH ADVERSITY

But first we must ponder the other half of this passage, which is the paradox that the gospel often advances through adversity. The gospel mission progresses through persecution. The gospel, which is already ‘on the move,’ gains additional ground through circumstantial setbacks.

In verses 12-14, Paul makes it clear that “what has happened to [him],” namely, his imprisonment, “has really served to advance the gospel.” Let this sink in. Here is your all-star player, your go-to preacher and teacher, your first-rate theologian, your experienced and energetic church planter, and he’s put in chains and confined to prison. In a manner of speaking, the apostle is taken out of the game, or at least his mobility is greatly reduced. But here’s the paradox: the immobility of Paul has serve to mobilize the gospel to a greater degree. Paul is imprisoned but the gospel is ‘on the move’ with greater force. There is this beautiful passage in 2 Timothy where Paul says: “… I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound.” (2 Timothy 2:9) But the Philippians passage takes this a step further: the binding up of Paul as a prisoner is actually facilitating the unbounded gospel to go forth and reach more people. Paul is confined to one place, but the gospel is sweeping over the land. The persecution of the apostle is leading to a more widespread proclamation of the apostolic message.

Now the question that arises is: how so? How is the setback of persecution leading to the advance of gospel proclamation? Well, in this case it is happening in two ways.

The Gospel Advanced Inside the Prison System

First, the setback of imprisonment is leading to the advance of the gospel inside the prison system. Makes sense, right? The apostle was imprisoned, but he could speak. Paul was in the custody of Caesar, the Roman emperor. The “imperial guard” – Caesar’s security detail – was responsible for guarding Paul. As they took turns keeping guard over Paul, they were a captive audience of the apostle Paul, who told the guards about Jesus. Paul could also receive visitors, and conversations would take place with his Christian brothers. And so what happened is that “the whole imperial guard” and many others as well have learned that Paul is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill, feel-sorry-for-yourself prisoner, but that he is actually suffering “for Christ.” And as they learned that Paul is imprisoned for Christ, they also learned about Christ and why Christ meant so much to Paul and why Christ should matter to them, too.

Now, can you imagine the Philippians reading this letter and thinking to themselves, ‘No surprise here!’? Do you remember? Several years before Paul wrote this letter he and Silas had gone to Philippi to preach the gospel. Where did that get them? It got them into jail. And what happened there? Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God, and so they spread the knowledge of God throughout the small city jail. And more to the point, the jailer himself ended up hearing the gospel and trusting Jesus for salvation. So the Philippians would not have been surprised to hear that Paul’s imprisonment was once again facilitating gospel progress, for it was Paul’s imprisonment several years earlier that had served to bring the jailer to faith in Jesus.

The Gospel Advanced in the Wider Society

The setback of imprisonment not only led to the advance of the gospel inside the prison system, but also led to the advance of the gospel in the wider society. Remember that we Christians are one body in Christ, and what happens to one of us should rightly affect all of us. The apostle Paul had a missionary team and a wider network of co-laborers and congregations that were in partnership with him, and so it should come as no surprise that his immobility mobilized them. Look at verse 14: “And most [not all] of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” If we didn’t know what we were talking about, we might have thought that Paul’s imprisonment would have multiplied fear, as others might have feared that if they did what Paul did and they would end up in prison, too. But that is not how it works among those who are true partners in the gospel. To be sure, the weak or immature might have been intimidated by Paul’s imprisonment; and Jesus told us that superficial followers would indeed by scared off by persecution. But among those who truly love the gospel and are mature in their walk, the adversity faced by your human leader has a way of producing courage, and that in three ways:

1) Persecution makes it clear that the battle lines are real, that gospel mission is war, and that the Christian’s life is caught up in something that is of great and eternal significance. As you reflect on the persecution that a brother or sister is experiencing, you renew your own commitment to be faithful, no matter what the cost.

