For the last two messages we have addressed Paul’s expression of gratitude for the gift the Philippians had sent him. That is found in Philippians 4:10-20. There we discovered a wealth of revelation that has filled our hearts with peace and confidence. Those two previous messages focused on three statements.
(1) In verse 11 Paul said, “. . . I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”i Have you learned to be content whatever the circumstances may be? Godliness with contentment is great gain.ii It is of enormous value! It is more valuable than silver and gold.iii It frees us from the tyranny of lust and greed. It promotes internal peace and serenity. We talked about that extensively two weeks ago.
(2) In verse 13 Paul makes this astounding declaration: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul was not speaking out of self-confidence; his was Christ-confidence. The statement is only possible because it includes the phrase, “through him.” The King James Version says, “through Christ.” You can count on the grace, the Christ-given strength, needed for any and every situation as you follow the Lord.
(3) Additionally, we have the promise in verse 19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Those three truths are so rich in meaning, so profound and practical that we spent all our time talking about them during the last couple of weeks. These jewels of revelation emerged as Paul explained his expressions of appreciation for their gift. He wanted to make sure they did not misunderstand what he was saying. So, in the explanation he provides insight on how we should think about these matters.
Today we will complete our study of those verses just to be clear on how the narrative flows. Then we will examine the greetings in verses 21-23. We will deal with: (1) The GIFT commended in verses 10-20.
(2) The GREETINGS commanded in verses 21-23.
I. The GIFT commended by Paul is discussed in Philippians 4:10-20.
In that passage he states his appreciation three times. Each time he follows up with clarification of the statement so that there is no misunderstanding of what he is saying. The appreciation is then stated again in the next verse.
We have his first statement of gratitude in verse 10: “I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.” This statement is embellished in verses 15-16 where Paul talks about the specifics of their history. Early in the life of this church the Philippians were sending financial support to Paul. Then there was an interval when the giving ceased. We don’t know exactly why, but verse 10 lets us know it not because of any falling out or apathy. Circumstances simply
changed in such a way that it was not possible. Paul is acknowledging that and rejoicing in the expression of their love through the gift he has just received from them.iv
But there was the danger they would think Paul felt desperate for the gift itself. His need was very real. But Paul was not anxious about it in any way. He knew that God would do one of two things. He would supply the need through some source, or He would grace Paul to do without the resource. Paul was fine with either one. In verse 9 and earlier in this letter (3:17) he told these Philippians to learn from his example. It’s important they not misunderstand what that example is.
So, he clarifies his attitude toward the need in verses 11-13: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” He is saying, “Whether the supplies come or don’t come, I am content in my soul. I’ve learned how to rest in God either way. I can do that through the grace or strength that God supplies.” It’s important that the Philippians follow that example, especially during the persecution they are experiencing (1:27-30).
Then in verse 14 he expresses his gratitude a second time with a fuller commendation of their faithfulness in supporting him. “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.”
The Greek word translated “share” in verse 14 is sugkoinoneo. It is a combination of the prefix sun, meaning “with,” and koinoneo. Koinoneo, as you know, means to fellowship, share, partner in, or participate with.v Gordon Fee comments, “The redundant sun prefix emphasizes their participating together with him in his affliction (emphasis by Fee).vi Paul is commending them for sharing in his troubles. He used this same word in in 1:7 where he talks about their partnership in the grace of God. Paul’s focus is the bond they have with each other. More than the gift itself, he is rejoicing in the relationship they have with one another in Christ. With their sacrificial gift they are sharing in Paul’s ministry and in his sufferings for Christ.vii
The Message provides a nice paraphrase of verses 14-16: “I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles. You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I’ll never forget it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out with the message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take of this work except you. You were the only one. Even while I was in Thessalonica, you helped out—and not only once, but twice.”
