So Im not really sure if this post will be theologically sound or not... and its again not an analogy. Feel free to comment or disagree. ;) I really feel like this was what God revealed to me this morning, but edification and refinement is always welcome and needed!
So I have been riding into school super early with my dear roommate, and I have been joining her in memorizing Philippians on the way. Today we started in chapter 2. After arriving at MCV, waiting for class to start, I was meditating on the rest of the chapter.
I got to verse 4, which says, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." In the margin of my Bible I had written out next to this verse- selflessness.
However, as I was meditating this morning- it really struck me that that I don't think that is really what this verse is saying. It is not saying selflessness... it is saying in addition to... look NOT ONLY to my interests, BUT ALSO to yours.
Not that I am justifying selfiSHness either, but it made me feel a little better.
Addendum:
Because of context, the next verse (calling me to have the SAME attitude as Christ, really in fact does make a call to selflessness) My pastor made a great call addition/observation to this post. He thinks that Paul is assuming that we will always be looking out for our own needs, but the part of the command we need to battle with is to also look out for others needs.
He related it to the analogy of 1 Tim 4:8 which I thought was very fitting. People take that verse to mean that physical discipline is of no value which is not what it says. This verse doesn't mean its wrong to look out for our own needs, but the call is to put others first.
1 comment:
In order to understand verses 4 and 5 it is necessary to grasp verses 1 through 3. Although Paul exhorts us to care for our own spiritual well being (2 Corinthians 13:5,6) I believe this passage is concentrating on selflessness.
Notice the aims of Paul's exhortations to the Philippian church: have the same mind, have the same love, be in full accord and one mind, count others more important than yourself. In our natural state we are "me" focused yet to be part of the Christ community we are called to move from an inward view to an outward view. We are not to concentrate on what makes us happy but rather we are to seek to please God and we know that the law is summarized as loving God and our neighbor.
Therefore Paul is calling the Christian to look outside of himself and his own desires and to focus upon the good of the body of Christ. He is calling each Christian to unity with one another. If a person is only concerned with their own interests then individuality reigns but if each one strives to care for the needs of his neighbor then unity can be established.
Thus Paul gives the example of God the Father and God the Son. Jesus Christ was as much God as God the Father yet in order to maintain unity within the Trinity he willingly submitted to the authority of God the Father. He did not act in a "me verses him" mode with God the Father but rather submitted himself and maintained the unity of the Triune Godhead that has existed throughout all eternity.
There is a precedent within Scripture for the believer to be concerned with their own spiritual needs which are to be fulfilled in Christ yet I do not believe that this is the aim of the passage quoted.
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