phil 1

Chapter One—Partnership in the Gospel

Philippians 1:1–30

Scripture Outline

Participants in the Gospel (1:1-11)

Proclaimers of the Gospel (1:12-18)

The Gospel Through the Person (1:19-30)

Every time Paul thinks of his friends in Philippi, he is filled with joy. The entire letter throbs with personal intensity. Most of Paul’s letters include in the greeting a prayer of thanksgiving, but none of these prayers compares in depth of feeling with this one. Affliction, gratitude, confidence, and joy fill the mind of Paul, even though he is in prison, as he thinks of the one church which never caused him trouble or anxiety.

While a number of themes are woven into the first chapter, they may all fall under the theme partnership in the gospel.

Participants in the Gospel

1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ⁷ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸ For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

—Philippians 1:1–11

Paul begins his epistle with a customary greeting, which includes a prayer. This greeting, with characteristic intensity, reveals the commanding passion of Paul’s life—his devotion to Christ. This has added meaning because of the relationship of Paul to the Christians at Philippi. They are his friends, so the tone of the letter is set in the fact that this is a letter from a friend to his friends.

Three times in the first two verses he speaks the name of his Lord. These references to Christ are the cord binding Paul, and Timothy, Epaphroditus and other companions in the Roman prison with the band of faithful and joyful Christians at Philippi. They are all participants in the gospel. Though we may never grasp the full meaning of this, three words begin to plumb the depths of what it means to be participants in the gospel.

Privilege

The privilege that is ours is spelled out in the first two verses and the three pivotal references to Christ. We are in Christ; this is the state of our being: “saints in Christ Jesus.” We are in a relation to Christ. That relationship is one of servants: “servants of Jesus Christ.” Blessings from Christ and God our Father are ours to receive: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The New English Bible expands a phrase in verse 1 to give even greater meaning to the thrilling designation of who we are: “to all those of God’s people, incorporate in Christ Jesus.” Isn’t that exciting? We have not simply taken on a new religion with a new belief system, we have a new status in relation to God, have been given a new life, and are now a part of a new community.

Get that firmly in mind and rejoice in the sublime privilege that is ours: a new status in relation to God—forgiven and accepted, a new life, and a new community. The gospel is universal, the gift of God of Himself in Jesus Christ is offered to all. Yet, the privilege is an exclusive one, belonging to those who by faith belong to Jesus Christ.

In a similar greeting to the Ephesians (1:3–6), Paul spells this out completely. It is absolutely breathtaking. God chose us in Christ to be holy, adopted us as sons and daughters through Christ, freely bestowed His grace upon us in the Beloved, and in Him has given us redemption and the forgiveness of our sins.

Promise

We may have passed too quickly over three aspects of the privilege that is ours as participants in the gospel: (1) a new status in relation to God, (2) a new life, and (3) a new community. The promise that Paul sounds in verse 6 stops us and calls us to look again, especially at the second aspect: a new life in Christ Jesus—”being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it” (v. 6).

The new status that is ours is that of being justified or accepted by God. Do not miss this: it is in Christ that we are justified (Gal. 2:17), and in Christ that we are new people, living a new life. We are always in need of keeping together the new status and the new life God gives us.

This illustration is a simple one, but it will make the point. A down-and-outer—some would call him a bum—comes to you in dire need. His dirty ragged dress is only the outer sign of his destitution and need. He is hungry and sick. You give him a bath and a change of clothing, but that is not enough. He is undernourished and sick, needing food and a doctor. Perhaps more, he needs love and friendship, healing of hurts, restoration of dignity, new purpose and meaning. So we come to Jesus, not in dirty rags but clothed in the garments of sin, spiritually starving and sick unto death. We are welcomed by Christ, accepted—bathed in His love and forgiveness. We are clothed in his grace, received as children—as though we were sinless. God sees us as righteous in Christ; this is our new status.

But that isn’t enough, nor is it all. Christ, the Physician, knows we are sick, so He gives us His Spirit to reside within us, to heal and strengthen, to provide direction and give new life.

There are two snares into which we often fall as Christians. One is the snare of thinking that receiving a new status before God, being justified, is everything needful. The second snare is despondency into which we sink when the tide of our Christian experience ebbs low. We become life-less. No fruit of the Spirit seems to be growing in us. We are battered by one failure after another and feel forsaken by God. Temptation is especially appealing and we feel the joy of our salvation will never return. Remember: God did not start His work within us to abandon it. He does not do things half-measure. We have the promise: He will complete what He started. Let us claim that promise and come to Him again in faith, in the same yieldedness as when we first gave our life to Him.

There is something else to be said here. The Christian life is not an achiever’s game. The Christian has no right to expect to fare any better in his own self-efforts than the non-Christian. What the Christian can count on is a God who keeps faith. The truth of Philippians 1:6 runs throughout Paul’s theological stance. He persistently insists, “God is faithful” (1 Cor. 1:9; 10:30; 2 Cor. 1:18; 1 Thess. 5:24). Because God is faithful and is going to complete what He started within us, we can appropriate the cross-resurrection way of life. We can “go on to perfection” because God has already invested his total self in us. We can face the coming judgment without fear for our relationship with God has been made right through Christ; we can expect the Christian mission to be vindicated and finally accomplished.

Partakers

“You all are partakers with me of grace,” Paul says in verse 7. He celebrated his fellowship with the Philippians “in the gospel from the first day until now” (v. 5).

The “first day,” not to be confined to twenty-four hours, was packed with tender memories as Paul remembered going to Philippi the first time. Finding no synagogue to which he could go on the Sabbath and speak with the Jews, he went down to the river where a group of women were said to meet on the Sabbath. After he told them the story of Jesus, one of the women, Lydia, opened her heart to the Lord. On “the first day” he cast an evil spirit out of a slave girl, and her owners were incensed to the point of having Paul flogged and imprisoned. But on “the first day” God worked miraculously again and the jailer was converted, then his family, and the Christian community grew in Philippi.

This was a big idea for Paul because it was a big experience. One of his most graphic ways of saying it was, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). Two communities are designated: the fallen community which with Adam we all have shared, by birth and by choice; the redeemed community which in Christ we share by new birth and choice. Once united to Christ by faith we are members of a new community which God is creating. In this new community “there is neither Jew nor Greek, … neither slave nor free, … neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). In this new community we are all servants of Jesus Christ (see commentary on Phil. 2:5–11) and we share a common life in Christ (see commentary on Phil. 2:1–4).¹

fellowship in the gospel

Paul greets the church (vv. 1–2)

Timothy, Paul’s son in the ministry, was with Paul at the time of this writing, and is, therefore, included in the greeting. There was no need for Paul, as was his custom, to identify himself as an apostle. There was no debate about this in the church of Philippi. The people there gladly acknowledged Paul’s apostleship and the authority this entailed. Paul was content, therefore, to refer to himself and to Timothy as ‘servants of Jesus Christ’ (v. 1).

