Christ Church

Surveying the Text: Philippians

Joe Harby on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Introduction

The occasion of this letter was tied in with the activity of Epaphroditus—whose name incidentally means “dedicated to Aphrodite.” He had brought news to Paul in prison about the church at Philippi, and he had delivered their gift to Paul (2:30; 4:18). Once he got to Paul he nearly died of a severe illness, but was now recovered and ready to return to Philippi (2:26-27).

The Text

“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:1–5).

Summary of the Text

All Scripture reveals God to us, but this particular letter reveals a lot of Paul to us. This is a very personal letter, and a great deal of what makes Paul tick comes through to us in it. The two great themes in it are preparation for suffering, and avoidance of strife within the body. In both cases, the way to prepare is through cultivation of the mind of Christ, that which is found in our text. The mind of Christ is what enabled Him to take the form of a servant and to become obedient to the point of death. And the mind of Christ is that which enables us to defer to our brothers and sisters in the body, even when things are tense and awkward, angular and difficult. I mean, you know that look that Syntyche can get . . . she’s a handful. Or maybe it was Euodia. We don’t know (Phil. 4:2).

Background on Philippi

The city itself was founded by Caesar Augustus in Macedonia as a place to settle some of his veterans. Their loyalty to their emperor, their “lord and savior” was, not surprisingly, intense. The emperor cult was strong here in this city, and this brought them necessarily into conflict with the Christians, who confessed a greater Lord and Savior (Phil. 3:20). Try to imagine yourself at a pagan VFW meeting, saying the Apostles Creed instead of the Pledge.

The Philippian church was founded by Paul in the neighborhood of 48-49 A.D. This letter was written just over a decade later, somewhere around 62 A.D. The story of the church’s founding is recorded in the latter part of Acts 16. There we read about the conversion of Lydia and her household, the Philippian jailor and his household, and possibly the conversion of the girl who told fortunes by the power of the python (Acts 16:16).

The Right Kind of Like-mindedness

This letter from Paul is not about like-mindedness considered as an abstraction. It is not as though “agreement” is a good thing in itself. But we tend to lurch in the opposite direction, and think that “disagreement” is a good thing in itself. But what is good, the only thing that is good, is having the mind of Christ. If we have the mind of Christ, it is good to pursue like-mindedness with anyone who shares that mind of Christ. If someone else does not have the mind of Christ, then our goal should be to sharpen the disagreement.

Think about a board or a steering committee. Some people want to stack the board with people who all nod at the right times, usually in response to the prodding of a strong leader. What they get is not like-mindedness, but rather a pack of yes men. But others simply react in the opposite direction, with just as little reflection and thought. And they get disagreements just for the sake of disagreements. Agreement or disagreement by themselves are meaningless. What counts is the principle of agreement or disagreement.

Strong Language

When you take certain passages from this book, and line them up side by side, you can only come to two possible conclusions—either that Paul was a hypocrite, or that love and tender mercies are not the vats filled with sentimental goo. Take these for examples:
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Phil. 2:3). “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision” (Phil. 3:2).

For another example, compare the highs and lows here:

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil. 3:8–9).

The Kingdom Does Not Run On Air

The apostle had entered into a partnership with the Philippians, a partnership or fellowship that revolved around financial support.

“Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only” (Phil. 4:14–15).

The apostle did not believe in doing “all the Jesus stuff” on the one hand, and then later, in a completely different category, dealing with the mundane, board of trustee stuff. No, it was all a matter of fellowship, koinonia. Understood the right way, all of our lives together are a matter of fellowship. It is not an accident that after the offering is presented to God, our money, our checks, our donations, will be resting on the same table as the wine and bread. We partake together in all these ways.

If we believe in all of Christ for all of life, and we do, this extends to our bank accounts, and our participation in the ministry that our money makes possible elsewhere. Christ is present in all of it.

Read Full Article

The Covenant Home #6: Common Sins of the Household

Joe Harby on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 

INTRODUCTION:

In a message on “common sins” in the household, it would be easy to focus on those common sins which everyone knows and acknowledges to be sins—complaining, fighting, etc. But the point this morning is to take a step or two back, and address some of the problems which set up the temptations for the garden-variety sins. Sins that we know to be sins are not as dangerous as sins that we believe to be virtues.

THE TEXT:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, And the heart of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Mal. 4:5–6).

THE CONCERN:

The New Testament teaches us that this prophecy was fulfilled in Christ. John the Baptist came before the Lord came, and the point of his ministry (remember, a ministry of preparation) was to turn the hearts of fathers and children toward one another. Note also the alternative, which is a curse upon the earth. When fathers and mothers are honored, when things are spiritually healthy in the home, the result is blessing in the land. When fathers are harsh with their children, or when mothers are, the results are devastating. When the family breaks down, everything breaks down.