2) There is also the reality of shouldering the load as a good teammate: when your all-star quarterback is taken out of the game, the less experienced second-stringer and the other ten offensive players all realize that each one must step up and be all the more diligent to execute the game plan. Paul’s ministry is restricted, but his colleagues and fellow Christians are rising up as gospel partners to preach the gospel with greater confidence and more boldness than they previously had. We might say that his loss is their gain, with respect to their growth as ministers of the gospel.

3) But, of course, Paul was not actually taken out of the game. Paul was very much in the game of gospel preaching and letter writing, albeit in the more limited setting of prison. As G. Walter Hansen points out, Paul himself was no doubt faithful and courageous to bear witness to God’s grace to the prison guards, and the faithfulness and courage that he displayed in the face of adversity would have motivated his fellow Christians to display the same faithfulness and courage in whatever opportunities they had for sharing the gospel.[1]

The lesson is clear: the gospel makes progress through what seem like setbacks to the human eye.

The Gospel Advanced Through Ill-Willed Preachers

Further, and remarkably, the gospel also makes progress through ill-willed preachers, as we see in verses 15-18. As Paul reflects on the rise in bold preaching that has resulted from his imprisonment, he is keenly aware that there are people out there who are preaching the gospel for the wrong reason. Some preachers, says Paul, are motivated by envy and rivalry (v. 15). These ill-willed preachers are preaching the gospel but they are not preaching it with a sincere heart, because they are motivated by ill-will toward Paul: they want to afflict him in his imprisonment, they want to add insult to his injury. To stick with the all-star quarterback metaphor, these ill-willed preachers are glad that Paul has been sidelined, they are glad to get in the game and have the spotlight shine on them instead, they are glad that now they have an opportunity to be the all-star and receive the accolades and prove that they should have been the starter all along. But even though their motives are all wrong, they are still on the field trying to move the ball up the field and score touchdowns. And although there are many preachers of false gospels out there in our world, these particular ill-willed preachers that Paul has in mind are actually preaching the true gospel. They are preaching Christ, and as a result Christ is becoming more widely known through their ministry.

It should not surprise us that there are preachers who preach Christ from evil motives. Gospel ministry is not a safe haven from the corruptions of the human heart. Some are motivated to preach Christ out of a love for money, some out of a love for power, some out of a love for fame, and some are only too happy to have an injury befall a brother so that they can finally have their opportunity to shine. It’s all sick-hearted. Paul doesn’t rejoice in their sickness of heart, but he does rejoice that “Christ is proclaimed.”

I appreciate the words of G.  Walter Hansen:

“… as long as Christ is preached, Paul is unconcerned about his own position or fame in comparison to that of other preachers…. The advancement of the message, not the advancement of Paul, is the source of Paul’s joy.”[2]

Of course, those who preach Christ from evil motives should repent of their sins and follow Paul’s counsel in Philippians 2: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit.” (Philippians 2:3) If we have the capacity to “approve what is excellent” (Philippians 1:10), then we will know that we ought to proclaim Christ “from good will” (v. 15), “out of love” (v. 16), “in truth” (v. 18), and indeed with a profound commitment to the gospel and to the gospel mission and to all gospel ministers, especially those who, like Paul, are suffering “for the defense of the gospel” (v. 16). Let us be a people who share the good news of God’s grace with sincere hearts.

APPLICATIONS

Our passage leads naturally to two areas of application.

Application #1: Put gospel progress at the top of your priority list.

First, put gospel progress at the top of your priority list. Is it at the top of your priority list? I am not asking you if you merely agree in your head that gospel progress should be at the top of your priority list. I am asking a question that goes deeper: do you love to see the gospel ‘on the move’ and do you have heartfelt devotion to advancing the message?

As I implied earlier, if you are not careful then other kinds of progress will crowd your heart. There is progress in your education, progress in your career, progress in your finances, progress in your retirement fund, progress in some recreational activity or side hobby, progress in reading through a series of novels, progress in a home improvement project. Don’t misunderstand me: it is not wrong to give measured attention to such concerns. There is a place for them, but not first place. And therein lies the problem: when you have a dozen okay things and a dozen good things crowding out the best things, then your life is in need of realignment. “… seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33); “approve what is excellent” (Philippians 1:10); and put lesser things in their proper place.

