XPost: alt.christnet, alt.bible, alt.messianic   
   XPost: alt.religion.christian.biblestudy   
   From: doctor@doctor.nl2k.ab.ca   
      
   Day 343, 9 December 2025 - 17th Day of Advent   
      
   1) Phillipians 1, Phillipians 2, Phillipians 3, Phillipians 4   
      
   Philippians 1   
      
   Philippians 1:1-3   
      
   1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ,   
   To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi,   
   with the overseers and deacons:   
   2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   
   Paul's Prayer for the Philippians   
   3 I thank my God for every reminder of you.   
      
   1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ,   
   to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi,   
   with the bishops and deacons:   
   2 grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father,   
   and from the Lord Jesus Christ.   
   The Heart of the Apostle   
   3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,   
      
   Philippians 1:3-8   
      
   Paul's Prayer for the Philippians   
      
   A Heart of Gratitude   
      
   3 (Ro 1:8-9; 2Ti 1:3) I thank my God for every reminder of you.   
   [3] I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,   
      
   A heart of Joyful Prayer   
      
   4 (Ro 1:9) In every prayer of mine for you all, I have always made requests   
   with joy,   
   [4] Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,   
      
   A Heart of Belonging   
      
   5 (Ac 16:12-40; Php 1:7) due to your fellowship in the gospel from the first   
   day until now.   
   [5] For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;   
      
   A heart of Assurance   
      
   6 (1Co 1:8; Jn 6:29) I am confident of this very thing, that He who began   
   a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.   
   [6] Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work   
   in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:   
      
   A heart of Affection   
      
   7 (2Co 7:3; Ac 20:23) It is right for me to think this of you all because   
   I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonments and in the defense   
   and confirmation of the gospel, you all are fellow partakers of my grace.   
   [7] Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you   
   in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and   
   confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.   
      
   8 (Ro 1:9; 9:1) For God is my witness, how I long after you all with   
   the affection of Jesus Christ.   
   [8] For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of   
   Jesus Christ.   
      
      
   Philippians 1:9-11.   
      
   A) God's Love is everything   
   B) God's love gives us strength to stand   
      
   God's love to me - God's love through me.   
      
   9 (1Th 3:12; Col 1:9; 3:10) And this I pray, that your love may abound yet   
   more and more in knowledge and in all discernment,   
   10 (1Th 3:13; Ro 12:2) that you may approve things that are excellent   
   so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,   
      
   [9] And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in   
   knowledge and in all judgment;   
   [10] That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere   
   and without offence till the day of Christ;   
      
   i) Love is the behaviour that is based on the knowledge, understanding   
   and the truth of God's word - Meet truth, love's best friend   
   ii) Love is behaviour that is both pure and blameless - Unselfish love   
      
   Phillipians 1:11 (Col 1:6; Jn 15:8) being filled with the fruit of   
   righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of   
   God.   
      
   [11] Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus   
   Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.   
      
   What about self-pity?   
   Philippians 1:12-18   
      
   A) View of circumstances from God's perspective   
      
   Philippians 1:12-14   
      
   12 But I want you to know, brothers, that the things which happened to me   
   have resulted in advancing the gospel,   
   13 (Php 1:7) so that my imprisonments in Christ have become known throughout   
   the entire palace guard and to all the rest.   
   14 And a great many of the brothers in the Lord, having become confident   
   because of my incarcerations, have dared to speak the word without fear.   
      
   [12] But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which   
   happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;   
   [13] So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all   
   other places;   
   [14] And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are   
   much more bold to speak the word without fear.   
      
   B) Don't worry about the motives of others   
      
   Philippians 1:15-17   
      
   15 Some indeed are preaching Christ out of envy and strife,   
   and some also from good will.   
   16 (Php 1:7) The former preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely,   
   intending to add trouble to my circumstance.   
   17 (Php 1:7; 2:3) But the latter preach out of love, knowing   
   that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.   
      
   [15] Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of   
   good will:   
   [16] The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add   
   affliction to my bonds:   
   [17] But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the   
   gospel.   
      
   Look how the Lord used these circumstances to increase faith.   
      
   c) Choose to rejoice   
      
   Philippians 1:18   
      
   18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth,   
   Christ is preached. And in this I rejoice.   
   Indeed, I will rejoice.   
      
   [18] What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in   
   truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.   
      
   A) Determine to rejoice   
      
   Philippians 1:18d-19   
      
   [18] ... and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.   
   [19] For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer,   
   and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,   
      
   18 ... And in this I rejoice.   
   Indeed, I will rejoice.   
   19 (2Co 1:11; Ac 16:7) For I know that through your prayer   
   and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will result   
   in my deliverance.   
      
   B) Connect into Community   
      
   Philippians 1:20   
      
   20 (1Co 6:20; Ro 5:5) Accordingly, it is my earnest expectation and my hope   
   that I shall be ashamed in nothing, but that with all boldness as always,   
   so now also, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether it be by life   
   or by death.   
      
   [20] According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I   
   shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ   
   shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.   
      
   c) Seek to honour Christ ... no matter what   
      
   Philippians 1:20-21   
      
   20 (1Co 6:20; Ro 5:5) Accordingly, it is my earnest expectation and my hope   
   that I shall be ashamed in nothing, but that with all boldness as always,   
   so now also, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether it be by life   
   or by death.   
   21 (Gal 2:20) For to me, to continue living is Christ, and to die is gain.   
      
   [20] According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I   
   shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ   
   shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.   
   [21] For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)