But simply having “traditional family values” in theory does not prevent such breakdowns. In recent years, some of the great moral failures have come from the traditionalist camp. The population of our church is such that thoughtful and biblical consideration of these sorts of temptations is an urgent necessity. How we educate and rear our children is a matter of central concern to us—we are dealing with hundreds of souls. This means that some plain dealing is pastorally necessary, whatever the issue— e.g. whether we are talking about homeschooling or about day schools like Logos, we have to think biblically.

COMMON ROOTS OF PARENTAL SINS:

We often deal with sins only when they bear fruit at the branch’s extremities. A lot of spiritual energy could be spared if we were willing to consider some of the root problems. Spiritual Neglect—those who do not know the condition of their own souls are in no position to shepherd the souls of others. “Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Luke 8:14). Parents, take care that you do not neglect the state of your own soul. How is it with you and God? Busyness is not holiness.

Defensive Isolationism—“Wives, submit . . . Husbands, love . . . Children, obey . . . Fathers, do not provoke…” (Col. 3:18-21). The point here is not the content of Paul’s exhortations, but rather to note that they are given in the context of the church. We live in community; we are not a club of isolated individuals. This means that we are involved in one another’s lives, which in turn means that we are involved with one another’s children. We all takes vows at the baptisms here, which means something important. It is not a ceremonial ritual.

Many parents falsely assume that they know their children better than anyone else in the church. It would be more accurate to say that parents could know their children better if they studied the Word, and their children, with biblical wisdom. If they did, then they would know that “faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Prov. 27:6 ). And the way it shakes out is that most parents know their children better in many areas, and complete strangers know them better in others.

Ignorant Isolationism—Just as sin seeks out the darkness (John 3:19), so sin, on the same principle, seeks lack of accountability. But Paul is blunt in his application of this principle. “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12). This is sadly a common problem among those who homeschool. Consequently, when problems arise, they are not often identified until it is too late to do anything about it.

Presumption—far from neglecting community, this is a sin which relies entirely on “community.” “All we have to do,” it is thought, “is enroll our children in Logos, attend church, make sure that we hang around enough, and everything will turn out all right.” No, it won’t. When parents do not exercise a godly and wise oversight of their children, bad things regularly and routinely happen, regardless of the community in which the children live, and regardless of the school they attend. The best school in the world is no substitute for godly parents.

Chasing after fads—“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Eph. 4:14-15). These fads we may divide into two categories— those which fit this description from Ephesians exactly, and are necessarily destructive in their effects. All anti-biblical legalisms would fit into this category.

But we must also include those things which could be fruitful and constructive if approached with wisdom—courtship, homeschooling, and the rest of it. But stampedes never bring wisdom. Bad things implemented stupidly do a lot of damage. Good things implemented stupidly do even more damage. Reformation is never brought about by plugging some formula. This includes educational formulae. It includes childrearing

formulae.

When you imitate the wise, you grow from the inside. When you copy the wise, nothing much happens. You wind up copying the wrong things entirely. Instead of imitating a godly father’s patience, you wind up copying what kind of minivan he bought.

Read Full Article

Surveying the Text: Ephesians

Joe Harby on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Introduction

If Galatians is the great charter of Christian liberty, and the ground of it, Ephesians is the great charter of Christian identity, and what flows from it.

The Text

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:18-23).

The Classic Pauline Move

Paul loves to move from the indicative to the imperative. He loves to say that this is the truth, therefore live out the truth. The first three chapters of Ephesians contain virtually nothing “to do.” Those chapters are packed with glorious truths, but the only thing you can do with them really is believe. And that is why those chapters can be called the Pauline credenda — things to be believed. The last three chapters are filled with ethical instruction — children obey, servants honor, wives respect, husbands love, while all Christians put on the full armor of God. The last three chapters are the great Pauline agenda — things to be done.

Doctrine and Life

The first part of the book is crammed with high doctrine about great mysteries. The second half is characterized by an exceptional ethical rigor. The first thing to note is that we may not separate them. High doctrine by itself is arid theological intellectualism, and utterly worthless. If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love . . . But if I detach a life of ethical rigor from the doctrines of these cosmic mysteries, all I will get is a life of suffocating moralism.

Mix and Match

Others attempt to keep them together, but while trying to alter (reduce) the meaning of at least one. There are those with high doctrine and low living. This is the orthodox libertine. Then there is the man with low doctrine and high living. This is the moralist. Another option is the one with low doctrine and low living. He can’t be bothered to learn or to obey. What we are after is a high sense of Christian identity in Christ, and a life of happy and high gratitude that simply spills out of that.