We might be inclined to feel sorry for Paul. A life of servanthood! What a depressing thought! But the truth is we are all servants throughout our lives. We are either servants of the devil or servants of the Lord. The service of Satan is hard and oppressive, but the service of the Lord brings joy and peace.

Paul addresses his letter to ‘the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons’ (v. 1).

The word ‘saints’ means ‘set apart.’ All Christians are saints. God in grace has set them apart from people in general and made them his own special people for his own special purposes.

The ‘bishops’ refers to the pastors of the church, those who were responsible to watch over the church. The ‘deacons’ were those who had been selected to serve the church by giving attention to practical matters so the pastors could give their time to the Word of God and prayer (see Acts 6:1–7).

To all of these Paul extends his wish for ‘grace’ and ‘peace’ from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is, of course, the spring or fountain from which all of God’s blessings flow, and peace is one of the greatest of those blessings. Because believers have peace with God, they also have the peace of God, that is, a deep and abiding sense of peace within.

Paul gives thanks for the church (vv. 3–8)

For their fellowship from the first day (vv. 3–5)

Paul could not think of the Philippians without giving thanks to God for their fellowship in the gospel. The word ‘fellowship’ refers to sharing or holding something in common. We have a tendency to use the word very loosely these days. Any gathering of Christians in which there is a feeling of happiness and camaraderie is called ‘fellowship’. We have almost made the word synonymous with good food and a few laughs. But that, of course, makes Christian fellowship no different from what unbelievers often enjoy.

We can be sure that the apostle had something far different—and better!—in mind. It was more than merely enjoying each other’s company. It was partnership.

Christian fellowship is a marvel. People who by nature have nothing in common find a common life in Christ. Think again of Paul’s ministry in Philippi. Lydia the slave girl and the jailer had nothing in common until they came to Christ (Acts 16). But the gospel of Christ made them partakers of the same life and partners in the same cause.

Because of this bond of fellowship the Philippians had supported Paul in both his ministry and his imprisonment. They had done the former by sending gifts to him while he was in Thessalonica (4:14–16) and in Corinth (2 Cor. 11:9). They had done the latter by sending one of their number, Epaphroditus, to minister to Paul (2:25; 4:18).

The bond of fellowship between the Philippians and Paul was so very strong that he earnestly yearned to be separated from them no longer (v. 8). To remove all doubt from their minds about how very strongly he loved them he writes: ‘I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ’ (v. 8).

Paul could go no higher than this. His love for the Philippians was such that it reflected the love of Christ himself.

For their victory in the last day (v. 6)

As the apostle gave thanks for the Philippians’ participation in the work of the gospel, he could not help but add a word of thanksgiving for the work of the gospel in them. He was thankful ‘… that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ …’

Paul was very good at slipping little nuggets of breathtakingly glorious truth into the mundane portions of his letters. This verse is one of those nuggets. It tells us the following:

• Salvation is God’s work. The Philippians did not begin the work of salvation in themselves only to have God come along and add a little to it. It was entirely his work. God provided the way of salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ, and he even enabled the Philippians to receive that salvation.

• Salvation is a good work. Salvation lifts the sinner from eternal condemnation and ruin and makes that person part of God’s family and a partaker of God’s eternal glory. Who would dare say that this is not a good thing?

• Salvation is a sure work. God does not begin it and then abandon it somewhere along the way. He does not pull his people from the flames of destruction only to allow them to slip back and be consumed. God completes the work of salvation. We know what it is to plan a work and undertake a work only to see it fail. But it is not so with God. We must not picture him looking over the redeemed multitude in eternity and saying: ‘We did fairly well. Eighty per cent of the saved finally made it home.’ God will not have to say such a thing because all his people will make it home. Not one will be missing! The faithful God will faithfully complete his work!²

INTRODUCTION

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons [Phil. 1:1].

“Paul and Timotheus”—Paul associates Timothy with himself. Paul brings this young preacher and puts him right beside himself, encouraging him. Paul loved this young man Timothy. He was Paul’s son in the Lord, that is, he had won him to Christ; and Paul was very interested in him. Paul is constantly identifying certain young preachers with himself.

Now that I am getting old, I receive letters from former students and from many folk who in my ministry over the years have come to a knowledge of Christ. I feel that all of these are my children. I have a lot of children scattered around over this world, and I love them in the Lord. I understand how Paul felt about Timothy. Paul’s name has come down through the centuries, and everywhere you hear about Paul, you will hear about Timothy—Paul was responsible for that. How wonderful!

“The servants of Jesus Christ.” Paul identifies himself and Timothy as the servants of Jesus Christ. The word servants actually means “bondslaves.” This is in contrast to his epistle to the Galatians where he was defending his apostleship. He began with, “Paul, an apostle.” He did the same thing to the Corinthians. He had to declare and defend his apostleship and wanted them to know he was an apostle not of men, neither by man. He didn’t need to defend himself with these Philippians. They loved him, and they accepted his apostleship. They had all been led to the Lord by him. So Paul takes a humble place, his rightful position: “Paul and Timotheus, we both are servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi.” Paul is not writing to one little clique in the Philippian church; he is writing to all the saints, and every believer is a saint. The human family is divided into two groups: the saints and the ain’ts. Saints are believers in Christ. They are saints, not because of their conduct, but because of their position in Christ. Saint means “holy,” set apart for God. Anything that is holy is separated for the use of God. Even the old pots and pans in the tabernacle were called “holy vessels,” and they were probably beaten and battered after forty years in the wilderness. They may not have looked holy, but they were. Why? Because they had been set aside for the use of God. Now that should be the position of every child of God. We are set aside for the use of God. Now, friend, if you ain’t a saint, then you are an ain’t.

The saints are “in Christ Jesus.” What does it mean to be saved? It means to be in Christ Jesus. When you put your trust in the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of God comes to dwell in you. The Holy Spirit baptizes you into the body of Christ. You are put in Christ by the Spirit of God.

Now these saints were in Christ, but they were at Philippi. You see, it doesn’t make any difference where you are at—that may not be grammatically correct, but it is a true statement. You may be at Los Angeles or Duluth or Moscow or Philippi. It won’t make any difference where you are at; the important matter is being in Christ Jesus.

I beieve the little phrase in Christ comprises the most important words that we have in the New Testament. What does it mean to be saved? I asked a theology professor that question, and he gave me quite a lecture on the subject. I was a little dizzy when he finished. He explained words like propitiation and reconciliation and redemption. These are all marvelous words, and they are all Bible words, but not one of them covers the entire spectrum of salvation. The Spirit of God chose just one little word, the preposition in, to explain what salvation is. It is to be in Christ. How do you get in Christ? You get in Christ when you accept Him as your Savior.

“With the bishops and deacons.” Notice he is addressing a local church with officers. “Bishop” means overseer or shepherd. The word bishop actually refers to the office, while the word elder refers to the individual who is in that office, and they should be men who are mature spiritually. “Deacons” refers to spiritual men who are performing a secular service (see Acts 6).

