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Paul’s revelation in chapter 4 of this first letter to the Thessalonians establishes much regarding the upcoming Rapture of the Church which is His Body.  The nature of that event is quite different from what was revealed for the Jewish saints by Christ in his earthly ministry for those awaiting their earthly kingdom inheritance.  Christ’s detailed revelation fits into the period of the oft prophe...

The last section in Chapter 4 contains the teaching about the Rapture of the Church which is His Body.  This teaching is distinctive for the Body Church and its timing is pre-Tribulation.  That begins to be clear here but it is the special focus of chapter 5 and the second chapter of the second Thessalonian letter.  Here though, Paul instructs believers regarding the resurrection of...

Chapter 4 is divided into two parts, the first containing an exhortation to live responsibly awaiting the return of the Lord.  The second is about the return of the Lord for us saints living under grace, the Rapture.  Today we consider the practical responsibilities of believers who are living under grace and the many challenges that the saints endure.  The primary focus here is wor...

Chapter 3 of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians believers will lead us directly into the fourth chapter where the corrected teaching of the Lord’s Pre-Tribulational return for us saints is provided.  These believers were dear to the apostle and he had wanted to visit them again, but Satan had prevented that.  But he exhorts the believers not to let Satan interfere in their thinking...

Paul had traveled on his second missionary journey to the city of Philippi.  Then, after preaching the risen Christ, he and his companion Silas were treated harshly, beaten, and imprisoned in the local jail.  You will remember the salvation of the jailer.  Then, due to the miraculous opening of the door of the jail, they were free again.  As a consequence of these miracles, the...

We continue in our study of First Thessalonians today.  Chapter 2, verses 1-12 will be our focus.  The second chapter begins with a simple request:  “Just remember how I came unto you!”  As Paul knew so well by now, persecution has a way of following the bold proclamation of the gospel of Christ.  Verses 2-4 are so very compelling:  “We were bold in our God to speak u...

Today we begin our study of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian believers. In this letter, we find that there was no occasion for Paul to reprimand this church as there was good reason to do that with other assemblies (such as the church in Philippi).  This church, therefore, stands as our example.  Indeed, this letter provides us with a three-fold illustration of a church that can e...

This is the final teaching on Philippians.  We complete our three-part overview of its powerful and so needed teaching with three simple but profound questions: What is the Privilege Behind Paul’s Example?  What is the Preeminence of Paul’s Example?  What is the Power Behind Paul’s Example?  Paul’s suffering was his privilege and it is ours as well he writes here.  That ga...

We have now nearly reached the end of our overview of the precious letter to the Philippians.  Next time, Lord willing, we will finish our study here with a focus on what it means to “imitate” Paul.  Of the Twelve Dimensions of Blessing revealed by Paul in this letter, we have already covered seven of them.  Today our focus will be on four more, and then next time, Lord willing, the...

At the very beginning of Paul’s letter to the Philippians believers, he writes precious words of introduction, words of thanksgiving that will characterize the entire letter.  He finishes the letter with a corresponding section of thanksgiving.  The opening statement after the salutation is in verse 3: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” and reaches a spiritual height that is...

Today we reach the final verses in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. The apostle has just finished explaining how he has been initiated into trials that involve great losses even to the seeming necessities of life.  He had learned to be satisfied however with the Lord’s provision.  Now, at the end of his letter he powerfully applies the lessons he has learned to the Philippians with this...

We are nearly at the end of this magnificent letter to the Philippians believers.  Now in the final chapter, the apostle exhorts for the final time with a focus on his rejoicing while under house arrest in Rome and suffering great loss there.  The major statement here is on his “initiation” into grace and its many out-workings in our lives, even through trials and sufferings.   His...

Having reached the final chapter in this great Pauline letter (a prison letter, by the way), we now find his final exhortations.  This section proceeds from Paul exclaiming how the Philippians were “his joy and crown”, to another request (compare with chapter 3, verses 17-21) that they would all “follow” or “imitate” him not only in his doctrine but also in his walk: “Those things, which ye h...

We continue today reaching one of the most important exhortations in this letter.  Continuing from the earlier verses that again have focused on the mind-set that is truly heavenly, Paul now addresses the false teachers and their influence among the believers to whom the apostle is writing.  His exhortation is perhaps the strongest in his letters and the language used of these dangerous...

In Philippians 3:11 the apostle reveals his hopeful expectation concerning this coming judgment.  This judgment is the judgment for believers, called also in two places the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10 & 2 Cor. 5:10).  This is NOT the Great Throne Judgment, of course.  Also he writes in the Corinthian letter of how this Judgment will be performed (1 Cor. 3:11-15).  S...

Philippians 3:8 declares how Paul had given up everything for the sake of Christ. He had counted “all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus [his] Lord: for whom [he] had suffered the loss of all things”.  Of course, this followed the great exhortation in chapter 2 verse 5 where he exhorted each of us to have that same mind-set that Christ had in leaving heaven’...

In Philippians 3:8 the apostle Paul restated how he had given up everything for the sake of Christ, and, in slightly other words, counting “all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things”.  From this we could conclude simply that for Paul it was worth it all to risk everything for the sake of his Lord Jesus.&n...

So, as we have seen, suffering with Christ is both Paul’s calling and his glory.  Amen.  And that involves and requires that he be conformed unto Christ’s death. This great work of God is given as our example as well so we also can possess day by day the power of his resurrection.  Today, to lay the foundation for verse 11, we will see that resurrection was promised to all saints fr...

Today we will continue with those key verses in Philippians 3, especially verse 10 where the apostle writes that suffering together with Christ would be his life long challenge, even his calling!  If that is the case, then as he writes elsewhere in 2 Corinthians in several places and in Colossians 1 where we will focus today, suffering with Christ is even better than deliverance.  In fac...

In our study today and next time we will look at more of verse 10 of Philippians 3.  Our primary focus today is on Paul’s words “the fellowship of his sufferings” while next time we will consider the conformation “unto his death”.  Both of these constitute expressions of Paul’s testimony regarding the working of Christ’s resurrection life in him. The first we will examine today by especi...

Today we will examine further Paul’s statement in Philippians 3:10 regarding his threefold blessing in gaining his knowledge of Christ.  These three focus initially on the “power of his resurrection”, or, as he writes also in this same verse, “having been made conformable unto his death”.  We continue next time with this same focus since the meaning here is so precious and so powerful.&n...

The apostle continues in the verses before us to write concerning his heart’s desire, which is, he writes, to “win Christ”.  He describes this is to summarize, not having his own righteousness which would be “of the law” and therefore of the “flesh”.  But then he adds that gaining this goal will necessarily require great suffering in this life.  The details of this are found in vers...

Paul’s own example is now set forth as ours.  He had sacrificed so much (he says “all”) for the sake of Christ and his will.  Grace was now to be the overriding theme of what God was doing in this dispensation.  What did he have to gain as a believer is the great question here?  The answer, he writes, is “Christ”.  He describes it as “winning” Christ, not having his own righteousness.  He adds tha...

We have come in this magnificent letter of the Apostle Paul to the ending in the second chapter.  Today we shall consider the fourth “witness” to the mind of Christ as it works itself out in the intricacies of daily living.  We have already seen three witnesses revealed in Paul’s letter, Christ the greatest of all, Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, and Timothy, Paul’s close friend and f...

Paul’s great exhortation in chapter 2 and verse 5 to set our minds in the right place, even to have the same mindset that Christ himself had in heaven’s glory just before the Incarnation began, remains as his focus in these verses before us today.  We already saw how practical that exhortation became as Paul wrote of working out our salvation with fear and trembling knowing that it was God who was...