Category Archives: Guests

On The Incarnation

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Rebecca gave me permission to repost her article on the Incarnation today; Thank you, Rebecca!

Incarnation

The act of God in which God the son, the second person of the Trinity, took upon himself a human nature so that his divine nature and human nature were joined together in one person who is both truly God an truly man.

  • From Philippians 2:5-8:

    Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (ESV)

  • From The Belgic Confession, Article 18: The Incarnation:

    The Son took the “form of a servant” and was made in the “likeness of man,” truly assuming a real human nature, with all its weaknesses, except for sin; being conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, without male participation.
    And he not only assumed human nature as far as the body is concerned but also a real human soul, in order that he might be a real human being. For since the soul had been lost as well as the body he had to assume them both to save them both together.
    Therefore we confess … that he “shared the very flesh and blood of children”; that he is “fruit of the loins of David” according to the flesh; “born of the seed of David” according to the flesh; “fruit of the womb of the virgin Mary”;”born of a woman”; “the seed of David”; “a shoot from the root of Jesse”; “the offspring of Judah,” having descended from the Jews according to the flesh; “from the seed of Abraham”— for he “assumed Abraham’s seed” and was “made like his brothers except for sin.”
    In this way he is truly our Immanuel— that is: “God with us.”

  • From The Wonder of God Over Us and With Us by John Frame:

    Have you ever considered the utter mystery surrounding the incarnation of Christ – God entering our time and space while remaining above time and space as our sovereign Lord? The eternal becomes temporal; the infinite becomes finite; the Word that created all things becomes flesh. It is beyond human comprehension. The one who knows all things (John 16:30, 21:17) must “grow in wisdom” (Luke 2:52). The all-sufficient one (Acts 17:25) must hunger and thirst (Matt. 4:2, John 19:28). The creator of all must be homeless (Matt. 8:20). The Lord of life must suffer and die. God in the flesh must endure estrangement from God the Father (Matt. 27:46).
    In Jesus (God the Son), God, who knows the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:10), must watch His eternal plan unfold bit by bit, moment by moment. He grows from infancy to childhood to adulthood, responding to events as they happen. One time He rejoices; another time He weeps. From day to day, from hour to hour, the changeless God endures change. But God the Son incarnate is still God, still transcendent. As He responds to events in time, He also looks down on the world from above time and space, ruling all the events of nature and history.
    Why did God enter time in Christ? Joseph named his baby Jesus, “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). It was the Father’s love (John 3:16) that sent His Son, “that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” The Son of God took on the limitations of time, even death, so that we who deserve death can have life without limit, forever with God. He died in our place, that we might never die.

Learn more:

  1. J. I. Packer: Incarnation: God Sent His Son, To Save Us
  2. Paul Helm: Incomprehensibly Made Man
  3. Bob Deffinbaugh: The Importance of the Incarnation
  4. Wayne Grudem: The Person of Christ (mp3s): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

 

 

Today I am praying  Psalm 100

>Time to Study Philippians -Week Six-

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Greetings to the ladies of our Philippians study!
Welcome to Week Six~
This study and the following two weeks of lessons will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!