In Christ

In his letters, Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” (or related phrases) over 170 times. Thirty of those times are found here, in this book. This is the center of his thought. This is what ties everything together

Therefore . . .

It is therefore not enough to sing psalms; we must therefore sing psalms. It is not enough to avoid drunkenness; we must therefore avoid drunkenness. It is not enough to love your wife or respect your husband — you must therefore do so. The key word in this book is oun (Eph. 4:1). Therefore. This and the previous paragraph go together tightly. “In Christ, therefore.”

Back to Our Text

God’s purpose and plan was enter the material universe as a true man, and to do so in a way that would equip Him to be a true head over all things. It is the nature of a covenant head to represent all things over which He is the head, and to do so in such a way as that those things that are in Him fillHim. We were not placed in Christ in order to rattle around there. “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

We put on the new man, who is Christ. We put on the full armor of God (same word, enduo), and we see from the broader sweep of Scripture that Christ is every piece of that armor. He is our helmet, our salvation. He is our breastplate, our righteousness. He is our truth, our belt, and so on.

Christ is our head, which means that we are His fullness. As we put Him on, we are also filling Him up. This is a great mystery.

Husbands, this is what you are imitating. Wives, this is what you are imitating.

A Life of Imitation

If you are blind, you will have a hard time painting pictures. If you need glasses, you will perhaps become an impressionist. You will paint what you see, so make a point of seeing it correctly. But at the same time make a point of doing so with brush in hand.

Read Full Article

Surveying the Text: Galatians

Joe Harby on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Introduction

This Lord’s Day we are commemorating the beginning of the great Reformation of the 16th century. It is fitting, therefore, that we take this opportunity to begin our study of the book of Galatians, that great charter of Christian freedom. We need to stand fast in the liberty Christ brought to us, and we must refuse every form of sinful bondage.

The Text

“Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Gal. 1:1-5).

Background

The letter to the Galatians was written to a collection of churches in the Roman province of Galatia—churches such as Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe. Paul had gone through this area on his first missionary journey, but no sooner had he gotten back to Antioch than he discovered that false teachers were following in his wake and disrupting the churches there. Not only this, but Peter had capitulated to the same error at Antioch, causing a crisis there. All this occurred just before the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), placing the writing of Galatians in the mid to late 40s. This is significant because it makes this classic Pauline statement of the gospel one of the earliest books of the New Testament. The view that Galatians was written to ethnic Galatia up north cannot really be sustained.

Paul, An Apostle

As we consider Paul’s argument throughout this book, we see him answering objections to his position that had been raised by his adversaries. He answers one of them in his first breath. His apostleship was either denied by his adversaries, or it was claimed that his apostleship was secondary and derivative. He was called a “second-generation” apostle, and he meets this head-on in the first verse. He was an apostle in the strongest sense of that word—not by men, not by a man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who had raised Jesus from the dead. Paul was an apostle of resurrection power, an apostle of the liberty that new life gives. He was therefore not going to submit to a “compromise” between life and death.

And All the Brethren

The letter was probably written from Antioch, and it was not just from Paul. Salutations

at the ends of letters are greetings, but people named at the beginning are those who are helping him to speak authoritatively. Paul is writing from the Galatians’ mother church, and there many brothers there who were with Paul on this issue. The letter is addressed to multiple churches, multiple congregations.

Blessing and Doxology

Despite the consternation Paul feels about what the Galatians are doing, he gives his customary blessing—grace and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ (v.3). The glory resulting from the great work of salvation is glory that will be accorded to the Father forever and ever (v. 5). Amen. The controversy at Galatia is crucial, but does not prevent Paul from blessing them, and he does not forget to bless God the Father in faith.

Prologue

Before Paul gets into the particular aspects of the controversy, he sets the stage for a right understanding of that controversy in his comments of verse 4. Grace and peace come from the Lord Jesus, who gave Himself for our sins (v. 4). He did this so that He might deliver us from this present evil age (v. 4), and this was all done in accord with the will of God the Father (v. 4).

All Things New

We need to consider these three things in some detail. First, our salvation was accomplished by the will of the Father. It was not done on a whim, or a last minute thought. When Jesus went to the cross, He was submitting to the will of the Father, and, in doing this, He was securing our salvation in full accordance with that will.

Secondly, “our sins” are a significant part of what is dealt with in the work of redemption, but they are by no means the entire picture. After all, Jesus gave Himself for our sins, as it says here. But it says this was done in order to accomplish something else. That something else is the third point, which was the Father’s intention to deliver us from the present evil age. Now what does this mean? When was it done? Answering these questions rightly help us put the gospel of Jesus Christ in cosmic perspective. In other words, unless there is a new heavens and new earth, there will be no new hearts. The regeneration has entered us because we have entered the Regeneration.

Read Full Article