Paul had been saying he hoped to be able to revisit Philippi and to minister to his original readers again in person. However, he was not sure that he could do that. This uncertain state of affairs led him to exhort them now that he had the opportunity. Whether he came to them or not, their duty was the same. In the following verses he emphasized the importance of certain qualities essential to conduct worthy of the Lord. He did this so his readers would perceive the importance of these traits and give them proper attention.
The first sub-section (1:27-30) begins with a topic sentence that expresses Paul's desire for the Philippians. Then he proceeded to explain and to illustrate what constitutes a worthy walk (2:1-4:9).
"With this section we come to the heart of matters, the primary reason for having written this letter . . . And here in particular the three-way bond that holds the letter together stands out [i.e., Christ, Paul, and the Philippians]. The problem is not schism, but posturing and bickering--selfish ambition, empty conceit, complaining, arguing. At stake is the gospel in Philippi--Christ himself, if you will."44
"The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground. We are sonsin the family, enjoying the fellowshipof the Gospel (1:1-11); we are servantssharing in the furtheranceof the Gospel (1:12-26); but we are also soldiersdefending the faithof the Gospel. And the believer with the single mind can have the joy of the Holy Spirit even in the midst of battle."45
1:27 The first part of this verse gives the main command in the section (1:27-4:9) and the reason for it.
The phrase "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy"is just one word in the Greek text (politeuesthe). It means literally "to live as a citizen."This was a specially appropriate term to use in a letter to people who took great pride in their Roman citizenship (cf. Acts 16:12, 20-21). The Philippian Christians, however, were also citizens of a more important kingdom, a heavenly one. As such they needed to stand firm in one spirit. Philippi was a colony of Rome in Macedonia, and the church was a colony of heaven in Philippi.
"It [the Gr. word stekete, translated "stand firm"] conveys the idea of firmness or steadfastness, or unflinching courage like that possessed by soldiers who determinedly refuse to leave their posts irrespective of how severely the battle rages (cf. 1 Cor 16:13; Gal 5:1; Phil 4:1; 2 Thess 2:15; cf. Also Eph 6:13-17 . . .)."46
The following explanatory phrase "with one mind"(lit. with one soul, Gr. psyche) points to Christian unity being in Paul's mind as well as their unity in the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 4:32).
Unity in the church is necessary so believers can work together effectively as a team carrying out the will of God. "Striving together"is an athletic metaphor. Specifically the church's task is to proclaim and promote the Christian faith embodied in the gospel message.
Paul identified two essential qualities in this verse, unity and steadfastness (cf. 1:5-6). He then proceeded to develop them more fully in the verses that follow.
"A worthy walk,' then, means specifically the achievement of true Christian unity among themselves, and steadfastness against enemies of the gospel."47
1:28 The Christians in Philippi should not let the opposition of unbelievers frighten or detract them from their mission.
"The verb here translated to be intimidated' (ptyresthai) is extremely rare, found nowhere else in the entire Greek Bible. But it is used on occasion in Classical Greek of timid horses that shy upon being startled at some unexpected object (LSJ). Perhaps by the choice of this unusual word Paul shows himself anxious that his friends should not break loose in disarray' (Martin, 1976) or lose control of themselves as a result of the attacks of their adversaries."48
The adversaries in this case seem to have been outside the church, but exactly who they were is unknown.49Probably all external opponents to the work of God are in view.
The failure of the believers' enemies to intimidate them would be a sign of the final victory of the church. The opponents of the Christians and even the believers themselves might not perceive this, but this was true. "Salvation"has the connotation of vindication here (cf. v. 19).
The antecedent of "that"in the phrase "and that from (or by) God"cannot be "sign"or "salvation (or saved)"both of which are feminine in the Greek text. "That"is neuter and probably refers to the fact that God gives believers courage to stand firm when opposed. This is the main thought in the preceding verse.
1:29 All believers have received a gracious gift from God. It is the privilege of suffering for Jesus Christ. Few Christians view suffering for their testimony as a blessing, but that is really what it is. Suffering is one of the tools God uses to mold his children into vessels that bring glory to His Son (cf. James 1:3-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7). Suffering even perfected the Lord Jesus (Heb. 2:10).
1:30 The Philippians were experiencing the same type of suffering that Paul had during his whole ministry. They had witnessed his struggles in Philippi when he had planted the church there and perhaps in his subsequent ministry there. They had also heard of his sufferings in Rome (2:26).
"One of the reasons most of us in the West do not know more about the content of vv. 29-30 is that we have so poorly heeded the threefold exhortation that precedes . . ."50
In calling his readers to unite in steadfastly enduring the antagonism of unbelievers in their area, Paul was not asking them to do something he himself had not done. He was urging them to unite with one another, and with him, and to view suffering for their faith as a privilege that would glorify Jesus Christ. This exhortation is necessary today when we feel tempted to agree with unbelievers rather than taking a firm stand for our Lord.
This last section (4:2-9) of the body of the epistle (1:27-4:9) deals with the same two subjects as the preceding two sections, unity and steadfastness, but in more detail. Paul gave his readers specific instructions about what they should do. Unity needed restoring, and tranquillity needed maintaining.
