Philippians 1:12-26
29/5/22
Preach
Scripture
Philippians 1:12-26
Questions
Read v12 and then continue into vv13-17. What benefits does Paul see as coming from his suffering? Compare this to Geneis 50:20? What does this teach us about the sovereignty of God and the schemes of the satan? What is the ultimate example of God bringing blessing out of human’s evil intents?
Read v18. Not only can accept the purpose in his suffering but he can rejoice! Why can he rejoice? See Luke 9:50 and Isaiah 55:10-11.
What is the deliverance Paul looks forward to in v19? What deliverances to you look forward to because the Spirit of Jesus is in you? At a larger scale how does this help us understand history and the future?
In v20 Paul says that he will not be put to shame. The modern western reader may miss this but in an honour-shame culture status was very important especially for a posh Pharisee. Being put in prison, associating with gentiles etc all brought shame. Why is Paul not ashamed? How can you apply this to your life?
Paul has come to this understanding because of his extended suffering as a slave of slave of Christ [2 Corinthians 11:23-27], emotional strain from concern for the church [2 Corinthians 11:28] and the debilitating effects of a long imprisonment [Acts 24:27]. What lessons are you learning from your story?
Read vv 27-30. How should the Philippian Chritians live?
We mentioned last week that not some things in the letters are hard to understand and not everything necessarily applies to us. Does Philippians 1:12-26 apply to us? Why?