“You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” Ps. 30:11-12

Ladies, we only have a few weeks left of our study. I will be taking the week of Thanksgiving off (Nov. 22-26), so our last study will be the first week in December.
Our homework from last week:
Even though I asked you to write a few paraphrases throughout Philippians 2:12-18, I will combine all the paraphrases together for one final paraphrase of 2:12-18. Here is my example:
My beloved brothers, because of the excellent example of humility we have in Christ Jesus, and even though I am not with you now, I want you to continue to obey what you have previously been taught. Do this because you know that God is working in you, and it is for his good pleasure to do so. Do not whine and gripe about your circumstances like the non-believers do, but be different from them – set apart. They live in darkness not knowing Christ, but you do know Christ. Therefore, you are like bright lights shining into their sinful and darkened world. Do not waver in what I have taught you and what you know is true. Your faithfulness is important to me. Even if I should be killed for your salvation, knowing that you have remained firm in the truth of Christ Jesus would give me cause to rejoice.  So don’t lose heart, but rejoice with me.
Main point of Phil. 2:12-18  – 
Paul exhorts the Philippians to imitate Christ and live according to the Gospel Paul has taught them. To work out their salvation because God is working in them, even in the midst of their sufferings.
I presume your paraphrase will have parts that are similar to mine and part that are slightly different. That’s all right. Paraphrasing will be like that according to each author.
This week’s lesson:
We will be working with our concordances, and doing a few word studies.
Word studies are valuable tools for those studying their Bibles. They allow us to follow and clarify ideas, theology, and locate OT and NT teachings. However, there are also problems that arise when doing word studies. I am going to talk about three specific problems that you need to watch out for.
1)    Be careful when looking up words, that you do not assume the individual roots of a word combine together for a more accurate definition. Here’s an example: Butterfly. There are two words here, Butter and Fly. Now, we know what a butterfly is, and it is not butter that flies. So combining the meaning of the two root words, does not give us the correct meaning of the word they create together. 
2)    Be careful when looking up words that you do not assume that the meaning of a word is always the same, or close to the same, in each instance it is used. 
3)    Also note that the meaning of a word in a specific context may not be a sum of all its parts; a culmination of everywhere else it is used. Context is important.
With these few warnings to remember, let us begin to look up words in our concordance.
We will begin with the word “Antichrist”. First, what do you think “antichrist” means?
I would like you to look up 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3, and 2 John 1:7 and write down what you observe about this word, the context it has been written in, and then summarize what you learned from the verses we looked up. Do this now, and then come back to class, and I will write down what I discovered.
1 John 2:18 – there are many antichrist, and more to come – that’s how the people in John’s time knew they were in the last hour. Contextually, we see that the antichrists were part of the church community, but left the fellowship of the believers. The Christians thought they (the antichrists) were saved also, but if they had been, they would not have ‘gone out’ from the believers, but they did, proving that they (the antichrists) never really belonged to Christ.
1 John 2:22 – the liar is the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ; he who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:3 – every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is the spirit of the antichrist; the antichrist is already in the world.
2 John 1:7 – many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Christ in the flesh. That one is the antichrist.
Summary about the antichrist: They (more than one) were in the world at the time of John’s writing. They were the sign of the appearance of the last days. They deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, and they deny the Father and the Son. They teach opposite the truth (they left the company of believers).
Is this what you thought “antichrist” meant? Did you happen to notice that only John wrote about the Antichrist?
Let’s look up one more: Last Days
Here are the scripture verses for you to look up, record, and summarize your observations:
Acts 2:17; 2 Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 1:2; James 5:3; and 2 Peter 3:3.
My observations:
Acts 2:17 – Peter (at Pentecost) quotes from Joel 2:28-32 about the signs of coming of the Last Days; God pouring out His Spirit on all flesh. The signs of the Last Days were happening in Acts 2:17.
2 Timothy 3:1– in the Last Days there will be difficult times. People will be filled with sin (see the list in vs. 2-6).
Hebrews 1:2 –Last Days was a current time in the writer’s life (“these last days”).
2 Peter 3:3 – reminding the readers of what the prophets of old had predicted about the Last Days. The Scoffers will doubt and try to persuade others to doubt as well.
What did the prophets of old tell? They (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea to list a few) talked of the sinful Israelite nation who turned away from their God. Therefore, God brought judgment down on them, being taken captive and other nations’ kings ruling over them (Assyria, Babylon, Persia). Now, in the NT, we have the last days of the same unbelieving nation. The Jews (Israel) did not believe that Jesus was the foretold Messiah. Therefore, God was showing them that their Jewish nation as they knew it, was at an end – the last days. God would destroy their temple (Matt. 24:1-2, read farther for context), which did happen in 70 AD, because His Son was the last sacrifice ever needed. The thing that made them Jewish – their worship, their sacrificial system, their works – meant nothing now that Jesus has come in the flesh. Remember what Paul said in Phil. 3:5-10?
Summary of Last Days:
The time between Jesus death and the destruction of the temple in 70 AD were the Last Days – the Last Days were happening while the author’s were alive.
Homework for this week:
Day 1) Let’s concentrate on Philippians 2:19-30, but pay particular attention to “Fellow Worker” in v. 25. Find each phrase “Fellow Worker(s)” in your concordance. Make a column (not very wide) down the left-hand side of your homework page. In this column, record all the Biblical references to the term “Fellow Worker(s)”, each reference on a separate line.
Day 2) Read the passages in Scripture for each of the references in the first half of your “Fellow Worker(s)” listing. Try to answer these questions while you’re reading: Is the Fellow Worker and man or a woman? Is this phrase referencing a particular job within the church? Are there other words that always appear in conjunction with the term “Fellow Worker”? What is the context that this phrase appears? Record your answers to these questions in the right-hand margin next to that particular Scripture verse.
Day 3) Repeat yesterday’s instructions with the second half of your concordance list of “Fellow Workers”.
Day 4) Write down what you think the term “Fellow Worker(s)” means, or was used for, in the NT. Re-read Phil. 2:25. Does your new knowledge of Fellow Workers increase your understanding of the text?
Day 5) Write down what you think is the main point of Phil. 2:19-30.
And we’re finished with this week! The last two weeks of class we will cover more of the text than in the previous lessons, so that we can get through the entire book of Philippians before ending our class.
Ladies, may you be filled with more than knowledge, but with wisdom that can only come from our Father in heaven, as you read and study the Scriptures. Becky, once again THANK YOU for allowing me the time and the space on your blog to post our study.
Praise God from whom all blessing flow,
Eileen
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 Related Posts:

Time to Study Philippians -Week Five–
Time to Study Philippians – Week Four-
Time to Study Philippians -Week Three-
Time to Study Philippians – Week Two-
Time to Study Philippians – Week One-


>Time to Study Philippians -Week Five-

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Greetings to the ladies of our Philippians study!
Welcome to Week Five~
This study and the following three weeks of lessons will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!
Let us begin by looking at Proverbs 16:7 –

When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be a peace with him.

Amen! 
Let us start today by looking over last week’s homework. Did you find any interesting cross-references? According to my Bible, there were quite a few I could list. I will list some New Testament references, but I do want to also discuss one specific Old Testament reference. First re-read Phil. 1:27 – 2:11 to get us thinking about our text. This portion of Philippians is considered a teaching part (1:27-2:18). The verses following 1:27 show how verse 27 is to be lived out.
Cross-references: 
Phil. 1:27 “Only let your manner of life (conduct) be worthy of the gospel of Christ…”
1 Tim. 4:12 “…but set the believers an example on speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, impurity.” See also Eph. 4:1.
Phil. 1:27 (continued) “…so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, …”
1 Cor. 1:10 “I appeal to you, brother, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” See also Eph. 4:3-6.
Phil. 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, …”
Matt. 5:12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Moving ahead in our passage…
Phil. 2:3 “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
Rom. 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” See also James 4:10.
There are many, many more and it would take me quite a while to write them all down and you quite a while to read and check them. Did any of you find references to your Old Testament? How about to Isaiah 45? Please read all of Isaiah 45 and then we’ll look at it together.
Is. 45:1 – Do you remember who Cyrus is? Turn to 2 Chronicles 36:17-21 and read those verses. This passage is speaking about God fulfilling what Isaiah the prophet had been telling the Israelites for the entirety of the book of Isaiah – that if the Israelites don’t repent of their sin, and turn back to worship the Lord (see also 2 Chron. 36:15-16), He would destroy their nation and send them into exile, to a foreign land, and under the rule of a foreign king. Second Chronicles says, “He [the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar] took into exile those [Israelites] who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the King of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah*, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.”  *Read Jeremiah 25:11-12.
Now back in 2 Chronicles 36:22 – 23, (please turn there), we see that God ‘stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia,’ to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem that King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed. Turn one page in your Bibles to the book of Ezra, and here Cyrus is mentioned again. Please read Ezra 1:1- 2:2. This is the same Cyrus we also find spoken of in Isaiah 45. So, let’s go back to Isaiah now that we know who Cyrus is and how God used him.
Please read chapter 45 in Isaiah, then Philippians 2:9-11, and then come back to Isaiah. Did you notice Paul quoting Isaiah 45:23 in Phil. 2:10-11? The Philippians passage comes right after Paul is taking about their manner of life being worthy of the gospel. Paul goes on to describe Jesus and his life, proving who he was and that he was Jesus Christ their Lord. The Isaiah passage Paul quotes is stating there is one and only one God, (Is. 45:5) the creator of all. God will use Cyrus, the Persian King, to restore and ‘save’ his people by returning them to the land God had promised them. (Does that sound familiar? This passage is a type or a foreshadowing of God’s true Anointed.) But, there are those who want to contend with the Lord and his decisions (Is. 45: 9-10). God then reminds them of who He is (Is. 45:11-13). Isaiah tells how God “will make all of his [Cyrus] ways level; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for a price or reward,’ say the Lord of hosts.” (Is. 45:13) Farther in this section of Isaiah, verses 21-23 are focusing on the one and only God and Savior. These are strong statements to prove Jesus’ deity. Plus, Jesus’ humiliation and then subsequent exaltation is a mysterious work of God – to hide himself in human form; gods of stone and clay can’t do that!
Therefore, when Paul is quoting Isaiah to the Philippians, he is reminding them of who Jesus is. This is kind of a long explanation, but it is an important one.

The main idea of Phil. 1:27-2:11

 

Paul is exhorting and encouraging them to ‘let your manner be worthy of the gospel of Christ,” pointing out unity, boldness and humility, using Christ as the ultimate example.

 

This week’s lesson

As you are reading your Bible, when you see a ‘therefore’ do you ask yourself, “What is the ‘therefore’ there for? If you are not already doing so, ask yourself this question and then read a few passages above (or below depending on the author) to know the context and to see what it is we should be paying attention to. Is it important teaching you should look at again? Is it an ‘if-then’ statement, that tells you to do something? Is it a word or words that make you ask, “Why?” There are certain words or phrases that naturally connect two sentences, or two parts of a sentence together – to make them fit logically. I call them “pointers” and I will list a few for you:
And, moreover, furthermore, likewise, neither, nor, then, or, but, while, on the one hand, even as, like, not…but, because, for, since, therefore, consequently, in order that, so, although, so that, nevertheless, whenever, and many more. You probably read them every day without really paying attention to them. But, (and I just used one there!) careful Bible study demands you pay attention to them. Here’s an example from Philemon 1:13-14:

 “I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be compulsion but of your own free will.”

Do you see the “pointers”? When you get to the first in order that, ask yourself the question, “Why?” right before you read it. The statement following the in order that, answers the question of why Paul would have been glad to keep him [Onesimus]. So, why didn’t Paul keep him then? Since (but) Paul didn’t want to do anything without Philemon’s consent. Why? (in order that) Philemon’s response would not be forced, or imposed, but his kindness would be out of brotherly love. Paying attention to how logical Paul is in his writings, gives us a better understanding of the meaning and intent of his letters. Looking at the “pointers” allows us to be able to paraphrase the text if need be.
Paraphrasing is when you say what someone else has already said, but using different words and in many times, condensing it into a shorter form. To begin a paraphrase, look for the key words, or the main words and then chose words to accompany them without loosing the meaning of the text. Be careful not to alter what is being said by your word choice.
If I paraphrased Philemon 1:13-17, it might look something like this:
I, Paul, would have liked, and did want Onesimus to stay with me during my time in jail, because he would have been a tremendous comfort and help to me, since I am jailed for the gospel, and you, yourself, were not able to be of aid. But, since I wasn’t able to ask you about it first, and he is still your slave, even though now he is a brother, I didn’t think it was right for me to keep him. So, I am sending him back to you. Philemon, I don’t want to force your hand in this decision, but, if you should choose to send him to me, I know it would be a sincere gift and one from your heart. And that is a better reason to do something rather than being forced into it.
(My paraphrase didn’t shorten the text – it appears to have lengthened it.) J
Sometimes, as we try to paraphrase writings, the meaning of the original text is made clearer, a sharper image of the passage it now visible to us. Sometimes paraphrasing can ‘water a text down’ – it can remove meaning by substituting words that create a different idea or response. Choose your words carefully.
This week’s homework…
Day 1) read Philippians 2:12-18 a few times. On the third time, circle any of the words that are “pointers” and then read to find out what the “pointer” is pointing and locate any logical relationships.
Day 2) Write a paraphrase of Phil. 2:12-13  – be careful not to change the meaning of the text.
Day 3) Write a paraphrase of Phil. 2:14-16
Day 4) Write a paraphrase of Phil. 2:17-18. Are you portraying the meaning of the text as Paul intended?
Day 5) Do you understand what Paul is saying more clearly than before? Write what you think the main point of Philippians 2:12-18 is.
We’re finished!
Thank you for coming to class, and for studying through Philippians with me. Becky, thank you for your kindness to me and your love to all the saints – wherever we may live!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Eileen
Related Posts:
Time to Study Philippians -Week One- 
Time to Study Philippians -Week Two-
Time to Study Philippians -Week Three-
Time to Study Philippians -Week Four-
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>Time to Study Philippians -Week Four-

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Greetings to the ladies of our Philippians study!

Welcome to Week Four~ This study and the following lessons, for the next four weeks, will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!

Let us look at Proverbs 31 to begin our study. 

“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than Jewels…She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” (Pr. 31:1, 26-28)

May we be wives who are more precious than jewels, and with whom our husbands’ hearts can rest.

Homework from last week’s study:

Did everyone find five questions to write down concerning Philippians 1:12-26? I will list some of mine. You may have different ones, but you also may have the same. Did your questions encourage you to look further to find the answers?

Thinking about verse 1:12, did the Philippians think that Paul’s imprisonment would keep the gospel from spreading because of what happened to him? That they would be fearful? It sounds like Paul may be answering this concern by telling the Philippians that his imprisonment has actually been beneficial for the spread of the gospel. (1:12-14)

Are you curious as to whom “all the rest” are in verse 13?

Why would someone want to preach Christ (vs.15) if they do not love Christ? It looks like they want to get Paul into even more trouble than he already is! (vs.17)

Why was Paul concerned about not being ashamed, “…that it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always Christ would be honored in my body whether by life or by death.” (20-21)? Have others been ashamed? Have they brought shame unto the Lord Jesus by their actions?

Why is Paul revealing to the Philippians the tug-of-war that is raging in his heart about wanting to die and be with Christ and yet live for the sake of the Philippians (vs. 21-24)? I think it shows us how close the saints at Philippi and Paul were to each other, that he should share with them such a deep, personal, battle he was experiencing.

A summary for Philippians 1:12-26:

I believe Paul is encouraging the Philippians that his imprisonment has actually been a good thing – the gospel has spread, and it has made other brothers more confident, or bold, in speaking of Jesus Christ. Also, Paul lets the Philippians know that he is sure he will return to them.

We have already spoken a little bit about context. Context is what is happening around the verse, or verses, we are looking at, that will help us determine the meaning of our text. But, how many verses surrounding our text should we look to find the context? The verse before or after our text? Two verses before or after? The chapter before or after? The entire book? It can be a bit confusing and overwhelming, but it is something we should pay attention to.

There is a term ‘canonical interpretation’ which means that we view a specific text in relation to how it fits into the Bible as a whole. Scripture cannot and does not contradict itself. (We may not understand what is being said if we think parts do not fit together.) This means that the New Testament was written in light of the words, promises, and actions of the Old Testament. Remember, in Paul’s day, there was no New Testament. The Old Testament is what the Jews memorized and quoted from. Jesus and his disciples knew the OT and it guided their lives, thoughts and actions. So, as we read our New Testaments, and we notice that a part of Scripture is referencing an Old Testament passage, it is good for us to go back into the OT, check the reference and see what was occurring at the time it was written.

So, let’s look at two passages: Matthew 4:1-4 and Deuteronomy 8:1-10.  As you read these two passages, I want you to be looking for words that are repeated in both. On a piece of paper, write down the words written in both passages. (Be sure to know your contexts!) Do that and then come back to class and I’ll walk us through this.

Words that are the same (or very similar):Led, wilderness, tempted (tested), forty, hungry, Son, command, bread.(Our translations might have this list slightly different, but they should be close.)

Why do you think Jesus quoted this passage from Deuteronomy when Satan was tempting him? The Deuteronomy passage is talking about how God has cared for His chosen people, the Israelites. He is making a covenant with them; He is telling them what they need to do, (vs. 1, 2, 6) and reminding them what He will do – how He loves them and how He will bless them. However, did the Israelites obey their side of the covenant? Were they faithful to their God? No.

In Matthew, Jesus is using this OT scripture, to show that He is the faithful Israelite. Jesus does in the wilderness what the Israelites were supposed to do, but failed. And what is that? To humble himself and rely on God’s promises to care for Him – to keep the commands of God! And Jesus obeyed even greater than they. He does not use his own ability as the second person of the Triune God, to care for himself. Rather, He completely humbles himself to the will of God. His obedience, here and on the cross, redeems God’s people from sin, and is leading them into the Promised Land. (Amen!)

Seeing Matthew in light of the OT passage gives the scene between Satan and Jesus a broader, and clearer meaning.

Our homework for this week will follow along this idea. Most of our Bibles have notes that cross-reference Scripture with other Scripture. Sometimes it is only words that are repeated, and sometimes the cross-reference is to an idea, or theme. We will use Philippians 1:27 –2:11 for this week’s homework and practice using our cross-referencing.

Day 1) Read Phil. chapters 1 & 2, then go back and read Phil. 1:27 – 2:11. Re-read these verses a few times. Begin to look up the cross-references listed in your Bibles regarding these passages. Can you find any Old Testament references? Record on paper what you are finding.

2) Continue to look up the cross-references, and record what you find.

3) Continue to study your cross-references. There is at least one OT cross-reference. Be sure to get the context for the cross-reference by reading the entire chapter in the OT. What is happening in the OT?

Day 4) As you examine your OT cross-reference, write down what relevance you think it has to our NT passage. Does it answer any questions? Does it clarify any statements? Does it broaden our understanding of our verses in Philippians?

Day 5) Write down a summary of what you think this passage in Philippians is saying.
And we’re finished!

Thank you ladies, for studying and making God’s Word an important part of your day. May God honor your desire to know Him by blessing you with wisdom, grace and great joy!

Thank you, Becky, for once again giving me your time and your blog space to write this down.

Until next week,

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Eileen

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 Are you just joining us; no worries, you are never late!  You can start this study at any time.

Time to Study Philippians -Introduction (meet Eileen)
Time To Study Philippians – Week One- 
Time to Study Philippians – Week Two-
Time to Study Philippians -Week Three-

Time to Study Philippians -Week Three-

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Good morning ladies of our Philippians study!
Welcome to Week Three!
This study and the following lessons, for the next five weeks, will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!
To begin this third week, let us ask our Father in heaven for wisdom, for James tell us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”(Jas. 1:5) 
Let us look at our homework from last week. You may have more or less sections in your Philippians outline, or more information within in each section than I do. Be careful not to pick it apart so much that you miss the overall message in each of Paul’s divisions. Just like any letter we write today, or papers your children may be writing for school, Paul’s letter has an introduction (or an opening), a body, and a conclusion (or a closing).
Here is the brief outline:
In the left-hand margin, I have written 
Introduction. Vs. 1:1-11
1)    Who is sending the letter, who is the letter is written to, blessings and encouragement
2)    Speaks of his affections for the Philippians
3)    Tells them how he prays for them
Body (This is when Paul begins to talk about why he is writing the letter.)
       A) Paul’s experience in prison (this is in my margin) (1:12-26)
            1)  He tells them of the good that has come about and his joy
            2)  Speaks of his release and wanting to return to Philippi for their sake.
        B) He exhorts them to be in unity with one another (in my margin) (1:27-2:11)
1)    Not to be afraid when in conflict but be united
2)    To continue to be united, have humility, and care for one another
3)    Shows how Jesus is the perfect example of all of these things.
         C) Their sanctification and joy (in my margin) (2: 12-18)
1)    Paul commands them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling
2)    Exhorts them to stop grumbling and be lights in this world
3)    That their Godly lives would make Paul’s trials worthwhile.
4)    He rejoices with them even while he is suffering.
          D) News of Timothy and Epaphroditus (in my margin) (2:19-30)
1)    Hoping to send Timothy back, commend Timothy for being focused on their well-being.
2)    News of Epaphroditus, and mentions he will also send him to them.
           E) Paul’s Godly example and his teaching to oppose false teachers (in my margin)(3:1-16)
1)    Warning Philippians about finding their worth in something other than Christ
2)     Paul uses himself as an example of Jewishness (value of his heritage)
3)     Paul shows it is all has no value compared to knowing Christ Jesus
4)     Even still, Paul is not perfect, but he continues forward living for Christ.
            F) Final exhortations and instructions (in my margin) (3:17-4:9)
1)     Have wisdom in whom they imitate, standing firm in their knowledge
2)     Paul points out Euodia and Syntyche to agree with one another
3)     How to pray, what to think about, what to do

