PastorRodney’s Weblog

Philippians 3:8-9; Found In Him

04/28 Philippians 3:8-9; Found In Him; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240428_philippians-3_8-9.mp3

What does it mean to be in Christ? The Bible says a lot about believing in Jesus; it is the only requirement for salvation; repent, turn from what you were trusting in and believe the gospel. But what does it mean to be ‘in Christ’? In this passage in Philippians, Paul counts it his greatest treasure to be found in Christ. What does it mean to be ‘found in him’? What is the big picture of what it means to be ‘in Christ’?

Change in Accounting

We have seen in this passage that Paul has every religious advantage, but he has learned to account differently. That which was a credit to him, an asset, a benefit, he counts rather as a liability. All his religious accomplishments were a dangerous source of potential pride, a source of boasting in the flesh.

Philippians 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, …

Paul’s accounting has changed radically since he met the risen Lord. All his gains he counted as one big liability. Everything that was a gain to his confidence in the flesh he now counts as loss because he has found something of infinitely greater value; knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

This was not mere knowing of Christ or knowing about Christ. He says ‘knowing Christ’, a real knowledge of a real person, reciprocal -both knowing and being known, a real personal relationship. Intimacy, communion. Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. He is the Lord, the sovereign, the one who holds all authority, Lord over all. But Paul owns Jesus as my Lord, the ultimate authority in my life, the one to whom I gladly bow, the one whom I serve. This relationship with Christ is the one thing of surpassing value, against which every other gain he counts as loss.

Actual Loss

Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, …

Paul not only counted every personal gain as loss because of Christ; he actually experienced the loss of all things. Once poster child for the Pharisees, hunting followers of Jesus, now himself a follower of the Jesus he once persecuted, his own turned against him. They sought his death, He suffered mob violence, was conspired against, forced to appeal to Roman law for protection from being handed over to his own countrymen, now imprisoned in Rome.

This gives indication of who was impressed by his credentials; confidence in the flesh earned him the applause of people who took confidence in the flesh, but God was not impressed by his self-righteousness. When he came to account his own self-righteous gains as losses, he lost the confidence of his peers who took confidence in the flesh. Paul experienced real loss; following Jesus cost him deeply. He literally lost it all on account of Jesus.

[σκύβαλον]

He lost it all, but he was now counting differently. Those fleshly confidences he now counted as [σκύβαλα]; refuse, rubbish, filth, feces. Paul had finally come to his senses, and realized that he had been holding up his own fleshly confidence like an impudent child holding up his own poopy diaper and waving it around in order to impress God with his own accomplishments.

What he had once put his confidence in, he now considered vile, repulsive, offensive. This word [σκύβαλον] may have as its root ‘that which is thrown to the dogs’. Dogs eat some disgusting things. Wild dogs were filthy, diseased, dangerous. They were indiscriminate as to what was clean or unclean. It is ironic that in verse 2 Paul warned against those who insisted that non Jewish believers in Jesus be put under Old Testament law, and called them ‘dogs’. Now he says that all his own righteous accomplishments he considers unclean, only worthy to be thrown to the dogs.

Gaining Christ

But Paul has a purpose in discarding his own accomplishments on the rubbish heap. He sees relationship with Jesus as that which is of surpassing worth, and his goal is to gain Christ. He once considered his good works as gain, but he now counts them as sewage in order to gain Christ. Gain is often used in the context of finances; Jesus tells in Matthew 25 of the servants entrusted with their master’s money, who traded and gained more. But ‘gain’ is also used relationally. Jesus in Matthew 18 says:

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

Here gain is used of restoration of relationship. Both Paul (1Cor.9:19-23) and Peter (1Pet.3:1) use this word in the context of evangelism, loving and serving people in order to gain or win people with the gospel.

When Paul says his goal is to gain Christ he is not saying that he is able to acquire Christ as a possession he could put in his pocket, to spend when he needs it. He is speaking of a relationship restored.

Knowing Christ, gaining Christ, are different ways of saying that relationship with Jesus is the greatest treasure.

Found In Him

He says it another way in the next verse; ‘and be found in him’. To be found in Christ is another way to describe our relationship with Jesus. Being ‘in Christ’ it is a rich New Testament truth.

Jesus taught his followers about abiding in him in John 15, like a branch abides in the vine. He taught in John 6 that those who feed on his flesh and drink his blood abide in him and he in us (Jn.6:56).

A sermon series on the riches that are ours in Christ could fill up a whole year or more. Here’s just an short list of some of the things that belong to us because we are in Christ:

‘he chose us in him before the foundation of the world’ (Eph.1:4)
‘In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses’ (Eph.1:7; cf. 4:32; Rom.3:24; Col.1:14)
‘salvation that is in Christ Jesus’ (2Tim.2:10)
‘justified in Christ’ (Gal.2:16-17)
‘no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Rom.8:1-2)
‘freedom that we have in Christ Jesus’ (Gal.2:4; cf. Rom.8:2)
‘the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus’ (1Cor.1:4; cf. Eph.2:7; 2Tim.1:9; 2:1)
‘eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom.6:23; cf. 6:11; Jn.1:4; 1Jn.1:5; 2Tim.1:1)
‘in him you also, …were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph.1:13; cf. 1Jn.3:24; 4:13)
‘sanctified in Christ Jesus’ (1Cor.1:2)
‘in him we have obtained an inheritance’ (Eph.1:11; cf. Phil.3:14)
‘the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom.8:39; cf. 1Cor.15:24; Gal.5:6; 1Tim.1:14; 2Tim.1:13)
‘if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation’ (1Cor.5:17; cf. Eph.2:10)
‘in him all things hold together’ (Col.1:17; cf. Eph.1:10)
‘we, though many, are one body in Christ’ (Rom.12:5; cf. Gal.3:28; Eph.2:13, 21-22)
‘saints in Christ Jesus’ (Phi.1:1)
‘approved in Christ’ (Rom.16:10)
‘in every way you were enriched in him‘ (1Cor.1:5)
‘you have been filled in him’ (Col.2:10)
‘rooted and built up in him‘ (Col.2:7)
‘establishes us… in Christ‘ (2Cor.1:21)
‘in whom we have boldness and access with confidence’ (Eph.3:12)
‘in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ (Col.2:3; cf. Eph.4:21; 1Jn.2:8; 5:20)
‘all the promises of God find their Yes in him‘ (2Cor.1:19-20; Eph.3:6)
‘in him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2Cor.5:21; cf. Phil.3:9)

Do you see why Paul counted every gain as loss in the face of what he had to gain by being found in Christ?

In Christ

What exactly does it mean to be ‘found in him’? I want to look together at a few passages that will help us grasp this awesome truth of what it means to be ‘in Christ’

Ephesians says a lot about being in Christ. But the first thing I want you to notice in Ephesians 1:1 is who the letter is addressed to. It is ‘to the saints who are in Ephesus’. What does it mean for the saints to be ‘in Ephesus’? Well, we know Ephesus was an ancient city in Asia Minor, and Paul had established a church there. To be ‘in Ephesus’ probably meant you lived there, or at least you happened to be found there when the letter from Paul arrived. ‘In Ephesus’ tells us about physical location. Now look down at Ephesians 1:3:

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

What does it mean that God has blessed us in the heavenly places in Christ? Ephesians 1:20 points to God’s awesome power

Ephesians 1:20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

First of all, God’s resurrection power was at work in Christ’s physical body. That is the sphere where his power was at work. Then the resurrected Jesus was seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenlies. That sounds like a physical location. But it’s described more as a position than a location; a position of authority; at God’s right hand; above every other authority that exists through time and space.

Let’s keep going in Ephesians 1:22-23;

Ephesians 1:22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Jesus’ authority over all things includes his authority over the church. But notice, Jesus is a gift given by the Father as head over all things to the church. And the church is not an entity outside of himself that he rules; it is connected to him, part of him. It is in him. The church is his body. We are in Christ, connected to him as branches to a vine, as a body to its head.

Now look at Ephesians 2:6, where God ‘made us alive together with Christ,’

Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

What is this talking about? This doesn’t seem to be pointing to our future physical resurrection. This is talking about our spiritual resurrection when we were dead in trespasses and sins. It says that God made us alive together with Christ (that’s the new birth, salvation by grace), and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places. Just as we were physically alive walking around in our sins and trespasses, but God says we were spiritually dead; so now we are spiritually given new life in Christ, and because we are identified spiritually as ‘in him’, we share in his current position of authority. This is not an out-of-body thing; this is not where we physically are; this is our position in Christ. Similar to the way the Ephesians lived in Ephesus, so the Christian lives in Christ and is found in Christ.

This is our union with Christ, our connection with Christ. Because we are inextricably united with Christ, because we have been made alive with Christ, raised up with him, seated with him, we have been given new eyes to perceive the spiritual blessings we have been blessed with through our union with Christ.

But our union with Christ didn’t start with our being made alive. Galatians 2:20 says:

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I was dead in trespasses and sins, and he died the death I deserved. The old me was united with him in his death, buried with him in baptism, and now a new me, a new creation is raised up with Christ.

Colossians 3 is another passage that sheds some light on this being ‘found in him’.

Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: …

You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Do you deserve to be raised up with Christ? Do you deserve to be seated at the right hand of God? Could you retain that position if you somehow got there?

Let me ask this; does Christ deserve to be raised up above every power, seated at his Father’s right hand? Could he possibly ever be dethroned? It is only by amazing grace, only by union with Christ that we are safe. This is why Paul is so joyfully willing to count every human effort as filth, if only he can be found in Christ, hidden in him.

Will you be found in him, hidden in him?

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

April 30, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | Philippians, podcast | abide, accounting, believe, confidence, dogs, dung, ephesians, filth, gain, identity, in, in Christ, in him, intimacy, Jesus, know, knowing, loss, position, relationship, treasure | Leave a comment

Philippians 3:8; The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ

04/21 Philippians 3:8; The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240421_philippians-3_8.mp3

[Phil.3:1] Paul is warning the church of Judaizers who push Torah observance on Gentile believers in Jesus. He reminds us to rejoice in the Lord, because when we are actively rejoicing in Jesus and the good news he secured for us on the cross, our joy in Jesus helps keep us safe from false teaching that would lead us astray – astray from the simplicity and clarity of the gospel. The gospel is simple; whoever comes to Jesus, whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life.

[Phil.3:2-3] Paul paints the law-righteousness group as indiscriminate dogs, evil workers, mere cutters of the flesh. He says we believers in Jesus, Jew and Gentile together, we are the true circumcision, the circumcision of the heart by the Spirit. We worship the Father by the Spirit, we glory in Christ Jesus, we put no confidence in our own fleshly abilities or accomplishments.

[Phil.3:4-6] Paul cuts off any who might think that Paul loves grace so much because he just didn’t measure up, because he couldn’t handle the rigors of following the law, so he opted for an easier route. He says ‘if anyone has confidence in the flesh, I more.’ And he lists his resume; impeccable on every count. As to lineage, flawless. As to observance of the righteous standards of the law, faultless. He had a better lineage, a better performance record than any those who were promoting their false gospels. If anyone had anything to boast about, he had more. If anyone could have been justified before God by keeping the law, it would have been Paul.

