Paul had no trouble writing “the same things” to the Philippian church so they could be reminded, prepared, & protected.
[This discussion can be read aloud in 4 1/2 min.]
Philippians: Shine Like Stars – DAY 66
Family Discussions for the New Year
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DAY 66/FRI.-SAT.
Philippians 3:1
Reminded, Prepared, Protected
“Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.”
Philippians 3:1 (NIV)
*Click here to read in multiple English translations.
Building Biblical Literacy
- Comprehension asks, “What does it say?”
- Interpretation asks, “What does it mean?”
- Application asks, “How should it change me?”
*Jen Wilkin, Women of the Word, p.87 (2014)
In our DAY 63 discussion, we said we would go through these three stages of good literacy-building here at the beginning of Philippians 3.
DAY 63 was about Comprehension.
In our DAY 64 discussion, we began Interpretation.
Today, we continue Interpretation, as we did on DAY 65, always aiming to correctly handle the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15).
The Same Things
“It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again…”
Philippians 3:1b (NIV)
Q: Why would Paul “write the same things” to the Philippian church “again”?
A: To remind them
In our DAY 59: I Will Always Remind You discussion, we focused on the idea of being reminded of truth we already know. Paul expresses that idea here.
Humans are forgetful beings, aren’t we? Reminder & calendar apps and various alarm & notification settings are technologies most of us rely upon these days.
When Paul was writing to the Philippian church, not only did none of these modern technologies exist, but the New Testament of the Bible was still being written. Unlike us, the Philippian believers could not open up a Bible app or even a print copy of God’s Word. Instead, apostles, like Paul, came & preached to them, then sent them letters.
With less ways to be reminded of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ than we have today, it was appropriate and important for Paul to remind the Philippian brothers & sisters in the best way available — writing “the same things” to them “again.”
No Trouble
“It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.”
Philippians 3:1b,c (NIV)
Q: What are the reasons Paul gives for writing the same things to the Philippian church again?
A: It is no trouble for him, and it is a safeguard for them.
Paul was literally writing the New Testament as he wrote this letter to the Philippian believers. He had a lot of information about God & the Gospel to pass on, not only to them, but to multitudes of others who would read his writings, including us. And yet, it was no trouble for him to remind them of some things he had already told them. He could’ve expressed disappointment in them for having to be reminded, or admonish them for their immaturity and forgetfulness, but he didn’t.
A Safeguard
This reminder was a safeguard for Paul’s Philippian brothers and sisters in the faith.
| safeguard: | a protection or guard; a precautionary measure |
*The American Heritage College Dictionary, 4th ed.
Paul wanted to protect the Philippian church, to guard them from something. He was reminding them as a precaution, so they would not be caught off guard by forgetting something important.
Reminded, Prepared, Protected
When has a reminder served to prepare you for or protect you from something?
My oldest child had her wisdom teeth removed on a Friday. At her pre-op appointment, the surgeon’s office prepared us for what would happen on surgery day and sent us home with a list of ways we could prepare for her surgery. On Tuesday, the week of her surgery, the oral surgery center reminded me of the appointment date and time via text message. On Friday, the morning of the surgery, the surgery center reminded me of her appointment time and cautioned us to arrive 15 minutes ahead of schedule. We were sent home from the surgery with further instructions and reminders about how to care for my daughter as she recovered, for her protection.
My daughter’s health is very important to me, so I was thankful to be reminded and prepared before, during, and after her surgery so she could be protected from harm. The spiritual health of Paul’s Philippian brothers- and sisters-in-Christ was even more important to him than anyone’s physical health! Unlike physical harm, spiritual harm has eternal consequences.
What have we learned?
Paul was reminding the Philippian church so they could be prepared and protected.
- Reminded… of what?
- Prepared… for what?
- Protected… from what?
We’ll look for the answers to these questions in our next discussion.
DAY 66/FRI.-SAT. Prayer
Father God,
Thank You for Your Word.
We praise You for the easy access we have to the entirety of Your Word! We pray for all those who don’t have that easy access, that they would be able to receive a copy of Your Word in their own language.
Thank You for not only teaching us new things about You, but for also reminding us of the truth You’ve already revealed to us. May our thirst for knowledge not distract us from our need to be reminded of what we already know.
May Your Word remind, prepare, and protect us as we study it.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
DAY 66: Paul was reminding the Philippian church so they could be prepared and protected.