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ [Phil. 1:2].

“Grace be unto you, and peace.” You will find this form of address in all of Paul’s epistles, and grace and peace will always be in that sequence. Grace and peace were both commonplace words of Paul’s day.

Grace was the word of greeting in the Greek world. In the Greek language it is charis. If you had walked down the street in that day, you would have heard folk greeting each other with, “Charis.” In fact, this greeting is still used in modern Greece. It means grace. They say it as we say, “Have a good day.” And God is saying to you, “Have a good eternity.” When folk say to me, “Have a good day,” they don’t contribute anything to make it a good day other than just saying that. But God has made the arrangement whereby you can have a good eternity, and it is by the grace of God.

“Peace” always follows grace; it never precedes it. While charis comes out of the Greek world, “peace” (shalom) comes out of the religious world; it is the Hebrew form of greeting. Actually, the name Jerusalem means “the city of peace.” Jeru–shalom—city of peace. It has never been that; it has been a city of war. Right now it is a thorn in the flesh of the world. No one knows what to do with it. There will never be peace in Jerusalem or in the world until the Prince of Peace comes to rule.

There is, however, a peace that comes to the believer through the grace of God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). This is the peace that a sinner can have with a holy God because Christ died for us, paid our penalty, and now God in His grace can save us. It is not that we bring God something for our salvation. Very frankly, we have nothing to bring to Him. I have never brought anything to Him—except sin. Christ paid the penalty for that sin so that a holy God can receive me. And He can receive you. In a world of turmoil, a world of tension, a world of trial, a world that is filled with things that are wrong, we can know the peace of God in our hearts. This is the peace of God that He gives to those who trust Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior. We must know the grace of God before we can experience the peace of God.

This grace and peace is “from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Let me ask this theological question: Isn’t Paul a trinitarian? Doesn’t he believe in the Trinity? Then why doesn’t he include the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son? The reason is that the Holy Spirit is already over there in Philippi, indwelling the believers. Certainly Paul believed in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and he is being very accurate here.

PAUL’S TENDER FEELING FOR THE PHILIPPIANS

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you [Phil. 1:3].

He begins the body of his letter in this very lovely manner, which reveals the sweet relationship between Paul and the Philippian believers. That is the way it ought to be today among believers, especially between pastor and congregation. The literal translation would be, “All my remembrance of you causes me to thank God.” Every time anybody would mention Philippi, Paul would just thank God for the believers there. That is something really quite wonderful.

Every now and then I get a letter from some organization that wants me to do something for them. That is perfectly legitimate for them to make such a request, but they begin the letter with, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Sometimes I’m not so sure they really feel that way about me, but they are preparing me for the request that is coming. But how wonderful it would be to have a church like the Philippian church. And how wonderful to be the kind of person about which it can be said, “All my remembrance of you causes me to thank God.” If Paul hadn’t said anything else about his relationship to this church, this would have been enough to reveal how special it was. You can check the other epistles—he didn’t say this to the other churches, certainly not about the Galatians or the Corinthians.

Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy [Phil. 1:4].

“Always”—not just sometimes. Always in every prayer Paul remembered the Philippian believers.

The phrase “for you all” makes it very clear that Paul was speaking to all the saints that were in that church, the corporate body in the local church. When we reach the final chapter of this epistle, we will find that there was a little ripple of discord between two women in the Philippian church: Snytyche and Euodias. So Paul at the very beginning was careful to include all the saints in order that one group couldn’t say to the other, “He is writing to us and not to you.”

“Making request with joy.” Bengel said that the sum of this epistle is: “I rejoice; rejoice ye.” We realize what a remarkable expression this is when we consider where Paul was when he wrote. He was over in Rome in prison! He probably was not in the Mamertine prison at this time, but he was in a place equally as disagreeable.

Although the word joy appears nineteen times in this epistle, I have never felt that it should be called the “joy epistle.” If we are going to pick out the word that occurs more than any other word, we must take the name of Jesus Christ. His name appears over forty times in this epistle. He is the center of the epistle. He is the One who is the very source of joy. Therefore, the emphasis should be put upon Him rather than upon the joy. As we shall see, the philosophy of Christian living has to do with Him; the pattern has to do with Him. The price of Christian living has to do with Him, and the power has to do with Him. Actually, it is a personal relationship with Christ that brings joy to a believer’s life.

We try to produce joy in the church by external means. We have a program and tell folks, “Come and you will enjoy it.” We have a banquet—people enjoy a banquet—so we have joy, we say. Actually, joy does not depend upon outward circumstances. Real joy depends upon the inward condition of the individual. It depends on the proper attitude toward life. If you are complaining and whining about your lot in life, certainly you will not be experiencing joy. You may be able to go to a church banquet and have a little fun, but that will not be joy. When you and I get to the place where we find ourselves in the center of the will of God and know we are in His will regardless of our circumstances, then there will be joy in our lives.

Paul said, “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.” The time of prayer was not an ordeal for Paul. He didn’t say Oh, I’ve got to go through the ordeal of praying for those folk again! No. He said, “As I am here in jail, it is a lot of fun to pray for you Philippians; it brings joy to my heart.”

Now, having told them he thanked God for them, he gives a reason³

How about coming over to the house for some fellowship?”

“What a golf game! Man, did we have great fellowship!”

“The fellowship at the retreat was just terrific!”

That word fellowship seems to mean many things to many different people. Perhaps, like a worn coin, it may be losing its true impression. If so, we had better take some steps to rescue it. After all, a good Bible word like fellowship needs to stay in circulation as long as possible.

In spite of his difficult circumstances as a prisoner in Rome, Paul is rejoicing. The secret of his joy is the single mind; he lives for Christ and the Gospel. (Christ is named eighteen times in Philippians 1, and the Gospel is mentioned six times.) “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). But what really is “the single mind”? It is the attitude that says, “It makes no difference what happens to me, just as long as Christ is glorified and the Gospel shared with others.” Paul rejoiced in spite of his circumstances, because his circumstances strengthened the fellowship of the Gospel (Phil. 1:1–11), promoted the furtherance of the Gospel (Phil. 1:12–26), and guarded the faith of the Gospel (Phil. 1:27–30).

The word fellowship simply means “to have in common.” But true Christian fellowship is really much deeper than sharing coffee and pie, or even enjoying a golf game together. Too often what we think is “fellowship” is really only acquaintanceship or friendship. You cannot have fellowship with someone unless you have something in common; and for Christian fellowship, this means the possessing of eternal life within the heart. Unless a person has trusted Christ as his Saviour, he knows nothing of “the fellowship of the Gospel.” In Philippians 2:1, Paul writes about “the fellowship of the Spirit,” because when a person is born again he receives the gift of the Spirit (Rom. 8:9). There is also “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). When we share what we have with others, this is also fellowship (Phil. 4:15, translated “communicate” in kjv).