A New Way of Counting

[Phil.3:3, 7] But Paul had learned a new way of accounting. What did he do with all his accomplishments? What did he do with his resume of religious righeousness under the law? He met the risen Jesus, the one he had been persecuting, and Jesus taught him to count differently. Although he had reason to trust in himself, he learned he must put his confidence only in Jesus. He had reason to glory in his flesh, but he must glory in, boast only in Jesus. His religious service had been performed in his own strength as a means to please God, but he experienced the Holy Spirit of God now creating genuine worship and service from his transformed heart.

He says ‘because of Jesus, whatever was gain to me, this I have reckoned loss’. He has come to consider it loss, because every gain he listed on his resume only kept him from acknowledging his need for Jesus and coming to Jesus for salvation.

Indeed

He expands this in verse 8. The English word ‘Indeed’ represents a stack of five Greek connecting words; we could translate it ‘but in fact then indeed even’ [ἀλλὰ μενοῦνγε καὶ]. Paul likes to stack up words to emphasize his point. Paul tells us that not only did he finally come to count his ‘gains’ as losses on account of Christ; he continues to count everything that way. When he met the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, that encounter forever changed the way he viewed everything. It not only affected the way he viewed his past accomplishments, he continued to count everything that would be of advantage to his own righteousness a total loss.

We would emphatically agree that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, but we often feel that now that we are saved, we have a lot of work to do. No, Paul says this is an ongoing counting. I am not justified by faith and then seek to please God by my sanctified performance. As he said to the Galatians;

Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

The Danger of Good Deeds

Even after his conversion, Paul continued to count any good works he did as a dangerous source of pride in the face of the grace of God in Christ Jesus.

Remember, what he is talking about are his good deeds. He doesn’t say he changed his mind and they were now considered bad deeds. It is not bad to be born an Israelite. It is not bad to be circumcised. It is not bad to pay careful attention to God’s word, to have passionate zeal for God, to pursue righteous obedience to God.

But even good things, if viewed as a means of gaining favor with God, become poisonous to our relationship with Jesus.

Our lists might be different from Paul’s, but we do the same kind of thing, don’t we? ‘I don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t chew, don’t go with girls who do; I don’t look at things I shouldn’t, I live a moral life, don’t litter, always obey the speed limit, attend church every Sunday and at least one midweek Bible study, I volunteer to clean and serve and take a moment to pray for everything posted on the prayer chain. I take a meal to people who need it, and talk about Jesus every time I get the chance. I get up early every morning and spend time reading my Bible and praying. All good things. But when the good things I do are viewed as my good works that make God look on me favorably, I am counting incorrectly. I need to look at all the good things I do as loss, as dangerous sources of pride that could cause me to turn away from Jesus and put confidence in my flesh.

Does this mean I should stop doing these things? No, not necessarily. It means I need to constantly be on guard against my inner accountant, who wants to tally up all the good things I do and hold them up and say ‘this is why I should be having a good day. This is why God should answer my prayers. Look at all the good things I’m doing for God. He should be more inclined toward me, because of all the things I am doing for him.’ That is not gospel thinking. That is not gospel accounting. Paul says he continually takes all the good things he does for God and puts a big warning label on them; ‘Danger! Put no confidence in these things. Do not boast in these things. Count all these things as loss not gain.’

The One Thing of Surpassing Worth

What could make Paul talk like this? He was willing to count all the good things he had going for him as loss, because he found something of surpassing worth. Jesus talked about finding ‘treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field’ (Mt.13:44). He sold everything he had. How? Not grudgingly. In his joy. Why joy? Because what he found was worth more than everything he had. He was willing to give up all to get the one thing. Jesus said:

Matthew 13:45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Jesus said to the man who claimed to have kept the commandments from his youth;

Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

There’s one thing. One thing of surpassing worth. But Jesus told this guy to do several things. He told him to sell everything he had. He told him to give to the poor. What’s the one thing? He told him to get rid of some of the things that were in the way of the one thing, to count them as loss compared to the one thing. Getting rid of the things in the way, counting them as loss is not the one thing. They were in the way of getting the one thing. What’s the one thing? Get rid of whatever’s in the way of coming to Jesus, following Jesus. Jesus is the one thing of surpassing worth.

Paul says:

Philippians 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. …

The one thing of surpassing worth, the one thing against which all other things, even good things, are counted as loss is knowing Christ.

Knowing vs. Knowing About

Knowing Christ is more than merely knowing about Christ. Who is your favorite actor, musician or athlete? What do you know about them? You might be able to list their stats, their accomplishments, even things about their personal lives. You might be able to quote lines they have said, or even imitate some of their mannerisms. You might know a lot about them. But do you know them?

Knowing a person includes at least three kinds of knowledge; Real, relational, and reciprocal knowledge.

Real

When we talk about knowing and believing in Jesus, we need to be clear about what we mean. It is important to believe true things about Jesus, and to believe in the right Jesus. It is imporant to believe that Jesus is the uncreated creator of all that exists, equal to and in relationship with his Father. It is essential that we believe in Jesus as he defines himself to be in the Bible, and as his apostles authoritatively proclaimed him to be, not in a Jesus as any of the religions of the world paint him to be. We need to pursue real knowledge of the real historical Jesus. That is important, knowing and believing the right Jesus and the right things about Jesus. But that is not enough. James says ‘even the demons believe – and shudder! (Jas.2:19). Demons recogninzed Jesus of Nazareth as ‘the Holy One of God (Mk.1:24). They knew true things about him, they knew who he was. And they hated him.

Relational

Knowing Jesus must go beyond knowing about him. It must be relational. Knowing a person is different from knowing a vehicle or a tool. You can be familiar with a tool, know it inside and out, know what it is made of and how it works, and know how to make it work for you. But that is not a relationship. A boss might even have a similar kind of understanding of an employee; they know how you respond to different circumstances, and they know how to interact with you to get you to do what they need you to do. But that is not the kind of knowlege we are talking about. We are talking about knowing a person, and that indicates relationship. In John 6, Peter says exactly the same thing that the demons said about Jesus in Mark 1, but in a very different context. The demons knew who Jesus was and were terrified of him.

In John 6, Jesus had taught some difficult things about himself; that he is the bread come down from heaven to give his flesh to give life to all who feed on him. He said:

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

John 6:66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Do you see the difference? The demons knew Jesus to be the Holy One of God, and they were terrified and sought to avoid Jesus. Peter had come to believe that Jesus was the Holy One of God, the exclusive source of eternal life, and this mean that he would stick with him, walk with him, learn from him, follow him. They would not turn away just because he said some difficult things. They were committed to him, to be with him, to listen to him, to follow him. They trusted Jesus and entrusted themselves into his care. That is what we mean when we say ‘believe in Jesus’; trust him, love him, entrust yourself to him.

Paul counts all as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Jesus is Lord, YHWH God come in the flesh, to be obeyed, to be followed, to be surrendered to and submitted to. He is the Lord. But Paul says he is my Lord. It is personal.

Reciprocal

Jesus said:

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

This knowledge is not only relational, it is reciprocal. It involves both knowing and being known. You might know a lot about your favorite athlete, actor, or musician, but if they don’t know you, you don’t have a relationship. Jesus made this the essential thing. He said:

Matthew 7:22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

It doesn’t matter all the good things you do in Jesus’ name; it matters that you know him, that you follow him, that he knows you. In fact, if you are doing good things, but you don’t have a relationship with him, he actually declares you ‘workers of lawlessness’. He doesn’t consider the good things you do for him in your own strength as good at all. This is why Paul counts even the good things he does as loss compared to the one thing of surpassing worth; knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Do you know him? Are you willing to take all the good things that are to your credit and count them all together as loss, as a liability, as a dangerous source of pride and self-confidence, are you willing to put no confidence in your flesh, and put all your confidence in Jesus, in the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord? Is he the one treasure you will gladly give up all else in order to gain him?

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

April 24, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | Philippians, podcast | believe, danger, faith, good deeds, history, intimacy, Jesus, know, knowing, liability, loss, Love, pride, real, reciprocal, relational, relationship, religion, self-sufficiency, surpassing, treasure, value, works, worth | Leave a comment

Philippians 3:4-7; The Loss of Religious Righteousness

04/14 Philippians 3:4-7; The Loss of Religious Righteousness; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240414_philippians-3_4-7.mp3

Paul has just warned the church of the dogs, the evil-workers, the mutilators, those who push Torah observance on Gentile believers in Jesus. He affirms that we, Jew and Gentile together as believers in Jesus, justified by faith in the finished work of Christ and not by works of the Law, we are the circumcision; the genuine circumcision which is of the heart by the Spirit of God, not by human hands. Those whose hearts have been changed by the Holy Spirit are characterized as those who worship by the Spirit of God, who boast in Christ Jesus, who put no confidence in the flesh.

What does it look like for a believer to put no confidence in the flesh? This is what Paul takes up next, in Philippians 3:4-9.

Self-Confidence

Self-confidence is praised as a virtue by our society. We might even be tempted to argue; ‘What is wrong with self confidence? I don’t need less self-confidence, I need more! You’ve probably seen books or seminars advertised on how to boost your confidence. A quick internet search reveals ‘How to Be More Confident: 9 Tips That Work’, ‘What is Self-Confidence (+9 Proven Ways to Increase It)’, ‘6 Proven Ways to Build Confidence’; and a definition ‘Confidence comes from a latin word fidere’ which means “to trust”; therefore, having a self-confidence is having trust in one’s self.’ Another search result: ‘Building Strong Self-Belief: 16 Tips and Activities; Learn what self-confidence and self-belief are, how they are related to self-esteem and self-efficacy, and how to develop them.’

Here’s what Paul said: believers in Jesus are those who ‘put no confidence in the flesh’. Believers are those who are undergoing a circumcision of the heart, whose fleshly confidence is being cut away by the Spirit of the living God.

It seems so second nature for us to slide into a self-confident mindset. It is second nature, because we all have a sin nature that we inherited from Adam, and we are at war. Peter said ‘The passions of the flesh wage war against your soul’ (1Pet.2:11). Jesus:

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

‘Bearing one’s cross’ was no cliché of nobly facing undeserved hardship. Condemned criminals were the only ones who took up a cross. It was only enemies of the state, the treasonous worst of the worst, who were condemned to be crucified. It was a public display of guilt on the way to execution, the condemned one’s embrace of what they deserve. To deny self is to deny any good in me, any merit that would exempt me from execution. To take up my cross is to own my sin before a just and holy God, to be willing to publicly acknowledge what I deserve. Followers of Jesus are those who put no confidence in the flesh. Paul wrote in Romans 7:

Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. …

I More

But Paul’s negativity toward self-confidence is not because he himself lacked any grounds for it. Some might accuse that Paul is down on self confidence because he knew he didn’t measure up. Since he couldn’t live the law, he took the easier route and threw himself on God’s grace as his only hope. To prove that this is far from the truth, Paul boasts a little; ‘And indeed I myself have confidence even in the flesh; if anyone else presumes to have confidence in the flesh, I more.’ Paul is not abandoning self-confidence because he lacks it; no, he claims to have more of it than anyone else.

Paul’s Resume

To demonstrate what he means, he gives us his resume.

Philippians 3:4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Paul claims to have plenty to boast of, more than anyone else. He gives seven bullet points of his credentials; the first four who he was by birth and lineage; the last three as to his own pursuit of law-righteousness.

Eighth Day Circumcision

He starts with circumcision, because that seems to be the issue at hand; Judaizers were pushing circumcision on non-Jewish believers as a means of pleasing God. His language is terse and to the point; Circumcision? Eighth day. Under the Old Covenant, according to Genesis 17, all male descendants of Abraham through Isaac were to be circumcised as the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham to give them the land of Canaan and to be their God. Slaves, and other brought in to be included in the covenant were to be circumcised, but children born of Abraham and his descendants were to be circumcised on the eighth day. Paul was not a convert to Judaism like some of those who were pushing law on Gentile believers; he was an eighth-day’er. He was born to faithful believing parents who kept the covenant. If anyone wanted to boast about letter of the law issues, he had it.

Of The People of Israel

Next he goes to lineage; he is of the family line of Israel. From Abraham through Isaac not Ishmael, through Jacob not Esau; Jacob renamed Israel because he prevailed with God (Gen.32:28). Israel, the father of the nation of Israel. Paul is a true Israelite by descent.

Tribe of Benjamin

Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel. He received honor from his brother Joseph. Moses blessed Benjamin as ‘The beloved of the LORD’ (Deut.33:12). The tribe of Benjamin was a small but militarily powerful tribe that played a prominent part in many of Israel’s battles (Ps.68:27). They were closely connected with Judah, and Jerusalem was within the boundaries of the territory allotted to Benjamin. Benjamin and Judah remained faithful to God when the northern tribes of Israel strayed into idolatry (1Ki.12:21-24). Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, who saved the Jews, was of the tribe of Benjamin (Est.2:5). When the captives returned to Jerusalem, the tribe of Benjamin was among the first to return and rebuild the temple (Ezr.1:5).

Paul was a true Jew, descended from Israel, of the noble tribe of Benjamin.

Hebrew of Hebrews

Paul calls himself a Hebrew of Hebrews. This could have to do with language, saying that he was raised in the mother tongue of God’s people, not a Greek speaking Hellenist, who blended the traditions of his people with those of the pagan nations around. In spite of being born in Tarsus, he was pure blooded and thoroughly brought up in the way of the Hebrew people.

In relation to his lineage, birth, upbringing and customs, all circumstances beyond his own control, he was given every advantage.

According to Law, Pharisee

Now he moves on to list that which he did have an active role in choosing which path he followed.

He begins with his relation to the Law. He was no Sadducee, who denied the supernatural, angels and the resurrection. Pharisees were ‘the strictest, most precise, most exact party of Jewish ceremonial observance’ (Ac.26:5). They observed the law most rigorously, and sought to follow every jot and tittle of it. Paul was brought up in Jerusalem, “educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers” (Ac.22:3). If anyone wants to question his relation to the law, he was the most conservative of the conservatives, the strictest of the strict.

According to Zeal, Persecuting the Church

But his was no cold formal quiet religiosity. Nor was it something he inherited from his parents, but didn’t own himself. He was passionate about what he believed and willing to risk all to advance it. He believed it with his whole heart. According to zeal, persecuting the church. He acted on the truth he believed. When Stephen was accused of blasphemy, Paul was on the side of those who took justice into their own hands and demanded the death penalty. When people were being led astray by what he believed to be a false messiah, he took action to eradicate it from the earth, pursuing believers in Jesus from city to city, binding, imprisoning, seeking the death penalty for both women and men (Ac.22:4).

Paul persecuted the church; he holds this up as an indicator of his surpassing zeal for Judaism; but this implies that the logical outcome of strict adherence to Judaism was persecution of Christianity; Law and grace are incompatible; you simply can’t have both. One must fully reject the other.

It is interesting that here, writing to the church in Philippi, Paul recognizes that in his zeal for Judaism and the law, what he was persecuting was the church, the true assembly of saints called out by God, the church Jesus promised to build, against which the gates of hell would not prevail (Mt.16:18). But Paul was acting out his convictions as a Pharisee, and this meant persecuting the church. If anyone claimed to be zealous for the law, he was more.

According to Righteousness which is in the Law, Blameless

According to righteousness in the law, he was found blameless. Standing before the Jewish council in Acts 23, he could say:

Acts 23:1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”

He had a clear conscience before God as to fulfilling the requirements of the law. He left no requirement undone, he violated no command. He considered himself blameless, and other Pharisees examining his life would have agreed. He was scrupulous in observance of the law, and held himself to the highest standard. If anyone had reason to boast in their righteousness in the law, he had more.

Paul was not claiming to be sinless. He came to understand the teachings of Jesus that pointed beyond outward moral observance to what is in the heart, and Paul affirmed ‘none is righteous, no not one (Rom.3:10). Paul confesses in Romans 7 that the more inward command against covetousness showed him the sinfulness of his own heart.

But like the rich young ruler who came to Jesus, Paul could say with a clear conscience ‘all these I have kept from my youth’ (Mk.10:20).

If righteousness was to be found in the law, he had found it. He was considered blameless.

Paul’s circumcision, his pedigree, his upbringing, his exacting relation to the law, his zeal for the law, his righteousness in the law, all blameless. If anyone had confidence in the flesh, he had more.

Some might have thrown the accusation in Paul’s face that the religious life was just too hard; he just couldn’t handle it, so he defected and chose an easier path. Some in pride make similar accusations today. Paul wants to be clear, it was not because of any inadequacy or shortcoming on his part; he simply found that all his self-righteousness that he had accumulated was less than worthless; he found something of far greater value.

Religious Gains Became Loss

What did Paul do with his confidence in the flesh? He had lived by it for years. He tallied up every ground for fleshly self confidence that he had accumulated over a lifetime of strict religious adherence, and entered it in the balance sheet as gains, but when he met the Christ, the Messiah, all his gains became a loss; all his assets became one big liability.

Philippians 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

When he met Jesus, his whole method of accounting was turned on its head. He had to learn to count differently. Paul learned:

Romans 9:31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,

Paul learned that all his confidence in self actually counted against him, not for him. His confidence in himself, in his own credentials, in his own performance, pushed him farther away from acknowledging his need and in dependence putting his trust in the work of another who worked on his behalf.

Paul says:

Galatians 2:19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. …21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Paul began to understand that confidence in the law as a means of righteousness is opposed to grace and actually makes void the gift. To have confidence in self is to say that Jesus didn’t need to die. I don’t need him. I can do it on my own.

True believers are those who count differently, who worship by the Spirit, who glory in Christ Jesus, who put no confidence in the flesh.

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

April 15, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | Philippians, podcast | asset, believe, Benjamin, christ, church, circumcision, confidence, cross, faith, flesh, gain, gospel, Israel, Jesus, Jew, Judaism, Judaizer, justification, law, liability, loss, merit, paul, performance, persecution, Pharisee, pride, religion, religious, righteousness, self, torah, value, works, worth, zeal | Leave a comment

Philippians 3:3; Worship, Boast, Confidence

04/07 Philippians 3:3; Worship, Boast, Confidence; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240407_philippians-3_3.mp3

Joy and Rejoicing

Paul is filled with joy and thanksgiving when he thinks of and prays for the church in Philippi (1:4). Paul rejoices that Christ is being preached where he is, even if some intend to cause him trouble by it (1:18). His desire is not only that his readers make progress in their faith, but also that they be filled with joy in the faith (1:25). His joy will fill up as they grow in unity with one another (2:2). It is his joy to give himself in sacrificial service to others, and he invites his readers to rejoice with him (2:17-18). He anticipates their joy in seeing Epaphroditus again, the one they heard was dangerously ill, and he expects they will receive him with joy (2:28-29).

Here in chapter 3, he exhorts them to the safety of rejoicing in the Lord. Ultimately our joy must be in the Lord. If we find our joy in Jesus, we won’t so easily be sidetracked by lesser pleasures. If we fix our joy on Jesus, we won’t soon be led astray by bad doctrine.

Beware the Dogs

Paul warns against those who want to identify as Christians, but claim to have found just a little bit more. They insist that they love Jesus, but shouldn’t we also want to please God by keeping his law? With biting irony, Paul says that those who mix law and gospel are as undiscerning as unclean dogs. Only believers who are made new by the Spirit of God can do works that are truly good; those who seek to please God by their own efforts are found to be workers of evil, flaunting their own filthy rags. Those seeking to observe Jewish rituals, but in a way that is out of step with the free gift of God’s grace, those Jewish rituals become no better than dark pagan practices.

Not Works But Faith in Jesus

Paul couldn’t be clearer. As he said in Galatians:

Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

And in Romans:

Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Circumcision: Outward or Inward?

Circumcision was the physical sign of the Old Covenant (Gen.17); but God is never impressed with hypocrisy, when the outward sign is not matched with the inward reality. Even as far back as Deuteronomy, there was a promise of something new:

Deuteronomy 30:6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Jesus rebuked hypocrisy and addressed issues of the heart:

Matthew 15:7 You hypocrites! … 8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; …11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

Paul tells the Galatians:

Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Galatians 6:5 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

He tells the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 7:19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.

Only as a new creation, born of the Spirit of God, having received the Spirit through faith in Jesus, can keep God’s commands to love God and love neighbor. Believers in Jesus are circumcised in the heart, by the Spirit (Rom.2:28-29).

Three Characteristics of the Circumcision

So Paul says:

Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

He gives us three descriptors of those who have experienced ‘the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead’ (Col.2:11-12).

Worship [λατρεύοντες]

He says we ‘worship by the Spirit of God’. This word ‘worship’ is interesting; often it refers specifically to the rituals of worship or service in the Old Testament tabernacle or temple. Hebrews 9 describes the ‘regulations for worship’ (that’s the noun form) under the first covenant (9:1). In 9:6 it uses the noun form again to describe the ‘ritual duties’ of the priests. Hebrews 9:9 points to the:

Hebrews 9:9 … gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper [λατρεύοντα], 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

‘The worshiper’ (that’s the verbal participle form of this word). Then he goes on to draw the contrast:

Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent ( not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve [λατρεύειν] the living God.

‘To serve’ is the verb form of this worship word. Hebrews is contrasting the temple worship under the Old Covenant, that could never purify the conscience of the worshiper, with the once-for-all perfect sacrifice of Christ, whose blood purifies our conscience from the guilt of our dead works and sets us free to worship the living God.

Paul uses this word to describe Christian worship with this graphic imagery in Romans 12:

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship [λατρείαν]. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, …

Because of Romans 1-11, because of the abundant mercy of God to us displayed in the gospel, we now worship with our bodies as living sacrifices, made holy and acceptable to God by the blood of Jesus.

By The Spirit of God

We worship by the Spirit of God. In Romans 2, Paul says that circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit (2:29). In Romans 8 Paul contrasts:

Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Every one who belongs to Jesus has the Spirit of God living in them. This is why the good works of unbelievers are unacceptable to God; they are not generated by the Spirit of God, but rather by the flesh which in its self-sufficiency is opposed to God.

Paul made it clear in Galatians that we receive the Spirit not by the works of the law, but rather through hearing with faith (Gal.3:2,14) It is by the Spirit that we have life and a spiritual walk (Gal.5:25). In Ephesians 2:11-18 is it through Jesus that both uncircumcised Gentile and circumcised Jew have access in one Spirit to the Father. Notice the triune God conspiring together in our salvation; it is through the blood of Jesus, in the Holy Spirit that we have access to the Father.

Jesus himself promised in John 7

John 7:37 …“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Whoever comes thirsty to Jesus, whoever believes in Jesus receives the Spirit of God. It is those who trust Jesus alone that can worship by the Spirit of God.

Glory [καυχώμενοι] in Christ Jesus

He says we ‘glory in Christ Jesus’. The word ‘glory’ can also be translated ‘boast’ or ‘exult’ or ‘rejoice’. The Bible normally excludes all boasting as evil. Romans systematically establishes that ‘all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin’ (3:9),

Romans 3:19 …so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Paul then asks the question:

Romans 3:27 Then what becomes of our boasting [καύχησις]? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.

Our boasting is excluded by the gospel, because the only contribution we make to God is our sin. Paul goes so far as to point out to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

God chose you, the foolish, the weak, the low and despised, the nothings to ensure that no one would be able to boast in himself. Paul is quoting Jeremiah here:

Jeremiah 9:23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

We are not to boast in our own strength, abilities or character; we are to boast in God’s character, in our relationship with this God.

Earlier in the chapter, Paul makes it clear that what he preaches is the seemingly foolish and offensive message of the cross, of Christ crucified (1Cor.1:21-24)

Paul in 2 Corinthians, after making a fools’ parody of the boasts of the false teachers, concludes this:

2 Corinthians 11:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Jesus said to Paul:

2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul boasts in Romans 5

Romans 5:2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice [καυχώμεθα] in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice [καυχώμεθα] in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, …

Romans 5:11 More than that, we also rejoice [καυχώμενοι] in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

In Ephesians 2, salvation is by God’s free gift of grace alone to those who do not deserve it, so that no one may boast (2:4-5,8-9)

Believers in Jesus do not boast in ourselves, unless it is in our own weaknesses, in order to put on display the magnificence of Jesus. We boast in God, in knowing him, in his own character and goodness, in his amazing salvation. In Galatians, after rebuking the boasting of the false teachers in the flesh, he says:

Galatians 6:14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

Put No Confidence [πεποιθότες] in the Flesh

The final negative follows; if our only boast is in Jesus, then clearly we ‘put no confidence in the flesh’. So many of us so desperately want something to do, something to contribute, something that will make me feel good about me. But that is the point of the gospel; I am not good. I am a transgressor that got myself into a whole heap of trouble, with no hope of digging myself anything but deeper. It is because I am in such bad shape that the gospel is such good news. The gospel is a proclamation of the cross; the execution that I deserve was placed on Christ, the perfect, spotless, sinless Lamb of God. The wrath of God that is so justly coming my way, Jesus stepped in and drank that cup in my place.

If that is the gospel, only a great fool would place any confidence in his own flesh. If that is the good news, anything we attempt to contribute nullifies the nature of the gift as grace. We cannot go halfsies with God – he will not allow it. He will not allow human contribution in any measure, which would be to allow boasting in his presence. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone so that no one can boast in his presence, praise God!

Where does my confidence lie? Not in me!

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

April 9, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | Philippians, podcast | boast, confidence, faith, flesh, glory, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, hypocrisy, Jesus, joy, justification, law, merit, priest, religion, salvation, service, spirit, tabernacle, temple, torah, works, worship | Leave a comment

Resurrection Firstfruits

03/31 Resurrection Sunday (firstfruits); Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240331_resurrection-firstfruits.mp3

He is risen!

(He is risen indeed!)

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Good Friday (Passover)

Friday we celebrated Good Friday, the day we remember Jesus crucified. Good Friday was a Passover; as the Jewish day began at sunset, Jesus began that day with a Passover meal with his disciples.

Luke 22:15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

That night he crossed the brook Kidron, prayed earnestly to his Father that if possible the cup of wrath he was to drink on the cross would pass from him; nevertheless not his human will but the will of the Father be done. He was betrayed by a friend with a kiss, gave himself up into custody after securing the protection of his followers, endured humiliation and mocking in his trials before Annas and Caiaphas, and at daybreak on Passover morning was condemned by the council and brought to Pilate to have him executed. He was brutally beaten, publicly humiliated, exhausted, collapsing under the weight of the cross he was forced to carry to the place of execution. At around 9 in the morning, he was nailed to the cross, from noon to about 3 pm darkness fell over the land as he bore my sins in his body on that cruel tree (1Pet.2:24). Jesus cried out the words of Psalm 22 ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me’. Then he cried out with a loud voice ‘It is finished’ (paid in full), and surrendered his spirit into the hands of his Father. The earth shook, the heavy curtain that barred sinners from the presence of a holy God was ripped from top to bottom. A soldier thrust a spear into his side, releasing a flow of blood and water.

A secret follower from the Sanhedrin, Joseph requested the body from Pilate, who had the soldiers confirm beyond doubt that he was already dead. Just before nightfall as the Sabbath was beginning, with the help of Nicodemus,

Matthew 27:59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

Luke tells us:

Luke 23:54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

The Sabbath; The Sealed Tomb

Matthew 27:62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

On the Sabbath (Saturday), the Jewish leaders busied themselves making sure a dead man stayed dead and his body didn’t disappear. The disciples, on the other hand, had scattered in fear and confusion after his arrest and execution. Saturday they rested according to the commandment; Saturday after sundown the women buy spices. Sunday morning finds the women coming to the tomb to intending to finish embalming the body of their Lord with spices and ointments.

Sunday is filled with confusion; an early morning earthquake, appearance of angels, soldiers paralyzed with fear, reports of a missing body and the stone rolled away, disbelief, disciples running to check, finding an empty tomb, Mary even claiming to have seen the Lord, disciples traveling to Emmaus, other disciples hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. Matthew records it this way:

Matthew 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

6 Feasts of Israel; 3 Pilgrim Feasts

To help us understand what was going on, we are going to look back to the Old Testament to look at the appointed feasts of Israel.

Leviticus 23 gives us the six primary feasts of Israel; three spring feasts, and three fall feasts. Three of these feasts were pilgrim festivals and had to do with different parts of the harvest; Deuteronomy 16 summarizes these three pilgrim feasts;

Deuteronomy 16:16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was connected with the firstfruits of the barley, the earliest maturing crop. The Feast of Weeks was also called the Feast of Harvest (Ex.23:16), 50 days after the first of the barley harvest and connected with the wheat harvest. The Feast of Booths, also called the Feast of Ingathering, was at the end of the agricultural year and included produce like grapes and olives.

What does this have to do with Jesus and the resurrection? Remember, Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples after dark on Thursday evening, which was the beginning of the 14^th day of the Jewish month of Nisan. He was crucified on Passover, (still the 14^th) and Passover is connected with the feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover is the 14^th of Nisan, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread runs from the 15^th to the 21^st of Nisan, so this whole 8 day cycle is often referred to as ‘Passover’. That’s why we see in the gospel accounts this whole period of time being referred to as Passover, not just the actual Passover meal on the 14^th of Nisan. Luke tells us:

Luke 22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.

Here’s what Leviticus says:

Leviticus 23:4 “These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD’s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 8 But you shall present a food offering to the LORD for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”

The Hebrew calendar was based on the lunar cycle, so the 14^th day of the month could fall on any day of the week. Whatever day it fell, it would start an 8 day cycle; the Passover, followed by a feast on the 15^th and concluding with a feast on the 21^st. But Leviticus goes on to describe another part of this feast:

Leviticus 23:9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD. 13 And the grain offering with it … a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, … 14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

As part of the feast of Unleavened Bread, on the day after the Sabbath that fell during that feast, a firstfruits offering of barley was to be offered. This was the first of the first, and was to be offered to God before anything from that harvest year was eaten. The firstfruits, like the firstborn, belong to the Lord; a reminder that every good thing we receive is a gift from God, and ultimately belongs to God. This firstfruit sheaf of barley was to be waved before the Lord on the day after the Sabbath. All Hebrew days were calculated in relation to the weekly Sabbath. The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, so the day after the Sabbath is the first day of the week, Sunday.

God gave Israel this law after the Exodus from Egypt, on the front end of the 40 years of wilderness wanderings, during which he patiently provided for his rebellious people who grumbled and rejected his promised land. But finally under Joshua, the next generation crossed the Jordan river on dry land and entered the land on the 10^th day of the first month (Josh.4:19; Ex.12:3); the day the Passover lambs were to be selected .

Joshua 5:10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. 11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

God did what he promised to do. He provided for the needs of his people even in the wilderness wanderings. He brought them safely across the Jordan during the spring floods, and he gave them the early barley harvest in the land to eat.

Jesus the Firstborn and Firstfruits

Again, this is resurrection Sunday. What does all this have to do with Jesus and the resurrection? In Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 1:5, Jesus is called the firstborn from the dead. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reminds us of the good news that saves us;

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential to the gospel. He says

1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. … 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. … 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Christianity stands or falls on the real, historical, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul goes on:

1 Corinthians 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, …

Jesus in fact was raised from the dead, and as Luke tells us:

Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Paul gives us not only the fact of the resurrection, but the laundry list of eye-witnesses to whom he appeared, and invites his original readers to check his sources for themselves. He goes on:

1 Corinthians 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Paul calls Jesus the firstfruits of the resurrection. He is connecting us back to this Old Testament pattern. Jesus died on Passover. He was raised from the dead on the day after the Sabbath, when the first of the firstfruits was to be presented before the Lord. What does firstfruits mean? No one was allowed to eat any of the produce until the firstfruits were offered to the Lord. Firstfruits is a promise of more to come. It was a small sheaf taken from a field of barley, and it meant that there was a bountiful harvest as a gift from God to be enjoyed. If Christ is the firstborn from the dead, the firstfruits of the resurrection, that means there is more to come! That means us! Without the resurrection of Jesus, our hope is limited to this life only. But if the resurrection of Jesus is true, then we have hope beyond the grave.

In John 12, Jesus, anticipating his crucifixion;

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. … 27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

The glory of Jesus is that he conquered death by dying. He died for our sins. He went down into the grave like a grain of barley, and he burst forth as the firstfruits of an abundant harvest.

