What God did in sorting out our relationship with him reveals how to approach our relationships with each other.
The final chapter of Philippians calls us to treat each other the way God treated us (Philippians 2:6-11). The reconciling God is our joy, even while we’re still sorting things out. That’s why we rejoice in the Lord always (4:4).
This podcast (22 minutes) was recorded at Riverview Burswood 2022-09-25.
Continue reading “The reconciling gospel (podcast) (Philippians 4:1-4)”
“All I ask is that you live as his kingdom, honouring the good news that he is king” (Philippians 1:27)
Disciple is a kingdom word. A disciple is literally a trainee, an apprentice. Jesus trained disciples to proclaim the restoration of heaven’s reign arriving in him, sending them out to enact the kingdom.
Many books on discipleship don’t start from there, but here’s one that does: Living the King Jesus Gospel: Discipleship and Ministry Then and Now (Cascade Books, 2021). Seventeen pastors and scholars built on Scot McKnight’s work on the kingdom, covering discipleship in the New Testament, in Christian history, and in our shared life today. In this post we’ll just look at Nijay Gupta’s chapter on Philippians.
What would you see as the main theme of Philippians? Joy? Partnership? Jesus’ servant heart and ascension? These themes are present, and Michael Gorman is right to treat 2:5-11 as “Paul’s master story.” (Journal of Theological Interpretation, 1:1-2, 2007, 147– 170).
Nijay Gupta titled his chapter, “Living as Good Citizens of the Gospel Kingdom of Christ according to Philippians.” Why?
How do you build community? God’s answer to that question is quite staggering, not least because we’re participants in the community he’s building in Christ. How? Well, that amazing hymn in Philippians 2 tells us how.
Continue reading “The mind of Christ (podcast) (Philippians 2)”
Seeking the kingdom 