Thinking Thursday: Philippians 2:1-11 Thinking As Christ Jesus Thought

Reblogged from mikes4tea:

This is one of the most magnificent texts in the Bible and countless sermons have been preached from it. It has been most popular, perhaps, as an apologetics piece to argue the case for the divinity of the Saviour, and it certainly does make that case compellingly.

Philip.2: 6 speaks of his life in eternities past, telling us Jesus was and is “in very nature God,”the NIV capturing particularly well the meaning of the text.

Philip.2: 7 refers to his birth, how he emptied himself and became a man. He didn’t stop being God but emptied himself of his glory, made himself of no reputation.

Philip.2: 8 speaks of his being humbled even to the extent of dying a shameful death

Philip.2:99 tells us of his resurrection

Philip.2:10-11 tells us of his exalted position in eternities to come

The case for his deity is well made here, where he is described as being “in very nature God”; as being given “the name that is above all names.” Name here meaning not simply a title but a reputation, an indication of his person and character, and that name is the name of God. And we are told that at his name “every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” This refers back to what God says of himself in Isaiah 45:22-24.

But this text is not arguing a case, it is affirming a truth already accepted by Christians:

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Paul writes in his letter to believers in Colossae, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart to God.” (Col.3:16)

This passage in Philippians 2 is probably a hymn, or part of a hymn, and dates back to within thirty years of Jesus’ execution. This is what the earliest Christians believed. It was possibly used as a creed to teach new Christians some foundational facts of the Christian faith and may have been used at baptism and communion services. If you are a new Christian, a young Christian, you would benefit from reading and thinking about these eleven verses, in your devotions, and in your prayers.

In our NIV it helpfully comes in six stanzas of three verses each indicating its creedal form, its hymnal nature. These New Testament letters would have been read aloud in the congregation and this text may well have been repeated by a congregation as a confession. So Paul is appealing to what Christians already know and understand to be true and urging us to live it out with Christ as our model.

The key verse for our understanding is verse 5 - “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,” or “Think the same way that Christ Jesus did.”

Thinking is imperative to the Christian life. Paul reminds us in his letter to Rome that the Christian life is a life transformed by the renewing of your mind (Ro.12:2) where he goes on to write about discernment. In a world that lays such store by feelings this is a clarion call to be intelligent about our faith. Later on in Philippians he writes:

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things”(Philip.4:8)

Another way of putting it is, be like Christ even in your very thought life! Paul is making clear that theology (thinking) and Christian living (doing) belong together. James urges us,“Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)

What does that ‘doing’ look like?

In Colossians 3 there is a passage headed in the NIV, Rules for Holy Living. In the ESV it is headed, Put On the New Self. This passage begins with these wonderful words:

“Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Col.3:1-4)

It begins with being united with Christ, raised with him. It is in our being united with Christ that our hearts and minds are set on things above. It is in this way that we know the encouragement of his fellowship, the comfort of his love, the fellowship of his Spirit that Paul writes about to the Philippians. If we are united with Christ, Paul is saying, we will think the way Christ thinks, and this will lead to our practising our faith by being one in spirit and purpose (Philip.2:2)

This is not a call to be some bland, homogeneous crowd, not a blind uniformity. It means being united even as we hold different views. Differences that exist because of our imperfect understanding shouldn’t rob us of our unity in Christ.

This unity is achieved, Paul tells us, by considering others better than ourselves, looking to the interests of others. Paul is writing against any party spirit in the church, urging us to achieve unity by means of humility with Jesus as our great example.

The Old Adam and The New

There is a parallel here with Adam, the man who sought to be like God. Jesus is God yet didn’t grasp his glory but humbled himself, making himself nothing, a servant. Paul explains in his letter to the Romans that man is sinful because he is “in Adam,” that is, has inherited sin and death from Adam, his head. But in Christ we have new life and he becomes our head (Ro.5:12-20)

Christ’s sacrifice was complete as he obeyed even to the point of dying on a cross. We are so used to hearing the story that its original impact can escape us but this was a truly horrible death. It was a death of unimaginable shame to the Jews. In Galatians Paul writes,“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” (Gal.3:13; Deut.21:23)

To a Roman the cross was such an offence it was not even mentioned in polite company. The Roman philosopher Cicero wrote, “Far be the very name of the cross, not only from the body, but even from the thought, the eyes, the ears of Roman citizens.”

“Therefore,” Paul goes on to write, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…” (Philip.2:9) In consequence of his great sacrifice, God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave him the name above all names. That is not to say Jesus wasn’t God before. In his prayer before Gethsemane Jesus prayed, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”(Jn.17:5)

Just as Jesus was restored to his true glory, so we, through faith in him, will be restored to our true nature. But the journey to that point is the journey demonstrated by Christ, a life of humility, sacrifice, and service to the glory of God.