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

April 6, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | occasional, passion, podcast | believe, burial, christ, crucified, death, easter, feasts, firstborn, firstfruits, friday, Gethsemane, glory, gospel, grain, harvest, history, Israel, Jesus, passion week, passover, pilgrim, resurrection, risen, sabbath, sunday, tomb, truth, unleavened bread | Leave a comment

Good Friday; Passover

03/29 Good Friday; Passover; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240329_good-friday.mp3

2024 Good Friday Service

Welcome:

Welcome! I’m glad you’ve joined us for our Passover celebration! Jesus said about his final meal with his disciples:

Luke 22:15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

The Last Supper, the Lord’s Supper, was a Passover meal. Jesus sent Peter and John into Jerusalem to prepare for this meal, and shortly after sunset (in Jewish reckoning, the day begins with sunset) the disciples gathered for this meal. The dialogues recorded in the Gospel according to John chapters 13-17 took place around that meal. It was late that night when Jesus went across the Kidron valley to the Gethsemane garden to pray, where he was betrayed with a kiss and gave himself over to the mob. The mock trials before Annas and Caiaphas the high priest took place under cover of darkness, the verdict being given at daybreak to give the appearance of legitimacy. Then he was brought to Pilate to procure the Roman death sentence. It was the third hour (about 9am) of Passover day when Jesus was crucified. Darkness covered the land from the 6^th to the 9^th hour (from noon to about 3pm), when Jesus cried out ‘It is finished!’, and the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. Jesus’ body was laid in the borrowed tomb, just before nightfall as the Sabbath was beginning.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5 says:

1 Corinthians 5:7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Jesus Christ, in offering up himself on the cross, is our Passover lamb.

As we sing, as we hear from the Scriptures, I invite you to reflect on Jesus, who he is, what he came to accomplish. Remember, he came for you.

***

Reading 1; [Cole] (Deuteronomy 16:3)

“Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the LORD your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the LORD will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.

***

Reading 2; [Jessalyn] (John 1:29-36)

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

Reading 3; [Audrey] (1 Peter 1:18-19; 2:24)

…you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

***

Message; [RZ]

The Passover was instituted at the Exodus from Egypt. God’s people had been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. God instructed Moses:

Exodus 4:22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”

God sent the 10 plagues, decimating Egypt and demonstrating YHWH’s superiority over all the Egyptian gods. Before the final plague, he instructed his people to take a lamb.

Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. 7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

It was the blood of the lamb that caused the Lord’s wrath to pass over those who were covered by it.

If we jump ahead to Jesus, in Luke chapter 9, Jesus

Luke 9:28 … took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

In a glimpse of the glory of the kingdom of God, Jesus was conversing with Moses and Elijah. What were they talking about? Luke tells us that they spoke of his departure. The Greek word translated ‘departure’ is [ἔξοδον], exodus; it can refer to a departure or death. They spoke of Jesus’ exodus, that he would accomplish (literally fulfill) in Jerusalem. Where Moses was used by God to deliver the people out of slavery in Egypt through the Passover event, Jesus is the greater deliverer who accomplished a greater exodus from a darker slavery. The children of Israel were set free from their bondage under Egypt, but they were not set free from the darkness of their own hearts. Jesus, in applying his own blood to his followers, breaks the power of sin in our lives. He took the guilt and shame and punishment for our sins on himself and paid the price in full. He gives us a new heart, new desires, new life; he makes us part of his new creation. Jesus leads his followers out into real freedom.

Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Christ our Passover lamb was sacrificed for us. Jesus gave his own body to be torn, his own blood poured out, so that when his blood is applied to my life, to my sin, the wrath of God passes over me; I am covered, I am clean. I am made new, the new covenant, new life, his Holy Spirit now lives in me, making me new from the inside out.

The blood of the Lamb must be applied. An Israelite could hear what God was about to do, believe it, believe that God would do what he said he would do. Would that faith save him? No, a lamb must give its life, and the blood must be applied, for ‘when I see the blood, I will pass over you’. It was not enough just to look out the window and see a lamb being sacrificed, and say ‘praise God!’ It is not enough just to believe that Jesus lived and Jesus died. It is not enough to believe the historical facts. The blood must be applied. I need to acknowledge that apart from the blood of Jesus, I am under God’s wrath. Jesus died for me, because I am a sinner and rightly under God’s wrath. Jesus, the only innocent one, died in the place of sinners. May this be your prayer tonight: ‘Jesus, I am a sinner deserving your wrath. Would you apply your blood to me, would you cover me and give me your Holy Spirit to make me new inside?’

***

Reading 4; [Petra] (Revelation 5:5-6, 9-14)

…behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, …

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

April 6, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | passion, podcast | christ, Exodus, good friday, gospel, Jesus, Lamb of God, last supper, passover, redeemed, redemption | Leave a comment

Philippians 3:3; We Are The Circumcision

03/24 Philippians 3:3; We Are The Circumcision; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240324_philippians-3_3.mp3

Paul in Philippians 3 grinds the gears to warn the church of an impending danger, Judaizers who push Torah observance on Gentile believers contrary to the Jerusalem decision of Acts chapter 15.

He flips the tables on the Judaizing false teachers, calling them indiscriminate dogs who can’t discern between what is clean and unclean; what Jesus had said about food (Mk.7:18-19), God revealed to Peter about Gentile believers; what God has made clean, do not call common (Ac.10:15). He calls them ‘workers of evil’; encouraging people to walk away from God’s grace and seek to please him by their own ‘good’ works. He calls them ‘mutilators’; comparing their insistence on circumcising non-Jews to the pagan nations who cut themselves to seek to draw the attention of their false gods.

He encourages the believers to rejoice; rejoice in the Lord, for this is safe. Rejoicing in Jesus, rejoicing in the cross, in his finished work for sinners will remind us how absurd it is to think we could ever do something to earn or contribute to our own salvation. He exhorts us to walk worthy of, to live consistent with (1:27), to work out the salvation that God has freely given to us (2:12-13), but this in no way implies or encourages Gentile believers to submit to Old Testament regulations. We are to be on guard against those who would take away our freedom and seek to impose on us regulations that were never meant for us.

Paul in another dramatic turn makes this startling claim, emphasizing the ‘we’. I, Hebrew of Hebrews, now apostle to the Gentiles, together with you, a church made up mainly of uncircumcised Gentile believers, we are the circumcision.

Circumcision; Physical Sign of the Old Covenant

To understand what he is saying, it will be helpful to go back and understand what circumcision was all about, what this means and what this does not mean. Circumcision was first introduced in Genesis 17, when God made a covenant with childless Abram (this is where God changed his name to Abraham); God promised to make him fruitful, the father of nations, to be his God, and to give to him and to his descendants the land of Canaan.

Genesis 17:10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

True Circumcision a Matter of the Heart

Circumcision was the physical sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. But it was meant to be a physical reminder of an inner covenant commitment to God. As early as Leviticus we read of the treachery of walking contrary to God described as an ‘uncircumcised heart’ (Lev.26:40-42). Moses in Deuteronomy 10 exhorts the generation who would enter the land to fear YHWH God, walk in his ways, love him, serve him with heart and soul and keep his commandments;

Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.

Deuteronomy 30:6 points to the hope of God himself circumcising you heart, so that you will love YHWH God with all your heart and soul. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel warn of the danger of uncircumcised ears that cannot heed the word of the Lord (Jer.6:10); of those uncircumcised in heart and flesh (Ezek.44:7,9); exhorting rebellious Israel to ‘remove the foreskin of your hearts’ (Jer.4:4).

In Acts 7, Stephen rebukes the unbelieving Jews of his day who rejected their Messiah;

Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Even under the Old Covenant, even for the Jew, circumcision was to be much more than a mere mark on the flesh. It was meant to be a physical sign of a genuine heart change.

Gentile Believers Not To Be Troubled With Torah

As we saw last week, there were those of the circumcision party who insisted of Gentile believers in Jesus “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses” (Ac.15:5); “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Ac.15:1). The first church council ruled that salvation for both Jew and non-Jew is by grace, not by works of the law (Ac.15:11). Salvation comes through hearing the word of the gospel and believing (Ac.15:7). ‘We should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God’ (Ac.15:19); ‘by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear’ (Ac.15:10)

A Gospel Issue

Shortly before this Jerusalem decision, Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia to warn that this is a gospel issue (Gal.2:4-5,14); he warns:

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—

This is a gospel issue, an issue of how the Holy Spirit transforms people. We do not become worthy to be inhabited by the Spirit of God by our performance; we receive the Holy Spirit by hearing with faith, and he comes in and begins to transform us from the inside out. If it is by the Spirit that we begin this journey in the New Covenant, we certainly do not progress by reverting back to Old Covenant law-keeping.

Paul even connects this back to Abraham:

Galatians 3:6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. …14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

We, believing Gentiles, becomes sons of Abraham through faith; we are justified by trusting in Jesus. In Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham comes even to the Gentiles. Paul is passionate that this is a gospel issue. In Galatians 5 he says:

Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

The Argument of Romans

Paul fleshes this out in Romans; he begins by saying that the gospel is ‘the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek’ (Rom.1:16). Then he establishes our need for salvation; we all are under God’s wrath. In chapter 1, Gentiles are under God’s wrath for rejecting the light given to us in the created world. In chapter 2, Jews

Romans 2:23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Physical circumcision is only valid if it is a sign of an inward reality. Circumcision under the Old Covenant was a pointer to a new and better circumcision under a New and better Covenant, circumcision of the heart by the Spirit of the living God.

Paul concludes that both Jews and Greeks are under sin, guilty before God. All, Jew and Greek, have sinned, and all, both Jew and Greek;

Romans 3:24 …are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. …

In chapter 4, Paul points to Abraham, who was not justified by works, but ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’ (Rom.4:3; Gen.15:6). He points out that this was Genesis 15, before Abraham was circumcised;

Romans 4:11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Abraham becomes the father of two distinct groups; all Gentiles who believe without being circumcised, and the Jews who are not merely circumcised, but who also put their trust in their Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Ethnic Jews and Circumcision

Paul was accused of ‘teaching the Jews …to forsake the law of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to [Jewish] customs’ (Ac.21:21). In Acts 21, Paul ‘related …the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry’ (Ac.21:19), and the Jerusalem elders glorified God. But because of these accusations, they encouraged him to demonstrate ‘that you yourself also live in observance of the law. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment…’ (Ac.21:24-25). They were differentiating between Jews who believed in Jesus who were encouraged to observe the law, and Gentile believers who were not required to observe the law. Neither Jew nor Gentile was required to abandon their own ethnicity to follow Jesus, but both were only ever saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Even these distinct ethnicities were both reconciled to God through the cross, which broke down the dividing wall of hostility and knit us together in one body, the church (Eph.2:13-16).

Even back in Acts 16, Paul inviting the half-Jewish Timothy to accompany him in ministry had him circumcised to remove a hindrance to the gospel among the Jews. Paul was not against Jews observing their law; he was against looking to that law as a means of salvation for Jew or Gentile. Paul himself claimed in 1 Corinthians 9 that he was ‘not himself under the law’, neither was he ‘outside the law of God but under the law of Christ’.

When he asks the rhetorical question in Romans 3:1-2 ‘Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?’ His answer is ‘Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.’

The Law of the Spirit

In Romans 8 Paul goes on to say that all who are in Christ are under a different law, ‘the law of the Spirit of life’ not the ‘law of sin and death’,

Romans 8:4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

This righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled when our hearts are circumcised by the Spirit of God;

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

We all, Jew or non-Jew, are adopted as sons of God through faith, having received the Spirit of God when we put our trust in Jesus.

