Sermon
Series: Philippians, Part 2
Paul’s Prayer for the Church at Philippi
Philippians
1:9-11
[There was no audio
recording available for this sermon.]
9
And this I pray, that your love may
abound yet more and more in knowledge and
in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are
excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ,
unto the glory and praise of God.
Introduction:
What do we pray for?
How do we pray?
What are we really asking for when we
pray?
Transition:
During the last two sessions on Church History at Faith
Baptist Fellowship Church at Lake Ariel we have been doing readings in
Augustine’s Confessions. Spending
time in that work is worthwhile if for no other reason than to learn how to
pray according to Scripture. The entire work, all 13 books of it, is one long
extended prayer. Augustine is talking to God throughout his Confessions. I commend this to you for
your devotional reading.
Outline:
I. Paul’s Prayer for their Abundant Love (1:9-10a)
II. Paul’s Prayer for their Holy Perseverance (1:10b)
III. Paul’s Prayer for their Righteous Fruits (1:11)
I. Paul’s Prayer for their Abundant Love (1:9-10a)
And
this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve
things that are excellent;
This is not just about quantity, but the emphasis here is
especially on the quality of their love.
The abundance Paul prays for is focused on a love that is
informed and wise. This is truth in action. Paul’s prayer is not about a vague,
squishy, warm fuzzy love without definition. This is not just about the world’s
notion of a “feel good” wannabe emotive thing called “love,” but the genuine
article. The love of God that is the fruit of the Spirit cannot be divorced
from the truth of the Word of God, and is not contrary to judgment. True
Christian love, sound doctrine, and wise judgment stand or fall together.
This is love that is the subject of the first part of
Paul’s prayer is not a love that comes away from the Scriptures with a “Judge
not” shibboleth. This is a love that abounds, yea, that abounds yet more and
more, and does so in both knowledge and judgment. This two edged sword in the
face of truth and error has no doubt on which side to stand. This is neither an
ignorant love, nor a love that shuns seeing error and falsehood for what it is.
It cannot be otherwise, since this can only be God’s love, and love for God,
the love shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of God, the love of Christ,
and love for Christ and His people. For such a love to be informed and to know,
and not to judge when confronted with evil, unrighteousness, falsehood, and
wrong would be to deny itself. Love and judgment are linked by knowledge, and
are not only not contradictory (double negative), but actually compatible, and
mutually dependent. The love of God and the judgment of God are not at odds.
The subject of this first part of the prayer is their love.
The prayer about their love is that is abounds yet more and more in both
knowledge and in all judgment. The goal of this prayer is that they then
II. Paul’s Prayer for their Holy Perseverance (1:10b)
that
ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
The overarching character or complexion of their lives
from beginning to end is prayed for in these words.
There is a temporal emphasis in this part of the prayer. The
“day of Christ” came up before in verse 6 of this chapter. That eschatological
phrase links this verse to that one. What we have here is another way of
looking at Paul’s emphasis in his confidence about them there. In verse 6 it
was on the good work that God had begun in them, and would continue until the
Second Advent of Christ. Here in this verse it is a prayer based on that
confidence that they would display God’s good work within them in their purity
and freedom from blame until they enter God’s eternal Day in glory when Christ
calls them to Himself.
We have in verse 6 the basis, the God-ward side, of their
sanctification unto the end, or perseverance in holiness. We have here in the
second half of verse 10 the man-ward side which is the effect of God’s work
begun and continuing in them, whereby the Philippians grow spiritually,
maintaining all along as they mature that purity and lack of offence that is
consistent with both the God who is at work in them, and the Christ whose Day
they look forward to.
Sincerity, or purity, as many of the modern translations
understand it, is the positive aspect of their holy perseverance. Being without
offence, or blameless, is the negative aspect of this same holy perseverance.
Just as verse 6 and verse 10 were two sides of the same coin in the work of God
and the Christian, even so these positive and negative expressions here in
verse 10 are two sides of the believer’s perseverance in holiness.
One of the key passages in Philippians that we quoted
last Lord’s Day addresses both aspects of these truths: 12 Wherefore,
my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:12-13)
The greatest confessional expression of this in the
history of the Church may be found in the 15 Articles of the Fifth Chapter, or
Doctrinal Head in the Canons of the Synod of Dort (November 13, 1618 - May 9,
1619) concerning the Perseverance of the Saints.
III. Paul’s Prayer for their Righteous Fruits (1:11)
Being
filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the
glory and praise of God.
This final part
of Paul’s prayer for the Philippian Christians is the combined desired end of
both of the previous parts of this prayer. If we are to “connect the dots” as
it were in this prayer of Paul’s the purpose clauses that went before would be
seen to be intermediate, while this depicts them at the end, with Paul’s prayer
answered. It is as if they were bearing the harvest before the throne at the
judgment day as an act of acceptable worship to God.
The abundance in
verse 9 enables the approval mentioned in the beginning of verse 10. The purity
and blamelessness at the end of verse 10 goes on until the Second Advent. These
prayers having been answered there can be other result but that they would be
fruitful by Christ to God’s glory, “being filled with the fruits of
righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”
There can be no
question here about the source of these “fruits of righteousness” that the
Philippian Christians are to be filled with. It is Jesus Christ, and Him alone
who is credited with being their source.
There can be no
doubt when Paul’s prayer is answered for the Philippian Christians who will be
boasted about, who will be glorified and praised. When the people of God are
“filled with the fruits of righteousness,” that which flows from the True Vine
to the Branches is seen as the source, and God is praised and glorified.
There can be no
disconnect between “the fruits of righteousness” here, and the “fruit of the
Spirit” in Galatians 5. The Spirit of Christ bears fruit in those He redeems.
For those He justified He is their righteousness, and He is their
sanctification that God be glorified and praised.
[Sermon preached 13 NOV 2016 by Pastor John T. “Jack”
Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]
Complete Outline:
I. Paul’s Prayer for their Abundant Love (1:9-10a)
II. Paul’s Prayer for their Holy Perseverance (1:10b)
III. Paul’s Prayer for their Righteous Fruits (1:11)
Appendix I: Grammar and Syntax Resources
Phil. 1:9 -
heightened comparison
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 663, on Phil. 1:9, s.v. (d) Double Comparison.
Nigel Turner, Syntax,
Vol. III in James Hope Moulton, A Grammar
of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1963), pg. 29; on
Phil. 1:9, s.v. Ch. 3, The Comparison
of Adjectives and Adverbs, §1.
Heightening of Comparison: “…the opportunity is frequently taken to heighten
comparison by the addition to the comparative of particles like ἔτι…and
even accumulations…”
Phil. 1:9 -
accusative as direct object of verb
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 699, on Phil. 1:9, s.v. VI. Demonstrative Pronouns, (f) Οὗτος, 4. In Apposition, “The
accusative as the direct object of the verb is seen in τοῦτο προσεύχομαι ἵνα in Ph. 1:9.”
Phil. 1:10 - articular
infinitive with εἰς for
purpose or result
Ernest De Witt
Burton, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in
New Testament Greek, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1978
reprint of 1900 edition, University of Chicago Press, Chicago), pg. 161, on
Phil. 1:10, s.v. §409. “Σἰς governing
the Infinitive with τὸ most
commonly expresses purpose. It is employed with special frequency by Paul, but
occurs also in Heb., 1 Pet., and Jas.”
E.g., Rom. 8:29;
1:11; 3:26; 7:4; Eph. 1:12; Phil. 1:10; Heb. 2:17; Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 3:7.
H. E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (Toronto: The Macmillan
Co., 1927, 1955), pg. 286, on Phil.
1:10, s.v. VIII. Result
Clauses, The Constructions in Result Clauses, §270. “Result may be introduced in the following
ways:…,” pg. 285. “(4) By the infinitive with εἰς τὸ,
which is also rare.” E.g., Rom. 1:20; Phil. 1:10; Heb. 11:3; Jas. 1:19.
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 991, on Phil. 1:10, s.v. 6. Final and Consecutive Clauses, (c) Pure Final Clauses, (ζ) The Infinitive, “Moulton
gives numerous papyri references for telic εἰς τό. The examples with εἰς τό are the most common of all in the
N. T. (72 instances). As a rule these indicate purpose more or less
strong, though not always. It is particularly common in Paul (50 exx., H.
Scott).”
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 1071, on Phil. 1:10, s.v. II. The Infinitive, 4. Substantival Aspects of the Infinitive, (c) Prepositions, “There
is no doubt that in the N. T. εὶς τό has
broken away to some extent from the classic notion of purpose. That idea still
occurs as in Ro. 1:11, εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι. This
is still the usual construction. Cf. Ro. 3:26; 7:4; 8:29; Eph. 1:12; Ph. 1:10;
1 Th. 3:5; Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 3:7; Heb. 2:17, and other examples in Mt. and
Heb., to go no further.”
Nigel Turner, Syntax,
Vol. III in James Hope Moulton, A Grammar
of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1963), pg. 143, on
Phil. 1:10, cited as an example that seems “to be final or very near it;” s.v. § 2. Infinitive with Various Case-functions, (b) Articular Infinitive, B. With a preposition or Prepositional
Adverb. 2. “Σἰς τὸ c. inf….expresses purpose or
result…”
Phil. 1:10 - present
subjunctive as periphrastic
Nigel Turner, Syntax,
Vol. III in James Hope Moulton, A Grammar
of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1963), pg. 89, on
Phil. 1:10, s.v. § 9. Periphrastic Tenses,
(h) Other periphrases: pres. subjunctive.
Phil. 1:10 - substantival
participle
Nigel Turner, Syntax,
Vol. III in James Hope Moulton, A Grammar
of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1963), pg. 151, on
Phil. 1:10, s.v. § 1. Substantival
Participle, (b) Neuter, “Ambiguous is (Ro 218 Ph 110; see ICC
in loc.): either different values (= moral distinctions NEB) or superior things (RV, RSV, Lat. utiliora).”
