We were attacked on Dec 7, 1941. Immediately after liberating Europe from the Nazis, we fed the starving German women and children with food we brought to feed our army. Immediately after the guns stopped. It brings tears to your eyes.

https://youtube.com/shorts/CDz....xTbeDhr4?si=vyinOT1A

Now with a better mix...

The Better Tutor
by Dr Garth Grenache
and his Lighter Orchestra
2025:12:5

**Verse 1**
I'm thankful to guide you in learning,
Yet another One holds the Heavenly key.
The Anointed Yeshua our Teacher,
Reveals what the Father would be.

**Chorus**
Let pupil and tutor together,
Be learning the truth from above.
His wisdom will bind us forever,
Unite us in brotherly love.

**Verse 2**
I hope to instruct with precision,
Yet point to the Master alone.
His counsel refines every vision,
His knowledge is the truth made known.

**(Repeat Chorus)**

Genesis 2:19, “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” There is in this verse something most will overlook. Animals were formed from the same ground as man, but something is missing… the breath of God. (Genesis 2:7)

"Cursed be he that contemneth his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen."

De27

BIBLE STUDY --- NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS

COLOSSIANS

New Testament epistle, one of four “prison letters” attributed to the apostle Paul. As with Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon, Paul said he was in prison when he wrote Colossians {Colossians 4:3, 10; cf. Ephesians 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; Philippians 1:12-14; Philemon 1:9-10}. He sent three of the letters to churches in Asia Minor and linked them with his colleague, Tychicus {Colossians 4:7-9; Ephesians 6:21-22}. That seems to indicate that he wrote them at approximately the same time and that Tychicus delivered them.

AUTHOR

Though the tradition that Paul wrote Colossians stands on solid ground, many scholars today debate its authorship. Reasons for their doubts fall into two main categories -- theology and style. First, some scholars question Paul’s authorship on theological grounds. Development of certain major theological themes in Colossians differs from the way they are set forth in the undisputed letters of Paul. In Colossians the doctrine of the Moshiach is developed on the basis of a hymn about the Moshiach in 1:15-20. There he is seen as the “firstborn of all creation”; all things owe both their origin and continuing existence to him. In him resides all the fullness of deity. His death is interpreted not as a victory over sin, Law, and death, but as a triumph over the cosmic authorities and powers. To some scholars that suggests that the Christian faith in Colossians is much more “exalted” than in any of the undisputed letters. Yet Paul characteristically regarded the Moshiach as highly exalted. He declared the Moshiach to be creator of all things {1 Corinthians 8:6} and set forth his Lordship over the whole cosmic order by citing another hymn {Philippians 2:6-11}. Further, the kind of statements made about the Moshiach in Colossians was demanded by the situation that had arisen in the city of Colosse. The heresy that had broken into the congregation required such statements. Colossians also appears to teach doctrines about “the last things” and baptism that are somewhat different from the doctrines in the undisputed letters. In Corinthians, Paul based his teaching about the last things on the Jewish doctrine of the “two ages.” Judaism taught that in “this age” the world is under the tyranny of the evil powers, but that in “the age to come” YHVH would set it free. In contrast, Paul’s teaching was unique in holding that the age to come had already come in the advent of the Moshiach -- though not in its fullness. Paul saw the time between the first and second advents of the Moshiach as a period of conflict. The Moshiach “must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” {1 Corinthians 15:25}. The Moshiach by his mission is liberating the present age from the evil powers, but the conflict will not end until his second coming. Therefore, believers live in hope of his future appearing. That future element of hope is not stressed in Colossians {though see 3:1-4}; rather, the emphasis is on a hope already present in heaven {1:5}. The doctrine of baptism in Colossians has been influenced by the stress on the realized aspect of hope. In his Letter to the Romans, Paul taught that baptized believers live by faith in the resurrected Adonai and are filled with hope for their future resurrection {Romans 6:1-11}. In Colossians he declared that baptized believers have not only died with the Moshiach but have already been raised with him {Colossians 2:12-13; 3:1}. The hope for the future is not for resurrection but for the manifestation of the life that is already hidden with the Moshiach in YHVH {3:2-3}. Further, in Romans Paul stated that in baptism believers have died to sin, so they no longer need serve it. Colossians, on the other hand, states that in the Moshiach, believers died to what can literally be translated as the “rudiments of the universe” {2:20}. Many interpret that phrase to mean the basic religious teaching of the world. In Colossians, however, a strong case can be made that the phrase means “the elemental spirits of the universe” {RSV}. In either case, the emphasis, if not the meaning, differs from Romans. Such theological matters have led many to believe that Paul could not have written the Letter to the Colossians. Rather, they see the letter as the product of a disciple of Paul who wrote at a later time. It should be noted, however, that the differences are of perspective or emphasis, not differences that result in contradiction. The second reason for questioning Paul’s authorship of Colossians is literary, pertaining to vocabulary and style. The brief letter uses 34 words that occur nowhere else in the New Testament. Also, common Pauline terms are absent from passages where they might logically be expected. Further, the style of the letter, though similar to Ephesians, is notably different from other undisputed letters of Paul. In those letters the thoughts are usually developed in an argumentative style similar to the discussions of the Jewish scribes. Colossians is marked by stylistic features that one finds in hymns, liturgies, and early Jewish and Christian catechisms. But some obvious differences in theological perspective and literary style do not force one to conclude that someone other than Paul wrote Colossians.

