464 - Les Feldick Bible Study - Lesson 2 Part 4 Book 39 - Philippians 1:1-27 - Part 2

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 2 * PART 4 * BOOK 39 Philippians 1:1-27 - Part 2 Now for those of you who missed the first half hour or two, you want to remember that Paul is writing from a Roman prison just outside the praetorian guard in Rome right next door to the palace of Nero. Also remember that Nero was probably the most wicked world leader that ever lived. First off he had his wife Octavia killed so that he could marry Poppaea, a proselyte of Judaism, who of course encouraged all the activity against the apostle Paul because you know how the Jewish people felt about Paul’s apostleship. So you want to remember for Paul to make inroads into a government headed up by a man like that, no wonder he was thrilled. Paul was experiencing the salvation of these Romans all the way into the very elite part of the Roman government. Now continuing on in chapter 1. Remember in our last lesson his closing remarks were, "Some people were actually promoting his Gospel in order to hopefully bring even more harm to him, but it doesn’t matter as long as people heard the Gospel of the Grace of God." Let’s look at verse 16 again. Philippians 1:16-17a Philippians 1:17 When Paul would get his time in court. You want to remember that’s the only reason that this man is in prison. Paul hadn’t broken any law, or had been trying to overthrow Rome. Paul hadn’t been using any bad remarks about Nero or even the gods and goddess of mythology, but rather all Paul had been doing was preaching the Gospel that saves you, Christ crucified, and risen again. Philippians 1:18 Now verse 19. Philippians 1:19 Does Paul think that all this activity is going to bring about his own salvation? You know that Paul knew that many years before. Paul had his salvation, it was secure by his faith, but what he’s talking about is the out working of it all. Let’s read it again. Philippians 1:19 "For I know that this shall turn to my salvation (freedom) through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." Not his spiritual salvation, but his actually being set free from prison. Now some people think he was set free. Now don’t ever sell the prayers of the saints short. Now verse 20. Philippians 1:20 That reminds me of another verse and I imagine many of you also thought of this verse as we were reading verse 20. Here Paul is writing several years before he wrote Philippians. Romans 1:16 of the gospel of Christ: for it (the Gospel) is the power of God unto salvation (for how many?) to every one that believeth;..." There’s no condition of being baptized in water or anything else to becoming a believer of the Body of Christ. See, if God had put a price on salvation then people would have just flocked to it, because man always wants to do something himself. So Paul was not ashamed of that Gospel that he preached so freely. Philippians 1:20b How anxious he was to give his life for the sake of the Gospel., and always remember that Grace is sufficient. If something like that ever comes our way, and I hope it doesn’t, then God’s Grace will overwhelm us also like it did Paul. Philippians 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." I don’t want to see death, in fact I hate death. No, I don’t like death, but this man was so ready to die because it is to gain Christ. Let’s look at the flip side in verse 22. Philippians 1:22-24 (of course it would be better than a Roman prison) 24. Philippians 1:24 Hopefully Paul would be released and once again make the circle of visiting all the Churches that he had established. What’s the verse I’m going to? Some said "No, we’re going to stay with Paul." II Corinthians 11:22-23a (Paul’s humbling himself) I said that Peter had no ministry among the Gentiles. Look what Paul says. II Corinthians 11:23 "Are they ministers of Christ? I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes (the 40 lashes) above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft." Remember at Philippi, he was sick nigh unto death, in Ephesus he seemingly escaped with his life as he said, "I escaped the beast in Ephesus." "...in death oft. 24. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27. Philippians 1:24 To keep them ready for persecution or death, if and when it should come. Now verse 25. Philippians 1:25 Tortured them, threw them in prison. So over and over Paul would say, "Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice." Now verse 26. Philippians 1:26 So what’s Paul looking forward to? Getting out of prison. Now verse 27. Philippians 1:27 All Paul was concerned about, is their faith that which would prepare them for eternity. Oh yeah I’ll be spiritual if it’ll give me material blessings. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible