Philippians 3:7

Textus Receptus:
αλλ ατινα ην μοι κερδη ταυτα ηγημαι δια τον χριστον ζημιαν

King James:
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Comments:
gain...loss: Jesus uses the same two words in Matthew 16:26 when he contends that a man gets nothing if he "gains" the whole world and "loses" his own soul. Instead of losing his soul for the gain of the world, Paul chooses to lose the gain of the world to gain (same word, translated "win" in the next verse) Christ.

Expanded Paraphrase:
However, all those things I did and had, all the things I used to believe made me complete--through Christ I learned to regard them as useless and maybe even detrimental.

Philippians 3:6

Textus Receptus:
κατα ζηλον διωκων την εκκλησιαν κατα δικαιοσυνην την εν νομω γενομενος αμεμπτος

Kings James:
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Comments:
This verse creates a parallel between "zeal" and "righteousness". Since the law is negative in nature, the highest description of its keeper is necessarily negative as well. He is not "just" or "holy", but "blameless." So it is no surprise that the highest praise for "zeal" is in the negative content of "trying" or "persecuting" the church. Christ not only enfolds all the negative content of the law (through, for instance, conviction of sin) but also the positive content of actual justification and holiness. Life for the Christian is no longer about what he does not do, but what the Spirit does through him--the point of passages like Galatians 5:14-23.

Expanded Paraphrase:
My zeal was so great that I pushed and punished those who stood for anything other my Judaism, especially persecuting Christians wherever I found them meeting together and gathering strength. And when people examined my obedience to the law, they could find no fault with me whatsoever.

Philippians 3:5

Textus Receptus:
περιτομη οκταημερος εκ γενους ισραηλ φυλης βενιαμιν εβραιος εξ εβραιων κατα νομον φαρισαιος

King James:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Comments:
Circumcised the eighth day: Paul puts himself in the category of those he condemned in verse 2. His obedience to the law was complete, beginning with Leviticus 12:1-3.

Israel...Benjamin...Hebrew: Since the Israelites saw themselves as the people of God because of their political and ancestral identity, Paul points out that he was in the center of that identity long before he was in God's family. In Romans 9:1-5, Paul laments other Israelites who do not yet know Christ.

a Pharisee: As Jesus proves with His statement in Matthew 5:20, no one was closer to the perfection of the law than the Pharisees, but even they could not achieve the righteousness of God.

Expanded Paraphrase:
From the time that I was eight days old my life already exemplified the law--that's when I received the sign of the covenant, circumcision. I was born of Israel, in the tribe of Benjamin. Other Hebrews looked at me to know what it is to be Hebrew. No one kept the law more stringently than I did. I was a Pharisee.

Philippians 3:4

Textus Receptus:
καιπερ εγω εχων πεποιθησιν και εν σαρκι ει τις δοκει αλλος πεποιθεναι εν σαρκι εγω μαλλον

King James:
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

Comments:
I more: While Paul's comment could be taken as braggadocio, it obviously is not since he does not value the thing he says he used to possess to such a great extent--hence the "no confidence in the flesh" at the end of the previous verse. Paul establishes the contrast between those whose confidence (trust, persuasion) is in the wrong thing (the flesh) and those whose confidence is in the right thing throughout this book, particularly in chapter 1:6 and chapter 1:14 as well as these two verses (chapter 3:3-4).

Expanded Paraphrase:
Although, as far as having confidence in the flesh goes, if there is anyone who thinks that he has reason to trust in his flesh, I have more.

Philippians 3:3

Textus Receptus:
ημεις γαρ εσμεν η περιτομη οι πνευματι θεω λατρευοντες και καυχωμενοι εν χριστω ιησου και ουκ εν σαρκι πεποιθοτες

King James:
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Comments:
we are...worship...rejoice...have no confidence: Three participles describe those who belong to God. All three may relate not only the attitude emerging out of salvation, but also the attitude that would bring a person to Christ to begin with.

circumcision: Paul is claiming that those who have faith in Christ rather than the flesh are the children of God's covenant. So the circumcision of the flesh is of no spiritual value while the circumcision of the heart (having been changed by faith), without a sign in the flesh, is of real spiritual value.

rejoice: This word also means "boast" and "glory" and is used by Paul in Galatians 6:13-14, where the contrast is between those who "glory" in the works of men and Paul's commitment to "glory" in nothing less than the cross of Christ.

worship: This "worship" is "service," the kind that would be performed by a Levite in the Temple, for instance. It implies not only an attitude of reverence toward the object of worship, but also an act of contrition on the part of the worshipper.

have no confidence: This word is translated as "trust" in Luke 18:9, where some trust that they themselves are righteous while despising others. Paul uses the word positively in this book in, for example, chapter 1:6.

Expanded Paraphrase:
The sign of the covenant is no longer a change of the flesh--as in the old circumcision. Our change took place in the heart. Through the Spirit of God we humbly serve and commit to Him. In Christ Jesus we glory and boast. But in the flesh we place no trust whatsoever.

Philippians 3:2

Textus Receptus:
βλεπετε τους κυνας βλεπετε τους κακους εργατας βλεπετε την κατατομην

King James:
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

Comments:
beware...beware...beware: Although Christians are to live beyond fear (1 John 4:18) they are not to be imprudent. This balance makes it clear that Jesus' command to the seventy in Matthew 10:16 (to be "wise as serpents, but harmless as doves") also applies to contemporary believers.

dogs...evil workers...concision: Paul is referring to the same people three different ways, with a slightly different emphasis each time. That they are dogs warns believers that they are unclean and outsiders (non-believers). John uses the word this way in Revelation 22:15; Jesus in Matthew 7:6. That they are evil workers points to the injurious nature of their activity. It is not just rational or the best doctrine to avoid their heresies, but actually important for the welfare of the Philippians. Matthew 21:41 uses the word for "evil" to modify destruction. Paul makes a change with the word concision. It is singular, pointing to the dogs and evil workers as a single group. Although heretics may not agree with each other, they are united by the fact that they stand against and threaten the word and work of God.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Be aware of and look out for those unclean, attacking dogs. Be aware of and look out for those whose work results in your own destruction. Be aware of and look out for those who in all their different ways cut brutally through the truth (ignoring and destroying it), rather than cleanly around it.

Philippians 3:1

Textus Receptus:
το λοιπον αδελφοι μου χαιρετε εν κυριω τα αυτα γραφειν υμιν εμοι μεν ουκ οκνηρον υμιν δε ασφαλες

King James:
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Comments:
Finally...rejoice: As chapter 4:4 will establish in its context, this rejoicing is fundamental to Paul's point because of its source and stability, not just its emotional manifestation.

the same things...not grievous: Paul focuses on the repetitive nature of his charges to the Philippians. He has told them these things (from imitating Christ to avoiding false doctrine) from the beginning. By denying that he is tired of saying them, he is making clear that what he is saying is worth saying no matter how many times it needs to be said--probably one of the reasons he uses the repetitive form in chapter 4:4.

for you it is safe: The author of Hebrews uses the same word translated as "safe" here for "sure" in Hebrews 6:19. Paul's commands and teachings are intended to give the Philippians a doctrinal and practical anchor--the same thing his letter provides for believers now.

