Summary of Philippians in Nine Steps: Philippians 1–4

Look at the Book
Teacher: John Piper

[moseswisdom]

I'M FROM TANZANIA EAST AFRICA, I ENJOY THIS TEACHING

[jesuschristbiblebiblestudy]

"So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."

(Matthew 6: 31- 34)

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your provision and guidance, every day. Thank you for giving us the wisdom and courage to rely on You.
Amen.

[ronnamora]

Yes GOD for Your Glory to be revealed I Agree in prayer for this. Amen Father with Your Help I Am Blessed By The Blessing to Be A Blessing.
💯💯💯🕊️

[Chrysolite-knmz]

I just want to say thank you so much Pastor John !! Your channels and podcast had helped me very much in understanding his Word ! May God continue to bless you and the speaker and you guys family !! ❤️❤️❤️

[maxaplin]

Mostly a good summary of Philippians. I would just want to challenge it at a couple of places:


First, I'm not convinced that Phil 1:6 necessarily promises that God will never allow a born-again believer to fall away from the faith and lose salvation.


In this verse Paul talks about A work (singular) that God has begun among 'you' (plural). Paul is saying that he is sure that God will complete his work IN THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH. This doesn't necessarily mean that God will complete his work in each believer.


Besides, even though Paul says that he is sure that God will complete his work in the Philippian church, it's not clear how absolute this statement is. The Bible often allows for unexpressed conditions to things. For example, in Matt 19:28 Jesus says to the 12:


'Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will sit on twelve thrones . . .'


Note that no condition is given here, yet there is no way that Judas Iscariot will ever sit on a throne. So we have to conclude that when Jesus gave this prophecy, he wasn't giving the whole picture, even though he begins the prophecy with 'Truly I tell you'.


Similarly, in Phil 1:6, I think it is possible that Paul could have implied something like this:


'God has committed himself to you Philippians and he is doing a work in you to use you for himself and also to keep you in the faith, and I am confident that he won't back out of his commitment to do this. But if you absolutely insist on abandoning the faith, that is another matter entirely.'


I think Phil 1:6 COULD be suggesting that God will never allow a born-again believer to fall away from the faith, but I don't think it has to be suggesting this.


Second, Piper says that 'God's final, ultimate aim' is the glory of God. The glory of God should certainly be OUR highest aim. And it is certainly ONE of God's aims.


However, if we say that God's highest aim is his glory, which he works everything towards, then it is very difficult to square this with God's love. Love is about giving to another person as the highest motivation. But if God gives to us as a means towards gaining something for himself, i.e., glory, then how is that love?


And if we say that Jesus died for us as a means of gaining glory for himself, the wonder of the cross is massively reduced. On the cross, Jesus was surely motivated first and foremost by wanting to benefit us.


In his book, The Reason for God, pages 220-221, Tim Keller says the following:


'Why did Jesus die for us? What was Jesus getting out of it? Remember, he already had a community of joy, glory and love [in the intratrinitarian relationships]. He didn't need us. So what benefit did he derive from this? Not a thing. And that means that when he came into the world and died on the cross to deal with our sins, he was circling and serving US [italics in the original]. "I have given them the glory that you gave me" (John 17). He began to do with us what he had been doing with the Father and the Spirit from all eternity. He centres upon us, loving us without benefit to himself.'


From what I have seen Piper and Keller write/say on this topic, I think Keller has the much better understanding of things.

[albertjuju]

Can a christian start a business as a teenager.

[mr.c]

FAITH: gratitude and humility where they should not exist. Faith is proactive..it’s not simply a belief system. How many eventualities occur every day which challenge this premise/definition? Are we even asking the question or are we just sugar coating it with a lot of doctrine?

[albertjuju]

Can a christian leave home at the age 18