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Rightly Dividing
the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
Established November 2008 Published
Weekly on Friday
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
Greetings, and welcome
to HBS.
For those of you
who are somewhat new to our Bible study please know the most recent
Bible lesson always
appears first on the website. The
lessons then line up in sequential order after that. The search window may be used to look up a
specific Bible topic or subject you’re interested in such as justification, reconciliation, redemption,
and my doctrinal statement. One last
thing; I recommended re-reading the prior lesson before studying the new one. This repetitious activity will help you mature
in the faith:
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we
have not stopped praying for you. We
continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the
wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life
worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good
work, growing in the knowledge of God, (Colossians 1:9-10).
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and
stablished (To
fix; to settle in a state for permanence; to make firm) in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with
thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7).
*****
In the previous
lesson we learned whether out of contention
or like-mindedness
the gospel of grace was preached in and about the city of Rome and our Apostle
Paul rejoiced. It’s worth mentioning again, Paul uses the
word “joy” or “rejoice” sixteen times in Philippians, and thus it’s known as the
epistle of joy. I find this remarkable
since he’s not only in prison unjustly he’s facing a death sentence for “the cause
of Christ.” Paul believed the prayers
of the saints and the supply of the
Spirit of Jesus Christ combined with the gospels’ positive influence would
result in his deliverance or salvation from prison. You
see, Paul believed the Lord would see him through this ordeal and out the other
side. Why? Paul was sold
out for Jesus Christ, i.e. serving the Lord was his life. Paul was confident
he would be allowed to continue preaching the gospel of grace in Rome and
elsewhere (Philippians 1:21).
********
Please
open your Bible at Philippians 1:20-21.
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
(to
make great or greater) in my body,
whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain.
According to my
earnest expectation and my hope, that
in nothing I shall be ashamed, (1:20a) - this comment is connected to Paul’s
previous statement in 1:17b: “…knowing that I am set for the defence of
the gospel.” We’ve talked about why Paul
defended his gospel. But I haven’t
mentioned since its inception, God’s gospel of grace has been subjected to
ridicule and rejected by those who defiantly proclaim “That’s not how it’s done.” Many
people adamantly believe salvation is accomplished by means other than faith
alone in Paul’s gospel (Acts 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). For instance, a lot of people believe salvation
is achieved by something they do such as performing good works, water baptism,
joining a specific church, etcetera. They
believe the essence of religion is doing something good for God and that good work
becomes the vehicle by which they are saved.
But if that’s the case, how many good works must a person do and what
about the “wrong things” people continuously do? Does one good work nullify one sin or does it
take many good deeds to erase one wrong doing?
The muddied waters are cleared by
the fundamental teaching of the exclusivity of Jesus Christ and the gospel of
grace (John 14:6; Romans 10:9-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Returning
to verse 1:20a where Paul said “According
to my earnest expectation and my
hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed…” The word ashamed means: to dishonor, or make ashamed. It conveys the meaning of being put to shame. This same word appears in 1 Corinthians
10:8:
For though I should
boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for
edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
And
again in 1 John 2:28: And now, little children, abide in him;
that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming.
Why
is Paul concerned about being ashamed? We find the answer in verse 1:20b “…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.
Even
though it was his heart’s desire, to magnify
the Lord in his body in defence of the gospel of grace, Paul was concerned when the time came he might
not share the gospel boldly. Instead, the possibility existed he would
remain silent and by his silence disgrace the gospel and the
Lord. Therefore he asked the believing saints to pray specifically that he would make known the mystery of the
gospel, boldly whenever the opportunity arises: Above all, taking the shield
of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked. And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for
me, that utterance may be given unto me, that (specifically) I may open my mouth boldly, to make
known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that
therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:16-20).
Even
though Paul demonstrated a Christ-like spirit, he’s still human. I mention this because there are people who think
certain biblical figures such as Abraham, Moses, Paul, Peter, James, John, the
Virgin Mary, etc. were wired differently while in their mother’s womb, that is
to say they were super-spiritual at birth.
However all the examples listed above, and many others I did not mention
had and experienced human emotion. They
were no different than you and me in this respect.
Our
Apostle Paul is but one example. In the
scripture passage below, he openly expresses the emotion of trepidation: And I,
brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom,
declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and
him crucified. And I was with you in weakness,
and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of
man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the
wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
Why
was Paul uneasy? People describe 2
Corinthians as Paul pouring out his heart to the Believers in Corinth. Specific references to his emotions are found
no less than thirty-five times in this communication. It’s been said the bravest are not those who
do not experience the sensation of fear, but rather those who are keenly aware
of danger and yet face it boldly. One
Viet Nam veteran I knew long ago said to me, “There are no heroes in war only
ordinary men doing extraordinary things for the good of their brothers-in-arms. When Paul arrived in the pagan city of
Corinth, Greece, the people were busy exploring and surrendering to numerous fleshly
(carnal) indulgences. Talking to
like-minded Believers about God’s grace is not difficult. But taking God’s Word to the streets, literally,
where taking care of self is the primary goal, and the world and its fleshly delights
are paramount, you’ll find the road not only less traveled, but a rough one
indeed. However, Paul seized the moment
or “took the bull by the horns,” and preached the gospel to both the Jew and the
Gentle and experienced the human emotions of weakness, fear, and trembling. Bearing this in mind, Paul knows his
appointment (trial) before Nero is drawing near. If you know anything about this Roman emperor
then you can understand his unease. Not
only is the meeting itself unsettling, the outcome of it will determine whether
he lives or dies.