Expanded Paraphrase:
The rest of what I want to say can be summed up in my charge to you: Rejoice in the One over you, Christ. I have said all these things to you before to the point that you probably believe I am tired of saying them. But I am not. They are worth saying because you need an unfailing reminder of your position and purpose in Christ.

Philippians 2:30

Textus Receptus:
οτι δια το εργον του χριστου μεχρι θανατου ηγγισεν παραβουλευσαμενος τη ψυχη ινα αναπληρωση το υμων υστερημα της προς με λειτουργιας

King James:
Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

Comments:
for the work of Christ...not regarding his life: Here, Paul uses Epaphroditus' testimony to make the same point about the value of serving Christ that he made using his own testimony in chapter 1:21.

lack of service: Paul does not mention this lack as a criticism toward the Philippians, as if to say, "Epaphroditus did what you would not." Instead, lack only implies the need unmet until the Philippians sent to help, just as the Corinthians ministered to the "want" of the saints in 2 Corinthians 9:12.

Expanded Paraphrase:
His faithfulness is evident in the fact that he almost died on account of his commitment to Christ's work, neglecting his own life to minister to me what I needed and had yet to receive from you.

Philippians 2:29

Textus Receptus:
προσδεχεσθε ουν αυτον εν κυριω μετα πασης χαρας και τους τοιουτους εντιμους εχετε

King James:
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:

Comments:
Receive him...have such: The Philippians are to do two things regarding Epaphroditus' arrival. The first regards how and why they are to take him in, the second how they are to regard him after he is back in their fellowship.

in the Lord with all gladness: This phrase anticipates chapter 4:4. The word translated "gladness" here is a nominative derivative of the word for "rejoice" there. As surely as Christians are to rejoice simply because they are in Christ, they are to enjoy the fellowship of other believers simply because they (all of them) are in Christ.

reputation: Although it was a sickness over which Epaphroditus had no control which made his journey and ministry difficult, he is to receive honor from the Philippians. One reason for this imperative from Paul is that Epaphroditus was faithful during his illness, both to complete his ministry and to continue caring for others (as evidenced in verses 26-27). As 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Proverbs 24:10 imply, his faithfulness did not begin with that trial, but was made more evident through it.

Expanded Paraphrase:
When he comes, receive Epaphroditus with joy because both he and you are in the Lord. And having received him, have him in honor among you because of his faithfulness.

Philippians 2:28

Textus Receptus:
σπουδαιοτερως ουν επεμψα αυτον ινα ιδοντες αυτον παλιν χαρητε καγω αλυποτερος ω

King James:
I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

Comments:
While the letter Paul is sending is undoubtedly helpful in alleviating the Philippians' fears regarding Epaphroditus' condition (as in verse 27), nothing substitutes for his presence with them. Physical presence is a part of Christian interaction. Anything else (such as a letter, call, or virtual chat) is only a temporary substitute of diminished importance. See the same comparison by Paul in 1 TImothy 3:14-15. That fact is why the people in congregations actually have to meet together (hence the etymology of the word, "church") in order to be a church.

Expanded Paraphrase:
That's why I was diligent to get him on the way to you in a hurry; so that seeing him again you could rejoice--and I also, I could be more without sorrow.

Philippians 2:27

Textus Receptus:
και γαρ ησθενησεν παραπλησιον θανατω αλλ ο θεος αυτον ηλεησεν ουκ αυτον δε μονον αλλα και εμε ινα μη λυπην επι λυπη σχω

King James:
For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Comments:
sick nigh unto death: The extent of Epaphroditus' condition (that he almost died from his sickness) is a reminder of human frailty, both physical and mental. Believers often forget that although sin sometimes causes sickness unto death (as in 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 or 1 John 5:16) it is not right to assert that because someone is sick even unto death that they must have sinned in order to be in that state.

God had mercy on him: Even Christians often pray with the kind of expectation and demand of positive response that condemned Cain's sacrifice in Genesis 4:3-5. In other words, many pray with the assumption that they deserve a positive response to their prayer. That God's response here (to heal a faithful servant) is an expression of mercy is a reminded that any good thing God gives is undeserved. But it is also a reminder that God desires to give what is undeserved.

Expanded Paraphrase:
His sickness was so grave that he almost died. But God had mercy on him and healed him. In fact, by healing Epaphroditus He also delivered me from untold sorrows.

Philippians 2:26

Textus Receptus:
επειδη επιποθων ην παντας υμας και αδημονων διοτι ηκουσατε οτι ησθενησεν

King James:
For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

Comments:
longed...full of heaviness: Epaphroditus' longing and grieving are evidence that the duty Paul imposes on the Philippians in the first few verses of this chapter, for instance, are far outweighed throughout the rest of the book (and here) by the heartfelt emotional desire and satisfaction engendered when believers "esteem other better than themselves." Such emotional completion in the fact of self-denying duty may be part of why verse 13 says God's work not only makes believers able to do according to His good pleasure, but also to will according to it.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Since he is longing after you, distressing over the fact that you heard about his infirmity.

Philippians 2:25

Textus Receptus:
αναγκαιον δε ηγησαμην επαφροδιτον τον αδελφον και συνεργον και συστρατιωτην μου υμων δε αποστολον και λειτουργον της χρειας μου πεμψαι προς υμας

Kings James:
Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

Comments:
supposed: Paul uses the same word here which is translated as "esteem" in verse 3 and "thought" in verse 6. He is inviting his readers to witness his personal commitment to do the things he has urged the Philippians to do (in verse 3) and which Christ exemplified (in verse 6.)

Epaphroditus: Epaphroditus is not an afterthought to Timothy. Timothy is unique in his commitment to the selfless pastoral and apostolic ministry Paul lives and teaches. Epaphroditus has the same kind of commitment to serving both Paul and the church at Philippi, only not as a preacher.

brother, companion in labor, and fellow soldier: Although Paul humbles himself when he first addresses the Philippians (in chapter 1:1) by avoiding the term "apostle" and choosing instead the humblest term for "servant," he here exalts this errand boy to being a "brother," a "coworker," and a "fellow-soldier" with Paul. Paul has humbled himself and esteemed others more important than himself just as he teaches the Philippians to do in chapter 2:1-8, including through the testimony of Christ.

Expanded Paraphrase:
I counted it urgent to send Epaphroditus back to you. You sent him to me assigned with the task of providing the things I lacked. But to me he is a brother--one who works with me as my equal, one who fights beside me in the battle.

Philippians 2:24

Textus Receptus:
πεποιθα δε εν κυριω οτι και αυτος ταχεως ελευσομαι

King James:
But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.