Conclusion – Thanksgiving for their gifts and Paul’s benediction to them (in my margin)

(4:10-23)
1)    Acknowledges their efforts, past and present, to send him aid, he also thanks them.
2)    Lets the Philippians know that he has learned contentment during his trials and persecution, with whatever the Lord has provided.
3)    Final greetings from himself and other saints (notice where some of the other saints live!), and blesses them.
There is something I would like to point to us as women, and that is this: Euodia and Syntyche will be remembered for all of history as women who couldn’t get along. They were even Paul’s fellow workers, busy with the church and the gospel. Do we want to be remembered as women who bicker and quarrel with one another?
How did you like reading in Acts 16:6-17:1, Thessalonians2:1-2, and then again Acts 28:16-31? Isn’t exciting to learn about Paul and Timothy’s relationship? How it began? Learning about Timothy’s relations? He describes in Acts how he (Paul) was previously beaten and thrown into prison when he was traveling in Macedonia, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Even though at the time Paul was writing Philippians he was in prison in Rome, it opens our eyes a bit more to understand what he might have been experiencing while writing this letter to the Philippians. Also, the Philippians understood what happened when someone was sent to prison. In Phil. 1:27-30, it would seem that Paul is reminding them of his time in prison in Macedonia, and now also in Rome as an encouragement to them-“let their manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…not to be frightened by their opponents… but that it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear I still have.” What a view into the past!
As we continue on in our study of Philippians, I would like to point out the importance of understanding what a verse says within the context it was written. If you were interviewed, and then misquoted, you would know that what was written down was not what you said or possibly even meant. The same is true when it comes to our Bibles. The Holy Spirit was (is) active and moving in the men who wrote these sixty-six books. To misquote them or misrepresent any text, would show that we do not love God and His Word as we ought to. So, stay within the context when you are quoting scripture!
Here is an example: I have a friend who once told me that, “The Bible says that ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8, 16).” “But,” she went on, “if God is love then, then how comes he sends people to hell?” In her view, either the Bible is wrong, or God is not love. What she didn’t understand is that there is a third and a fourth option. The third option is that she doesn’t understand what her Bible is telling her. The fourth option is she doesn’t understand what love is. So, let’s look at the passage she was using. Please read 1 John 4:8, 16. Now read 1 John 4:7-20 (You’re welcome to read more, but this will give us the correct context of the passage.)
Does this passage define love as ‘not sending people to hell?’ No. This passage shows us what love is, as defined by the one who made love – God.  It is talking about the love that should exist between believers because of God’s love for them. (4:11-12) It is describing how God manifested his love to us or showed his love to us. “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (4:9-10) God’s love shows us that, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we don’t have to go to hell for our sins. Context is important.
Here’s another example: “Why are you pointing my sin out to me?” You’re a Christian. The Bible says you’re not supposed to judge people, (Matt. 7:1), so don’t judge me.”
Read Matthew 7:1 and then read Matthew 7:1-5. Yes, the Gospel of Matthew does say, “Do not judge”, but that is not all it says. Jesus teaches us that judging someone else (removing the speck from their eye) while we have sin (plank in our eye) is hypocritical. (vs. 5) Jesus tells us that how we judge someone else (thereby assuming we will) is how we in turn will be judged (vs.2). The point here is the way we judge someone else – do it without hypocrisy. Context is important.
To prepare us for our homework, let us look again briefly at Philemon. Read it through once more and while you read, notice if any questions come to mind. Do you wonder who Apphia and Archippus are? Do you wonder how Paul and Onesimus met? Did they meet before prison? Just how old is Paul? Are there questions that the text answers for you?
Use this same idea for this week’s homework.  
Day 1 – read Philippians 1:12-26. Think of five questions that come to mind while reading these verses. Write them down. Can you answer any of them from the text?
Day 2 – re-read Philippians 1:12-26. Think of five more (different) questions. Write them down. Can you answer any of them from the text? Can you think of more than five more?
Day 3 – re-read Philippians 1:12-26. Are there any questions that you can think of? Look at all the questions you have written down so far. Choose any five for class next week, and I’ll tell you what five I found.
Day 4 – Write down what you think the main point of Philippians 1:12-26 is, and we’ll go over it this next week.
That’s it ladies!
Thank you for another week together. Thank you, Becky!
Let us live this coming week in light of what James tells us. “My dear brothers [sisters], take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (Jas. 1:19-21)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Your sister, Eileen
Related Posts:
 