Phil. 1:10 -
preposition as marking limit or accenting duration in expressions of time
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 594, on Phil. 1:10, s.v. VII. Proper Prepositions in the N.
T., (f) Εἰς, “3. With
Expressions of Time. Here εἰς marks
either the limit or accents the duration expressed by the accusative.”
Phil. 1:11 - accusative
with passive
F. Blass, and A. Debrunner, trans. and rev. Robert W.
Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New
Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 9th ed. (Chicago: The University
of Chicago Press, 1961), pg. 87, s.v.
D. The Accusative with the Passive, §159.
(1).
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 483, on Phil. 1:11, s.v. VII. The Accusative, (i)
Double Accusative, “Πληρόω does not indeed have two
accusatives in the N. T., but the passive with accusative in Ph. 1:11 and
Col. 1:9 really involves the idiom.”
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 485, on Phil. 1:11, s.v. VII. The Accusative, (j)
With Passive Verbs, “But the true passive
of many verbs retains the accusative of the thing. This is true of verbs that
have two accusatives in the active….
πεπληρωμένοι καρπὸν δικαιοσύνης (Ph. 1:11; Col. 1:9 ἵνα πληρωθῆτε τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν and cf. Ex. 31:3, ἐνέπλησα αὐτὸν πνεῦμα σοφίας) and
compare 2 Tim. 1:5 for genitive (ἵνα χαρᾶς
πληρωθῶ)…”
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 510, on Phil. 1:11, s.v. 5. Verbs of Sharing, Partaking and Filling.
Nigel Turner, Syntax,
Vol. III in James Hope Moulton, A Grammar
of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1963), pg. 247, on
Phil. 1:11 as an example of (d) Accus. with passive. “This occurs with
the passive of verbs which have double accus. in the active, and is
classical:….In the Koine, and actually already in LXX, occurs accus. instead of
gen. with fill, be full: Ph 111 πεπληρωμένοι
καρπὸν δικαιοσύνης, Col 19…” See also Turner, op. cit., pg. 232-233, where the LXX example of Ex. 31:3 and
another NT example in Rev. 17:3 are mentioned along with Phil. 1:11.
Phil. 1:11 - Concatenation of genitives
F. Blass, and A. Debrunner, trans. and rev. Robert W.
Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New
Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 9th ed. (Chicago: The University
of Chicago Press, 1961), pg. 93, on
Phil. 1:11, εἰς δόξαν καὶ ἔπαινον is
compared to Eph. 1:6, s.v. §168. Concatenation of
genitives with different meanings, (2). “Generally one genitive is dependent on
another, whereby an author, particularly Paul, occasionally produces a quite
cumbersome accumulation of genitives; to facilitate clarity in such cases, the
governing genitive must always precede the dependent genitive (cf. pap., Mayser
ii 2, 143.37ff., 144), which also
corresponds to Hebrew usage: 2 C 4:4 τὸν φωτισμὸν
τοῦ εὐαγγελίου (‘the light emanating from the Gospel’) τῆς δόξης (content) τοῦ Χριστοῦ.” “The last gen. is usually possessive.”
Phil. 1:11 -
Preposition with aim or purpose as the resultant idea
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 595, on Phil. 1:11, s.v. (f)
Εἰς, 5. Aim or Purpose,
“Sometimes indeed εἰς appears in an atmosphere where aim or purpose is
manifestly the resultant idea….Cf. again εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ in Ph. 1:11…”
Phil. 1:11 -
Possible demonstrative rather than article
A. T. Robertson, A
Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th
ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pg. 694, on Phil. 1:11, s.v. VI.
Demonstrative Pronouns, (c) Ὁ, ἡ, τό, “It is possible indeed that τόν in Ph. 1:11 is demonstrative.”
Appendix II: Table of the Translations of the Purpose
or Result Clauses in Philippians 1:9-11
Trans
|
ἵνα
|
εἰς τὸ
δοκιμάζειν
|
ἵνα
|
εἰς δόξαν καὶ ἔπαινον
θεοῦ
|
KJV
|
that
|
that you may approve
|
that
|
unto the glory and praise of God
|
NKJV
|
that
|
that you may approve
|
that
|
to the glory and praise of God
|
NASB
|
that
|
so that you may approve
|
in order to
|
to the glory and praise of God
|
ESV
|
that
|
so that you may approve
|
and so
|
to the glory and praise of God
|
HCSB
|
that
|
so that you can approve
|
so that
|
to the glory and praise of God
|
NIV
|
that
|
so that you may be able to discern
|
so that
|
to the glory and praise of God
|
NLT
|
that
|
For I want you to
understand
|
so that
|
for this will bring much glory
and praise to God
|
YLT
|
that
|
for your proving
|
that
|
to the glory and praise of God
|
No comments:
Post a Comment