So, true Christian fellowship is much more than having a name on a church roll or being present at a meeting. It is possible to be close to people physically and miles away from them spiritually. One of the sources of Christian joy is this fellowship that believers have in Jesus Christ. Paul was in Rome, his friends were miles away in Philippi, but their spiritual fellowship was real and satisfying. When you have the single mind, you will not complain about circumstances because you know that difficult circumstances will result in the strengthening of the fellowship of the Gospel.

Paul uses three thoughts in Philippians 1:1–11 that describe true Christian fellowship: I have you in my mind (Phil. 1:3–6), I have you in my heart (Phil. 1:7–8), I have you in my prayers (Phil. 1:9–11).

I Have You in My Mind (Phil. 1:3–6)

Isn’t it remarkable that Paul is thinking of others and not of himself? As he awaits his trial in Rome, Paul’s mind goes back to the believers in Philippi, and every recollection he has brings him joy. Read Acts 16; you may discover that some things happened to Paul at Philippi, the memory of which could produce sorrow. He was illegally arrested and beaten, was placed in the stocks, and was humiliated before the people. But even those memories brought joy to Paul, because it was through this suffering that the jailer found Christ! Paul recalled Lydia and her household, the poor slave girl who had been demon-possessed, and the other dear Christians at Philippi; and each recollection was a source of joy. (It is worth asking, “Am I the kind of Christian who brings joy to my pastor’s mind when he thinks of me?”)

It is possible that Philippians 1:5 is talking about their financial fellowship with Paul, a topic he picks up again in Philippians 4:14–19. The church at Philippi was the only church that entered into fellowship with Paul to help support his ministry. The “good work” of Philippians 1:6 may refer to the sharing of their means; it was started by the Lord and Paul was sure the Lord would continue it and complete it.

But we will not go astray if we apply these verses to the work of salvation and Christian living. We are not saved by our good works (Eph. 2:8–9). Salvation is the good work God does in us when we trust His Son. In Philippians 2:12–13 we are told that God continues to work in us through His Spirit. In other words, salvation includes a threefold work:

• the work God does for us—salvation;

• the work God does in us—sanctification;

• the work God does through us—service.

This work will continue until we see Christ, and then the work will be fulfilled. “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

It was a source of joy to Paul to know that God was still working in the lives of his fellow-believers at Philippi. After all, this is the real basis for joyful Christian fellowship, to have God at work in our lives day by day.

“There seems to be friction in our home,” a concerned wife said to a marriage counselor. “I really don’t know what the trouble is.”

“Friction is caused by one of two things,” said the counselor, and to illustrate he picked up two blocks of wood from his desk. “If one block is moving and one is standing still, there’s friction. Or, if both are moving but in opposite directions, there’s friction. Now, which is it?”

“I’ll have to admit that I’ve been going backward in my Christian life, and Joe has really been growing,” the wife admitted. “What I need is to get back to fellowship with the Lord.”

1:1. Paul. Paul does not mention his apostleship in this epistle. He is not insisting on his apostolic authority; he is not defending some doctrine; he is not enforcing some command. And Timothy. Timothy is not the co-author of the epistle, but the co-laborer of the apostle. He was with Paul when the church at Philippi was founded (Acts 16:1) and had been there since (Acts 19:19–22; 20:4). Servants of Christ Jesus. A servant is one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will, a bondservant, a man of servile condition, one devoted to another to the disregard of his own interest. Paul and Timothy were the property of our Lord Jesus Christ. They were His slaves and of no one else. No man can serve two masters (Mt 6:24). Paul and Timothy had been servants of sin by the first birth, now they are servants of Christ by the second birth. They have been purchased by the blood of Christ and they are owned by Christ. Therefore, they have no will of their own, no business of their own, no time of their own. They are acting for Christ; they are dependent upon Christ; they are obedient to Christ. To all the saints. Saints are holy ones both in character and conduct. They are set apart for God to be exclusively His, dedicated to God, holy (holiness of heart and conduct in contrast to the impurity of unbelievers). Saints are set aside for sacred use. In Christ Jesus. This is the position of the saints. This is Paul’s summation of the Christian life, the most intimate and living union between the believer and his Lord. Which are at Philippi. This is the place of their residence, the place of their discipline, the place of their experience, and the place of their service. With the bishops. The bishops were the overseers, guardians, those who had a care for them. The word is synonymous with presbyter and elder; they were the spiritual leaders. They were not dictators, but godly examples and undershepherds (1 Pet 5:1–4). And deacons. Deacons are servants (in their activities for the work and not in their relationship to any other person). “The etymology (Gr dia, konis) suggests raising a dust by hastening” (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament, Vol. IV, p. 435). Both bishops and deacons were the recognized officers of the church at this time. There was simple organization in the early church. We must never violate the scriptural principals of (1) the priesthood of all believers and (2) the lordship of Christ.

2. Grace be unto you, and peace. Grace and peace, always in that order. Grace is the foundation and peace is the result. Where there is no grace, there can be no peace. Grace denotes unmerited favor and expresses God’s sacrificial love to men. Peace expresses “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, a soul fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.” Peace is that harmony and health of the one who has been reconciled to God through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1–2). From God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. The preposition (Gr apo) governs both objects, God and Christ, who form one unit and are placed on a level of equality. A definite affirmation of Christ’s deity. God is called our Father because we are His children by the new birth; Christ is called our Lord because we live under Him and serve Him in righteousness.

2. Thanksgiving. 1:3–8

3. I thank my God. Paul expresses his personal relationship to God. He says in effect, God is mine, and I am His. Upon every remembrance of you. This is Paul’s basis and the stimulus for his thanksgiving. Paul remembers their acceptance of the gospel, their consistency of faith, their growth in grace, and their burden for lost souls.

4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all. The word prayer (Gr deēsis) means supplication, petition, entreaty. Paul was a great prayer warrior. In a day when programs, publicity, and promotion characterize much of the Lord’s work, it should be emphasized that without prayer no lasting work will be accomplished for God. Making request with joy. Joy is the keynote of this epistle. Paul had been a happy prisoner in Philippi (Acts 16:25).

5. For your fellowship in the gospel. Fellowship is joint participation and cooperation in a common interest and activity. Not fellowship primarily with Paul or with each other, but fellowship in the furtherance of the gospel by their living, loyalty, love, and liberality. They were fellow laborers with Paul to take the whole Word to the whole world.

6. Being confident of this very thing. Paul has been persuaded. The Greek perfect tense signifies past completed action with present existing results. Paul is still firmly confident and will continue to be so. He has no doubts about their salvation or their security. That he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. God’s beginning the work is a pledge of its completion. What God begins, He will finish (1 Sam 3:12). The good work has its initiation in regeneration (past); has its continuation in sanctification (present); and will have its consummation in glorification (future). In the past there was God’s unchangeable purpose; in the present there is God’s unlimited power; and in the future there is God’s unbreakable promise. This is God’s guarantee for the final preservation and perseverance of the saints. Salvation is all of God.⁴

1 Dunnam, M. D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon (Vol. 31, pp. 253–257). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 Ellsworth, R. (2004). Opening up Philippians (pp. 15–19). Leominster: Day One Publications.