But having said that, Paul feels he must explain himself further. So, in verses 17 he writes, “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account." The gift is appreciated, but that’s not what is important to me. God will take care of me one way or another. What I am celebrating is the evidence it gives to your faith and commitment to Christ. I am excited to see this fruit of the Spirit in your life. I am rejoicing to see the deposit in your eschatological bank account. They need to know his toward money so they can embrace the same mindset.
We get some insight on Paul’s thinking from his statement to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 12:14: “I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you.” Paul’s goal was their salvation, not their money. All Christians should think this way; but it is particularly important for ministers to do so. If we are just seeking the financial resources that can come our way through people, we are hirelings. Hirelings flee when they are needed most. Hirelings sacrifice the wellbeing of others for their own comfort or aggrandizement. And hirelings will compromise principle to keep the crowds and the money.viii
Paul wanted these people to be givers for their own spiritual wellbeing. He was not looking to them as his source, although God would use people to provide. We should appreciate the support people give us. We should take joy in their obedience to Christ. But we must see past the means God uses and glorify God as our source.ix Our dependence must be on Him.x So, Paul stated this qualification in verse 17 to make sure they understood his priority in the matter.
Now in verse 18 he expresses his gratitude a third time. “I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” Paul lets them know their gift was more than enough. He has everything he needs. He does not need them to send more. He is not thanking them so they will send more. Using the metaphor of the Old Testament offerings, Paul tells them how pleasing their gift is to God. They have given to Paul, but they have done it as unto the Lord. Paul has given them spiritual ministry. And they have rightly responded with material support.xi They have balanced the books so to speak.
The additional clarification Paul gives in verses 19-20 focuses on an assurance of divine reciprocity and a doxology. They have given generously to Paul. Paul has asked God to bless them and has the assurance that will happen. So, in verse 19 he tells them, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” The reward will be rich and full. It will be “in a manner that befits His wealth—on a scale worthy of His wealth.”xii Last week we talked at length about that promise. However, we did not comment on the context in which the promise is given.
It was spoken to Christians who were generous givers. It was spoken to people who had given sacrificially. That’s the prerequisite for claiming this promise.xiii Jesus made a similar promise in Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Notice the first word in that text: “Give.” Notice the law of sowing and reaping as well: “For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Proverbs 11:24 establishes this law of sowing and reaping: “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”
We don’t give to somehow manipulate God and get more. The pagans make their sacrifices to false gods out of that kind of motive. God has called us to something higher than that. The appeal some preachers make is that if you send me a hundred dollars, God will give you a thousand. Such a sad manipulation all the way around! The worst sinner would take that deal if it could be guaranteed.xiv But God is not that easily maneuvered. He looks on the heart. He sees the self-centered motive behind that—the very selfishness He has set out to free us from.
We do not give to get; but we get when we give out of pure motives. When the giving comes out of a sincere love, as it was with these Philippians, then God is faithful to generously balance the books. Paul taught on this subject in 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 when he was preparing to receive an offering. “Remember this: [Paul said] Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
Look at the promise made in verse 11 to those who give generously: “You will be made rich in every way.” It’s not that you put a dollar in the heavenly slot machine and get ten dollars back. The reaping may come in other currency. God may fill your heart with joy and peace. He may open heaven and reveal His love for you like never before. Your family may be blessed with health and peace. He may open His word to you with treasures of revelation you never dreamed were there. If the need is financial, He may give you a hundred-fold instead of ten-fold. When the heart is generous and unselfish, God can safely make you “rich in every way.”
But what is His purpose in this? Is it so we can consume it all on our own flesh?xv The latter part of verse 11 answers that question: “so that you can be generous on every occasion.” It is so you can have an overflow to share with others. And as they receive blessing through you, they will give glory to God. Verse 11 concludes: “and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” In the end God is glorified.
