Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: PHILLIPIANS #1 - 1:1-11)
PHILIPPIANS SUMMARY - AN APOSTOLIC BEQUEATHMENT: JOY AND REJOICING
A. 1:1-2 APOSTOLIC GREETINGS
PAUlos kai TiMOtheos DOUloi [1401] ChrisTOU IeSOU,
Paul and Timothy bondmen of Christ Jesus,
PAsin tois haGIois en ChrisTOIeSOU tois OUsin en PhiLIPpois, sun e-piSKOpois [1985]kai di-aKOnois;
to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi,with overseers and deacons;
CHAris huMIN kai eiREneaPO TheOU paTROS huMON kai KuRIou IeSOU ChrisTOU.
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and theLord Jesus Christ.
B. 1:3-11 PAUL'S 3-FOLD DESIRE
a. 1:3-7 PAUL'S GOAL: JESUS' PERFECTION OF THESE SAINTS
Eu-cha-risTO[2168]toTheOmou ePI PAseteMNEIa [3417]huMON PANto-te en PAsedeEsei [1162]mou
I thank my :God upon all my :remembrance of you4always in every supplication of mine
huPER PANton huMON meTA chaRAS ten deEsin poiOUme-nos,
on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy,
ePI tekoi-noNIa [2842]huMON eis to eu-agGEli-on [2098]
5for your :fellowship unto the gospel
aPO tes PROtes heMEras Achri tou nun; pe-poiTHOS [3982]auTO TOUto,
from the first day until :now; 6confident of this very thing,
HOti ho e-narXAme-nos [1728] en huMIN ERgon [2041] a-gaTHON
that he who began a good work in you
e-pi-teLEsei [2005]Achri heMEras IeSOU ChrisTOU:
will perfect ituntil Jesus Christ's day:
kaTHOS es-tin DIkai-on [1342]eMOI TOUto phroNEIN [5426]huPER PANton huMON,
7even as it right for me to think thus on behalf of you all,
diA to Echein me en tekarDIa [2588]huMAS; en te tois desMOIS [1199]mou
because I have you in my :heart; as, both in in my :bonds
kai en tea-po-loGIa [627]kai be-baiOsei [951]tou eu-ag-geLIou,
and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel,
sun-koi-noNOUS [4791]mou tes CHAri-tos PANtas huMAS ONtas.
you all are partakers with me of :grace.
b. 1:8 For :God is my witness, how I long after you all in tender mercies of Christ Jesus.
MARtus gar mou ho TheOS, hos e-pi-poTHO[1971]PANtas huMAS en SPLAGCHnous ChrisTOU IeSOU.
c. 1:9-11 PAUL'S PRAYER: ABOUNDING LOVE ON THEIR BEHALF
kai TOUto proSEUcho-mai [4336], HIna heaGApe[26]huMON
And this I pray, that your :love abound
eTI malLON kai MALlon pe-risSEUe[4052]en e-pigNOsei [1922]kai PAseaisTHEsei [144];
yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;
eis to do-kiMAzein [1381] huMAS ta di-aPHEron-ta [1308];
10so that you may approve the things excellent;
HIna Ete ei-li-kriNEIS [1506]kai aPROsko-poi [677]eis heMEran ChrisTOU;
that you be sincere and void of offence unto Christ's day;
pe-ple-roMEnoi [4137]karPON [2590]di-kai-oSUnes [1343],
11filled with fruit of righteousness,
diA IeSOU ChrisTOU, eis DOxan [1391]kai Epai-non [1868] TheOU.
which isthrough Jesus Christ, unto God's praise and glory.
NOTE: A “DOUlos” is a bondman; a voluntary total servant; a love-slave. In the Old Testament under the Mosaic Law - when a slave didn't wish to leave his master at the end of his tenure, and chose to remain with him because of his wife and family - then the master took him to the doorpost, and hammered an awl through the lobe of his ear into the post - thus signifying his desire to remain under subjection.
Thisis what Paul and Timothy were to the Lord by voluntary choice. Thisis the mark of every true disciple. Thisis what Jesus commanded us to make: not mere converts - but disciples - voluntary love-slaves. Have you made thisyour desire and decision unto Jesus? “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mark 8:34 (8:34-9:1).
Then this man Paul, “DOUlos” in every sense of the word, has this marvelous prayer in the succeeding verses on behalf of the Philippian believers. And if they - like Paul and Timothy - volunteer to become love-slaves, bondmen if you please - also - then Jesus' commission according to Matthew 28:18-20 will be fulfilled, and the heart of Paul gratified.
And if we of today likewise voluntarily choose to make thisour mark - how doubly gratified will our Lord be on our behalf! And joy and rejocing is the fruit of such a decision and relationship! - J.A.W.