Sermon
Series: Philippians, Part 4
Torn Between Two
Philippians
1:21-26
[Audio file on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/Philippians121-26.]
21
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be
with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the
flesh is more needful for you. 25
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with
you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; 26 That your
rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you
again.
Introduction:
The verses that we considered last time
ended with the life and death issues facing Paul:
20 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
in my body, whether it be by life, or
by death.
The passage which follows the one we
are about to consider, Deo volente,
also involves the issues of Paul’s return to Philippian or his continued
absence:
27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of
Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your
affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for
the faith of the gospel;
Transition:
Before we are finished our consideration of what Paul
wrote in these words to the Philippian Church of the first century we will need
to consider how they are the reversal of incarnational reasoning.
The title of this sermon borrows language from both the New International Version and New Living Translation of Philippians
1:21. Paul was Torn Between Two (NIV,
NLT), between two paths for his future involving two very strong desires or
longings.
Outline:
I. The Tension
Between the Two — I am in a strait
betwixt two (1:21-23)
II. The Second of
the Two — (For to me) to die gain (1:21-23)
III. The First of
the Two — For to me to live Christ
(1:21-26)
IV. The Reversal of
Incarnational Reasoning
I. The Tension Between the Two — I am in a strait betwixt two (1:21-23)
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be
with Christ; which is far better:
Hard pressed
NKJV — For I am hard-pressed between the two
NASB — But I am hard-pressed from both directions
ESV — I am hard pressed between the two.
Pressured
HCSB — I am pressured by both.
YLT — for I am pressed by the two
Torn
NIV — I am torn between the two
NLT — I’m torn between two desires
II. The Second of the Two — (For to me) to die gain
(1:21-23)
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be
with Christ; which is far better:
far better for
who?
2 Cor. 5:2 — For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to
be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
2 Cor. 5:8 — We are confident, I say, and willing rather
to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
2 Tim. 4:6-8 — 6 For I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a
good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto
all them also that love his appearing.
III. The First of the Two — For to me to live Christ (1:21-26)
21
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be
with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the
flesh is more needful for you. 25
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with
you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; 26 That your
rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you
again.
“With this, Paul gave the Philippians his triumphant
aphorism — a proverb for the church universal — an ideal for every believing
soul:…”
— R. Kent Hughes, Philippians:
The Fellowship of the Gospel, Preaching the Word, gen. ed. R. Kent Hughes (Wheaton:
Crossway, 2007), pg. 58.
“Philippians 1:21 is a text which cuts like a surgeon’s
scalpel to the heart of Christianity.”
— James Montgomery Boice, Philippians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971),
pg. 86.
“This verse should be taken together with Galatians 2:20
which is Paul’s definitive commentary on it:…”
— James Montgomery Boice, op. cit., pg. 87.
Gal. 2:20 — I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me.
Notice that verse 24 begins with “nevertheless,” often
translated as “but.” In the NLT this shift is more pronounced by the addition
of the words “for me” (not in the Greek text, but understood) at the end of
verse 23. This “for me” is then immediately posited against “But for your
sakes…”
IV. The Reversal of Incarnational Reasoning
What do I mean by “the reversal of incarnational
reasoning”?
In the case of Paul and his beloved Philippian brethren
it was better for them if he lived, i.e.,
went on living. It was not so with our Savior. In fact, the exact opposite was true.
The Father sent
the Son to die for us:
1 Jn. 4:10 — Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
The death of
Christ for us is the greatest expression of the love of God for us:
Rom. 5:6-10 — 6 For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would
even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then,
being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his
Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
The absolute
necessity of the death of Christ for us:
Jn. 3:13-18 — 13
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even
the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Two examples of
the “more needful” and “far better” benefit of Christ’s death for us:
1) That he might
deliver us from the Law’s curse:
Gal. 3:13 — Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the
law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree:
2) To bring us to
God:
1 Pet. 3:18 — For Christ also hath once suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Two answers to
Anselm’s question: Cur Deus Homo?
Jn. 12:27 — Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I
say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Mt. 20:26-28 — 26 But it shall not be so among
you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to
give his life a ransom for many.
In these verses in Matthew’s Gospel we have in the words
of the Savior Himself the basis for Paul’s “Reverse Incarnational” reasoning in
his letter to the Philippians (1:21-26).
Conclusion:
Why the Christians?
Why are we here?
Why are you here?
[Sermon preached 4 DEC 2016 by Pastor John T. “Jack”
Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]
Complete Outline:
I. The Tension
Between the Two — I am in a strait
betwixt two (1:21-23)
II. The Second of
the Two — (For to me) to die gain (1:21-23)
III. The First of
the Two — For to me to live Christ
(1:21-26)
IV. The Reversal
of Incarnational Reasoning
No comments:
Post a Comment