DATE, ORIGIN, AND DESTINATION

The date of Colossians depends on where Paul was imprisoned when he wrote. Traditionally scholars have held that all four “prison letters” came from Rome. If so, Paul would have written them between AD 60 and 62. The book of Acts indicates three places where Paul was imprisoned: Philippi, Caesarea, and Rome. Paul, writing 2 Corinthians before either of the last two imprisonments, suggested that he had already been in prison many times {2 Corinthians 11:23}. Ephesus is a likely place for one of those imprisonments {cf. Acts 19–20; 1 Corinthians 15:32; 2 Corinthians 1:8-10}. Consequently, an increasing number of scholars name that city as the probable place where Paul wrote the prison letters. If that is correct, Paul wrote Colossians sometime between AD 52 and 55. But the general consensus is that all the Prison Epistles were written in Rome, thus leading to AD 60–62 as the date of Colossians.

BACKGROUND

To identify the teaching that endangered the church at Colosse is a difficult task. The problem is not insufficient data but the opposite. Historical research has uncovered a wealth of information about the religious beliefs and practices that proliferated in the first-century Roman world. Asia Minor was a particularly fertile region for religions. Many people even belonged to more than one religious sect, and it was common to select ideas and practices of several religions. Believers were not exempt from those tendencies.

COLOSSIAN HERESY

Paul gave no formal definition of the Christian heresy in Colosse. Rather, he dealt with a number of issues without precisely identifying them. If one is given only the answers to a number of questions, however, it may be possible to recreate the questions from them. The reader of Colossians must attempt to define the tenets of the false teaching on the basis of Paul’s response to them. Some scholars have concluded that the heresy rose out of the flesh-spirit dualism that became characteristic of later Greek and oriental Gnosticism. The later Gnostics taught that the material order of things is evil, so only what is free from matter is good. Other scholars, noting Paul’s injunctions against certain food Laws, festivals, sabbaths, and external circumcision, have concluded that the false teaching rose out of Jewish beliefs. Since the tendency to blend a variety of ideas was so prevalent, both theories are probably true. Paul regarded the heretical teaching as a “philosophy” based on human tradition {2:8}. His prayer for the Colossians {1:9-11} and certain other remarks {1:26-28; 2:2-3} suggest that he was countering the notion that for certain people “philosophy” led to some special, perhaps magical, understanding. That philosophy was based on “the rudiments of the universe.” This phrase is open to two main lines of interpretation. First, the basic meaning of “rudiments” is “objects that stand in a row or series,” such as the letters of the alphabet. It can readily be extended to mean rudimentary principles or basic teaching. Such is the meaning in Hebrews 5:12, where the term refers to the “first principles” of YHVH’s Word. Second, the Greeks applied the phrase to the four physical substances they thought made up the world: earth, water, fire, and air. A first-century BC Greek text, referring to the followers of the philosopher Pythagoras, uses several of the same words that Paul applied to the Colossian heresy. A messenger of the highest gods carries the soul through all the elements of the world, from the lowest of earth and water to the highest. If the soul is pure, it remains in the highest element. If not, it is returned to the lower ones. The required purity is achieved by self-denial and certain cultic observances. The upper air contains the sun, moon, and stars, regarded as gods who control human destinies. In addition, the atmosphere around the earth is filled with spirit powers who are to be revered. In that way, the elements of the world become associated with the gods and spirit-powers who hold all people captive and determine their fate. With the help of magical knowledge and cultic ceremonies, human beings could not only escape from the destiny imposed by the spirit powers but even manipulate them for their own advantage. To summarize, the phrase “rudiments of the universe” can refer either to basic religious teaching or to the spirit powers of the universe. The statements in Colossians make the latter meaning probable. Through his cross, the Moshiach has triumphed over the rulers and authorities and has publicly exposed them {2:15}. They do not rule the world order; he does {1:16-20}. The divine “fullness” dwells in the Moshiach, not in a remote deity {1:19; 2:9}. The spirit powers are under the authority of the Moshiach {2:10} and owe their existence to him {1:16}. The “worshiping of angels” {a practice probably including homage paid to heavenly powers} is so wrong that it may have disastrous consequences {2:18}.

MAIN FEATURES OF THE HERESY

A major dogma of the Colossian philosophy seems to have asserted that YHVH was remote and inaccessible. Two factors point in that direction. First, the fascination with the angels and spirit-powers just discussed seems to indicate that the remote YHVH was accessible only through a long chain of intermediaries. The Moshiach seems to have been regarded as one of them, perhaps enthroned above them. Second, the philosophy evidently held to a dualism that separated the high YHVH from creation. To approach him, seekers first had to be delivered from the evil influence of the material order. How could human beings short-circuit or manipulate the angelic star powers who hindered them from reaching the high YHVH? How could they be delivered from the enslaving power of matter? The philosophy evidently offered magical wisdom and insight as the answer. Through worshiping angels and observing special days and cultic practices {2:16-18}, seekers could placate or please the intermediaries and get through to the divine “fullness.” By voluntary self-abasement, self-denial, and the achievement of visions {2:18, 21-23} they could escape the pull of the material order. The practice of self-denial through abstinence from food and possibly from sexual relations {“touch not” in 2:21} seems to have been limited to special seasons for attaining the “vision” of YHVH. Otherwise, the philosophy seems to have permitted freedom to engage in libertine practices {3:5-11}.