I can imagine a person who has experienced all kinds of progress in his life: he is healthy, he is in a strong financial position, his marriage is intact, his children have grown up to be responsible adults, his grandchildren are a lively bunch, he has a friendly social circle, he has a few hobbies to keep him occupied in retirement – and he doesn’t give a rip about gospel progress. Don’t be like that man. Don’t say, “Well, I’ve got peace and prosperity for me and my house, and I really don’t want to bother myself with larger concerns.” But consider:

“Only one life, ‘twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.”[3]

And take heed: those who are careful to advance in this world but who do not care about the advance of God’s work through the gospel, will perish.

Here are two ways to put gospel progress at the top of your priority list:

1) Pray for gospel progress. The Lord Jesus taught His people to pray,

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

You will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10)

There is an important mission-dimension to this prayer. We are praying that God’s holy name would be revered on earth, that His kingdom would break forth in power in our sad and sinful world, and that His good and perfect will would be done. The only way for more people in more places to become worshipers of our Father is through the gospel. Therefore let us pray for the gospel to advance. We can imitate Paul’s prayer in Romans 10: “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them [the unbelieving Jews] is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1) Pray for lost people. Pray for the gospel to make progress among unsaved family members and unsaved neighbors. Pray also for front-line gospel workers – missionaries and preachers – to have God’s strength as they minister the Word to others.

2) But don’t leave all Word-ministry to the front-line workers. You must also do your part in speaking the Word. Proclaim Christ to your unconverted children and unconverted grandchildren. Testify of the Lord’s grace to neighbors and friends. If God has situated you in a neighborhood or in a workplace or in some other relational context, be intentional about building relationships for the sake of the gospel. This doesn’t mean that your first conversation with everyone you meet should be evangelistic. But it does mean that there is a missional motivation in your heart to bring others into the orbit of God’s grace. 

Application #2: Learn to see your setbacks as opportunities for gospel progress.

Now on to the second area of application. It is this: learn to see your setbacks as opportunities for gospel progress. Just as Paul’s imprisonment “served to advance the gospel,” so it is often the case that our own setbacks also facilitate gospel progress.

Therefore I wonder if your mindset needs to change about your setbacks and difficulties. If gospel progress is not at the top of your priority list, and your own comfort and convenience is at the top instead, then guess what? You’re not going to be too fond of setbacks. Being put in prison is neither comfortable nor convenient. Being afflicted by ill-willed preachers is not pleasant. Getting diagnosed with cancer doesn’t make the heart sing. Receiving an avalanche of medical bills piles up the stress. Having a child go off the rails, or losing a job, or failing at a new venture, or experiencing a contentious marriage, can put us in a bad frame of mind. And if our chief desire is to be comfortable, then we are going to be upset that this difficulty or trial is undermining my comfort. How dare it!

But what would happen if gospel progress was at the top of our priority list, and if we had great confidence in our Lord to take our setbacks and turn them into facilitators of gospel progress. This is really about what your heart values most. Think about it. If gospel progress is at the top of your priority list, and you experience a setback in an area that is not at the top of your priority list, and the setback helps to facilitate gospel progress which is at the top of your priority list, then wouldn’t that change the way you view your setbacks? Wouldn’t that enable you to rejoice even in the midst of those setbacks because the gospel is advancing? This doesn’t mean you delight in the setback itself, but it does mean that you delight in how God is using the setback to advance the gospel.

So, I want to fortify your mind with three thoughts that will help us maintain a “gospel first” mentality in the midst of our difficulties.