Time to Study Philippians – Introduction-
Time to Study Philippians -Week One-
Time to Study Philippians – Week two-
 
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>From My Homeschool to Yours -Your Home Aroma-

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My dear friends, as some of you know, I am privileged to teach in the best on line Classical school, Veritas Press Scholars Academy; and I am blessed to count among my friends beautiful ladies such as Julie Etter, who also teaches in this school. She is a great friend of mine, and has agreed to come and be my guest blogger today. 

Thank you, Julie!





This school year is quite a busy one for me. In addition to homeschooling my children, I have picked up teaching 4 classes of a History Survey and Transition class for Veritas Press Scholars Academy. The class is going so well and I am enjoying all of studying that I am getting to do. In the past I have only had 1 class. With the increase in students, I have noticed an alarming pattern. After my friend, Becky, noticed the same pattern in her classes, she asked that I write a post about it. We are seeing the disturbing trend of laziness in the student’s work ethic.  Even more disturbing than that, I am also seeing it in some parents. I think we all know of the stereo-type of homeschoolers being unable to meet a deadline or having a lazy attitude about school work in general. I have always defended this. But, friends, it is something I can no longer ignore. Now, let me say, I have many hard working students. But, I have seen the inability to keep deadlines and complete quality work in enough students to become concerned.
I truly believe that our work ethic is tied to the condition of our hearts. God speaks of laziness many times in His Word. It is never in a positive light.  I believe that training our children that it is acceptable to not meet deadlines, or to turn in substandard work is training them that laziness is acceptable.
I plan to spend some time posting some tips that I have found helpful in helping to train a child who is not quite motivated to get the school work done.  However, in the mean time, please enjoy this blog post which I wrote a while back.
Homeschooling is a way of life. I really believe this is true, because if you try to separate it from every other part of your life, you are going to fail somewhere. It is just not possible to live two separate lives and be perfect at both. Actually, you are not going to be perfect anyway, and you will fail at times. Maybe I should say I believe it is difficult to function and be productive if you try to separate it. When someone spends time with us they will detect a certain aroma. It may be stinky or lovely. It does not take very long for others to decide what this aroma is. The aroma could be anything from chaos to stringency, or productivity to laziness. As believers, first we must produce an aroma which shows that Christ lives within us. This will be very evident to anyone who spends time in your home. Sometimes you can even just step in the door and tell. This aroma really envelops everything you do as a family. 
What does this have to do with homeschooling? 
 
You can not develop this lovely aroma by having family devotions, praying, loving one another, and then being completely lazy about your home-schooling. I am afraid it all comes as a package. Have you ever had this really good smell going in your home and then there is this nasty diaper or something else awful? It does not matter at that point how many candles you have been burning or pies you have been baking all day. It just really stinks now. Now you have to revamp and work a little to eliminate the awful smell. It is the same thing with your schooling. You cannot fool everyone by having this great aroma of Christ in your home, but completely nasty one in your schooling. The bad smell always wins over the good one. And it takes a little work to change things around. We all have different ways to achieve a wonderful smell in our homes. I love to burn candles and am pretty much a candle snob. I have one or two that I love and really do not use any others. There are others who use spray. Others love to just open their windows and air the place out. That does not work here in the midst of all of the farm land. Anyway, there are so many different ways to achieve a good aroma. We may all have different strategies to help us pull off a great homeschooling aroma. The point is, all areas of our lives are intertwined. Do not think you can take this one area and separate from all the others. It just does not work. Your home will have an aroma. Is it pleasant or not?

Julie. 

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