Back in Philippians 4:20 Paul puts it all in perspective. There he writes, “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” What he has done for them was to the glory of God. What they have done for Paul was to the glory of God. That gives it all supreme value. It’s more than mere human kindness. That is a good thing. But when the ultimate desire is to glorify God, it takes it to a higher level. God worked in the hearts of these Philippians to give sacrificially to Paul (2:13). God who graced them to do it will reward them for their generosity. More important than anything else is God will be glorified. “So,” 1 Corinthians 10:31 instructs us, “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Our society has been inundated and corrupted by humanistic philosophy that exalts man and ignores God. Even much of today’s preaching is man-centered instead of God-centered.xvi “During the construction of Emerson Hall at Harvard University, president Charles Eliot invited psychologist and philosopher William James to suggest a suitable inscription for the stone lintel over the doors of the philosophy department. After some reflection, James sent Eliot a line from Greek philosopher Protagoras: ‘Man is the measure of all things.’ James never heard back from Eliot, so his curiosity was piqued when he spotted artisans working on a scaffold hidden by a canvas. One morning the scaffold and canvas were gone. The inscription? ‘What is man that thou are mindful of him?” Those two inscriptions represent the difference between a God-centered worldview and a human-centered worldview.xvii Paul’s ultimate goal was the glory of God. All his talk about God’s supply and goodness overflows in the doxology: “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”xviii
II. The GREETINGS commanded by Paul are stated in verses 21-23.
In verse 21 he begins with this command: “Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus.”
As a minimum that is a call to friendliness. The fundamental meaning behind the word translated “greet” (aspazomai) is “to draw to oneself.”xix The word occurs 59 times in the New Testament.xx We are to connect with other people in an attractive way.xxi Evangelism depends on it. The unity of the Body of Christ depends on it. When we lived in Kansas City, we visited Impact Church. As we walked into the foyer of that large church, we were greeted by a lady who drew us in immediately. She didn’t just shake our hands and say, “Welcome.” Her welcome was the most inviting, affirming connection imaginable. It was not pushy or controlling. It was a sincere acknowledgement of our importance. She talked with us for a few minutes, then asked if we would like to sit with her and her husband. She led us to the third row where seats were awaiting us. I don’t remember the sermon that fine pastor preached. But I remember her greeting vividly. Experts say people decide whether they will come back to a church within the first few minutes of attending. Her gift of hospitality was certainly one reason so many came back to Impact Church.
Paul is not dealing with evangelism in this verse. But the principle of greeting people with respect and love certainly applies. Jesus used this word in the Sermon on the Mount when He talked about loving our enemies. In Matthew 5:47 He said, “And if you greet [aspazomai] only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” That is an exhortation to step out of your comfort zone and connect with sinners for the sake of their salvation. We can do that without compromising biblical truth if we truly value the person, but not join in sinful behavior. Jesus did that at the house of Matthew. He was not sinning with the sinners; He was loving them into the kingdom.xxii There is a way to speak the truth in love that opens the door for unbelievers to come into God’s grace. We do not have time to fully explain this, but it requires a respect for their humanity in the image of God.xxiii It requires a respect for their freewill. It requires humility and genuine concern for their wellbeing.
When you do that, some will say yes to the gospel, and some will say no. We cannot control that decision. It is theirs alone to make. But we can operate in grace and kindness that is attractive.
When Jesus sent the twelve to evangelize the towns and villages in Judea, He used this word again. In Matthew 10::11-16 He gave this instruction: "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting [aspazomai]. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
You begin with a positive connection Then you share the gospel. Then they make a yea or nay decision. If the decision is yea, then you continue ministering to them. If the decision is nay, then you move on and share the gospel with others. You don’t manipulate them. You don’t grab them by the throat demanding that they agree with you. You offer the gospel and respect the decision they make.xxiv
Paul’s instruction in our text is about greeting fellow believers. The qualifier at the end of verse 21 is “saints in Christ Jesus.” You may recall from our study in 1:1, a saint is any born-again believer.
The other qualifier is “all” (panta). Since the Greek is singular, “every” is probably a better translation than “all.”xxv Every believer we encounter should be embraced and loved simply because they are “in Christ.”xxvi That is the basis of our affinity with one another: “in Christ.”
But what if they are in a different denomination? The disciples asked about this in Matthew 9:38. Jesus’s answer was, “whoever is not against us is for us.” Paul condemned the sectarianism that was going on at Corinth. They were dividing up in groups, some saying, “I am aligned with Peter.” Others were saying, “I am of Paul;” still others, “I am a follower of Apollos.” Paul condemned their carnal immaturity.xxvii You can be in a denomination and not be sectarian in your heart. The issue is one’s heart attitude toward other believers.
The Laodicean church became prideful. Jesus condemned that.xxviii Pride is often behind people glorying in their church or denomination. We appreciate the part our church or denomination is assigned in God’s kingdom, otherwise we wouldn’t be there. We may also value the distinctives of our group. But that must not become a prideful thing, and it must not become a basis for rejecting other Christians whose calling may involve a different emphasis than our own. We make our boast in Christ. And we should avoid any attitude that divides the Body of Christ.xxix
What if they have some doctrinal error? There are some fundamental doctrines of the faith that give evidence that a person is “in Christ.” When those are rejected, we are told to withdraw fellowship from those people. We can do that with humility and kindness, but they have rejected the Lord, and He is the basis of our koinonia (fellowship) (1 John 1:3). The Apostle John wrote in his second epistle, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2 John 1:9-11, NKJV). The Greek translated greet in verses 10 and 11 is different from our Philippian text.xxx The King James Version captures the idea: “receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: [verse 11] For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” We cannot wish him well as he goes about opposing the doctrine of Christ. We cannot have close communion with him, although we will still desire his salvation. “For [Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:14] what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” So, there are fundamental doctrinal errors that give evidence the person is not “in Christ.”xxxi But all those who are “in Christ” are to be received.
There are many doctrinal differences in the Body of Christ that should never break our fellowship and love toward one another. The Presbyterians emphasize the sovereignty of God. The Methodist emphasize the freewill of man. In this life we all see through a glass darkly.xxxii We will be in heaven before we know exactly how close to the balanced truth each side was. We do not have to see eye to eye on everything in order to love and support one another “in Christ.”xxxiii
What if their political views are different than ours? We must not compromise our conscience to “just get along.” But there is a way to respectfully disagree. We can reject ideas without rejecting a person. When hearts are right on both sides of the issue, we can discuss the matter and learn from one another. Scripture says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17). Sadly, the ability to disagree respectfully is in short supply today. Many simply resort to name-calling, mudslinging, and even violence in the streets.
In recent months, the devil has worked hard at dividing the Body of Christ. He uses race, gender, party affiliation, and anything else he can find to set brother against brother. When any of these issues take precedence over our unity in Christ, we are out of God’s will. As a Christian, my number one loyalty is to Christ and His people. All other affiliations take a backseat to that. I have strong political views because I see significant moral issues at stake. I see the freedom to proclaim Christ at stake. My vote is not based on who I like the best, or the government benefits I will receive, or a party affiliation. I vote based on which platform I believe is closest to our biblical mandate. When the gospel is at stake, when moral issues are at stake, I have to speak up. I cannot stand on the sidelines of those issues. In my opinion the greatest moral issue we face today is abortion. There are other issues. But that one is going to bring a judgement from God unlike anything we can imagine. The blood of millions of innocent babies cries out for justice. The God of justice hears those cries.xxxiv
We oppose all injustice. The injustice imposed on blacks and Chinese in our history is heartbreaking. I spent a week with a precious black pastor who shared with me the abuse he experienced at West Point when he and his twin brother were two of the first black students to attend that university. He shared the struggle he has gone through to forgive those abuses and go forward in Christ. The discrimination against Chinese immigrates in our past is appalling. The treatment of Native American Indians is an atrocity. Throughout history the strong have abused the weak. Ever since Cain slew Abel people have been mistreating one another. Of course, the mistreatment goes on within the races as well as between the races. Fallen man is by nature abusive toward others.
But there is no justification for any of that among believers. To have respect of persons because of race is a sin. To have respect of persons because of economic position is sin (James 2:1). The cross of Christ has broken down all those walls of division.xxxv Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” We are to tenaciously honor that unity. In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul discussed how Christ died for all. Then in verses 16-17 he said, “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (KJV). We are to honor all our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to see past race, economic status, party affiliation and know them “in Christ.” We are to “Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus.”
In the remainder of this letter Paul does what he has just told the Philippians to do. He extends His own greeting and greetings from those who are in Rome. Philippians 4:21b-23 says, “The brothers who are with me send greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”
Notice the networking Paul is facilitating in the Body of Christ. “All the saints send you greetings.” He is connecting the two churches. Most of the believers who hear this letter at Philippi do not know the believers in Rome. But Paul begins the introductions. He holds the saints at Philippi in one hand and the saints in Rome in the other, then joints them as one in Christ. It should be our goal in promoting the unity of the Body of Christ to not only greet fellow believers but join them with other believers as well. There is strength in unity.
Why does Paul single out “those who belong to Caesar's household”? Is it because they are better than the others? Is it because they are more important than the other believers in Rome? No, that would be showing respect of persons, and Paul would have none of that. But he would remind the Philippians of something very encouraging as he closes his letter. Paul discussed it back in 1:12-13. “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” As a result of Paul’s imprisonment even some of “those who belong to Caesar's household” got saved. It is a final reminder that God is working all things together for our good.xxxvi
Paul ends this letter by extending grace to his Christian readers. He greets them with grace in 1:2: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Now he concludes with a similar greeting in 4:23: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”
Paul uses the phrase “with your spirit” in the same way at the end of Galatians, Philemon, and 2 Timothy. By using the singular, spirit, with the plural, your, Paul is individualizing his benediction, “so that each of them (in the ‘spirit’ of each) will experience the desired grace that is here prayed for.”xxxvii Additionally, this phrase emphasizes the active nature of the grace of God in the individual believer.xxxviii May God’s grace actively strengthen your inner man as well. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”
ENDNOTES:
i All Scripture quotes, unless indicated otherwise, are from the New International Version.
ii 1 Timothy 6:6.
iii Prov. 3:13-14: “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; 14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold” (NKJV). One “proceed” from godly wisdom is the contentment Paul speaks of in Phil. 3:11.
iv The Greek word anathallo indicates is a combination of thallo meaning to thrive or flourish and the prefix ana meaning again. Zodhiates writes, “To thrive or flourish again as trees or plants which, though they seem dead in the winter, revive and flourish in the spring.” Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Iowa Falls, IA: Word Bible Publishers, 1994) 148.
v Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary, 873, 1321. Also see Thayer’s Greek Lexicon for koinoneo and sugkoinoneo.
vi Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 438.
vii See Phil. 1:27-29; 3:10.
viii Cf. John 10:11-13; Acts 20:33; 2 Thess. 3:7-10.
ix “Hudson Taylor often said, ‘When God’s work is done in God’s way for God’s glory, it will not lack for God’s supply.” As quoted by Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Joyful (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1986) 140.
x Cf. Jer. 17:5. A Christian worker should see past his employer and look to God as his source. This fortifies him against the temptation to compromise in order to keep his job or get ahead.
xi Cf. 1 Cor. 9:1-14; 1 Thess. 2:5; 1 Tim. 5:17-18.
xii J. Hugh Michael, The Epistle to the Philippians, Moffatt New Testament Commentary (London, 1928) 226 as quoted by Fee, 454.
xiii Cf. Ps. 37:25. However, we cannot not act foolishly and avoid the lesson to be learned (Heb. 12:6). We cannot foolishly run up credit card debt, then expect God to pick up the tab without teaching us to manage our debt responsibly. He will lead us through a solution, but it will involve training as well as resourcing.
xiv Luke 6:34: “And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.”
