Philippians 2:1-2

With Paul, you have to pay attention to how his argument is built. One good way is to keep tract of the verbs. See how they interact one with another and you will have a good sense of how he is building his thoughts. His writings require quiet and concentration. You will not succeed in understanding much if the TV or music is playing. Paul gives a list, as he often does, of qualities that are important in the life of a Christian. He is focusing especially on concepts that reside in our thinking, since this is obviously the theme of this part of Chapter 2.

Complete my joy … have the same mind … have the same love … being in full accord and of one mind … count others more significant than yourselves … look not on your own interests … look on the interests of others … have the mind of Christ. Thinking the same way is important. Having the mind of Christ is the goal.

The workmanship of God

The work of God in those filled with grace makes them unafraid in opposition, content in the leadership and presence of God to “comfort and to guide,” and assured of good fruit and usefulness in their labors for God, “for God is at work in you … ” They learn, therefore, to rejoice over every complete proclamation of the Gospel regardless of the motives of the preachers. Let God sort them out. If the Gospel is being proclaimed it is a good thing that the message about the love and death of Jesus Christ and his victory and salvation is told to more and more people. Motives are sticky. Truthfully, are your motives really all that pure?

Proof of his workmanship — graces in the lives of those who believe.

These are operations that are present in every believer’s life and they are there because God is doing these things in us. He presents a set of graces that come into our lives, grow within us, and these are the source of much that happens in us, as we live in the Body of Christ. These traits and actions are the benefits that we receive from the Body of Christ and they are the ministry that we offer to other Christians with whom we are connected in the Biblical Local Church.

“If there be any …”

It is a bit ambiguous in English to say “if there is any” because it could mean “if there were any, but we are not sure about that … ” In this use of the phrase, the meaning is that we have a degree of uncertainly or there is a low probability these qualities may or may not be present in the local body of Christians. In this first understanding of the phrase there would not be certainty that they thing that is referred to actually exists at all. You might say, “If there were any winning lottery tickets in my pocket, we could retire.” But the chances of that are slim.

But there could be another way to take the phrase, “if there be,” to be a first class condition. It is like this: “if or since this is true, then we should take the following actions.” Example: “If we have a flat tire, we need to change it as quickly as possible.” This is not puzzling about whether or not we have a flat tire, it is charting a course for what to do since we are experiencing the tiring going flat.” This makes sense of the phrase we are studying.

Paul is not wondering whether these things are true or not (“do we have comfort?” “do we have fellowship?”, etc.) , he is giving instructions about the how these principles work because they are present in us. This little phrase means here: “Since it is certainly true that these are gifts and graces are most important in our lives, let us pay attention to them and take these actions because these qualities matter and we have them.” This is the way this “first class condition” was intended. This is a strong way of charting a course of action based on real gifts and graces that we have received from God in the Church of Jesus Christ.

If there be any encouragement. Philippians 2:1. Encouragement means to have someone come alongside of you in a time of testing, trial, or grief. It was the common practice to have an attorney or friend, some family dignitary or influential person to come and “stand alongside” of an accused and to speak on their behalf. This is one use of the term. It can also describe someone who can assist you, help you understand something important, or stand with you in your legal defense in a trial or legal proceedings.

We understand the work of encouragement most clearly because this is the chief work and it is the Name give to the Holy Spirit by Jesus in John 15. The work of encouragement is a primary work of the Holy Spirit of God and he is called the “Comforter” which is the same word used here. The ESV: “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me” (John 15:26 ESV).

We see that the ESV, uses the title “the Helper.” But is that the best translation? Here is the phrase in Greek: “ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ παράκλητος …” In English: “But when the Helper comes …” (ESV). The word we are looking at is παράκλητος, paraklêtos [sounds like the bird, parakete, but with an “l” and ending in “os”; no relation in meaning, just something that will stick in your brain forever]. But the “Paraclete” is much more than a “Helper.” There is skill or relationship implied in this help, an expertise or commitment necessary for help and comfort to come. He stands in defense. He comes alongside to help. He is an advocate (an attorney at law) for the defendant. He is one who comforts in distress and meets our needs in crisis. He brings our case before the Father. He reveals Jesus Christ within our lives. Much more than a helper to applaud or merely assists us when we are tired. Much more than a helper. A Comforter, An Advocate, An Intercessor, The Protector, The One who Prays on our Behalf, and The Counselor (as in lawyer and as in one who gives us counsel). Helper is not rich enough and the linguistic reach of the word is not broad enough. But we see that the work of encouragment is the work of the Spirit, but he involves us in this important work as well.

If there is any comfort (Philippians 2:1). Comfort refers to aid or assistance from another person when you are in distress. This is a word for what a person needs when there is great confusion, emotional pain, or a shock or loss has occurred. The comfort is what is needed after you have experienced a death or loss in the family, or gone through a long and difficult trial or a terrible accident and you need encouragement, strength, wisdom, and help to recover. You have experienced something that has come into your life with such force that it has turned everything in your life upside down. At that moment you need others to come and comfort you so you can be restored. Comfort of this sort is not superficial nor if it for trivial events or small matters.

If there is any fellowship (participation or sharing). This is the key word in the New Testament that describes the internal relationships and connection within the church. There is a sharing of life and a connection that comes when we experience and have in common the same commitments and loves. What is more, we also participate in one another’s faith so that my faith is helped by your faith. You are helped by others also, and when the time is right, your faith is also encouraging and supportive of them. We not only share, we participate in and have fellowship, team spirit, and we share an esprit de coups within the body of Christ that is strengthening (see Acts 2:42, where this work, κοινωνίᾳ appears) and that permits the Body to work with great effectiveness and power. This participation or sharing is crucial to everything that happens in the local church. If sharing and fellowship is poor, the church will not be impactful. However, when one Christian is successful or blessed within the church, all in the church share in that blessing. When one is hurting or grieving, all in the church participate in that loss or trauma. We share our lives with God and then we share them with one another.

If there is any affection. This is an important word for the local church. It is about the love and strong emotions that we have in defense and protection of one another. This would be like the reflex of a father or mother when their child has been hurt or treated unfairly. The response is viseral and deep. This is the deep-felt love and concern that Christians share with one another because of our connection by faith to the same Lord and Savior. We share our lives and we care about what happens to each other. This is an intense and liberating relationship to have. It is also a wonderful experience to experience with people who care deeply for you and who can shout about it and celebrate their affection for you with joy in the presence of God.

The last in the list is sympathy. If there is any sympathy. This word also appears in Romans 12:1; 2 Corinthians 1:3; here in Philippians 2:1; Colossians 3:12; Hebrews 10:28; and Hebrews 10:28. For a similar term see Luke 6:36, and James 5:11. This is the merciful and compassionate concern for others, emphasizing the care that we provide for them, the contact that we maintain with them in their lives. This care often flows out of the ministry of God’s Spirit through us. The Spirit gives us the experience of his comfort, that we, then, pass on to others (see 2 Corinthians 1).

Paul has already prays with thanks over these Christians who were living in Philippi, both for their partnership with him in the Gospel (1:4f), and for their love (see 1:9f). Now in 2:1ff., he wants his joy to be complete (J.B. Lightfoot, ad loc. Philippians). Faith, Love, Joy.

“Have the same mind.” This could be seen an an invitation to cultish obeisance and rendering our personal thoughts and understanding as unimportant or unvalued. Having the same mind can mean something very unhealthy when it is about making people have exactly the same opinions about everything, and/ or having an uncritical acceptance of the leader’s thoughts and directives without review or right of refusal.

But the Christian seeks the same mind, by pursuing Christ together. We have a similar mind-set because we experience the same Lord Jesus Christ. We love what he loves, more and more and his desires and will become first and foremost in our lives. So we are finding new ways to serve and glorify his name that come because this essential unity that Christ has created within us, not that was imposed upon us. Our faith and obedience unite us in common values, common goals, and common motives. In such a community there is great creativity and freedom. There is love that rules over matters of taste and style and method and unity over essentials of faith and life.

[A short footnote. This is the same set of principles that were popularized by the Puritan pastor, Richard Baxter, but they are to be accredited to Marco Antionio de Dominis (1560-1624), the Latin of this aspiration is: In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas. Translated into English: “In essentials, Unity; in non-essentials, Freedom; in all things, Charity.” A good and balanced statement of unity within the Body of Christ. This statement also happens to be the motto on the seal of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which adds to their seal the phrase, “Truth in Love.”]

Having the same mind means that our thoughts are captured by the greatness and by the lordship of Jesus Christ working in us. This is not a call to uniformity. We do not walk together just to be alike. But we walk together because we really love each other. Our call to unity in Christ, focused on his glory, give our lives for his service and it directs us to go wherever he wants us to go. Paul is insistent that this unity be present and he repeats the call several times in this section (see 2:1, 5). This is laying the foundation for the humility of service and to have the mind of Christ. These go hand-in-hand. The love you have for other believers in Christ is dependent on the content of your thinking about Christ and the decree to which your mind is becoming more and more aligned with the mind of Christ with others who are experiencing the same wonderful, matchless gifts from God. “Have this mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus” is the goal.