It is the example of Christ that defines, not just our journey in this life, but the very society, the economy of heaven. Living like this is to become as natural to us as sinning was before our redemption. With such a future won for us at such a cost

What are you willing to let go of for the glory of God?

Are you willing to be a servant?

Are you willing to humble yourself?

Are you prepared to sacrifice self?

Those who “are raised with Christ” live this way. Those who live this way, when he appears, will appear with him in glory.

Writing Wednesday: Gwenllian, Princess of Wales

I came across some Welsh history yesterday which not many people know. It was certainly new to me. I found it in a book by Charlie Connelly called And Did Those Feet, in which he recounts his walks retracing the steps of history. Here is his account, to which I have added pictures from the web:

Sempringham Church
(homepages.which.net/~rex/bourne)

I was making good progress towards Bourne and on a pleasant sunny afternoon passed another big church in the middle of nowhere, this time at the convergence of some tracks rather than roads. A man was mowing the churchyard and gave me a friendly wave, and a few hundred yards further along the track I found the most extraordinary thing. There, in the middle of rural Lincolnshire, I found a little piece of Wales. Just off the track, in front of a line of trees was a flat-fronted standing stone, about four feet high. A small border in front of it was crammed with flowers and shrubs, some planted, some laid there by visitors. As I approached I could see there was an oval plaque on it and, to my surprise, most of it was in Welsh. ‘GWENLLIAN’ it said across the centre, with ‘Merch Llywelyn Ein Llew Olaf’ in smaller letters above and the dates 12.6.1282 and 7.6.1337. Beneath the name was a English translation, ‘Daughter of Llywelyn, Last Prince of Wales.’ In smaller letters around the edge, in English and Welsh, the inscription read, ‘Born at Garthcelyn Aber Gwynedd, at 18 months old she was abducted by Edward I and held captive here at Sempringham Abbey for the rest of her life.’ Another small plaque nearby said, ‘In Everlasting Memory – daffodils planted in 1996 by Boston Welsh Society,’ with another bearing the legend ‘Merched Y Wawr’, which, I would later learn, is the rough equivalent of a Welsh Women’s Institute.

Gwenllian’s Monument
(castlewales.com)

Charlie then met a couple visiting the site from Cardiff, and the wife told him the story:

Llywelyn’s Arms
(castlewales.com)

“Llywelyn ap Gruffydd had fought hard to become Prince of Wales,’ she began. ‘He’d had to defeat his own brothers in battle in 1255 and then set about trying to remove the English. Henry III had invaded Gwynedd in 1247, built castles and forced the local lords to kowtow to him. After the battle Llywelyn appointed himself sole ruler of Gwynedd and proclaimed himself Prince in 1258. Henry was fairly amenable to this at first and praised Llywelyn for his restraint, and eventually – in 1267, I think it was – Henry acknowledged him as Prince of Wales. Henry was then succeeded as King of England by Edward I, who wasn’t quite as tolerant of Llywelyn’s status. But when Llywelyn married Henry’s niece Eleanor at Worcester in 1275, Edward gave the bride away and laid on the wedding feast.

King Edward I
(Wikimedia)

“However, it still rankled that Llywelyn had refused to attend his coronation and on five occasions between 1274 and 1279 he had refused to pay homage to the English King when asked. Edward eventually invaded and Llywelyn led a fierce Welsh resistance. Eventually, though, in the winter of 1282 Llywelyn’s army suffered a defeat in battle near Builth Wells. Llywelyn was leaving the battle with a handful of followers when they were ambushed and he was killed. When the English realised just who they’d got they cut off Llywelyn’s head and sent it toEdward, who had it displayed on a spike at the Tower of London, where it stayed for fifteen years. He’s known today as Llywelyn the Last as he was the last Welsh Prince of an independent Wales…

“Well, five months before he died Llywelyn had fathered a daughter, Gwenllian. Eleanor had died in childbirth, so when Llywelyn was killed the baby was orphaned. When she was eighteen months old she was spirited away and brought here, to Sempringham Abbey, as far from Wales and her heritage as possible. The English didn’t want her knowing about her background and didn’t want the Welsh to have a figurehead to rally behind, so they sent her here to the nuns, where she lived until she was fifty-six. Imagine that: living your whole life not knowing who you are.

“This is such an important place for the Welsh now. She could have been the continuation of our royal bloodline. It’s such a terrible thing to do to someone, to take away their birthright, their whole life, yet few people outside Wales know about it. The history books say that the Gwynedd dynasty, the last independent Welsh royal family, ended with Llywelyn but actually it ended right here, and it’s so unfair.“ 

[And Did Those Feet by Charlie Connelly (2009) pp.116-119]

Thinking Thursday: Philippians 1:12-30 Facing Fear

The second section of Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi deals with facing fear. (Phil.1:1-11 here)

Paul in prison
(philleng.blogspot.com)

Verses 12-14:
Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. 