Comments:
The whole arrangement of sending Timothy in anticipation of Paul's own visit, which may or may not take place, is very similar to what he expresses to Timothy himself regarding the church at Ephesus, with the particular exception that in that correspondence the letter itself serves as his envoy. 1 Timothy 3:14-15. The point here is not just that Timothy's presence will substitute for Paul's presence, but that the epistle will serve as a guide to them in his absence. The written Word plays a similar role in the lives of Christians who anticipate but cannot predict the return of Christ. The Jews express the same sentiment about the Word in Psalm 119:81.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Beyond this letter and Timothy's visit, however, I am confident that I myself will come to you soon.

Philippians 2:23

Textus Receptus:
τουτον μεν ουν ελπιζω πεμψαι ως αν απιδω τα περι εμε εξαυτης

King James:
Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

Comments:
I hope to send: Paul is picking back up what he said in verse 19, using the same vocabulary translated there as "I trust...to send." Between that verse and this, Paul has been explaining why he would choose to send Timothy if he himself is unable to visit the Philippians. In the last portion of this verse he returns to his first desire, to visit the himself, by saying that his sending of Timothy depends on Paul's own condition. If Paul himself can come, he may not have to send Timothy. Delegation is not a relief for Paul, it is a "next-best" solution when he cannot himself do what he considers his own responsibility. That attitude of delegation makes all the difference.

Expanded Paraphrase:
I hope to send that capable and caring substitute to you shortly; but only after I find out whether there is any possibility that I myself might be able to come to you.

Philippians 2:22

Textus Receptus:
την δε δοκιμην αυτου γινωσκετε οτι ως πατρι τεκνον συν εμοι εδουλευσεν εις το ευαγγελιον

King James:
But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

Comments:
proof: Words related to the one translated as "proof" here are used everywhere throughout the New Testament. The idea is that some test evidences that something is acceptable. Here, the implication is that while Christians cannot cause others to think well of them, they can give proof in the face of trials that they merit trust and respect, a relationship inherent in passages like 1 Peter 2:12.

son with the father: Paul also refers to his relationship with Timothy in these terms in 1 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Timothy 1:2,18, and 2 Timothy 1:2. By the nature of language, every description is a metaphor. There is no sacerdotal implication here, for instance, which would create the problem Jesus eschews in Matthew 23:9. But there is a sense in which Paul is Timothy's progenitor (2 Timothy 2:2) and in which he is his mentor (1 Timothy 3:15).

Expanded Paraphrase:
But through the trials he has faced Timothy has proven to you that he is not self-serving like them. He has learned from me the faith I taught him, and with that faith he learned faithfulness in the service of proclaiming the good news.

Philippians 2:21

Textus Receptus:
οι παντες γαρ τα εαυτων ζητουσιν ου τα του χριστου ιησου

King James:
For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

Comments:
seek their own: Paul is contrasting the behavior of those who fall short of Timothy's care with those who would be obedient to the imperative he gives in verse 4, to look not on the things of self but the things of others.

things which are Jesus Christ's: Since this description is parallel to verse 4's command, but the suggested alternative in verse 4 (the things of others) is replaced here by the things which are Jesus Christ's, then it seems obvious that the way to care for Christ is to care for others, a teaching not incompatible with 1 John 4:20.

Expanded Paraphrase:
What the others lack is a genuine concern for the things of Jesus Christ. They are too busy searching for the things that will benefit themselves.

Philippians 2:20

Textus Receptus:
ουδενα γαρ εχω ισοψυχον οστις γνησιως τα περι υμων μεριμνησει

King James:
For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

Comments:
no man likeminded: Paul is most likely claiming that there is no one to send to the Philippians as sincere in his concern as Timothy is, not that no one else genuinely or naturally cares for them. In other words, "likeminded" is more likely a comparison to Timothy than Paul.

naturally: The word used here for "naturally" provides the etymology for the English word "genuine" and is a relative of the Greek word for which "genesis" is a transliteration. In other words, Timothy's concern, like Paul's, comes from who he has become in Christ, not just a feigned or assumed interest. The "natural" concern of Christians for each other, missing in their lives outside of Christ, is explained by passages like Ephesians 2:19.

Expanded Paraphrase:
There is no one else I can send to you who will have the sincere care for your things that Timothy does.

Philippians 2:19

Textus Receptus:
ελπιζω δε εν κυριω ιησου τιμοθεον ταχεως πεμψαι υμιν ινα καγω ευψυχω γνους τα περι υμων

King James:
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.

Comments:
to send Timotheus shortly: There is an obvious parallel between Paul's comfort of and with the Philippians with Timothy and Jesus' comfort of the disciples with the Holy Spirit. There may not be a direct type, but there is certainly an acknowledgment that relationships between believers are complex and capable of producing encouragement in a variety of ways. On a different subject, that complexity is apparent in Peter's wording in 1 Peter 5:5.

Expanded Paraphrase:
My position and faith in Christ causes me to anticipate confidently that I will be able to send Timothy to you soon so that I may have an encouraged mind as I learn how things are around you.

Philippians 2:18

Textus Receptus:
το δ αυτο και υμεις χαιρετε και συγχαιρετε μοι

King James:
For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

Comments:
joy, and rejoice with: Paul uses the same two words in the preceding verse about himself. He joys and they joy (or ought to joy--whether it is imperative or indicative is not certain). He joys with them and they (ought to) joy with him. The point is that they are not more important than him just as he is not more important than them. But each has chosen to "esteem other better than themselves" (verse 3) in acknowledgment of the supremacy of Christ.

Expanded Paraphrase:
But it is also true that believers' sacrifices for the sake of God's will being done in other believers also gives you a reason to have joy and to share in that joy with me.

Philippians 2:17

Textus Receptus:
αλλ ει και σπενδομαι επι τη θυσια και λειτουργια της πιστεως υμων χαιρω και συγχαιρω πασιν υμιν

King James:
Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

Comments:
offered: The Greek word means "poured out" like a drink offering would have been, and provides the etymology for the English word "spend."

sacrifice and service: Here, "sacrifice" refers to what Paul has been teaching the Philippians throughout the first half of this chapter, the commitment he wants them to make to foregoing their own glory in favor of caring for one another and therefore the will of God. "Service," which is the Greek word transliterated into "liturgy" in English, refers to the public ministry of, for instance, a priest. In this case it is about the Philippians "holding forth the word of life" as in the previous verse.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Indeed, if my entire life is used up to bring about the maturity of your faith and what will come from that faith--your being given completely to God's will, serving Him in this world--then it will have been worth it all. I rejoice just thinking about it, knowing my life would have been spent so. I rejoice with all of you knowing that your lives would be so used by God.

Philippians 2:16

Textus Receptus:
λογον ζωης επεχοντες εις καυχημα εμοι εις ημεραν χριστου οτι ουκ εις κενον εδραμον ουδε εις κενον εκοπιασα

King James:
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Comments:
Holding forth the word of life: In Greek the word for "holding forth" is the word "having" with the word for "upon" prefixed to it. The idea communicated by the phrase is similar to the point of verses 12 and 13. They already have the word of life. Now they need to have it out.

that I may rejoice: Literally, this phrase is "toward boasting-glorying-rejoicing." He uses the same word for "rejoice" in chapter 1:26 and chapter 3:3. The same word is translated as "glory" in Galatians 6:14.

in vain: Literally, this phrase is "toward vanity." Paul uses the same word for "vanity" here that he combined with "glory" in verse 3 to describe the shallowness of self-promotion and which he used as a verb in verse 7 to describe the willing self-humiliation of Christ.

