Philippians - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

preached Word (Rom. 10:17; Gal. 3:2,5). Because it is thus obtained from God, thanks are to be
returned to God for it. (J. Dillow)
It would be foolish to preach in a cemetery, trusting that some of the interred dead would hear the
gospel and come to life; and yet this is what many ministers are doing. Their congregations are
cemeteries of spiritually dead people. Unless God makes some of them alive, they cannot possibly
respond with saving faith and be redeemed. Moreover, it is not even our own faith, but a faith given
to us from the Father, channeled through the Son, and made effective through the power of the Holy
Spirit. Saving faith is not the human contribution of a sinner seeking salvation, but the divine
contribution of the gracious God seeking a sinner (Acts 18:27). We are saved by grace through faith
(Eph. 2:8) and that not of ourselves. It is through faith as a channel that we are saved and not
because of a faith of our own which is taken as a kind of guarantee of our earnestness. It is God and
not we ourselves who opens our hearts to the entrance of the Lord within. (A. Custance) Suffering
for Christ will reward those who persevere through suffering … Suffering as a follower of Christ can
be seen as grounds for rejoicing. (G. Sapaugh)
The ministry of the Word effects conversion and sanctification, but the Word itself does not effect
regeneration. It does not unstop deaf ears and open blind eyes. Scripture teaches that faith comes by
hearing, but this faith is not of man. Saving faith is the gift of God. Distinction must be made
between the faculty of faith and its exercise. (1) The faculty of faith (ability to embrace Christ in a
spiritual manner) is implanted in man’s heart in regeneration. This is the immediate (without means)
and sovereign work of the Spirit. (2) The exercise of faith is wrought in conversion and
sanctification by the power of the indwelling life ... Redemption is not something provided as an
offer for all men, but a redemption made sure to those whom God sovereignly regenerates.
Regeneration, therefore, is not a life line thrown out to a drowning man (a drowning man is not
dead), but a ransom applied to a person dead in trespasses and sins. Do not overlook the fact that
both repentance and faith are of God. They are God’s gifts of salvation; therefore, they cannot be
man’s contribution to his salvation. (W.E. Best)
The entire system of spiritual advancement is said to be “in behalf of Christ.” The principle that
suffering is a key element in the glorification of Christ is also stated in this verse. How does our
suffering benefit Christ? By fulfilling the protocol plan of God we glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He
is exalted in our lives as we attain spiritual adulthood and proceed toward maturity so that we are
qualified to receive maximum blessing. Christ is glorified by delivering tailor-made blessings to the
mature believer. We “suffer for His sake” in the sense that periodic suffering is essential to our
advance. The emphasis is on spiritual growth and on Christ’s glorification, not on suffering itself.
(R.B. Thieme, Jr.) Reformation theology did not deny human responsibility or an objective choice
set before sinners through the preaching of the cross. They are simply pointing out that both faith
and repentance are the gifts of God, not the contribution of man. Leaders of the Reformation, such as
Luther and Calvin, interpreted the Scriptures as saying that we are not saved on the basis of the
exercise of our wills. As a matter of fact, they claimed that this is directly contradicted in such
Scriptures. (R. Morey)
Philp. 1:29 Because (causal; consecutive: “seeing that”) it