xv Cf. James 4:3.
xvi Cf. 1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2; 2 Cor. 11:3; Col. 2:8. The declaration of the gospel must not be replaced with self-help talks. There are practical things in Scripture that people need to know, but that should not be central. Preaching Christ should be central. The Lord’s Supper is a good reminder of that. Pleasing God should not be replaced with pleasing man (Prov. 29:25; Gal. 1:10).
xvii Edward K. Rowell, ed., Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching: From Leadership Journal (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997) s. v. “God’s Glory” by William Bird, 90. Eliot’s chosen inscription is a quote from Psalm 8:4. Paul expressed a God-centered worldview when in Romans 11:36 he said of the Lord, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”
xviii “Amen said by God 'it is and shall be so,' and by men, 'so let it be.’” (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.) s. v. AMEN. ‘Two words [amen and hallelujah],” writes Barnhouse, retain the same form in half the languages of the earth.” Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans, vol. IV: God’s Glory (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964) 116-117.
xix Strong’s # 782 “aspazomai.”
xx Englishman’s Concordance.
xxi “I went out to find a friend But could not find one there I went out to be a friend And friends were everywhere.” Author Unknown, “ Paul Lee Tan, ed., Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Rockville, Maryland: Assurance Publishers, 1985) 464.
xxii Matt. 9:10-13.
xxiii Cf. 1 Peter 2:17.
xxiv Of course, we continue to pray for their salvation and respond to any direction from the Lord to reach out to them again.
xxv See Fee, 457 for further explanation of this.
xxvi Peter argued in Acts 15:7-9 that if God receives people, we should also receive them. Romans 15:7 gives the direct command: “Accept [receive] one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Jesus said that receiving one of His own was to receive Him and to reject even one of the least of those who belong to Him was to reject Him (Matt. 10:40; 25:40, 45).
xxvii 1 Cor. 3:3-9. Titus 3:10 commands, “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.”
xxviii Rev. 3:14-22.
xxix Cf. Ps. 34:2; 44:8; Jer. 9:23-24; 1 Cor. 1:31; Eph. 4:1-6.
xxx The Greek phrase “legon auto chario” in this context forbids to speak as if we are approving the heretic’s message. Commenting on this Zodhiates writes, “This involves a continuing reception into your house and giving the idea that he is welcome to spread his doctrine to you and those who gather in your home. This is not contrary to the Christian doctrine of hospitality.” Spiros Zodhiates, The Epistles of John: An Exegetical Commentary (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1994) 478.
xxxi For a fuller discussion of this see Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2019) 133-145, 233-247. There are also sinful lifestyles of professed Christians that can give evidence that a professor is not “in Christ.” See Tow, Authentic Christianity, 170-189. Paul also instructed a break in fellowship with someone living in open sin and refusing to repent in 1 Corinthians 5. When the person later repented, he was to be restored to fellowship (2 Cor. 2:1-11). Having mentioned these two exceptions, we should be accepting and supportive of one another in our struggles to live out our salvation in daily obedience. Love covers a multitude of faults (1 Pet. 4:8). We are all continually coming short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Rather than criticizing and rejecting those who fail (Matt. 7:1-5) we should come along beside them and help them gain victory. We can do that without condoning any sinful behavior.
xxxii 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV): “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
xxxiii The memorable motto adopted as early as 1627 is a helpful guide: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity [or love].” Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 7, 1910, reprint (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977) 659.
xxxiv Cf. Gen. 4:9-11; Num. 35:33-34; Ps. 106:37-38; Jer. 7:28-34; Ezek. 23:45-49.
xxxv Cf. Eph. 2:13-16; 4:3-6; Acts 10:34.
xxxvi Cf. Rom. 8:28. One of Paul’s primary concerns is that the Philippian believers not lose heart while suffering hardship and persecution (Phil. 1:27-30).
xxxvii Fee, 461.
xxxviii Cf. Phil. 2:13; 1 Cor. 15:10.