Expanded Paraphrase: As all of you who are believers in Philippi take the word of life which is in you and hold it out for the world to see, I will be moved toward glory as Christ's return approaches, rather than toward vanity--since otherwise I would have run my race and worn myself weary with labor for no benefit.

Philippians 2:15

Textus Receptus:
ινα γενησθε αμεμπτοι και ακεραιοι τεκνα θεου αμωμητα εν μεσω γενεας σκολιας και διεστραμμενης εν οις φαινεσθε ως φωστηρες εν κοσμω

King James:
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Comments:
blameless: Of course, being blameless does not imply not being blamed, only not giving cause for being blamed. Peter recognizes this distinction and makes a significant point of it in 1 Peter 2:20. Paul uses the same word for "blameless" in chapter 3:6.

harmless: This word is translated as "simple" in the King James in Romans 16:19 because what Paul means by being harmless is being without ulterior motive--not mixed in purpose but pure.

sons of God: This use of this phrase makes the meaning of passages like Matthew 5:45 clearer. His point is not that they do something in order to become children of God, but in order that they act like God would act and therefore fill the role of the inheritors of the kingdom.

nation...ye shine: Paul assumes that the world around believers will be corrupt, and that the role of Christians in that world will always be to shine as lights in darkness. In other words, sin will continue in the world. Persecution will continue in the world. Christians will not usher in the kingdom. Christians will stand in opposition to the world. That fact is not a limitation on the impact of Christians on the lives of the lost but a context in which Christian faithfulness will be best defined and most needed. Jesus teaches about the same context in John 15:18-19.

crooked and perverse: "Crooked" emphasizes the wrong bent of their own nature. "Perverse" points to something that has happened to them--that they have been turned aside from the good to evil. The same two elements are present in James' description of temptation in James 1:14.

Expanded Paraphrase:
The result of thinking like Christ--of learning to put others first and of acting without the dissatisfaction that brings strife--will be that you take away every real justification for being condemned, that you have integrity in everything you do with no ulterior motives to create suspicion. You really will be like Jesus, representing your Father in this world. And the world needs it. You will be shining like lights in a world filled with darkness, with people who are not pointed in the right direction and have been thoroughly turned against everything good and right.

Philippians 2:14

Textus Receptus:
παντα ποιειτε χωρις γογγυσμων και διαλογισμων

King James:
Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Comments:
without murmurings: The same word is used to describe the disharmony and grumbling of one group of believers (gentiles) against another group of believers (Jews) in the early church at Jerusalem in Acts 6:1. It is just such a self-seeking (even when self is defined broadly, for instance, as kin or kind) attitude Paul rebukes here.

and disputings: These "disputings" are the "evil thoughts" at the beginning of the list of sins Jesus says come from the heart in Matthew 15:19, consistent with the theme that genuine transformation begins on the inside. In Exodus 16:7, the Septuagint uses both of these Greek words (murmurings and disputings) to describe first what the people do to express their dissatisfaction with God (murmuring) and then their disagreement with Moses and Aaron (disputings, also translated as murmuring in the King James).

Expanded Paraphrase:
Do everything outside the realm of complaining about your dissatisfaction and outside the realm of arguing both with each other and with those who lead you.

Philippians 2:13

Textus Receptus:
ο θεος γαρ εστιν ο ενεργων εν υμιν και το θελειν και το ενεργειν υπερ της ευδοκιας

King James:
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Comments:
God which worketh in you...to do: "Which worketh" and "to do" are the same Greek word, of which the English word "energy" is a transliteration. The source of Christian living is Christian life. Genuine transformation is from the inside out. It does not begin outside. And it does not stop inside. Jesus addresses the impossibility of becoming good as a result of doing right things in Matthew 15:16-20. That cleansing begins on the inside is Jesus' point in Matthew 23:26-27.

both to will and to do: The will to obey God has its origin in God. So does the will to reject God's will and become a waste, as in Romans 8:20.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Your salvation will be apparent because your salvation is real. God is already doing the work in you. And His work makes it possible not only for you to make the right choices, but to live those choices out according to His kindness toward us.

Philippians 2:12

Textus Receptus:
ωστε αγαπητοι μου καθως παντοτε υπηκουσατε μη ως εν τη παρουσια μου μονον αλλα νυν πολλω μαλλον εν τη απουσια μου μετα φοβου και τρομου την εαυτων σωτηριαν κατεργαζεσθε

King James:
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.

Comments:
Wherefore: This "wherefore" points back to Paul's desire for the Philippians to be "like-minded" in verse 2.

presence...absence: This is the second time in this book (1:27) Paul has used his presence or absence to motivate the same response Christ's presence or absence should motivate. Language about the church as the body of Christ and passages like 1 John 4:17-21 make such a parallel appropriate.

work out your own salvation: This phrase is not the common colloquialism, "figure it out for yourself." Instead, as the next verse makes clear, Paul is telling those who already have salvation to apply that salvation thoroughly, to live it out. It is the same point he makes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12--to lay hold on that which is already his.

fear and trembling: While Christians are freed from fear through salvation (as in Romans 8:15) they are obligated to fear God (and only God) in passages like 2 Corinthians 7:1. Romans 13:7 makes it clear that the appropriateness of fear is in its object, not inherent in its nature. The trembling Paul mentions indicates the humility of those who know they cannot in themselves fulfill their obligation.

Expanded Paraphrase:
As one who loves you and knows you have always acted in obedience, I charge you, since your goal is to have the same mind as Christ and therefore to be in harmony with each other, to fashion your lives according to the salvation which is already yours, to do it whether I am there to see it or not, and to do it out of your fear of and respect for God knowing that you could not in yourselves ever satisfy His demands.

Philippians 2:11

Textus Receptus:
και πασα γλωσσα εξομολογησηται οτι κυριος ιησους χριστος εις δοξαν θεου πατρος

King James:
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Comments:
every tongue should confess: This verse completes Paul's reference to Isaiah 45:23. The use of the word "confess" replaces "swear" in Isaiah. To "seven" or "swear" in Hebrew was to commit to it adamantly. Here, confession is more than acknowledging what is already true (although it certainly includes that idea). It is committing to what can no longer be denied. Of course, that commitment may not be voluntary, as the identity of the confessors (universal in number) attests.

Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father: Just as John 14:6 declares Jesus us the means to reconciliation with the Father so this verse declares that the exaltation of Jesus is the means to glorifying the Father.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Further, those who kneel before Jesus will bring their words and minds into alignment with what has always been true, that Jesus Christ is the Ruler of everything and the proper object of every allegiance; and that confession will ultimately give glory to the One who sent Christ, God the Father.

