Rejoice in the Lord
3: 1
Rejoice in the Lord DIG: Does Paul seem to be ending his letter here? How do we know that he is not? What is Paul’s negative example? Why use himself as a positive example? Is joy the same thing as happiness? What three clues does Paul give us to help us rise to the level of obedience in praising the Lord in difficult circumstances? How can the Gospel a safe harbor?
REFLECT: Why would we even consider turning back to the flesh when we possess such spiritual realities? How are you a positive example in Messiah to those whom you come into contact with? In what ways do you rejoice in the Lord? How do you know that you will not be at the mercy of people clever in devising ways to deceive? How are you demonstrating your joy today?
We cannot allow our circumstances to steal our joy.
In his effort to present himself as a model of a Messiah-shaped life, Paul begins with a negative example. After an initial call to rejoice in the Lord, the apostle warns the Philippians about the danger posed by the Judaizers (3:2). All that they claim comes through obeying the Torah, believers already experience by virtue of being in Messiah (3:3). To show the futility of putting confidence in the flesh, Paul beats them at their own game by showing that on their terms, his spiritual resume far surpasses anyone else’s (3:4-6).
Regardless of whether confidence in the flesh rests in our pedigree or our performance, it denies the reality of what ADONAI has done for us in Messiah. As members of the B’rit Chadashah, we have circumcised hearts, worship God in the power of the Spirit, and glory in Messiah Yeshua. Why would we even consider turning back to the flesh when we already possess such spiritual realities?119
Finally, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord (3:1a). Finally is better rendered so then, furthermore, or now then. What it meant here is exactly what it meant in First Thessalonians 4:1 and Second Thessalonians 3:1, as for the rest, meaning, or as for what remains to be said. It is a word of transition, not conclusion, since half of Philippians follows it. And as in previous cases, Paul adds: my dear brothers and sisters.120 Rejoice (joy) is an important theme, both in Philippians (1:4, 18, 25, 2:2, 17-18, 28-29, 4:1, 4, and 10), and in the rest of the B’rit Chadashah, where it appears in its noun form and verb forms about 150 times. Here, as in 4:4 and 10 (cf. Luke 1:47), Paul connects rejoicing to a relationship, commanding believers to rejoice in the Lord. In other words, the sphere in which their joy exists is in their relationship with the Lord Yeshua Messiah.
The joy of which Paul writes is not the same thing as happiness (a word related to the term
“happenstance”), the feeling of exhilaration associated with favorable circumstances. In fact, joy persists in the face of unfavorable circumstances: weakness, pain, suffering, even death (James 1:2). Biblical joy produces a deep confidence in the future that is based on trust in the purposes and power of ADONAI. It results in the absence of any ultimate fear, since the relationship on which it is based is eternal and unshakeable (Psalm 16:11; John 16:22). Nor is it a humanly produced emotion; that Paul commands it shows that rejoicing is an act of the will in choosing to obey God. The result is a supernaturally produced emotion, the fruit of walking in the Spirit (see Galatians, to see link click Bv – Walk by the Ruach, and Not the Desires of the Flesh). As a result, true believers demonstrate joy (cf. Psalms 9:14, 13:5, 32:11, 33: 1 and 21, 35:9; 40:16, 51:12, 70:4; Luke 10:20; John 15:11 and 17:13; Romans 15:13; First Thessalonians 5:16).121
Dejected believers who have read Paul’s command to rejoice in the Lord sometimes struggle to do so. Yet Paul gives us three clues to help us: first, the fact that Paul expresses this as a command suggests that we are to strive to rejoice even in the face of challenging circumstances. Secondly, Paul himself is under house arrest with a possible death sentence as he wrote (or dictated) these words, yet he chose to be joyful (1:4 and 18, 2:2, 17-18, 4:1 and 10). Thirdly, the Gospel itself provides the grounds for faith’s obedient joy irrespective of circumstances: our citizenship is in heaven (see Bj – A Tale of Two Citizenships).
Perhaps sensing that his repeated calls to rejoice might lose their punch on the Philippians, Paul continued: I never get tired of telling you these things. He didn’t hesitate because he did it to safeguard (Greek: asphales) [their] faith (3:1b Greek). Safeguard here refers to the certainty or stability of a thing. In Hebrews 6:19 it refers to a sure anchor; in Matthew 27:64-66 it refers to the grave of Yeshua; in Acts 5:23 it refers to a securely locked jail. By using the Greek word asphales, Paul wanted to ensure that the Philippians would remain anchored in the safe harbor of the Gospel, rather than being tossed about by the waves and blown along by every wind of teaching, at the mercy of people clever in devising ways to deceive (Eph 4:14b).
Whereas today repetition in writing is largely frowned upon, in the ancient world it was a recognized way of emphasizing important points. But given the repeated mention of joy in the letter, even Paul may have worried that he would be perceived as belaboring the point. But he assures the Philippians that he will not hesitate to do so because it was for their own good. Reminding them of the necessity of rejoicing and reminding them of their grounds for joy in the Gospel of Yeshua Messiah provided a firm foundation for them to face whatever circumstances came their way, even if it involved the challenges of false teaching. What a comfort to know that the grounds for our joy are not based in circumstances, which are often beyond our control, but rather in the Person and work of the Master. Such indeed is the firm foundation of the believer: We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary (Hebrews 6:19).122
Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being so wonderful! Having a relationship with You is such a joy even when circumstances are tough. When trials come, You use them to mature and polish me. These trials are so that the true metal of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua (First Peter 1:7). Joy was still in Paul’s heart as he was under house arrest as he wrote the letter to the Philippians. Your love for me is eternal. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). What a great joy it is to know You and to have You as my awesome, loving heavenly Father! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen.
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