Philippians 2:12-18

Read through Philippians 2:12-18. Remember that Paul is encouraging the Christians at Philippi to live as “citizens of heaven.” He has already told them (1) to live in unity with each other and (2) to live with humility. This section contains a third way: to “let your lives shine before men.” As you read, jot down any questions you have or any details that stand out.

A Closer Look:
Observation #1: Paul tells the Philippians to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” What does that mean?

• Paul is telling them – in a different way – that they need to act like “citizens of heaven.” Remember that the Philippians seem to have problems with pride, selfishness, and arguing. They needed to follow Christ’s example and be humble and selfless instead.
• “Fear” refers to a “deep reverence.” Do you have any people in your life that you really respect and look up to? We don’t want to let them down; instead we want to do our best for them. In the same way, we should try to do our best for God.
• Note that Paul had already prayed for them to “be filled with the fruit of your salvation” – i.e., to live like “citizens of heaven.” See Philippians 1:11.

Observation #2: What does it mean to “let your lives shine brightly” in everyday life?

• DO – have good character (be “blameless”), be pure, be willing to serve
• DON’T – complain, argue, be selfish, have a bad attitude
• In order for the Philippian believers to stand out from the non-believers, they needed to behave differently. So Paul mentions some specific areas for them to work on.
• Note that Paul had already prayed for them to be “blameless” and “pure.” See Philippians 1:10.

Observation #3: Paul tells them to “hold tight to the word of life.” What does he mean?

• The “word of life” refers to the Gospel. When Paul visited Philippi, he shared the Gospel with them so that they would follow Christ.
• “Hold tight” could also mean “hold forth” – as if you were offering someone a gift. Paul is encouraging the Philippians to continue sharing the Gospel with others in their community, not only by telling them the Good News about Christ but also by “letting their lives shine.”

Read through Philippians 2:1-18.

Questions:

1. We are learning more and more about the believers at Philippi. How would you describe them, now that we have read Acts 16 and Philippians 1:1-2:18?
2. Paul’s prayer (in Philippians 1:20) is that he will be “bold” for Christ. In other words, he wanted to continue sharing the Gospel with others, even though he had been arrested for it. Does that affect the way you read this passage?
3. The Message translation of Philippians 2:15 reads, “Provide people a glimpse of good living and of the living God.” How can you give people a “glimpse of God” this week?
4. What can we learn about God from this passage?

Challenges:
#1 – Read Exodus 15:22-17:7; Exodus 32:1-35; and 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. These describe times when the Israelites complained and grumbled, as well as how God responded to their behavior.

#2 – Read Matthew 5:1-7:29. Jesus describes in more detail what it means to “live as a citizen of heaven.”

* “Salvation” is simply a big word that means “delivered” or “saved.” In this case, it means saved from sin. People who trust in Christ are saved at the moment of their confession of faith (Romans 10:8-10) and are no longer slaves to sin. They can enjoy a personal and intimate relationship with God through Christ and the Holy Spirit. (Check out John 8:31-36 and Romans 6:6-23.)