Philippians 2:10

Textus Receptus:
ινα εν τω ονοματι ιησου παν γονυ καμψη επουρανιων και επιγειων και καταχθονιων

King James:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Comments:
every knee should bow: God's desire is that every person should be saved. He expresses that desire in Isaiah 45:22-25. That passages also expresses His commitment that every knee will bow to Him (to which Paul is referring in this verse) and the fact that some will not be saved. At least one fulfillment of this verse comes in Revelation 5:13. In that passage, after the representatives of the redeemed have sung their song in verses 8-10, and after all the servants of God have sung their song in verses 11-12, then all the creatures join in to sing their song in verse 13.

in heaven...in earth...under the earth: Although literally true of course, the point of this expression (a merism) is to encompass all of the inhabitants of creation, from one extreme (above the heavens) to the other (under the ground.)

Expanded Paraphrase:
God has exalted Jesus above all so that every person may be brought to a position of kneeling humbly before Him--persons in the heavens, persons on the earth, and persons already dead and in the ground.

Philippians 2:9

Textus Receptus:
διο και ο θεος αυτον υπερυψωσεν και εχαρισατο αυτω ονομα το υπερ παν ονομα

King James:
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Comments:
Wherefore: This conjunction explains why God has highly exalted Christ in terms of the previous verse. However, it in no way implies that Christ would not have been highly exalted if He had not humbled Himself nor that He was not previously highly exalted. In this verse, the contingency is about the grounds of Christ's exaltation, not about whether He would have been exalted.

highly exalted: In this verse the Greek word for exalted is prefixed by "hyper," meaning "super" or "above." This verse is the only one in the New Testament with that combination. Throughout the scriptures many have been and will be exalted, as in Matthew 23:12. But only Christ has been exalted above everything else.

given him a name: Paul used the same word for "given" when he said it was given to the Philippians (believers) to have faith and to suffer for the sake of Christ in chapter 1:29. Interestingly, John also says those who overcome receive a new name in Revelation 2:17 and 3:12. It is, of course, much more than coincidence that suffering is followed by exaltation in both believers and in Christ. 2 Timothy 2:11-13.

above every name: This phrase is profound in the light of the value given to the name of God in the Old Testament. Psalm 148:13 is a perfect example. In fact, the context of that Psalm (148:7-14) fits perfectly the context of this passage (vs 9-11).

Expanded Paraphrase:
Through Christ's act of incarnation and humiliation the Father also did something: God did more than lift Christ up, He put Him above everything else; and He did more than give Him a new name, He gave Him a name with is above every other name.

Philippians 2:8

Textus Receptus:
και σχηματι ευρεθεις ως ανθρωπος εταπεινωσεν εαυτον γενομενος υπηκοος μεχρι θανατου θανατου δε σταυρου

Kings James:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Comments:
obedient: The remarkable thing in this verse is the contrast between the authority which is rightfully Christ's and the obedience and humility which He chooses. Because of who He is He has authority even over unclean spirits in passages like Mark 1:27 and all of nature in Mark 4:41, things over which man has lost power because of the fall, as explained in Hebrews 2:6-8. Jesus has rightful authority over these things both because He is God and because He is "un-fallen" man, but chooses to submit Himself to the worst of the consequences of being fallen man, death.

death, even the death of the cross: The point is that Jesus does not keep Himself from the worst of the worst consequences of the fall--not just death, but the worst kind of humiliating and cursed death.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Having been found in the manner of a man, Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to something far beneath that over which He had already demonstrated authority. He became obedient to the thing faced by every hopeless man, death. But not just any death, He chose to submit to a humiliating and excruciating death imposed by wicked hands, the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:7

Textus Receptus:
αλλ εαυτον εκενωσεν μορφην δουλου λαβων εν ομοιωματι ανθρωπων γενομενος

King James:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Comments:
made himself of no reputation: The Greek word for this phrase is "ekenosen," with the same root as the first half of the word for "vainglory" in verse 3. There is dispute about how to translate it here. Some say it means that He emptied Himself. The King James translates it to communicate the idea that He gave up the glory of His position. Paul's point seems obvious. In verse 3, he warns the Philippians not to make their "vanity" or "nothingness" something to be "gloried." In direct contrast, he says they should be like Jesus who made His glory into "vanity" or nothing.

took upon him: This phrase represents a participle in Greek, explaining how Jesus made Himself of no reputation. How can God make Himself less? He does not give up any attributes. Instead, He takes on Himself the humiliating nature of man. But it is not just any nature of man He takes on. It is the perfect nature of man. It was a humiliating and demeaning experience for Christ to add to Himself the perfect nature of man. Similarly, God humbles Himself when He simply looks at the things men esteem glorious. Psalm 113:4-6.

Expanded Paraphrase:
In contrast to those who would make themselves something when they are really nothing, Jesus made Himself nothing when He was everything. How? He who by definition is already complete and perfect added to himself servanthood, humbling Himself to become similar to every other man.

Philippians 2:6

Textus Receptus:
ος εν μορφη θεου υπαρχων ουχ αρπαγμον ηγησατο το ειναι ισα θεω

King James:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Comments:
in the form of God: "Form" is the Greek word "morphe." Doctrinal clarity sometimes motivates the exaggerated translation of "nature" instead of "form." While it is true that Jesus has the nature of God, it is not correct to retranslate "morphe" as "nature." But saying that Jesus is in the form of God in no way diminishes or even brings into question whether Jesus is in the nature of God. For instance, in the next verse, Jesus is in the "form" ("morphe") of a servant. If Jesus really is a servant, then it is consistent with this wording to assert that Jesus really is God. Paul's case here is not to prove that Jesus is God. He assumes the readers know that fact. His case here is to defend the more difficult issue for the day, that Jesus really did become a man.

thought it not robbery: Other translations say something like, "thought it not something to be grasped." The point in context is the same either way: while Jesus was in fact in the form of God and so it could not have been wrong, He chose not to hold onto that position, but instead to humble Himself to become a man, as verses 7 and 8 make clear.

Expanded Paraphrase:
While Jesus existed in the very form of God He deemed that to be equal with God would not be plunder to Him.

Philippians 2:5

Textus Receptus:
τουτο γαρ φρονεισθω εν υμιν ο και εν χριστω ιησου

King James:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Comments:
Verse 5 parallels verse 2 just as verses 6 and 7 parallel verse 3. While verse 2 gives a general obligation, verse 5 makes the fulfillment of that object both possible and specific in the person of Christ.

mind: Jesus uses the same word to rebuke Peter in Matthew 16:23, saying he is "minding" the things of man rather than of God. And the context of Jesus' rebuke of Peter is similar to the context of Paul's charge to the Philippians. Peter did not want Jesus to face the things in Jerusalem Jesus said he needed to face in Matthew 16:21, and which Paul covers here in verse 8. But in that same verse Jesus points out that He will conquer death, just as Paul goes on to say Jesus did here in verses 9-11.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Don't just think about and value things differently. Think like Christ thought. Care about the things Christ cared about.

Philippians 2:4

Textus Receptus:
μη τα εαυτων εκαστος σκοπειτε αλλα και τα ετερων εκαστος

King James:
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Comments:
Look not: Verse 3's description of what the Philippians ought to be like is made clear by the imperative of this verse. In other words, by putting the description of verse 3 into an imperative in verse 4, Paul makes the Philippians responsible for pursuing altruism (the interests of others) actively. It may not simply "come upon them" as a natural outflow of character. They must take responsibility to act selflessly.

also: It may seem that putting "also" in the command to love others justifies the love of self. However, as is also the case in passages like Matthew 22:39, loving others as self does not imply that the love of self is meritorious, but that it is automatic. The first half of this verse ("stop looking at the things of self") makes that distinction clear.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Stop focusing on what you want--on your goals. Instead, pay as much attention to the things of others as you always have to the things of yourself.

Philippians 2:3

Textus Receptus:
μηδεν κατα εριθειαν η κενοδοξιαν αλλα τη ταπεινοφροσυνη αλληλους ηγουμενοι υπερεχοντας εαυτων

King James:
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Comments:
strife: This word is used in conjunction with many other words for conflict, as in 2 Corinthians 12:20. This particular word apparently refers to the use of divisive tactics to further selfish ambition. Paul is contrasting the men who manipulate others for selfish gain with Christ who allowed himself to be violated for the benefit of others.

vainglory: This word is a compound of "kenos," or vain, and "doxa," or glory. Most significantly, man's desire to attain glory even when he is nothing (vainglory) is contrasted with Christ's willingness to divest Himself of glory to make himself nothing, or of no reputation. The root of the word used in verse 7 for "made himself of no reputation" is also "kenos," or vain.

let each esteem other better than themselves: Paul's admonition for believers is incompatible with contemporary psychological models of the self.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Do not create strife to promote your agenda. Do not try to make yourself something glorious when you are nothing. Instead, with a humble mind every believer should consider others superior to self.

Philippians 2:2

Textus Receptus:
πληρωσατε μου την χαραν ινα το αυτο φρονητε την αυτην αγαπην εχοντες συμψυχοι το εν φρονουντες

King James:
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Comments:
my joy, that ye be: The wording in Greek makes it clear that Paul is not saying that the content of his joy is their being like-minded. Instead, he is saying that if they fulfill his desire for Christ to be realized in their living, then the result will be that they will be like-minded. Christ will be realized in them as they submit to the teaching of, for instance, verses 5 and following.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Complete the confidence and peace I have in Christ with the result that you think the same things, having the same love, souls joined, thinking together.

Philippians 2:1

Textus Receptus:
ει τις ουν παρακλησις εν χριστω ει τι παραμυθιον αγαπης ει τις κοινωνια πνευματος ει τινα σπλαγχνα και οικτιρμοι

King James:
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Comments:
This entire verse sets the context (or conditions) within which verse 2's commands and verses 3-4's prohibitions and commands become possible.

in Christ...of love...of the Spirit: The characteristics of Christian family relationships named in verse 1 are possible because they are found in Christ, and because they come from love and the Spirit. To paint the picture differently: because believers are in Christ they can share in that to which He has called them. Because they are in Christ, they can experience the compassion that comes from love and the sharing that comes from the Holy Spirit. But the priority is being in Christ.

consolation...comfort...fellowship: Consolation is a form of the word used by Jesus to describe the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) in John 14:16-17. Here, because it is had "in Christ", the focus is on being found in commonality with others. Comfort has an etymological appeal to origins, as if to say believers should see and treat each other according to their common origin, like brothers, for instance. Romans 12:10, Hebrews 13:1. Fellowship is the Greek word "koinonia." The ongoing commonality among believers is the Holy Spirit's presence.

bowels and mercies: These characteristics are not given location or source apparently because they the behavioral and attitudinal outflow of being in Christ with the products of love and the Holy Spirit. In other words, to be called together in Christ with brothers and sisters of common origin and purpose should be sufficient to produce compassionate and forgiving behavior between believers. Ephesians 4:32.

Expanded Paraphrase:
If it is true that you have been called together into Christ where you now abide, and if it is true that all of you are together in Christ because of the love He has given you and commanded you to share with each other, and if it is true that all of you share all things from the Holy Spirit in common--and therefore if tender compassion and undeserved respect and forgiveness are to be shared among you--then your attitude and actions ought to be different from what they were before you were in Christ.

Philippians 1:30

Textus Receptus:
τον αυτον αγωνα εχοντες οιον ειδετε εν εμοι και νυν ακουετε εν εμοι

King James:
Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

Comments:
conflict: The Greek word translated as "conflict" here is transliterated as "agony." Paul uses the same word to describe what he went through in Philippi in 1 Thessalonians 2:2, likely referring both to the turmoil he faced there as well as the brief imprisonment that turmoil produced (Acts 16:16-24).

Expanded Paraphrase:
You who are in Philippi are having the same struggle you saw through me and face the same conflict you hear I am going through even now being in prison.

Philippians 1:29

Textus Receptus:
οτι υμιν εχαρισθη το υπερ χριστου ου μονον το εις αυτον πιστευειν αλλα και το υπερ αυτου πασχειν

King James:
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Comments:
not only to believe...but also to suffer: Belief (faith) and suffering are associated here not arbitrarily but necessarily. Real faith is only tested when circumstantial ease and confidence evaporate--one point, for instance, of 1 Peter 1:6-7. While believers do not pursue suffering, they do pursue a faith which is both strengthened by suffering. James 1:2-6.

Expanded Paraphrase:
What God has given you then in this world is the responsibility not only to have faith in Christ on account of Christ, but also to suffer on account of Christ.

Philippians 1:28

Textus Receptus:
και μη πτυρομενοι εν μηδενι υπο των αντικειμενων ητις αυτοις μεν εστιν ενδειξις απωλειας υμιν δε σωτηριας και τουτο απο θεου

King James:
And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Comments:
in nothing terrified: Paul's admonition here is harmonious with his testimony in chapter 4:6-7.

by your adversaries: Literally, the word implies those who are laid out or stretched out against them. The implication of this verse, especially in the context of the next two verses, is that the faithful Christian will have adversaries and occasion to suffer, in keeping with 1 Peter 2:21.

to them an evident token of perdition: Those who oppose the believer will use suffering as evidence that the Christian is wrong, just as the enemies of Christ did at the foot of the cross in, for instance, Matthew 27:39-44.

but to you of salvation: To those who are suffering on account of their faithfulness to Christ, the suffering is not a reason to question and doubt, but a reason to have confidence that they really are being faithful to Christ. John 15:18-21.

and that of God: Whatever adversity would bring terror would be based on transient influences, while salvation comes from the Eternal God. This point is the same one Jesus makes in Matthew 10:28.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Also, do not be frightened by anything coming from those who lie in wait to cause you problems. They think whatever adversity faces you is evidence of your impending ruin. But you see both the adversity and the potential damage from it as a reminder that while whatever you have in this world will perish, your deliverance from the adversity, the ruin, and the world comes from the Eternal God.