Paul asks, what about me?
*Fear for me
*Fear about authority
*Fear of speaking out

Paul is not blasé. He wishes he weren’t in prison but his passion – the gospel – is progressing in a remarkable way. Far from being daunted by his imprisonment, Paul is sharing the gospel with all the guards in the prison. The church in Rome have followed Paul’s example and begun to be more bold in speaking out. During the troubles in Northern Ireland, Rev. Ian Paisley had to have guards to protect him. Apparently, his entire security detail ended up coming to faith.

Like Paul, ask God for a godly perspective on your situation.

Verses 15-18 :
It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Paul asks, what about what others think of me?

Paul knows some people will use his imprisonment to question his credentials. This shows a jealous heart. Today, with Social Media, lies and slander can spread so easily. Businesses post bad reviews of their competitors on Trip Advisor, Twitter can spread news like wildfire, and cyber bullying can have tragic consequences. Paul has shifted his focus from himself onto the gospel – if the gospel is going out, his reputation doesn’t matter.

What is really important is what God thinks of me.

Verses 18b-26:
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

Paul asks, what’s next?

He says it is impossible for him to rejoice if he only relies on himself. If God provides the Spirit and people provide the prayer, then he can rejoice. Prayers make a difference. Paul feels saved, delivered and vindicated. He will not be ashamed and he knows he is secure in God.

Ask yourself: Where is my focus? Can I trust God with my future?

Verses 27-30:
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Finally Paul asks, what about them?

Lordship and worship belonged to the emperor and Paul asked the Philippians to go and proclaim lordship and worship to Jesus – but they would be vindicated if their focus was on God.

Where are your fears? This is not counselling or self-help. If we are prayed for and God’s Spirit is with us our focus is on God’s hold over our fears. What really matters is what God thinks. 

[From a sermon by Peter Orphan 12/1/14]

Writing Wednesday: Pennard Castle

I have often mentioned Swansea Castle and Oystermouth Castle, but there are several other castles in Gower. The stone ruins seen today were all built by the Normans in the 13^th and 14^th centuries, mostly to replace earlier wooden structures.

Pennard Castle
(Wikimedia)

The story of Pennard Castle is a sad one. Here it is in legend form:

‘Here, in the days of old, lived a hardy chieftain. In houses round lived his warriors. A prince of Northern Wales had a quarrel with his neighbours, and sought the aid of Pennard’s lord. After the battle the prince asked what was the reward that the chieftain desired, and he replied his daughter’s hand in marriage. That night the walls of the castle sounded with mirth, but suddenly a strange sound came to their ears. A dark cloud came driving up the channel, then another and another. Faster and faster they came, till the air was thick with choking sand. Soon the whole place was devastated.’

The legend goes on to relate that ‘from a spot in Ireland a huge mountain of sand suddenly and mysteriously disappeared.’

The legend could have a basis in fact, since John de Breos, the Lord of Gower, married Margaret, the daughter of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, prince of Wales. His grandson William married the daughter of Nicholas of Castell Moel, Carmarthen, in 1306. A great sandstorm evidently took place at the beginning of that century, as this William de Breos grants the sandy waste of Pennard to William, his huntsman, showing it was of no further use to him. 

(castlewales.com)

The castle is perched on the edge of the valley of Pennard Pill, with a sheer drop below to the north and west. It is a beautiful situation with sweeping views out to sea and across the valley. The encroachment of the sand was totally unforseen. The castle and the surrounding village were abandoned by the end of the 14^th century. 

(castlewales.com)

A search of the ruins has revealed no roofing material, no timber, no slate or tile, leading to the possibility that the castle was never actually finished.

In addition to the sand, the repeated incidents of the plague decimated the population and left many farms tenantless. A great extent of land in Pennard was given towards the foundation of St David’s Hospital, Swansea in the 14^th century.

Thinking Thursday: Philippians 1:1-11 Thank You

 

(Wikimedia)

The city of Philippi was in Macedonia. It was given the status of an honorary colony of Rome, following the victory by Octavian & Mark Anthony in battle there against Brutus & Cassius. Paul went there on his second missionary journey, directly called there by God. 

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:9-10) 

Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians from prison. It is a thank-you letter. This first part teaches us how we should encourage one another.

Verse 1: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons
The letter begins by saying who they are and who it is to. Paul calls themselves ‘slaves of God’, but they are willing servants. To all the saints in Philippi – an echo of the Old Testament holy nation. 

Verse 2: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
A lovely greeting. We should greet people by reflecting Christ – bless them.

Verses 3-8: I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Paul says ‘Thank you’. Their faith is an encouragement to him, even when he is in chains. One of the reasons Christians should meet together often is so that they can encourage each other.
Be joyful always pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5:16 -18)

Verses 9-11: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.