3 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Philippians/Colossians) (electronic ed., Vol. 48, pp. 15–20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

4 Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (pp. 2430–2431). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

idle words

The phrase “idle word” in Matthew 12:36 means “words that accomplish nothing.” If God is going to judge our “small talk,” how much more will He judge our deliberate words? It is by our conversation at unguarded moments that we reveal our true character.

Is there an “unpardonable sin” today? Yes, the final rejection of Jesus Christ. Jesus made it clear that all sins can be forgiven (Matt. 12:31). Adultery, murder, blasphemy, and other sins can all be forgiven; they are not unpardonable. But God cannot forgive the rejection of His Son. It is the Spirit who bears witness to Christ (John 15:26) and who convicts the lost sinner (John 16:7–11).¹

The tree is known by his fruit. The point of this verse seems to be that the good works done by Christ were evidence of His personal goodness and should have prevented any such blasphemous saying as that spoken by the Pharisees. However, this illustration is conversely applied to the Pharisees who are known by their wickedness as well. By thy words does not refer to justification or condemnation on the basis of what one says, but to the outward evidence of the inward attitude of the heart. While the Pharisees asked for evidence of Christ’s claim, they overlooked the clear evidence that was to be seen in His miracles.²

Jesus continued to hammer away at the truth that what is inside of a man determines what comes out of the man by saying, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (v. 35). Just as a good tree must produce good fruit, a good man, because he has good treasure in his heart, brings forth good things. Likewise, just as a bad tree must produce bad fruit, an evil man, having evil treasure in his heart, brings forth evil.

There is a very popular idea in the world today that man, even though he is capable of doing bad things, is basically good. This is a lie. We are not basically good. Instead, we are basically evil. In the same passage where Paul tells us that natural men have the poison of asps under their lips, he writes, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). This is why Jesus told the rich young ruler, “No one is good but One, that is, God” (Matt. 19:17b).

One of my seminary professors, Dr. John Gerstner, was invited to preach in a little country church one Sunday morning. When he got there, the elders welcomed him and then said that an infant was to be baptized that morning, so they asked him to perform the baptism, which he agreed to do. They then went on to explain that that particular church had a unique ritual—the presiding pastor would pin a white rose to the clothing of the baby before he or she was baptized. My professor asked the elders to explain the significance of the white rose, and the elders told him it was a symbol of the baby’s innocence. He then said: “I see. What, then, is the significance of the water?” That was the end of the white rose tradition in that church. The elders realized that it made no sense to symbolically declare a baby to be innocent just before he underwent a ritual that symbolized cleansing from sin.

In light of Scripture’s clear and abundant teaching on man’s fallenness and inherent evil, why did Jesus here talk about “good” people? No one is good in and of himself. But those who are born again of the Holy Spirit are born unto righteousness. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life is goodness (Gal. 5:22). As the Holy Spirit works to bring us into conformity to the image of Christ, He changes our hearts so that we can bring forth good fruit.

Jesus spoke of “treasure” in the heart. A treasure is something on which we place great value, and we go to great lengths to protect it from robbers and from decay. But Jesus spoke of both good and evil treasure. We always see treasure as something good. How can treasure be evil? Turning to Romans once again, we see Paul giving unbelievers a fearful warning: “In accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (2:5). Those who are not trusting in Christ are building up a horde of sin, which makes them subject to a “mother lode” of wrath. If sin is what is concealed in your heart, nothing can come out of your heart except evil.

Basically, Jesus was saying that everyone has a treasure. So, we all need to stop and ask ourselves: “What is my treasure? What do I think about day after day? What are my desires? Do I treasure Christ and the righteousness His Spirit produces in me? Or do I treasure evil, in which case I am treasuring up wrath?” If you have trouble answering these questions, listen to the words that come forth from your mouth.

Idle or Empty Words

Jesus continued: “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment” (v. 36). This statement scares me to death for two reasons.

The first reason is Jesus’ use of the term idle word. He indicated here that every casual, thoughtless word that we speak is going to find its way into the last judgment. However, some commentators take issue with that rendition and say that Jesus was talking about not casual speech but empty speech, saying that every empty word will be brought into the judgment. What is an empty word? It is a promise that has no substance. It could include a very serious promise, such as a wedding vow. If you stand before God and a group of witnesses on your wedding day and promise to be faithful, but you do not do what you promise, the emptiness of that promise will be made clear on the day of judgment. But I think every promise will be so judged. There have been all kinds of times in my life when I have told people that I was going to do something on their behalf but did not do it. In those cases, my words were empty. These empty words will be brought before God in the day of judgment, and I will be asked to give an account.

The second reason this verse scares me is because Jesus spoke here about a day of judgment. As I said earlier, if there is anything we try to delete from the teaching of Jesus, it is His relentless warnings about the last judgment. However, it is an inescapable truth that at the end of our lives, each one of us will have to stand before an omniscient, holy God as He evaluates our lives. We do not like to think about that, so we act as if there will be no judgment. We blithely assume that everyone goes to heaven at death. Not so, according to the Scriptures. It greatly behooves us, while we still live, to prepare ourselves for that day.

When I was teaching at the college level, I had a brilliant student who went on to graduate school at Harvard. He was studying the physiology of the brain, which seems to be the last frontier of scientific inquiry. I saw him on one occasion while he was still in graduate school, and he said, “R. C., I think I know how the last judgment is going to work.” When I asked him to explain, he said: “The brain is an amazing thing. It’s like a gigantic computer that records every thought, every impression, every incident of your life, awake or asleep. It’s all there, indelibly etched on the brain. I read in Scripture that at the last judgment every tongue will be silenced and there will be no protests as the whole world is brought before God and shown to be guilty. I think God is going to take each person’s brain and push ‘play’ on the controls so that the brain will pour out all of its memories. We’ll stand there listening to ourselves condemn ourselves.”

Well, that was an interesting idea. I do not think God needs to tap our memories to know what we have done, said, and thought in our lifetimes. However, I do think my friend was close to the truth in saying that our own words will condemn us.

Justified or Condemned

Finally, Jesus said something very strange: “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (v. 37). I relentlessly teach and preach the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. That means no one is justified by anything he does or says. But here Jesus said we will be justified or condemned by our words. What did He mean?

Was He possibly speaking about our profession of faith in Him? Paul writes: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9–10). It is true that we must profess our faith, but no one is ever justified by a profession of faith. Anyone can say, “I believe in Jesus.” As we saw when we studied the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 7:21a). Jesus made it clear that it is possible to say the words without meaning them.