1) Wherever you go, you take the gospel with you. Paul was in prison and therefore had the opportunity to share the gospel with the prison guards. When you have a setback, you will often be put into new relationships as a result of that setback. You have cancer, and now you’re receiving treatment from members of the medical community. You lose a job, and then you get a new job, and now you have a whole new set of co-workers. The point is that God will utilize your setbacks to bring you into new relationships – and wherever you go, the gospel message goes there with you.

2) God will also utilize your setbacks to mobilize the body of Christ for action. This is hugely important, especially in our individualistic age where people want to keep to themselves and keep their problems to themselves. But do you understand what is happening here in Philippians? We have already seen that Paul’s imprisonment stirred up his colleagues to a bolder proclamation of the gospel. But there is more: we know from Philippians 1 and Philippians 3 that the Philippians ministered to Paul in his imprisonment – that is, they actually sent Epaphroditus to deliver a gift and minister to Paul’s need. Further, Philippians 1:19 indicates that the Philippians were praying for Paul. So don’t fall into the mindset that your setback is just about you. It’s not. The Father intends to utilize your setbacks to stimulate your brothers and sisters to action. And when the body of Christ is ‘on the move,’ the gospel will also be ‘on the move’ – directly through evangelism and indirectly through love and good works.

3) Third, God will utilize your setbacks to generate an experience of God’s faithfulness to which you can later testify. Paul tells the Philippians that “through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.” (Philippians 1:19) Paul tells the Corinthians that “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” (2 Corinthians 1:11) Paul also tells the Corinthians that God comforts us in our afflictions so that we, in turn, can comfort others in their affliction (see 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). And while the emphasis of these passages is the testimony of God’s faithfulness within the church community, I see no reason why the principle wouldn’t also apply in our ministry to outsiders. As God demonstrates His faithfulness to you and to your family and to our congregation, then we can bear witness to the record of God’s faithfulness among us. Then they will know that we do what we do, and we experience setback and suffering as we do, because of Christ and all that He means to us, even as “the whole imperial guard” learned that Paul suffered “for Christ.”

Lest we go down the path of abstraction, let me make one final point in relation to the Arrowhead Mission Trip. I assume that our Mission Team is not earnestly desiring a string of setbacks. I assume that they don’t want to have a financial shortfall, they don’t want to have discord between two team members, they don’t want to get stopped at the border and be ordered to turn around and head back home, they don’t want someone to get really sick while they are at Arrowhead, and they don’t want their team to face demonic assaults while they are ministering in New Brunswick. Very well – I should worry about them if they looked forward to such hardships.

But here is the point I must drive home: if you experience any of these or other setbacks before or during your trip, don’t look at that setback as a setback for the gospel. Maybe it is a setback for your team or your trip, but God is doing far more than you know. And if you face hardship at any point along the way, do not forget the lessons of Philippians 1:12-18. Wherever you go, even if it wasn’t part of your scheduled itinerary, you take the gospel with you. God will utilize your setbacks to mobilize the body of Christ for action – up there in New Brunswick and down here in Western Maine. And God will utilize your setbacks to weave together a testimony of His faithfulness. All this will not hinder but will actually help the gospel to advance. Mission Team and everyone else: put gospel progress at the top of your priority list!

Let us pray. 

 

ENDNOTES

[1] See Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009: p. 69-71.

[2] See Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009: p. 75.

[3] Author: C. T. Studd.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

NOTE: My inclusion of a bibliography reflects my interaction with other teachers in the preparation of my sermon. While the main part of my preparation involves my direct interaction with the biblical text, I find it helpful to invite other “discussion partners” into my preparation process. My mention of these teachers (writers, speakers, etc.) does not imply any particular level of agreement with them, nor does it constitute an endorsement of their work. That said, I am appreciative of those – past and present – who are seeking to faithfully teach God’s Word, and I am happy to benefit from their labor.

Boice, James Montgomery. Philippians: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000.

Carson, D. A. Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.

Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009.

Hellerman, Joseph H. Embracing Shared Ministry: Power and Status in the Early Church and Why It Matters Today. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2013.

Silva, Moisés. Philippians: Second Edition (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.

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