In Colossians 2 Paul points to this promised circumcision of the heart; addressing Gentile believers

Colossians 2:11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

This is how Paul can say ‘we’ believers in Jesus regardless of ethnicity, ‘are the circumcision’. Circumcision made in the flesh by human hands (Eph.2:11) cannot change the heart.

Distinction and No Distinction

So Paul says in Galatians 3:

Galatians 3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

In reference to salvation the distinctions are demolished. In Christ the dividing wall of hostility is broken down. We have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Male, female, slave, free, Jew, Greek, all are saved by the grace of God and not by any kind of merit.

This does not mean that there is no distinction of any kind. Paul continues to address the unique and distinct roles of men and women, slave and free, and he continues in Romans to recognize ethnic distinctions and expresses his

Romans 9:2 …great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

Romans 10:1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Romans 11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. … 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

In Romans 11:11, Paul asks of his fellow Jews:

Romans 11:11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

He concludes:

Romans 11:30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

March 27, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | Philippians, podcast | circumcision, clean, common, covenant, ethnic, flesh, Gentile, gospel, Greek, heart, Jesus, Jew, law, Messiah, new, old, salvation, sign, spirit, torah, transformation, unclean | Leave a comment

Philippians 3:2; Beware the Dogs!

03/17 Philippians 3:2; Beware the Dogs! Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240317_philippians-3_2.mp3

Rejoice!

In the first two chapters Paul exhorted the church in Philippi to unity, to humble others-centered self-sacrificial service to others. He pointed them to our Lord Jesus, who is the ultimate model of self-humbling others-centered sacrificial service. He held up Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples of those who had a genuine interest in others, who were willing to risk it all to serve others. Now he grinds the gears to warn the church of a dark danger lurking. The best defense is a good offense; he tells them:

Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

Joy in the Lord is our strength. This letter is saturated with joy, and he encourages them that their joy in the Lord is safe. Joy is a strong defense against all manner of attacks and temptations. And now he alerts them to a serious threat.

Watch Out!

Philippians 3:2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

This verse is tricky to translate because Paul uses alliteration and biting irony that is difficult to bring across into another language and culture. His statements are terse and sharp, three times he repeats a staccato ‘look out’ or ‘watch out, beware’ and each of the words he chooses starts with a ‘K’ sound. One commentator attempted to capture this in English this way: “Beware the curs! Beware the criminals! Beware the cutters!” [Thielman; NIVAPP, p.167]

Opposition to Evangelizing Gentiles (Acts 8-15)

Judaizers had dogged Christian ministry from the earliest days. Remember, Jesus authorized his follower to make disciples of all nations beginning in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth (Mt.28:19; Ac.1:8). But it wasn’t until Acts 8(:1), when persecution scattered believers into Judea and Samaria; it wasn’t until Acts 10, when God gave Peter a vision telling him that ‘what God had made clean, do not call common or unclean’ (Acts 10:15), that he finally got it and went with the Gentiles at his door to reluctantly visit Cornelius’ house. But he still didn’t fully get it, as he seemed surprised when this house full of non-Jews heard about forgiveness through the Jewish Messiah, and believed, and were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Of course this got Peter in trouble with some of the other Jews, who criticized him for obeying God (Ac.11:1-3). After explaining how God orchestrated these things, ‘they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”’ (Ac.11:18).

But the opposition didn’t end there. Paul and Barnabas went through Cyprus to Asia Minor making disciples among the Gentiles and planting churches, and the Jews in those areas pursued him from city to city and stoned him and left him for dead (Ac.14:19). They returned to their sending church in Antioch,

Acts 14:27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

Praise God! Praise God for all that he has done! What a blessing that the door of faith stands open even to non-Jews.

The Circumcision

Acts 15:1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Here’s the issue. Judaizers were demanding that for a person to follow the Jewish Messiah, they must first come under the covenant of circumcision, they must first convert to Judaism. They were making circumcision a salvation issue. Paul and Barnabas and some others were sent to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem with this question. In Jerusalem,

Acts 15:5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.

Read Acts 15 for the decision of what has become known as the Jerusalem council. The conclusion? Salvation for both Jew and non-Jew is by grace, not by works of the law (Ac.15:11). Salvation comes through hearing the word of the gospel and believing (Ac.15:7). ‘We should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God’ (Ac.15:19).

Now some 14 years later, Paul is aware that this danger still lurks. He may be concerned that the Judaizers will make their way into Macedonia, and he intends to inoculate the church there against that heresy.

Beware The Dogs

So he warns them ‘Beware the dogs’. This is shocking irony if we understand Paul’s culture. Dogs were not thought of as ‘man’s best friend’. Dogs were feared and despised. To call someone a dog even today is considered an insult. It was the greatest self-deprecation to refer to oneself as a dead dog (2Sam.9:8).

From a Jewish perspective, dogs were unclean animals that would indiscriminately eat anything. Under levitical law, animal carcasses that were unclean to eat could be thrown to the dogs (Ex.22:31). Even Jesus said ‘Do not give dogs what is holy’ (Mt.7:6). It was considered the greatest humiliation and disgrace to be eaten by dogs; this was the fate of wicked Ahab and Jezebel (1Ki.21:19, 23). The Psalm of God-forsakenness that Jesus quoted from the cross contains these lines:

Psalm 22:16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!

Jews considered Gentiles dogs, because like dogs they would eat indiscriminately, clean and unclean foods. Jesus on one occasion even referred to a Gentile woman as a dog. A Syrophoenician Canaanite Gentile woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon begged Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter. Matthew records that Jesus basically ignored her. His disciples then beg Jesus, not to heal her, but to send her away, ‘because she is crying out after us’.

Matthew 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

There’s a few things to notice here. The gospel is for the Jew first and also for the Gentile (Rom.1:16); earlier when Jesus sent out his disciples, he sent them only to ‘the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ (Mt.10:5). Jesus here says he himself is sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He makes a distinction between the lost sheep and the sheep who don’t think they have strayed. He came not for the self-righteous in Israel, but the sinners. He came to seek and to save those who were lost (Lk.5:31-32).

Notice also that Jesus doesn’t do what his disciples ask; he doesn’t send her away. He allows her to remain, to continue to ask.

And Jesus softens the normal word for ‘dogs’ here. Normally it is [κύων]; here he uses the diminutive [κυνάριον], little dogs or puppies. It seems he is giving her some hope. She picks up on this and runs with it.

Matthew 15:27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Where Jesus often rebukes his own disciples for their lack of faith, he commends this woman for her great faith, and he does what she asked of him.

But there’s more going on here. Both Matthew (15) and Mark (7) record this event with this Gentile woman right after Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees, whom he calls hypocrites, who honor God with their lips, but their heart is far from me; right after his teaching that:

Mark 7:15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”

Jesus taught:

Mark 7:18 …that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” ( Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Jesus taught that true defilement doesn’t have to do with what you eat. It’s about your heart. The Pharisees, who were meticulous about being ceremonially clean, were defiled by their wicked hearts. This Canaanite woman, who was unclean by Jewish standards, was made clean through her simple faith in Jesus. Where the Pharisees viewed themselves as righteous and scorned Jesus, she viewed herself as needy and desperate, and looked to Jesus as her only source of help, help that she received in due time from Jesus.

Jesus flips the tables and calls the self-righteous religious people unclean dogs, and he invites this desperate and needy sinner to come eat from the Master’s table.

Paul with similar irony calls the meticulous religious box-checkers unscrupulous ‘dogs’, and warns the church ‘beware of the dogs.’

Beware The Evil-Workers

Paul warns; beware the evil-workers. Those who promote doing what the law requires Paul here calls workers of evil, and he warns the church to watch out for them. How can those who promote obedience to God’s law be considered workers of evil?

It matters not only what you do, but why you do what you do. Obedience to God is good. Doing good is good if it’s done for a good reason. Think of the familiar verses in Ephesians 2;

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Good works are good, but salvation is never a result of the good we do. Salvation is God’s free gift, received by simply taking God at his word. We are saved for good works, not by good works. If I turn this around, and seek to work for my salvation rather than from my salvation, then the good works I do are no longer good, they are evil. If I do good works so that I can boast about my own accomplishment, my good works turn into pride, an offense against God, in the words of Isaiah ‘all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment’ (Is.64:6).

As we saw in Acts 15, the circumcision party said:

Acts 15:1 … “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

By requiring circumcision, Judaizers were looking at outward conformity to the law as a means to attain our own righteousness, not the law as a way to measure how far we fall short of God’s perfect standard, as a means of celebrating the grace God freely gives to lawbreakers. They made much of their own righteousness, which undermined the very reason Christ died. They were actually seeking to foster pride and self-righteousness, and as such, they became workers of evil.

Beware the Mutilators

Beware the dogs! Beware the evil-workers! Beware the mutilators! Paul here is making a play on the word ‘circumcision’ calling it ‘excision’. Circumcision is a compound word that means to cut around; Paul uses a compound word with the same root that means to cut down or cut off. Earlier Paul wrote to the Galatians:

Galatians 5:12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

Paul is comparing this requirement of circumcision for Gentile believers as a destructive cutting or mutilation. In 1 Kings 18, when Elijah made a showdown between the one true God and the prophets of Baal; the false prophets, in a vain attempt to get the attention of their god,

1 Kings 18:28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

Their self-mutilation was utterly worthless, an abomination to God, and Paul says that those who demand circumcision of Gentile believers are more like pagan self-mutilators than they are the people of God.

Application

What do we do with this? I don’t know of anyone today pushing circumcision on followers of Jesus. But there are plenty who seek to add requirements to the gospel. There are plenty who are pushing Torah observance for Gentile believers. We believe in Jesus; Jesus and; Jesus plus. But Jesus plus anything is nothing. Beware. Be alert. Be on guard. Watch out for those who seek to add to Christ’s finished work, who add prerequisites for receiving God’s grace. Beware of boasting in self. Rather rejoice in the Lord, for when our joy is fixed on Jesus, we are safe.

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

March 21, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | Philippians, podcast | add, circumcision, clean, cross, cutting, defile, deserve, diet, dogs, finished, food, Gentile, gift, gospel, grace, heart, humility, hypocrite, Jesus, Jew, joy, justification, law, lord, Pharisee, plus, pride, receive, rejoice, religious, righteous, salvation, Sin, submit, torah, unclean, works | Leave a comment

Philippians 3:1; The Stability of Joy

03/10 Philippians 3:1; The Stability of Joy; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240310_philippians-3_1.mp3

Exhortation to Gospel Shaped Humility and Unity

Paul is exhorting the church in Philippi to gospel shaped humility and unity. He started by a joyful thanksgiving when remembering them in his prayers, confident in the sovereign God who began a good work in them will also bring it to completion, and he prays

Philippians 1:9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul prays that their love abound more and more, and he exhorts them:

Philippians 1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, 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,

In chapter 2, he invites them:

Philippians 2:2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

And he holds up Jesus, who was for all eternity fully God, equal to his Father, yet he willingly humbled himself by becoming human, submitting to a death he didn’t deserve for the sake of others, for us! He is now exalted at his Father’s right hand as Lord over all, to whom we all owe allegiance.