Philippians 1:27

Textus Receptus:
μονον αξιως του ευαγγελιου του χριστου πολιτευεσθε ινα ειτε ελθων και ιδων υμας ειτε απων ακουσω τα περι υμων οτι στηκετε εν ενι πνευματι μια ψυχη συναθλουντες τη πιστει του ευαγγελιου

King James:
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;

Comments:
becometh: Literally, the word means "worthy" and is also used in Ephesians 4:1 where Paul charges Christians to "walk" in a manner "worthy" of their calling as disciples. It is also used in Colossians 1:10 where he charges believers to walk worthy of the Lord by begin fruitful and 1 Thessalonians 2:12 where he tells the disciples to walk worthy of God. The idea is not that believers can earn their title, but that their goal must be to bring the appearance of their lives into conformity with the reality of the most important thing in their lives.

as it becometh the gospel of Christ: The measure of conformity here is not other believers or a list of rules, but the good news believers proclaim to the lost. In other words, Paul tells disciples to live (as citizens) in a manner that measures up to the message of deliverance and hope they declare to the lost.

whether I come...or else be absent: The content and context of this statement is similar to chapter 2:12. Although Paul is certainly not Jesus, the similarity to passages like 2 Corinthians 5:9 is unmistakable.

one spirit...one mind: This ideal harmony obviously points down five verses to the imperative of chapter 2:2.

Expanded Paraphrase:
But do not depend on my coming alone. Instead, live in a manner that will show your value as those whose lives have been transformed by the good news of Christ. The result of your obedience so motivated will be that whether I am present or not I and everyone else will still hear that you are remaining steadfast in harmony with Christ and each other, united in the purpose of leading people through your testimony toward faith in that good news.

Philippians 1:26

Textus Receptus:
ινα το καυχημα υμων περισσευη εν χριστω ιησου εν εμοι δια της εμης παρουσιας παλιν προς υμας

King James:
That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Comments:
your rejoicing...for me: Paul speaks of the same kind of rejoicing (or boasting) in 2 Corinthians 1:14. In that passage (verses 12-14), as here, the scriptures make it clear that it is good for believers to celebrate Christ by celebrating each other. Similarly, Paul uses this word again in Philippians 2:15-17 ("rejoice" in verse 16) to say that the Philippians' faithfulness will provide him an opportunity to boast or express his exuberant confidence in Christ.

by my coming to you again: Paul often speaks of his coming, presence, and absence in parallel to the Lord's coming, presence, and absence. That is, as Jesus instructed the disciples about their obedience in His absence (but presence through the Holy Spirit) in John 14-16, so Paul urges Philippian believers to be faithful in his absence as they were in his presence in chapter 2:12. There is nothing more significant about this observation than the fact that every disciple-making believer is a representative of Christ, as passages like 1 Corinthians 11:1 make obvious, and therefore a testimony (good or bad) for God's faithfulness.

Expanded Paraphrase:
I believe God will bring me to you again so that you will overflow with confident joy in Jesus Christ as a testimony to His faithfulness, but as a result of what he does through me, allowing me to come to visit and disciple you again.

self, morality, and the incredible shrinking world of relativism

Perhaps the most distinctive and significant feature of any worldview is its conception of the self. For purposes of this argument, the term "self" refers to how people in a cultural group think about what it means to be what is variably called an individual, an ego, a subject, a soul, or even just a human being. Such an issue (how to define the self) may seem trivial or ridiculous to a person with a particular view of self, since no other view than the one commonly held in that culture will even come to mind. But as this argument contends, it is not trivial.

As a starter, for instance, there is an inextricable relationship between views of morality and self. Now cultural relativism is just wrong. It fails both theoretically and empirically--arguments for another day. But the fact that cultures have certain and sometimes variable views of morality (not fundamental, but at least at the practical, secondary level) is undeniable. In fact, any cross-cultural moral criticism requires both the view that morality is ontological and the view that cultures apply, experience, or describe that morality diversely. Further, for cross-cultural criticism to have any weight, there must be some assumption that the moral argument of the condemner is comprehensible to the condemned. One foundation on which that cross-cultural moral criticism can be understood is the concept of self. The meaning of self may not be shared between the cultures. But the relationship between whatever the concept of self entails and morality is most certainly shared. It is at least arguable, and arguably undeniable, that every moral (but not necessarily morally skeptical) outlook derives its claims teleologically from the self. Certainly, virtue ethics is explicitly so, depending almost uniquely on the teleological contrast between man-as-he-happens-to-be now and man-as-he-would-be-if-he-fulfilled-his-essential-nature. But utilitarian ethics depends on the same contrast, using happiness as that essential teleological aim. And Kantian ethics lags not far behind, relying no less on man's essential rationality than the original Aristotelean essence. The point again is not that concepts of self are the same across cultures, but that the relationship between self and morality is the same across cultures, including its teleological nature. This paragraph is not a proof of that claim--just an explanation so that the rest of the argument can be made within the context of its metaphysical and anthropological ethical assumptions.

Now to the point: One of the most interesting distinctions among views of self is between a publicly and privately defined self. For instance, a recent social psychological study focused on the contrast between the will (a central feature of "self") of those in a collectivist society (where the self is defined publicly) and the will of those in an individualist society (where the self is defined privately). In both kinds of cultures, autonomy appears to be at least one key, perhaps the most significant key, to a sense of personal fulfillment--the attainment of the teleological self. One conclusion of that empirical study is that the sense of personal autonomy and therefore psychological wholeness in the self of a collectivist society is different from the same sense of wholeness in the self of an individualist society. In the collectivist context, autonomy is rooted in the subject's ability to bring the self into conformity with the rest of the culture. In contrast, the individualist self often identifies autonomy most profoundly with the ability, for instance, to stand in distinction or even in opposition to the society as a whole. Such a difference may be the result of a difference in motivation at a more fundamental level.

As many authors have pointed out since Michel Foucault, there is also a notable shift in motivational forces between collectivist and individualist societies. In a collectivist culture, the complementary motivators of honor and shame play the key role. In an individualist culture, self-esteem and shame take the lead. Again, not as proof, but simply as explanation, collectivist cultures will appeal to honor and shame directly as ways of coercing or enticing certain kinds of behavior. A quick read through any literature from a collectivist society makes this phenomenon obvious. Basic pleas and arguments are about reputation, recognition, and public reward or punishment, all means of enforcing a cultural pattern of honor or shame. In an individualist culture, such appeals are mostly trivialized. In an individualist context, the opinion of others is discounted in favor of what a subject thinks of itself. The basic problem to avoid is guilt. The basic measure of fulfillment is self-esteem. The Psy-disciplines (as Nikolas Rose calls them in Inventing Our Selves) take on the one of the highest roles (if not the highest) in society.