Jesus was not speaking here about the doctrine of justification. He was talking about manifesting what is in the heart. When we face God at the last judgment, He will rehearse the records of our own mouths. If that record contains a constant stream of empty words, those words will condemn us. On the other hand, if the words that came out of the treasure of our hearts reveal our affection for Christ and our love for the things of God, then God will bless us in that day.12:36–37 These verses are found only in Matthew. Jesus explained that words matter—each person will give an account on judgment day of every idle word he speaks. The word “idle” refers not to mindless small talk or carefree jokes, but to broken promises, unkept commitments, and unpaid vows. Such words are better indicators of a person’s true character than his or her carefully planned and prepared statements and speeches. No word is insignificant to God because every spoken word reveals what is in the heart. Words will be a basis for judgment: The words you say now reflect your fate then.³

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 43). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

2 Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (pp. 1914–1915). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (p. 59). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.

forgiven sin

The Messiah Versus Beelzebub

²² Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. ²³ And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

²⁴ Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

²⁵ But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
²⁶ If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. ²⁸ But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²⁹ Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. ³⁰ He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

—Matthew 12:22–30

From the temptation in the wilderness and throughout His ministry, Jesus was in conflict with satanic influences. The confrontations with demon-possessed persons provided settings in which this conflict was made evident. While Jesus had defeated Satan in the wilderness temptation, a fact to which he alludes in this section as His having entered the strong man’s house, the conflict continued, for He “will plunder his house” (v. 29). The section reaches its climax with the affirmation introduced in verse 28, that the coming of the kingdom is happening in the acts of God’s Spirit. According to Gustav Aulen, this passage is the basis for a very significant interpretation of the Atonement as Christ’s victory over Satan. And for at least one thousand years of church history this was regarded as the classical view of the Atonement.

The healing of a man who was both blind and mute because of demon possession offers a vivid illustration of the nature of Satan’s work which limited one by blindness and bound one with the inability to communicate. The story simply tells us that Jesus healed him with little attention to the actual miracle. It focuses instead on the comments of the people as to whether Jesus might actually be the Son of David! Faith is beginning to dawn. Even though Jesus did not fit their picture of the coming Son of David, His deeds were of such power and nature that they had some stirrings of an awakening of faith.

The scribes and Pharisees were prejudiced and offered an answer which placed Jesus in league with the prince of devils. The word “Beelzebub” is derived from 2 Kings 1:2 in reference to the god of Ekron, a word meaning “exalted lord.” But the biblical writers made the term Beelzebub, “lord of dung” or “lord of the flies” to show their contempt. Here the Pharisees used this contemptuous insult in saying that Jesus cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub, prince of demons.

Jesus responded with a series of logical arguments. First, if He were casting out demons by the help of the ruler of demons then the demonic kingdom was self-destructing. Second, the Jews themselves practiced exorcism and so they must be succeeding by demonic power, hence they were condemning themselves. And third, if He were casting out demons, which they had admitted by their statement, then it must be evidence that He had entered the strong man’s house and defeated the strong man! It is Jesus’ defeat of Satan in the wilderness through His authority as God’s Son which enabled Him to cast out demons with a word. His authority and method stood in contrast to the extensive and strange exercises of the Jewish exorcists.

Two other concepts call for attention in the concluding verses of this section. The first is that in Jesus’ acts the kingdom of God had come to them. Matthew used the term “kingdom of heaven” more frequently while the other Gospel writers used the expression “kingdom of God.” According to Caird, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are one and the same. The kingdom of God exists wherever God reigns, and the kingdom of heaven exists where heaven reigns, with “Heaven” as simply a title for God (as in Luke 15:18). Jesus was not talking of the church which, following Pentecost, actually became the visible expression of kingdom reality, but of the kingdom which comes and will ultimately come in its fullness. The second concept is the necessity to make our decision in relation to Christ. We must be either for Him or against Him, but not neutral. There are only two kingdoms, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. This is the “sword of division” spoken of in 10:34. In context, Jesus’ reply draws a clear line of distinction; those not with Him are against Him. It is a statement of awareness but also of judgment.

An outline for this section could include four aspects: (1) the charge is designed to refute His identity as “Son of David,” vv. 23–24; (2) the critique shows the impossibility of a divided kingdom, vv. 25–27; (3) the coming of the kingdom of God is happening in the works of God’s Spirit, v. 28; and (4) the commitment regarding Jesus and His claims is inescapable, v. 30.

The Messiah Proscribes Forgiveness

³¹ “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. ³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

—Matthew 12:31–32

The expression of God’s grace is a love which forgives sin, a love which reaches beyond the issue to the person and releases that person in mercy. The heart of the gospel is that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, kjv). And this grace of forgiveness is known fully in the Christ who is God’s extension of forgiving grace, the Christ who absorbed man’s hostility and sin to share the costliness of redemptive love. But if one completely rejects what God is doing by His Spirit in and through Christ and despises His Word, such a person places himself outside of the avenue to forgiveness. In Numbers 15:31 we read, “Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off” (kjv). So here, Jesus says that those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit are, in so doing, severing themselves from the only power that can bring them to repentance, to the forgiving grace of God. Forgiveness is always in relationship, it is not a package that one can get and run off with. Consequently, forgiveness cannot be known if one is closing his life to God.

Jesus said that persons may not fully understand the man Jesus of Nazareth and, out of ignorance, may speak critically of what He was doing and yet have forgiveness. But where the truth of God comes through by the illumination of the Holy Spirit and men reject that truth, they place themselves beyond pardon. While some interpret this “unpardonable sin” as an act of attributing the work of the Spirit to Satan, it is much more an attitude than a single act; it is a state of willful sin. It is an attitude that closes one’s mind and conscience to the convictions of the Spirit until the conscience becomes so hardened that the one voice which calls to God, the voice of the Spirit, can no longer get through. Such are then beyond pardon, beyond hearing the call to pardon. Barnes interprets this as follows: “He that speaks against me as a man of Nazareth, that speaks contemptuously of my humble birth, etc., may be pardoned; but he that reproaches my divine nature, charging me with being in league with Satan, and blaspheming the power of God manifestly displayed by Me, can never obtain forgiveness.” This sin is not simply an act which makes God so disgusted that He cuts one off, but rather is a sin which so changes the person’s stance toward God that the one places himself outside of the experience of pardon—forever.

For those who are worried about their having committed the unpardonable sin, the very fact of conviction is evidence that the Spirit is still being heard in His conviction. Also, the mention of an unpardonable sin implies the pardonable; the latter being those rejections of Jesus’ claims without the blasphemous attitude of complete defiance of the Spirit’s illumination of the truth and call of Christ. The following points are submitted as a possible outline for this passage: (1) the unpardonable sin is the complete rejection of the Holy Spirit; (2) the unpardonable sin means refusing the realization that He alone could bring us to pardon; and (3) the unpardonable sin has eternal consequences, vv. 31–32.¹

There is no sin committed yesterday that the Lord would not forgive today because He died for all sin. The Holy Spirit came into the world to make real the salvation of Christ to the hearts of men. If you resist the working of the Spirit of God when He speaks to you, my friend, there is no forgiveness, of course. There is no forgiveness because you have rejected salvation made real to you by the Holy Spirit. And it is the work of the Spirit of God to regenerate you.

