THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians
Message One—Magnifying Christ

Scripture Reading: Phil. 1:29-26; 4:22

I. All of Paul’s lie and work were not for expressing himself or for displaying his knowledge, his ability, or his other merits and strong points; what he was and what he did were for expressing Christ, even for magnifying Christ—Phil. 1:20; cf. 3:3-10; 4:22. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

II. In the apostle’s suffering in his body, Christ was magnified, that is, He was shown or declared to be great (without limitation), exalted, and extolled—1:20: (2002 ST, msg. 2)

A. The Apostle’s sufferings afforded him opportunity to express Christ in His unlimited greatness—Acts 9:16; 2 Cor. 6:4; 11:23. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

B. To magnify Christ under any circumstances is to experience him with the topmost enjoyment—Phil. 1:18; 4:23. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

C. As Paul was held captive in a Roman prison, he magnified Christ, making Him to appear great in the eyes of His captors: (2002 ST, msg. 2)

1. Regardless of the circumstances, Paul was full of joy and rejoicing in the Lord—cf. Acts 16:23-25. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

2. Since Philippians is concerned with the experience and enjoyment of Christ, which issue in joy, it is a book filled with joy and rejoicing—Phil. 1:4, 18, 25; 2:2, 17-18, 28-29; 3:1; 4:1, 4. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

3. Paul’s shining forth and expressing Christ in his joy were a declaration of the unlimited greatness of Christ and a declaration that Christ is inexhaustible—Eph. 3:8; cf. Isa. 9:6. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

III. Salvation in Philippians 1:19 means to be sustained and strengthened to live and magnify Christ; this requires the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ—Phil. 1:19: (2002 ST, msg. 2)

A. The salvation of Paul speaks of in 1:19 is not eternal salvation; it is a subjective, experiential, and constant salvation in our daily lie for magnifying Christ. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

B. To live Christ for His magnification is to participate in Christ’s salvation in life, in which we are saved from the failure of not living Christ and from the defeat of not magnifying Christ—Rom. 5:10. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

C. The key to Paul’s experience of salvation was the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ; when we enjoy the Spirit, and partake of Him, Christ is magnified and becomes our expression—Heb. 1:9b; 3:14a; 6:4b; 1 Cor. 12:3b. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

D. We need to be in the Body life and remain in the priestly service that builds up the Body so that we can enjoy the bountiful supply of the Spirit, the supply of the Body, for magnifying Christ—Psa. 133:2; Exo. 30:23-31; Phil. 1:19; Rom. 15:16; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

IV. The expression of Christ, signified by the priestly garments, qualified us to serve as priests and sanctifies us, separates us unto God for His unique purpose—Exo. 28:2-4; 1 Pet. 2:9: (2002 ST, msg. 2)

A. The expression of Christ as our “holy garments” is for glory and beauty—Exo. 28:2: (2002 ST, msg. 2)

1. For glory means to express Christ’s divinity with the divine attributes—John 1:14; Heb. 1:3; John 17:22; 2 Cor. 3:18. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

2. For beauty means to express Christ’s humanity with the human virtues—Luke 24:19; Acts 16:7; Psa. 27:4. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

3. Whenever we express the divine glory blended with the beauty of human virtues, we are built up together as the priesthood—1 Pet. 2:5. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

B. As the believers’ pattern, Paul lived a life fully dignified, with the highest standard of human virtues expressing the most excellent divine attributes, a life that resembled the one that the Lord Himself had lived on the earth years before—1 Tim. 1:16; Gal. 6:17; cf. Acts 27:21-26. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

V. I we magnify Christ by living Him, we will become strong factors, channels o supply, to enable the saints to grow in life and enjoy the Lord—Phil. 1:22-26: (2002 ST, msg. 2)

A. In Paul’s chained body, Christ was exalted, extolled, praised, and appreciated because Paul lived Christ—Phil. 1:21; Eph. 6:20. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

B. Christ’s being magnified is so that He may be seen by others in the reality of His resurrection and ministered to others in the reality of His Spirit. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

C. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he was living in prison and not outwardly working; his speaking of “fruit from work’ indicates that his work was actually his living—Phil. 1:22: (2002 ST, msg. 2)

1. The fruit o this work was Christ lived out, magnified, ministered, and transfused into others. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

2. The fruit of this work was the issue, the result, of Paul’s living in prison. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

3. Paul’s living work was to minister Christ to others and to transfuse the Christ he magnified into them. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

4. Through Paul’s magnification of Christ, even some in Caesar’s household were saved—4:22. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

D. Because of Paul the churches could have the growth in lie and could be filled with the enjoyment of Christ; this should also be true of us today—Phil. 1:25: (2002 ST, msg. 2)

1. Because Paul lived and magnified Christ to the uttermost, he could transfuse Christ into the saints and minister Christ to all the churches. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

2. Paul’s consideration to either depart and be with Christ or remain in the flesh was not selfish but was for the saints’ sake; he was absolutely occupied by the Lord and the church—vv. 23-24. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

a. It should matter to the church whether we remain or go to be with the Lord, but this depends on our living Christ, magnifying Christ, ministering Christ, and transfusing Christ from the depths of our being into that of the saints—cf. 2:25-30. (2002 ST, msg. 2)

b. In the Body life there is the urgent need of certain ones to function as channels o supply—cf. Zech. 4:12-14; Judg. 9:9. (2002 ST, msg. 2)