Philippians is not about systematic theology, like Romans, nor a single element of it, like Galatians. Nor is it a practical letter answering specific questions and local problems, like 1 Corinthians.
Rather, it's a pastoral, intimate letter whose unifying thread is sanctity, or Christ-mindedness (2:5). It was written from house arrest in Rome, where Paul was awaiting death.
Onto this thread Paul strings pearls: some of the most moving, memorable passages in all of Scripture. The best way to introduce this little gem of a letter is to point out some of these passages, like a tour guide showing highlights of a small island.
(1) The letter begins with a dash of confidence for parents pastors and those entrusted to care for souls in danger of losing the faith: "I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (1:6). For faith is a work of God, and God never fails.
(2) The whole Christian life is summed up in two words in 1:9-10: love and discernment. "It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent." Life is only love -but love needs eyes.
(3) The most perfect, simple statement ever written on the , meaning of life and death is 1:21: 'For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." (For death is only more Christ.) Like Christ, Paul does not describe sanctity as imitating Christ but as living in Christ and living out Christ: "For me to live is Christ." Compare Jn 15:4-5. Denying the real presence of Christ in the Christianis as much a heresy as denying the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Just imagine: Suppose we all really believed Mt 25:40?
(4) The most famous words in Philippians are the "kenosis" passage (2:5-11), which demands of all Christians the same emptying as the Incarnation:''Have this mind among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, din not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross."
Like Buddhism, Christianity threatens the greed and desire in which the world finds its hope for happiness. But unlike Buddhism, Christianity has a positive alternative-not an empty mind but the mind of Christ and the hope of glory:
"Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (2:9-11).
(5) In the life of the Christian, our free will and God's grace are one, as they were in the life of Christ. The mystery no philosopher can solve is stated with all its paradoxical force in 2:12-13: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for God is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure:'
(6) A perfect slogan for the Christian in a decadent culture, whether ancient Rome or modern America, is 2:15: "Be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Jesus told us the same thing: Be lights, be salt, be distinctive. God never told anyone to be popular, not even a bishop. God does not respect the American zeitgeist.
(7) With this advice goes another: to "glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh" (3:3). Modern American Catholics lack Christ's skepticism. Aren't we shocked by Jn 2:23-24? We remember that human nature is precious but forget that it is fallen, we remember to love man but we forget to put our faith and hope in God not in man. That's why our faith falters when we hear of clerical scandals.
(8) Paul practices what he preaches: He himself puts no confidence in the flesh. After listing all his considerable advantages (3:4-8), he summarizes them in a shocking four-letter word which no Bible since the 16th century has dared to translate literally: "If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church; as to the righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and Count them as refuse." "Refuse (skubala) begins with an "s" in modern English.
Paul's point is not that the world is worthless, but that its very great worth is nothing compared with Christ. A trillion is nothing compared with infinity.
(9) The goal of this life in Christ is summarized unforgettably in 3:10-11: "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection of the dead."
A constant incompleteness and energy animates the Christian life, like a race: "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" {3:12-14). Salvation is both complete (He said, "It is finished" ) and incomplete, for while God has completely made us His own, we have not completely made Him our own.
(10) Christians who pin their hopes to a political or national agenda had better read 3:20-21, a definition of Christian patriotism and the Christian patria (fatherland): "Our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body by the power which enables Him to subject all things to Himself."
(11) For the listless and despondent, Paul has a command (not just an ''ideal''! to "rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice" (4:4) Worth repeating a few hundred times a day. Try it. See the difference it makes.
(12) Perhaps the most beloved of all benedictions is 4:7: "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The peace that comes from understanding will keep the mind, but only the peace that surpasses understanding can keep the heart, which surpasses the mind.
(13) The perfect definition of Christ-mindedness comes in 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Elsewhere (l Cor 10:5) Paul commands us to "take every thought captive to obey Christ." For thought is the source of all life: ~"Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny. Therefore let us think well. This is the principle of all morality" |Pascal).
Yet this is the area in which many demand freedom rather than obedience-as if God had a right to control my actions but not my thoughts, as if it were un-American for God to interfere with my "freedom of thought."
(l4) Another un-American virtue, taught by Paul and all the saints, is detachment from worldly ambitions. Exactly contrary to what the world thinks, this is the secret of happiness: "I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased and I know how to abound" (4:11-12).
The two most important lessons learnable in any game are how to be a good loser and how to be a good winner. And this-worldly ambition is only a game for Christians. (That does not mean that we cannot play the game, like any other, with passion.)
(15) For all "losers," for all the weak, for "little" Christians, Paul offers the amazing claim of 4:13: "I can do all things in Him that strengthens me." The answer to the question-How much can we do?-is the answer to the question "How much can Christ do? For we are "in Christ," branches of that one vine. "All is no exaggeration; "all things are possible with God" (Matt 19:26).
(16) But how much will He do for us? Like Jesus, Paul makes the unqualified promise that "my God will supply every need of yours" (4:19). This is reasonable, believe it or not; the reason-is that the supply is "according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Compare Rom 8:28-39.)
Of course, he doesn't say that God will give us everything we want- unless what we want is identical with what we need. Christmindedness, the most pervasive theme of Philippians, means learning to discern these two things, reaming to bring our wants into alignment with our needs by learning to bring our minds into alignment with the mind of Christ. Insofar as we do this, it's inevitable that we will experience more and more of the power and contentment that the saint writes of so beautifully.
Such eloquence comes only from experience. Sanctity cannot be taught, like theology; only caught, like measles. The more we expose ourselves to highly contagious words like these, the more likely it is that we'll be "infected."
Peter Kreeft is the author of many books including "Making Choices'' (Servant Books) and Back to Virtue (Ignatius).
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