In response to Jesus’ humility, we ought to take the salvation purchased for us on the cross, and allow it to work itself out in our daily lives, so that we live consistent with the gift we have been given. We are to work out what God has sovereignly worked in us, to live for his pleasure.

This looks like doing all things without grumbling or disputing, holding fast to the word of life.

In 2:17-18 Paul points to his own joy in being poured out in sacrificial service to others.

In 2:19-24 he points them to the example of Timothy’s selfless others-focused gospel ministry.

In 2:25-30 he points to Epaphroditus, who risked his very life as a co-laborer in sacrificial service to others.

Chapters 1 and 2 Paul prays for, exhorts to, and holds up examples of humble others-centered living out of love, earnestly pursuing the good of others above our own.

Transition to Sober Warning

Here in chapter 3, he concludes this section and transitions to a new topic, a sober warning of a grave danger. This transitional verse, 3:1, has caused much debate and speculation among biblical scholars. He just exhorted them to joyful humility and others-centered sacrificial service to others, and in the next breath he unleashes what some have described as a ‘rhetorical flame-thrower …Beware of the dogs!’ [Markus Bockmuehl, BNTC p.177].

The word translated ‘finally’ is sometimes used to introduce concluding remarks (Phil.4:8; 1Thes.4:1; 2Thes.3:1; 2Cor.13:11; Eph.6:10), but this occurs in the middle of this short letter, so this has led some textual critics to imagine that what we have as the rest of chapter 3 was part of a different letter inserted carelessly into this letter, a speculation that has no shred of textual evidence. Some have conjectured that Paul meant to conclude here, and on further reflection decided he had more to say. I’m sure you’ve never heard a preacher say ‘in conclusion’, and then go on to preach for another half-hour, have you?

This word translated ‘finally’ literally means ‘the rest’ and could be translated ‘furthermore’ or ‘moreover’ (1Cor.1:16; 4:2; 2Tim.4:8); a transition word used to draw an inference and introduce a further thought.

Saturated With Rejoicing

Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

What are ‘the same things’ he is writing to them? Here again, scholars have conjectured a past teaching or letter about false teachers, and his severe warning here is reminding of that past communication. But this verse specifically mentions writing, and while it is possible that Paul had written to them before, this too is conjecture.

It is best to take the text as it stands, and look at the context. What in the context might indicate a repetition in his writing that he is drawing their attention to? The command immediately preceding this statement ‘to write the same things’ is a command to ‘rejoice in the Lord.’

Woven throughout the texture of this letter is joy. Paul opened with joy in his prayer for them (1:4), he rejoiced and resolved to rejoice whenever Christ was rightly proclaimed, regardless of motives (1:18). He lived to serve others for their ‘progress and joy in the faith’ (1:25). He invited his readers to bring him joy by their gospel humility (2:2). He was glad and rejoiced to be ‘poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith,’ and he invited them to be glad and rejoice with him (2:17-18). His sending Epaphroditus to them was meant to bring them joy and rejoicing (2:28-29). After this command to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ (3:1), in 4:1 he will call them ‘my joy and crown’, and command them again ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice’ (4:4). He rejoiced in their care and concern for him personally (4:10).

This letter is saturated with joy. In chapters 1 and 2, Paul has mentioned joy or rejoicing no less than 9 times, and in chapter 4 he will make mention of rejoicing and joy another 4 times. Listening to this letter read in their church, by this point the Philippians have probably picked up on this persistent undercurrent of rejoicing.

Steadfast, Stable, Stand Firm

If this is indeed the repetition that Paul is referring to, what does he mean that it is no trouble for him but for them it is safe? Paul’s own heart is overflowing with joy regardless of his own circumstances, and it is natural for his joy to spill over and saturate this letter. But how is there safety in rejoicing? This is why some would more naturally expect safety in warning against false teachers, safety in sound doctrine, safety in the truth. Why safety in rejoicing?

This word ‘safe’ can be translated ‘sure, secure, without failing’; it points to stability and firmness. So far, Paul has pointed to the consistent partnership of the Philippians with him in the gospel (1:5), and his confidence in the completion of the good work God had begun in them (1:6). His own confident expectation was that Christ would be honored in his body by life or by death (1:20). He has encouraged the Philippians not only to rejoice, but to ‘stand firm in one spirit’ (1:27), to ‘hold fast to the word of life’ (2:16); he held up Timothy’s proven character (2:22); and Epaphroditus’ steadfast service even to death (2:29-30). Toward the end of the letter, Paul exhorts them to ‘stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved’ (4:1).

Paul cared deeply about steadfastness, consistency, faithfulness, unshakably standing firm through every circumstance.

Stability Found In Rejoicing

But how is this safety and stability found in rejoicing? Paul had himself resolved to rejoice whenever Christ was preached, even if some did it out of false motives like selfish ambition, envy and strife, seeking to add affliction to his imprisonment (1:15-18). He made a choice to rejoice in his own salvation and in the salvation of others. Paul lived not only for the church’s progress in the faith, but also for their joy in the faith (1:25). Joyless belief in the gospel is not an option. The good news is good news, and it must be celebrated! For Paul, ‘holding fast to the word of life’ (2:14-16) is inextricably linked to attitude. It must be without blemish, blameless and innocent, free of the crooked and twisted grumbling and complaining of this world. Paul chose joy in suffering as his own life was continually being poured out; he viewed his life as a drink offering poured out in joyful worship (2:17). Those who risk their life in service to Christ are worthy of honor, to be celebrated with joy (2:29-30).

The Logic of Joy

The connection between joy and stability might not seem obvious at first glance, but if we think about it, it makes sense. If we can rejoice not only in favorable circumstances, but also in adversity, in opposition, in sacrifice, suffering, sickness, even death, then our joy is unshakable. If our joy is found in changing things, then it will be volatile and flimsy. But if our joy is placed in the unchanging reality of God and the gospel, then it is an anchor that will hold us steady even through uncertain times.

Joy and Stability in the Old Testament

We can see this connection between rejoicing and stability throughout scripture. Nehemiah 8:10 says

Nehemiah 8:10 …the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

The Psalms overflow with rejoicing; Psalm 5:11 says

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

Rejoicing is connected with God as a refuge, a place of safety; with God’s protection over his people. Psalm 16 says

Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. … 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

God’s presence is joy, fullness of joy. When we fix our eyes on the Lord, when we walk with the Lord we will not be shaken, our hearts will overflow with joy, and we will dwell in security.

Habakkuk ends with joy in the Lord even in the face of adversity;

Habakkuk 3:17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

Joy even in times of famine and hardship, because joy is in God, who makes our footsteps sure.

Jesus and Joy

Jesus said:

John 10:10 …I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

And he went on to talk about our absolute security in him:

John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Jesus in John 15 invites us to abide in him and we will bear much fruit. He says;

John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Joy is linked to our life-sustaining connection with Jesus. Jesus continues in John 16, pointing to his own crucifixion;

John 16:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

This unshakable joy is rooted in the crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus who was not supposed to die, Jesus whose death brought great sorrow, but whose death was the very reason he came into the world, whose death brought salvation and security, abundant and eternal life, un-lose-able life. When our joy is in Jesus crucified for sinners, Jesus risen again, exalted at the right hand of his Father, Jesus coming again for us, that joy no one can take from us. That joy is fixed and firm, an anchor for our souls.

Rejoice in the Lord

Paul tells us to ‘rejoice in the Lord’; what he has assumed, he now clarifies. The object of our joy is essential. Our joy must be rooted and grounded in, fixed on Jesus. All other joys are fleeting and feeble. For joy to be fixed and firm and stable, it must have Jesus as its source, its object, its domain.

Paul has said that the brothers’ confidence was ‘in the Lord’ (1:14); his own hope and confidence was ‘in the Lord Jesus’ (2:19, 24); and their reception of a faithful worker was to be ‘in the Lord’ (2:29); under the sovereign hand of a good God. Now our rejoicing is to be ‘in the Lord’; rejoicing because Jesus is exalted sovereign Lord over all, the one to whom every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess. The Lord to whom we gladly surrender ourselves.

Rejoicing Is Safe

Rejoicing is safe. This joy can keep us from pride, because it is joy in Jesus who died for sinners like me. This joy can keep us from grumbling and complaining, because when we are rejoicing in the good news of Jesus who humbled himself for us, what is there to grumble or complain about? This joy can keep us from becoming ingrown and self-focused, because it is joy in Jesus who loved us and gave himself up for us. This joy can keep us faithful even in adversity, even in sickness and in the face of death, because if our joy is Jesus, then to die is gain. This joy can keep us safe from false teachers, because joy in the Lord expels confidence in the flesh.

Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

March 11, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | Philippians, podcast | finally, firmness, gospel, Jesus, joy, lord, protection, rejoice, repetition, security, sovereign, stability, strength, unity, warning, writing | Leave a comment

Philippians 2:25-30; Epaphroditus, Risk in Service to Others

03/03 Philippians 2:25-30; Epaphroditus, Risk in Service to Others; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240303_philippians-2_25-30.mp3

In Philippians 2:19-30, Paul is communicating his plans, expressing his hope to visit them personally, explaining his intent to send Timothy soon, explaining why Ephaphroditus was returning to them presently. But this is no irrelevant ancient historical tidbit. Behind the news, he is holding up these two men as examples of Christlike character. In this letter, he exhorts the Philippians to love, to unity, to others-centered humility; and now he is holding up these two as tangible examples of what it looks like to allow the gospel to shape one’s heart, one’s mind, one’s life.

Philippians 2:19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

Timothy served consistently alongside Paul in the gospel. Timothy was a living example of Philippians 2:3-4

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Epaphroditus

In verse 25 he moves from Timothy’s Christlike example, to that of Epaphroditus. We know of Epaphroditus only from this letter. We know that he was from Philippi, and according to chapter 4 he was sent by that church to Paul with a gift, and to care for Paul’s needs while in prison. The Philippians know Epaphroditus, but here Paul commends his character to them with five roles in which he has served both Paul and the Philippians. The first three relate to Paul; the last two relate to the Philippians.

My Brother [ἀδελφὸν]

Paul starts by calling Epaphroditus ‘my brother’. ‘Brother’ denotes siblings, children from the same parents. ‘Brother’ is sometimes used to describe an ethnic relationship; Paul refers to the unbelieving Jews as ‘my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh’ (Rom.9:3). But most often, ‘brother’ is used of brothers in Christ, sons and daughters of God through the gospel, adopted into his family. Paul addresses the Philippian church as ‘brothers’ in 1:12, and in 1:14 he refers to ‘brothers, confident in the Lord’ who were emboldened to speak the word without fear. Paul calls Epaphroditus ‘brother’, a sibling in Christ, a member of the household of faith.

My Fellow-Worker [συνεργὸν]

He calls him a fellow-worker. Paul considers Epaphroditus a co-laborer, a smaller group of those who have labored alongside him in the gospel. Prisca and Aquila (Rom.16:3), Urbanus (Rom.16:9), Timothy (Rom.16:21; 1Thes.3:2), Apollos (1Cor.3:9), Titus (2Cor.8:23), Euodia, Syntyche, Clement (Phil.4:3), Aristarchus, Mark, Jesus Justus (Col.4:11), Philemon (Phm.1:1), Demas, Luke (Phm.1:24). He commends:

Romans 16:3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.

