Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for May 27, 2012

“Be a servant to others as Christ also was” – Philippians 2:1-29

The church at Philippi during Paul’s day had become concerned with betterment. They had succumbed to concertism, which is a gathering for no more reason than to see the show; no one is concerned with anyone else in the crowd; they are just their together. So many of our churches today have also succumbed to concertism. They show up because that is where the service is held; but they do not come to get connected or do anything sacrificial for the church.

Philippians 2:1-4
If we are in any way blessed by Christ, the relationship to Christ carries with it the necessity to be in relationship with each other.
Consider others as better than yourselves. We need to come together to treat others better than ourselves.

Three examples of this behavior — Jesus Christ, Paul himself, and two others, Timothy and Epaphroditus; Christ, an apostle, and two disciples.

Philippians 2:5-11
Though Jesus was God and entitled to be served, He did not come to be served but to serve.
These verses have been translated in several ways. Verse 7 begins in one translation as “but emptied Himself.” This has led to heretical interpretations which have Jesus emptying Himself of some of His divine attributes. But this is not the case; Jesus remained fully God. Better translations are “but made Himself nothing” or “but made Himself of low esteem.” If Jesus loses just one attribute of divine nature, He ceases to be God. What Christ emptied Himself of was the right to be served. He is the only one in the Universe entitled to be served.

There will come a day, however, when Christ shall exercise His right to be served and every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Philippians 2:16-18
As Christ has emptied Himself of the right to be served, we must also not insist on being served but freely serve others.
Verse 17 connects with verse 7. Christ and Paul should be thought of in this chapter as drink offerings.

Concertism is not Christian.

Philippians 2:19-24
Timothy considered the interests of the Philippians ahead of his own.

Philippians 2:25-29
Epaphroditus imitated the example of Jesus Christ in serving the Philippian church to the point of almost dying.