With that said as context, it is possible to move to a quick but significant point on the moral significance of the view of self which is so intrinsic to American life: that is, to the individualist and very private, psychological self. Cultural relativism has become a staple of American thought. Few Americans are willing to admit that they could even pronounce the words "you are wrong" to anyone doing anything in practically any culture other than their own. The reluctance is not about intervention. It is not about the bashfulness of the observer. It is about some kind of invisible but practically impenetrable barrier drawn at the borders of the nation beyond which our moral opinions either cannot or should not matter. It takes a somewhat Herculean appeal to something as appalling as genocide to push a reluctant American into saying that they would offer a condemnatory statement--not intervene; not force change; just be willing to say the words "you are wrong"--to a culture other than their own. To be sure, not every American is so relativistic, but a surprising number are. Such relativism in an individualist society has much deeper ramifications than simply the inability to recognize cross-cultural moral issues. A relativist in America wonders why each sub-culture should be strapped by the moral norms of the dominant culture. Then the question turns to counter-cultural groups with the same result. But, ultimately, there is no possible moral appeal to anything in an individualist society beyond the psychological self. How could relativism in an individualist society produce anything other than the extensional equivalence of solipsism? Each individual is a self-contained, morally sufficient purpose for existence. In such a context, life is not about something else. Life is about being at peace with self, respecting self, loving self. With morality's context already understood as the teleological distinction between the present self and the completed self, cultural relativism in an individualist society with a psychological definition of self inevitably leads to moral claims which can extend no further than the end of each person's nose. Phrases like "follow your heart" and "I have to do what's right for me" become mantras.

It is no wonder then that most people who consider themselves pro-life qualify their position with the final caveat, "but I think each person should be able to make their own choice." (That position is, of course, not pro-life.) Similarly, there can be no surprise that in an individualist society the success rate of marriages is dwindling. After all, in the final analysis performed within such a culture, self-esteem is all that matters. How often have the words "I have to do what's right for me" preceded the decision to leave a long-term marriage in favor of finally building self-esteem and psychological wholeness? Faithfulness to a marriage anything less than personally psychologically fulfilling (in clinically defined ways) makes no sense where personal psychological fulfillment is the final goal of life.

This argument is in no way an endorsement of the publicly defined self. Neither is it a pretense that the psychologically defined self in an individualist society has no redeeming value. Any view of self developed in a fallen world will lead to errors. Obviously, Christians see the self in these ways as well inasmuch as they are part of the culture. But the errors intrinsic to both views mentioned here are easy to see from a Christian perspective. The point of Christianity however is not self (not even self-fulfillment) but Christ. As remote to reality as that purpose sounds to a person who does not know Christ, so real is it to every believer who has chosen to be a disciple. As Christ says it in Matthew 16: 24ff, "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

Philippians 1:25

Textus Receptus:
και τουτο πεποιθως οιδα οτι μενω και συμπαραμενω πασιν υμιν εις την υμων προκοπην και χαραν της πιστεως

King James:
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

Comments:
confidence: This word, also translated as "trust" and "persuaded" throughout the New Testament, depending on its context, is important in the book of Philippians. Paul's confidence here is not about his "foretelling" or "foreseeing" the future, but about his knowledge that God will do what is best regardless of Paul's circumstance--hence his confidence that God will finish what He began in the Philippians in 1:6, and that even when Paul is in prison other preachers will become bolder in their preaching in 1:14. So here, Paul reasons that if it is most profitable for him to remain in this world with the Philippians, then that is what God will cause to happen.

abide and continue with you: These two parallel verbs are intended to make Paul's understanding of God's purpose emphatic. The second word (sumparameno) is just a prefixed version of the first one (meno). In other words, Paul is not simply going to remain in the world, he is going to remain in order to be with and beside the Philippians in their discipleship.

Expanded Paraphrase:
But I have confidence in this: I know that I will continue to be in this world--that is, continue to be together and beside all of you--the goal being the benefit and joy you receive from faith.

Philippians 1:24

Textus Receptus:
το δε επιμενειν εν τη σαρκι αναγκαιοτερον δι υμας

King James:
Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Comments:
abide: This word is translated as "tarry" or "continue" in many passages such as Acts 10:48. In many of those contexts the use of the word matches perfectly the situation Paul describes here: a visiting apostle whose continued presence is an encouragement, challenge, or comfort to growing believers.

needful: While it sounds as if Paul is recognizing something significant about himself (as if to say, "I am so important that I need to remain here for you") he is not. The same word translated as "needful" here is translated as "necessary" in 1 Corinthians 12:22, where the point is that the things which would otherwise seem completely unimportant, even weak, are each and every one "necessary" in the body of Christ. Paul is not singling out his significance, but applying to himself what he has taught every believer about God's purpose for them in the body.

Paraphrase:
But I know I also have an obligation to continue here with you even though to do so I would have to remain in this body and without my greatest reward.

Philippians 1:23

Textus Receptus:
συνεχομαι γαρ εκ των δυο την επιθυμιαν εχων εις το αναλυσαι και συν χριστω ειναι πολλω μαλλον κρεισσον

King James:
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Comments:
in a strait: Paul describes himself as being constrained in a narrow place between two choices. The word he uses shows up several times in the gospels. First, it shows up repeatedly as the word describing people in miserable circumstances, "taken with" diseases or fear, for instance, in Matthew 4:24 and Luke 4:38. Second, it describes the press of people who "throng" Jesus as they seek help in Luke 8:45--a use very similar to Paul's intent here regarding the second half of the dilemma. Similarly, Jesus uses the same word to describe the press on Him as He fulfills His own purpose in this world in Luke 12:50. In other words, Paul identifies both with the human condition and with Christ by using this word--a word that invites each believer to recognize what he has in common with humanity and what He has in common with His Savior.

far better: This half of His dilemma gives Paul the greatest benefit--not just selfishly, but really.

Paraphrase:
For I am constrained between two distinct things. Obviously I crave departing from this world and going home to be with Christ--something which would be far better than other things and to my own greatest advantage.

Philippians 1:22

Textus Receptus:
ει δε το ζην εν σαρκι τουτο μοι καρπος εργου και τι αιρησομαι ου γνωριζω

King James:
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

Comments:
live in the flesh...fruit of my labour: Paul is introducing the first cusp of the dilemma he mentioned in verse 20 and will complete in verses 23-24. It is important to realize that this cusp, living in the flesh, has nothing to do with living carnally or selfishly, but with producing fruit for Christ in this life. In other words, Paul will not be caught somewhere between himself (in this world) and Christ's will (through death), but between living in obedience to Christ in this world and living in eternity with Christ.

what I shall choose: Paul is not presuming to choose. He is simply acknowledging that there is so much good either way that he is not sure which to prefer. In fact, his torn desire is similar to the torn will of Jesus in His prayer in the garden in, for instance, Mark 14:36. Both desires are good. But God's purpose is specific.

Paraphrase:
So if I continue to live for Christ in this world, in this body, then I will continue to produce my fruit through that work. But the other realization of Christ's will for me is also appealing. In fact, I am not certain which I ought to prefer even if I had my own choice to make.