This is a high commendation to be considered a co-laborer in the gospel with Paul.

My Fellow-Soldier [συστρατιώτην]

Paul affirms Epaphroditus as a fellow-soldier. Paul was well familiar with Roman soldiers, who rescued him from mob violence and risked their lives to protect him on more than one occasion, under whose watchful eye he was now imprisoned (Ac.28:16). He applies this compound word to only one other person in the New Testament, to Archippus (Phm.1:2). Paul exhorts Timothy:

2 Timothy 2:3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

This is high praise of Epaphroditus. A brother in Christ; not only a brother but a co-laborer; not only a fellow-worker, but my fellow soldier, risking his life with me on the battlefield of faith.

Your Apostle [ἀπόστολον]

Next, Paul moves to commend Epaphroditus in his relationship to the church that sent him. He calls him ‘your messenger’, literally ‘your apostle’. The title ‘Apostle’ is usually reserved for the 12 that Jesus appointed as Apostles, together with Matthias, selected out of those who followed Jesus from the baptism of John through his resurrection appearances, to replace Judas, and Paul, to whom the Lord appeared and commissioned personally. The word [ἀπόστολος] apostle literally means a delegate or ambassador, one set apart and sent out on a mission with authority (Jn.13:16).

In Hebrews 3, Jesus, sent out by his Father, is called ‘the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him’ (Heb.3:1-2);

1n 1 Corinthians 16, Paul is instructing the Gentile churches to take a collection for the persecuted saints in Jerusalem, and he invites them to send delegates to accompany that gift. In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul again refers to this gift and those sent from Macedonia to accompany the gift as ‘messengers (lit. apostles) of the churches’.

Here in Philippians, Paul refers to Epaphroditus as ‘your apostle’, one commissioned and sent out as a delegate of this church, authorized to deliver their gift to Paul.

Your Minster [λειτουργὸν] to My Need

Paul calls Epaphroditus ‘your minister to my need’. This word group translated ‘minister’ is an interesting one; it means a public servant, used of civil authorities as appointed by God in Romans 13:6. But most often, with its Old Testament background, it refers to the ministry of temple worship.

In Luke 1, the priest Zechariah was serving as priest in the Jerusalem temple, and when his time of ‘service’ or ‘ministry’ ended, he returned home and John the Baptist was conceived.

Hebrews 8 is pointing to Jesus our greater High Priest;

Hebrews 8:1 …we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.

Paul in Romans 15 used this priestly analogy to describe his own ministry to the Gentiles;

Romans 15:15 …because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister [λειτουργὸν] of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service [ἱερουργοῦντα] of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

He also uses this priestly service imagery to describe the financial collection from the Gentiles to be offered to the Jewish saints in Jerusalem:

2 Corinthians 9:12 For the ministry of this service [λειτουργίας] is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

Peter views all believers as

1 Peter 2: 5 …a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

That is his meaning here in Philippians; he calls Epaphroditus ‘your minister to my need’ and in verse 30, he describes his service as

Philippians 2:30 …risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me [τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα τῆς πρός με λειτουργίας].

In chapter 4, he thanks them for their partnership in the gospel;

Philippians 4:18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God [τὰ παρ’ ὑμῶν, ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, θυσίαν δεκτήν, εὐάρεστον τῷ θεῷ].

Paul had described his own joy in Philippians 2:17 in Old Testament sacrificial terms:

Philippians 2:17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering (lit. on the sacrifice and service) of your faith [ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ καὶ λειτουργίᾳ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν], I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Paul views Epaphroditus’ as a minister, serving in person where the Philippians could not.

Sending Epaphroditus

Paul inserts this high praise of Epaphroditus into his sentence before he says that he is sending him to them. The word order of the original goes something like this: “But I considered necessary Epaphroditus, the brother, and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier of me, even your apostle, and minister to my need, to send to you.” Without these five intervening titles, the sentence structure is simple; ‘I considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you.’

It seems Paul felt the need to explain why he was sending Epaphroditus. They sent him to Paul with a gift, and to minister to his needs in prison. This may have been a semi-permanent assignment, and they didn’t expect him back so soon, especially with Paul still in prison.

Strong Desire [ἐπιποθῶν]

Philippians 2:25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.

Epaphroditus has been longing for the Philippians. This is the same word Paul used in chapter 1 to describe his own longing for the Philippians with all the affection of Christ Jesus (1:8). Paul longed to see other churches and individuals (Rom.1:11; 2Tim.1:4), and other churches longed to see him (1Thes.3:6). Peter uses this word to describe the strong desire babies have for milk (1Pet.2:2), and Paul uses it to describe the strong desire we have for heaven (2Cor.5:2).

Strong desires are not evil. We are made to feel, to have strong emotions. Our desires become sinful when we long for the wrong thing. Paul doesn’t have anything negative to say about Epaphroditus’ longing for the Philippians; his desire seems to run parallel Paul’s own, and to Timothy’s ‘genuine concern for your welfare.’

Deeply Troubled [ἀδημονῶν]

Epaphroditus not only has deep desires, but is deeply troubled. He has been distressed because you heard he was ill. He is not troubled over his illness; he is troubled because you heard about it. He is concerned that they would be concerned. Somehow Epaphroditus heard that they heard that he was sick. He couldn’t just shoot them a quick text or email saying that he was fine. And if you are a parent, you know that that wouldn’t be enough. “Hey dad, I was in an accident, but I’m ok. What kind of accident? How bad? Can you send pics? What do you mean ok? As in still alive? Or walked away without a scratch? Really I just want to see you, to know you’re ok.” Epaphroditus isn’t focused on himself or his sickness; he is troubled over their concern for him, and putting their troubled minds at ease. This word ‘distressed’ is a strong word; the only other place it is used is in the accounts of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane; when he

Mark 14:33 … began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”

Near Death in Service

Paul confirms, the rumor you heard was true.

Philippians 2:27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.

The rumors were true, but it was worse than you may have heard. He was sick, close to death. Paul praises the mercy of God in sparing Epaphroditus, and himself, because Paul cared deeply about this man, and it would have piled grief upon grief to see him suffer and die all in the process of bringing service to the Apostle. Now that he is well enough to travel, Paul feels an urgency to send him to them.

Paul is sending him, he is not sending him back. He was sent to Paul to minister to him, and he was at Paul’s disposal to keep or to send on as he saw fit. Paul is not sending him back as if he had failed to render the service needed; Epaphroditus had fully discharged his duty, and Paul was sending him now to them because that is what he considered most necessary. He is sending him to them to free himself from sorrow, but also to bring them joy. Paul is confident that the church in Philippi will rejoice at seeing again the one they heard was ill.

The Honor of Risky Service

Philippians 2:29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Paul instructs them to receive him in the Lord. This is the third time Paul has used this phrase ‘in the Lord’ in this section. His hope to send Timothy quickly is ‘in the Lord.’ His confidence that he himself will come soon is ‘in the Lord.’ Now he instructs them to receive Epaphroditus ‘in the Lord’. Seeing him show up may have been a surprise, not what they planned or expected; they were likely anxious and grieved that he had fallen ill. But all this is under the sovereign hand of a good God. Jesus is highly exalted as Lord over all, and he can order circumstances (even what we consider bad circumstances) to bring about his good purposes. All this is to be received ‘in the Lord.’

And he is to be received with joy. This letter is saturated with joy. Paul sends him so that they will rejoice, and he instructs them to receive him with joy.

And honor such men, those who come near to death, those who risk their own life in the work of Christ, in service to others. Because they are following Jesus, who in service to others,

Philippians 2:8 …he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

March 9, 2024 Posted by pastorrodney | Philippians, podcast | apostle, brother, church, death, Desire, distressed, emotions, fellow-soldier, fellow-worker, gospel, Jesus, messenger, minister, offering, priest, risk, sacrifice, sending, service, sickness, suffering, troubled | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries

About

Hello, I’m Pastor Rodney. I’m glad to have the opportunity to introduce myself. Rodney & Deanna

I was called to pastor Ephraim Church of the Bible on February 27, 2005. My wife Deanna and I resigned from our jobs, sold our home, and packed up our four girls Jessica (6), Abigail (4), Emily (3) and Hannah (1) to move to Utah at the end of March. We arrived in Ephraim on April 6, bought a house and began to settle in (as you might notice in the pictures, God has since blessed us with another girl, Aliyah, a son, Isaiah, and a miracle baby Selah, born 3 months early weighing 1 lb. 6 oz!).I was born and raised in Minnesota, and attended Emmaus Bible College in Iowa, where I met Deanna. She was from Washington State, and when I graduated from college I followed her to Washington and married her. She is a nurse and shares a passion to serve and follow Jesus Christ.I served as youth pastor for 8 years at a church in Mount Vernon, Washington, while working in the engineering department for a manufacturer of marine propulsion control systems. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, but through a variety of circumstances we felt God directing us to Utah. We decided to stay put and be faithful doing what God had given us to do until it was unmistakable that God wanted us elsewhere. He made that unmistakably clear and we now are delighted to call Ephraim home.

My passion has always been to teach the Bible as God’s Word, and see lives transformed as a result (including my own!). I believe God has the power to radically alter our lives through His truth. My goal is to study and understand what God has said, and communicate that in such a way that you are brought into contact with Jesus, who is alive and well today. We welcome all visitors, and our style is casual because God is more concerned with what’s in your heart than with what you wear. We emphasize worship of God because in worship we are fulfilling our design. When we declare to each other and to the world that God is our greatest treasure, He is honored, and we are satisfied. My desire is to teach the Word of God and give a firm foundation to your faith, so that you can grow deep and be fruitful and bring pleasure to our awesome God.
~Rodney Zedicher

Archives
- April 2024 (6)
- March 2024 (4)
- February 2024 (5)
- January 2024 (4)
- December 2023 (4)
- November 2023 (5)
- October 2023 (5)
- September 2023 (3)
- August 2023 (5)
- July 2023 (2)
- June 2023 (1)
- May 2023 (4)
Categories
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- advent
- church
- Daniel
- discipleship
- disciplines
- Exodus
- Fruit of the Spirit
- Galatians
- Knowing God
- Leviticus
- occasional
- passion
- Philippians
- podcast
  - 1 Peter
  - 2 Peter
- Psalms
- Theology
- Uncategorized
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS

PastorRodney’s Weblog

Preaching from the Pulpit of Ephraim Church of the Bible

Philippians 3:8-9; Found In Him

Philippians 3:8; The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ

Philippians 3:4-7; The Loss of Religious Righteousness

Philippians 3:3; Worship, Boast, Confidence

Resurrection Firstfruits

Good Friday; Passover

Philippians 3:3; We Are The Circumcision

Philippians 3:2; Beware the Dogs!

Philippians 3:1; The Stability of Joy

Philippians 2:25-30; Epaphroditus, Risk in Service to Others

About

Archives

Pages

Archives

Categories

RSS

Site info