In Mark 3 the Lord amplifies the matter of the unpardonable sin by saying that it attributes the Spirit’s work to Satan, that Christ had performed these miracles by Beelzebub when actually He was doing them by the power of the Spirit of God. You see, they were rejecting the witness of Himself and of the Holy Spirit.

In our day that particular sin cannot be committed because it could only be committed when Jesus was here upon the earth. There is no act of sin that you could commit for which there is no forgiveness. Of course, if you resist the Holy Spirit, there is no forgiveness because He is bringing forgiveness. It is like the man who is dying from a certain disease, and the doctor tells him there is a remedy for it. The man refuses to take the remedy and dies, not from the disease but from refusing to take the remedy. There is a remedy for the disease of sin, and the Holy Spirit applies it; but if you resist it, there is no remedy. That is the only way sin can be unpardonable today.²

Rebellion against His Power (Matt. 12:22–37)

The accusation (vv. 22–24). The man that was brought to Jesus was certainly in a sad state, for he was blind, unable to speak, and possessed with a demon. Jesus delivered the man, something the Pharisees could not do. Their accusation was that He worked by the power of Satan and not by the power of God. They did not agree with Nicodemus’ evaluation of His miracles (John 3:2).

The answer (vv. 25–30). Jesus pointed out that their statement was illogical and impractical. Why would Satan fight against himself? Jesus affirmed that Satan had a kingdom, for he is the god of this age (Matt. 4:8–9; John 12:31). He also stated that Satan had a “house,” which seems to refer to the body of the man who was possessed (Matt. 12:43–44). If Satan casts out his own demonic helpers, then he is opposing himself, dividing his kingdom, and destroying his house.

Their accusation was also illogical from their own point of view, though they did not see it. There were Jewish exorcists (see Acts 19:13–16) who apparently were successful. By whose power did they cast out demons? If it was by Satan’s power, they were in league with the devil! Of course, no Pharisee was about to draw that conclusion.

Jesus was able to cast out demons because He had first defeated Satan, the prince of the demons. Jesus entered Satan’s kingdom, overcame his power, and claimed his spoils. His victory was through the Spirit of God (“the finger of God,” Luke 11:20) and not in the power of the evil one. This means that God is Victor over Satan, and that men must decide on whose side they will stand. There can be no compromise. We are either with God or against God.

The admonition (vv. 31–37). Jesus warned them that their words gave evidence of the evil in their hearts. The sin against the Holy Spirit is not a matter of speech; the words spoken are only “fruit” from the sinful heart. If the heart is a treasury of good, that good will overflow through the lips and do good to others. But if the heart is a treasury of evil, that evil will spill over through the lips and do harm to the person speaking and those listening.

But what is this terrible “sin against the Holy Spirit”? Can it be committed today, and, if so, how? Our Lord said that God will forgive evil words spoken against the Son, but not against the Spirit. Does this mean that the Holy Spirit is more important than Jesus Christ, God’s Son? Surely not. We often hear the name of God or Jesus Christ used in blasphemy, but rarely if ever the name of the Holy Spirit. How can God forgive words spoken against His Son, and yet not forgive words spoken against the Spirit?

It appears that this situation existed only while Christ was ministering on earth. Jesus did not appear to be different from any other Jewish man (Isa. 53:2). To speak against Christ could be forgiven while He was on earth. But when the Spirit of God came at Pentecost as proof that Jesus was the Christ, and was alive, to reject the witness of the Spirit was final. The only consequence would be judgment.

When the leaders rejected John the Baptist, they were rejecting the Father who sent him. When they rejected Jesus, they were rejecting the Son. But when they rejected the ministry of the Apostles, they rejected the Holy Spirit—and that is the end. There is no more witness. Such rejection cannot be forgiven.

The phrase “idle word” in Matthew 12:36 means “words that accomplish nothing.” If God is going to judge our “small talk,” how much more will He judge our deliberate words? It is by our conversation at unguarded moments that we reveal our true character.

Is there an “unpardonable sin” today? Yes, the final rejection of Jesus Christ. Jesus made it clear that all sins can be forgiven (Matt. 12:31). Adultery, murder, blasphemy, and other sins can all be forgiven; they are not unpardonable. But God cannot forgive the rejection of His Son. It is the Spirit who bears witness to Christ (John 15:26) and who convicts the lost sinner (John 16:7–11).³

12:25–28 Jesus’ defense was in three parts. First, a kingdom, city, or even a family cannot continue to exist if it is divided against itself. Second, when the followers of the Pharisees exorcized demons, the Pharisees claimed it was accomplished by the power of God. Third, the casting out of demons by the Messiah indicated the nearness of the kingdom.

12:27 your sons: Probably Jews who cast out demons in God’s name (Acts 19:13–18). they shall be your judges: Their own people recognized that only God could conquer demons.

12:29, 30 This verse shows how Jesus the King was confronting the kingdom of Satan. In His exorcisms, Jesus was binding Satan bit by bit. When He comes suddenly to establish His kingdom, He will bind Satan quickly and completely (Rev. 20:1–10).

12:31, 32 This passage discusses the infamous “unpardonable sin.” The first question to be answered is, “Why is blasphemy of the Son of Man pardonable, but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?” The key seems to be in the title “Son of Man.” It describes Jesus or Messiah in human terms; He was a man. Someone could consider who Jesus was and conclude He was no more than a human being. However, if the Holy Spirit convicted a person of the fact that Jesus was more than a mere mortal, and this person refused to accept the ministry of the Holy Spirit, there would be no possible forgiveness. That the sin against the Holy Spirit is called “blasphemy” implies a final and unalterable decision has been made. The sin that is unforgivable is the stubborn refusal when the Holy Spirit convicts to accept the forgiveness Christ offers. Particularly in reference to the leaders of Israel, Jesus had offered them all the proof that could be expected—the ministry of John, the testimony of the Father, the prophecies of the OT, His own testimony, and the substantiation by the Holy Spirit. They rejected all proofs regarding Jesus as Messiah. Nothing else was to be given. ⁴

However, we must keep in mind what the writer to the Hebrews had to say on this subject:

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? (Heb. 10:26–29)

The writer here implies that “trampling the Son of God underfoot” and “insulting the Spirit of grace” are sins worthy of severe punishment. But notice that such punishment is earned when these sins are committed “after we have received the knowledge of the truth.” In every person’s life, there is a time when he or she does not understand who Jesus is, and if the person blasphemes Jesus in that time, it can be forgiven. But if the Spirit of God reveals the truth to that person, and he afterward tramples the Son of God underfoot and insults the Spirit, there is nothing to expect but judgment. This leads me and many others to conclude that the unforgiveable sin is blaspheming against the Holy Spirit by blaspheming against Christ after the Spirit has revealed to a person that Jesus is the Son of God.

