Philippians: Thinking and doing the gospel

At this time of the year, the Common Lectionary, carries important Bible readings from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi. Philippi was located on the Greek peninsula and on a highly traveled road that connected east and west. We cannot determine how many times Paul visited Philippi. However, it was clearly one of Paul’s important cities as he pursued the spread of the good news of the Jesus Gospel.

There are some wonderful passages in Philippians, but the so-called letter is significantly disjointed. Scholars today believe that it contains excerpts from at least three letters and possibly more. No one doubts that Paul is the writer and that the Philippian church is the recipient of the entire collection, but through what eyes should it be read?

Some things we know. Paul was in prison in Rome. The letters were probably written in the late 50s CE and/or early 60s CE well before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 CE. Paul wrote well before any of the Gospel writers. Paul was not a part of the Zealot movement. He was not an insurrectionist. Paul was very educated and was highly influenced by his roots in Judaism. Paul’s writings make up a quarter of the New Testament or more. He wrote much of the Philippian letters to a troubled congregation. He is an important voice in understanding and interpreting the early Christian gospel.

With this bit of background, I offer observations about Paul’s approach to the gospel.

The great control in the Christian life, according to Paul, is the “mind of Christ.” “Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” Paul’s understanding was that the gospel was rooted in the thinking of Jesus and was reasonable and rational.

Remember that the Philippian church was a troubled congregation. Paul’s appeal to them was not a command to obey a council or a bishop. There was no call for a committee or judicial authority. His advice was to “THINK ON THESE THINGS.” He gives a list of subjects about which to think. With Paul, good thinking was the way to conflict resolution.

Paul’s list is in chapter four of the book. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things.” For Paul thinking is an essential part of the Israelite tradition. The ability to think is a special gift from God. Thinking is the basic tool in all problem solving. Paul thought the great mark of maturity was thinking. His advice to the Corinthian church was “Do not be children in your thinking…but in thinking, be adults.

I was never a fan of Norman Vincent Peale. However, his emphasis on the “power of positive thinking” was on target. Whenever a human being is troubled, his best way out of his dilemma is always found in thinking. Paul’s assumption was that a healthy mind can be directed.

We can choose what we think about!

I have found this to be true in my life experience. I do not have to dwell on negative, destructive thoughts. Here is where Paul is especially helpful. Paul directs believers to think about those things which are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and praise worthy.

When we do this kind of direction of our minds, a lot of problems are solved or melt away.

Paul’s advice to the Philippians did not stop with thinking. There was another piece to solving the life puzzle. The mind directs our thinking. “Keep on doing those things you have learned, received, heard, and seen in me.” The Christian gospel is not simply something to be believed. It is not simply something to be thought about, something to be pondered. The Christian gospel is something that we do. Thinking and doing. Thinking and doing. It is the partnership which makes Christian Faith attractive and vital.

I recall as a child the advice that good works will never save you, cannot make you whole. I still believe this. I should not involve myself in the doing of good to make me acceptable to God. I belong to God because of God’s abundant grace and extraordinary love and kindness. It was said of Jesus that “he went about doing good.” What a legacy! It should be the hallmark of all Christian churches.

I am a Baptist. I am a non-creedal Christian. I suspect the Nicene Creed of 325 CE was the great tragedy of Christian history. Creeds free Christians from thinking and delivers them from their primary task of doing good.

I enjoy theological debate. I consider thoughtful argument to be healthy for all human beings and especially for Christians. Debate, argument, and discussion are the tools of life. They are eagerly waiting to be used by those who choose to follow Jesus, the folk activist from Nazareth. I am optimistic about the future.

Thinking and doing; thinking and doing.

THE END

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer, Alaska. He is Pastor Emeritus of Church off the Covenant in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.