Born
Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, (37-68 AD), Nero took his familiar name when he was
adopted at age 13 by his great-uncle, the emperor Claudius. As Rome’s emperor (circa 54-68 AD), Nero made
a villainous name for himself right up to the moment of his death. Nero is known for his debaucheries, political
murders, and his passion for music and for persecuting Christians. Nero introduced “twilight executions.” Christians were dressed in wax, affixed to
crosses, and set afire to light up the night.
So, Paul’s apprehension stemmed from the possibility he would shrink
from his God-given responsibility of defending the gospel of grace before Nero at
this divinely ordained meeting:
But the Lord said
unto him (Ananias), Go thy way:
for he (Saul/Paul) is a chosen
vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and (who) kings, and the children of Israel:
For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake
(Acts 9:16-16).
And the night
following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for
as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness
also at Rome (Acts
23:11).
Saying, Fear
not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath
given thee all them that sail with thee (Acts 27:24).
So,
in verse 1:20a, Paul reveals human characteristics. His future is uncertain (clouded over) and
this made him nervous. But I don’t find
one instance in scripture where Paul is so overwhelmed by emotion he permits his
emotions to control him. This
tender-hearted man was utterly devoted to his calling despite the difficulties
(Romans 1:1):
Ye know, from the
first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all
seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and
temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And
how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you,
but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and
faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And
now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things
that shall befall me there: Save that
the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions
abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto
myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry,
which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of
God (Acts
20:18b-24).
Paul’s
earnest desire to serve God
faithfully, bolstered by the prayers of
the saints, and strengthened by the
power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ allowed him to take the gospel of grace
to places other people had not visited. Caesar’s
palace was one of these places.
Through mighty
signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I
have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should
build upon another man’s foundation: But
as it is written, To whom he was not
spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.
For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you (Romans 15:19-22).
Verse
1:20c
“…as always, so now
also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”
When
I see the word magnify, I think of a
laboratory microscope. Blood cells are
placed on a glass slide and slid into place on the magnifying instrument. With the aid of a bright light and a series
of optical lenses a greatly magnified image is revealed. Thus, the word “magnify” here means: to be brought into the light so as to be
clearly seen and understood; to make great or greater. Paul is telling the Philippians (and us) whatever
the outcome of his trial he wanted Christ Jesus to be magnified in his body, whether it
be by life, or by death.
Whether
in life or in death, Paul wanted people to see the Light of Christ Jesus in him:
Then Paul and
Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should
first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a
light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends
of the earth (Acts
13:46-47).
Do all things
without murmurings and disputing: That
ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst
of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom (what) shine as lights in the world; holding forth the
word of life… (Philippians 2:14-16a).
Once
again, we see Paul exemplifying what he believed and taught the Body of Christ:
I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your (what) bodies a living sacrifice (an
offering), holy (set apart), acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans
12:1)
When
the Lord Jesus Christ is magnified in one’s body, it enables people to
better understand Him, His love, His ways, and subsequently His will for
them. There’s nothing quite like a
biblical example so please turn with me to the Acts 11:25-26: Then
departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they
assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians
first in Antioch.
Those
of you who have been with me for awhile understand I refrain from using certain
words in my Bible lessons and the word Christian
is one of them. This word has been
hijacked (stolen); it no longer retains its original meaning. Permit me to explain.
The
word Christian means “a follower of Christ.” The Believers at Antioch didn’t invent the term Christian. These Believers magnified the Lord in their bodies, meaning they
displayed Christ-like qualities in their day-to-day living and this lifestyle
was noticed by the Romans who had
contact with them. It was meant to be
disrespectful term. The Romans thought
their behavior was strange. They
couldn’t understand why people would want to imitate someone who died on the
cross.
So Paul’s recognizing Caesar may choose to have
him executed soon, so he added “whether it be by life, or by death.” His overall objective, to magnify Jesus Christ, is the most
important thing on his list of things to do.
If he could do this in living, fine and dandy; but if he had to die, then
so be it. God will be glorified either
way.
Verse
21:
Paul
stated in verse 1:20 he’s content to magnify
the Lord Jesus Christ by death or by life. He follows that comment by effectively
saying, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Another way of saying this is “Jesus
Christ is my sole reason for living.”
Our
Apostle Paul wanted to live as Jesus Christ desired him to live, and if he had
to die for Christ, then so be it. Either
way, Paul wanted to live so other people could see Christ Jesus in him. Joining these statements together we come up
with the idea, whether in life or in death, Paul wants the Lord to be clearly
seen and understood by all. The only way this can occur is if one chooses
to die to self and allow the Lord to be evident in their life. Plainly said, God expects true Believers to
model His Son or to walk worthy of the
calling with which you have been called (Ephesians 4:1-3).
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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