A Gracious Warning

So, it is now possible to see why Jesus gave this warning at this particular time. The Pharisees had just suggested that He was casting out demons by the power of Satan. This was certainly blasphemy, but because their statements were directed at Jesus, they were not technically blaspheming the Spirit. Still, as we saw in the previous chapter, Jesus said He cast out demons by “the finger of God” (Luke 11:20), which was a metaphor for the Spirit. Thus, the Pharisees were coming perilously close to slandering the Spirit, and Jesus was most gracious to warn them.

Whenever the topic of the unforgivable sin arises, people naturally want to know whether a Christian can commit it. People write me letters and come to me at conferences to tell me they are afraid they have committed the unpardonable sin and to ask if I can help them understand their condition before God. When I am asked whether a Christian can commit the unforgivable sin, I always answer yes and no. I believe that, left to ourselves, believers have the capability in our hearts to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. That capacity is not erased from our hearts by conversion. However, I am convinced that God, in His mercy and grace, keeps believers from ever committing this sin. The Apostle Paul tells us that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). Part of that good work involves keeping us from committing this terrible sin. If God did not keep us from doing so, we could and we would. But because He does, we do not. Therein lies our comfort—that the weakness of our flesh is trumped by the grace of God.

Blasphemy is a very serious slander against God. All blasphemy is a serious sin. If you are guilty of routinely blaspheming God by using the name of the Father or the Son in a frivolous manner, you need to plead with God for forgiveness. We have Jesus’ assurance in this passage that blasphemy against the Father or Son will be forgiven. Furthermore, I strongly believe that God preserves all those who are His from committing the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if you are trusting in Jesus for your salvation, trust Him also to preserve you from blaspheming the Holy Spirit.⁵

1 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (Matthew 1-13) (electronic ed., Vol. 34, pp. 169–170). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 42–43). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

4 Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (Mt 12:25–32). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

5 Sproul, R. C. (2013). Matthew (pp. 386–387). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

psalms 18

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength [Ps. 18:1].

When was the last time you told the Lord you loved Him? To tell Him you love Him is one of the most wonderful things you can do. Praise toward God begins because He loves us and has provided a salvation for us. He preserves us and by His providence watches over us.

Notice that the Lord is called “my strength.”

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower [Ps. 18:2].

He calls the Lord his strength, his rock, his fortress, and his deliverer—in all of this He is his Savior, you see. Then he says again that He is his strength, He is his shield, his horn, and his high tower. He is my shield—He protects me. He is my horn, my power. By laying hold of the horns of the altar a person would be safe from his attackers. That is how we need to hold on to our God today. The Lord, our Savior, is our horn. He is our high tower. A high tower is also a good place for protection and a good place to get a vision and a perspective of life. Many of us need to go to the high tower. This verse contains excellent names for our God.

The word that interests me a great deal is the personal pronoun my. David says, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer.” It is one thing to talk about the attributes of God and say He is omnipotent, but the important thing is to say He is my strength. It is one thing to say He is a shepherd. David could have said, “The Lord is a shepherd,” and He is, but it is altogether different to say, “He is my shepherd.”

I think I can illustrate wh*at I am talking about. One day I went out to the airport to pick up my wife and grandson. She brought him back on a plane so that he would not have to travel from the East coast in a car. There were lots of little boys and girls at the airport. They were all precious children, and as I looked at them I smiled. Then all of a sudden here comes one that is different. Do you know what makes him different? He is my grandson. There were lots of grandparents there, and, oh, how sentimental we grandparents can become! Their grandchildren were just as special to them as mine was to me—all because of the little possessive pronoun my.

Can you say, “The Lord is my shepherd; He is my high tower; He is my horn; He is my shield; He is my strength; He is my deliverer; He is my rock; He is my fortress”?

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies [Ps. 18:3].

Worship comes from the old Anglo–Saxon word worth. Worship is that which is extended to the one who is worthy. David sang, “I will call upon the Lord”—why? Because He “is worthy to be praised.”

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid [Ps. 18:4].

Once again the psalm reaches out and touches the Lord Jesus Christ. Bishop Horne saw something else in this psalm. Let me quote from him:

Let us suppose King Messiah, like His progenitor of old, is seated upon the throne. From thence let us imagine Him taking a retrospective view of the sufferings He had undergone, the battles He had fought and the victories He had gained. With this before our minds, we shall be able in some measure, to conceive the force of the words “With all the yearnings of affection I will love Thee, O Jehovah, My strength, through My union with whom I have finished My work, and am now exalted to praise Thee in those who are redeemed.” Whenever we sing this Psalm, let us think we are singing it in conjunction with our Saviour, risen from the dead; a consideration, which surely will incite us to do it with becoming gratitude and devotion. (Quoted in A. C. Gaebelein, The Book of Psalms, p. 82).

What a picture! Friend, this happens to be a psalm we can join Him in singing.

Listen to him now, as he recounts his experiences—and I think this presents the life of David in a limited way, but more especially the life of the Lord Jesus who said, “The sorrows of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.”

The sorrows of hell [Sheol, the grave] compassed me about: the snares of death prevented [were round about] me.

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears [Ps. 18:5–6].

Notice again “my God.” And what happened? God responded. And what happened when the Lord Jesus was brought back from the grave? The next few verses tell us. (In the following section the first person possessive pronoun changes to the third person, and it refers to the Lord.)

Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth [Ps. 18:7].

He was angry with sinful men for what they had done to His Son. The Gospels tell us that when the stone was rolled away from the sepulchre there was an earthquake. What else took place in the heavens which corresponds to the following verses we do not know.

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

He made darkness his secret place: his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies [Ps. 18:8–11].

There was darkness on the day that the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. Who did all of this?

The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire [Ps. 18:13].

This psalm began using the pronoun my. Then it changed at verse 7 and talked about what God has done. Now in this next verse it is “He and me.” That may be bad grammar, but that is the way it is here—He and me!

He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me [Ps. 18:16–17].

“He delivered me from my strong enemy.” Oh, how you and I need a personal, vital relationship with God! Let’s come to grips with Him. He has delivered us from the enemy. Do you need help today? Do you need a partner today? I want to recommend One to you. He will never desert you. He will never leave you alone. He will never forsake you. He says, “… lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20). That is the reason that I depend on Him more than I depend on anyone. That is also the reason you should depend on Him instead of depending on any human being. Psalm 118:8 says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man [Ps. 18:48].

“The violent man” I think is Satan.

Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore [Ps. 18:49–50].

God extends His mercy to us today. This marvelous psalm closes on a note of praise to God. Oh, that there might be praise in your mouth and mine, in your life and mine, in your heart and mine, toward our God! Praise to God. “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (Ps. 107:1–2). If the redeemed do not say the Lord is good, nobody else in the world will. The redeemed ought to say so. We need some “say–so” Christians.¹

1 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: Poetry (Psalms 1-41) (electronic ed., Vol. 17, pp. 100–104). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.