Paul says, ‘Whenever I remember you I pray for you.’ We need to pray for each other. Work your way through the church directory, your housegroup, your contacts list. Pray for someone each day. And what a prayer! He wants the very best for them that God can offer. Let’s encourage other Christians in the same way.

Here is Paul’s prayer again, in The Message:
So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. 

[From a sermon by Peter Orphan 5/1/14]

Writing Wednesday: What’s in a Name?

This post is part of a series on Swansea and Gower, past and present.

How did Swansea and Gower get their names? 

 

The Lordship of Gower
(Wikimedia)

The area has been settled for over four thousand years. Important prehistoric remains have been found in Gower dating to 2000BC. When the Romans invaded Britain, they built a fort at the mouth of the River Loughor, which is the western boundary of Gower. The fort was called Leucarum, and the Welsh call it Llwchwr. 

 

Sweyn Forkbeard
in Swansea Guildhall

After the Romans, the Vikings came. Sweyne Forkbeard was a 10^th century Viking King who ruled Denmark from 986-1014AD. The River Tawe, the eastern border of Gower, provided a natural harbour, and a settlement was created, named after him – Sweynesse. This was the first recorded name, in 1165, but it had obviously been in use since Sweyne’s time. 

Spelling didn’t begin to be standardised until dictionaries were introduced in the 17^th century. Scribes would spell things according to their own fancy. So Sweynesse was spelled Sueinesea in 1190, and Swanesey in 1322. Today it’s called Swansea. The city’s logo is a swan, but the name has nothing to do with swans or the sea. 

 

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd statue
(Wikimedia)

The city’s Welsh name is much more practical. The River Tawe flows through the city into the sea, and Aber means mouth of a river so the Welsh call the city Abertawe [pronounced Abba-toway]. This name does not appear in records until the 13^th century, when the castle was taken by Llewellyn ap Gruffydd in his campaign to become the sole Prince of Wales. 

The area was part of the old Welsh kingdom of Ystrad Tywi, meaning valley of the Tywi (could be the River Tawe, which flows through Swansea, or the River Towy which flows through Carmarthen!). The kingdom was divided into areas of about one hundred villages or settlements, called cantref, which literally means cant, one hundred, and tref, village or settlement. The cantref in this area was called Eginog, and was divided into three cymwd (commotes) called Gŵyr, Carnwyllion, and Cedweli. 

Gŵyr comes from the old Welsh word gwhyr, meaning curved, which refers to the shape of the peninsular. When the Norman baron Henry de Neubourgh seized Gŵyr in 1138 he ‘anglicised’ the name as Gower and changed his name to Henry de Gower. 

There was another Welsh kingdom to the east of the Tawe, called gwlad Morgan (the land of Morgan). It stretched from the Tawe to the River Wye. In the Acts of Union, 1536-42, Gower became part of the new county of Glamorgan. Gŵyr had always been associated with lands to the west, but the government took no notice of this. Today Swansea has its own county, but still incorporating lands to the east, rather than the west. 

So which do you prefer today – Swansea or Abertawe? Or should it really be called Sweynesse?

Thinking Thursday: Press On and Be a Disciple

Paul of Tarsus
facial composite by experts of LKA NRW Germany
(Wikimedia)

Paul taught the Philippians about discipleship, which means knowing Christ better. We need to do five things. 

1. Be willing to suffer for being a Christian, don’t keep it secret.
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. (Phil 3:10)

2. Hunger and thirst for the things of God.
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Phil 3:12) 

3. Forget the past and press on.
But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:13b-14) 

(Wikimedia)

4. Discipline, including reading the Bible and prayer.
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. (Phil 3:17) 

5. Be heavenly-minded.
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Phil 3:20-21) 

You may be thinking that you cannot be a disciple because you have strayed from Christianity. The people of Israel often strayed away from worshipping the true God and being faithful. But God always brought them back.

Hezekiah removes the idols
(Wikimedia)

In the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles, we read of King Hezekiah. When Hezekiah became king, because he loved God, he determined to bring the people back to the worship of the true God. He destroyed the idols on the high places. He opened the temple and had the priests clear out the rubbish and false idols and offer sacrifices – first to cleanse the temple, then to sanctify the priests, then for the people. 

For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him. (2 Chron 30:9b)

When the people were summoned to celebrate the first Passover for many years, some who came had not performed the cleansing rituals. But they were accepted because their hearts were right. 

For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. (2 Chron 30:18b-20)

Do not be afraid to come to God. Your offerings will be acceptable if they are given with a sincere heart. It is never too late, and you are never too far. He is waiting for you.

[Taken from a sermon by Uzo Iwobi and Week 6 of Discipleship Explored]