PURPOSE AND TEACHING

A warning in Colossians 2:8 points to the main purpose of the Colossian letter. The readers are admonished against following anyone who “makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to the Moshiach”. A false teaching was settling in and threatening the health of the congregation, so Paul wrote Colossians to counter it. Paul approached the heresy by contrasting its teachings with the correct teaching his readers had received in the traditions previously delivered to them, probably by Epaphras {1:7; 4:12-13}. YHVH through the Moshiach had qualified them to be uniquely his own people, his church {1:12-14}. The proponents of the false teaching threatened to disqualify the Colossians from that favoured position by persuading them not to hold fast to the Moshiach, the Head of the church {2:18-19}. Consequently, the traditions Paul cited mainly teach about the Moshiach or about the church. The former are primarily related to the impressive hymn about the Moshiach {1:15-20; referred to again in 2:9-10, the latter mainly associated with baptism}.

THE MOSHIACH

In 1:15-20 the Moshiach is celebrated as the pre-existent Creator of all and as the divine Redeemer of all. The “all” has cosmic dimensions. It includes the earth and the heavens, the visible and the invisible, the church and the universal powers. All things, including the heavenly powers, owe their existence, sustenance, and destiny to the Moshiach. He is not to be regarded as one of the heavenly mediaries. He is the pre-eminent one in whom all the fullness of YHVH dwells {1:19; 2:9} and in whom human beings find fulfilment {2:10}. Paul gave special attention to the significance of the Moshiach’s death. In the hymn of Colossians 1 he explained the reconciling work of the Moshiach by the phrase “making peace through the blood of his cross” {1:20}. He contrasted the past and present experiences of the readers. Formerly they were alienated from YHVH both in attitude and behaviour. Now they are reconciled “in his body of flesh by his death” {1:21-22}. As a consequence of that reconciliation, YHVH transforms human character. The death of the Moshiach not only brings about restored relationships between individuals and YHVH, but it also liberates them from the hostile intentions of the “principalities and powers.” Those powers seem to be demonic agents who bring accusations against human beings -- accusations grounded on a “certificate of indebtedness” based on ordinances {Laws}. Paul proclaimed to the Colossians that YHVH had removed the ground of those accusations, nailing it to the cross {2:14}, and that in the cross he had publicly exposed and triumphed over the accusers {verse 15}. The Moshiach’s death was not a tragedy but a life-changing, liberating triumph over sin and evil powers.

THE CHURCH

The church is the “body” of the Moshiach {1:18, 24}, over which the Moshiach is the Head and source of life {2:19}. It is a community that the Father has qualified to participate in the heavenly inheritance with the saints; he has delivered it from the powers of the evil age and made it participate in the power of the age to come, “the kingdom of his beloved Son” {1:13}. The church, therefore, should not live in fear of the “rulers” and “authorities,” but should participate in the Moshiach’s triumph over those hostile powers.

CONTENT

In writing to the Colossians, Paul followed a standard letter form of salutation, thanksgiving, prayer, main body, and concluding remarks. The salutation {1:1-2} carries greetings to the church from himself and Timothy. Then follows a statement of thanksgiving for the good condition of the community {1:3-8} and a prayer that the Colossians may be filled with a knowledge of YHVH’s will, which will result in worthy conduct {1:9-11}. The first part of the body of the letter summons the Colossians to praise and then quotes and applies the great hymn about Moshiach {1:12-23}. Specifically, the first part begins with a confessional thanksgiving to the Father for calling them to be his own unique people {1:12-14}. A hymn follows, celebrating the Moshiach as the sovereign Creator and Redeemer of all that exists {1:15-20}. The Colossians are participants in the results of the Moshiach’s reconciling ministry {1:21-23}. The second part of the body of the letter describes Paul’s apostolic ministry {1:24–2:5}. His was the task of making known the mystery of YHVH concerning the Moshiach to the Gentiles in general {1:24-29} and to the churches of Colosse and Laodicea in particular {2:1-5}. The third part of the body of the letter introduces Paul’s primary concern for the Colossian congregation: they are to follow the received tradition about the Moshiach {that is, the teachings about the Moshiach they had first accepted}, and not to fall prey to the current false teaching {2:6-23}. They are to walk in the light of the received tradition {verses 6-7}, and they are warned against the false philosophy {verse 8}. The hymn of 1:15-20 is again referred to, here stressing the Moshiach’s divine Lordship {2:9-10} and proclaiming his victory over the principalities and powers {verses 11-15}. Because of such a Moshiach, the Colossians are exhorted not to submit to the regulations and tenets of the false teaching {verses 16-23}. The fourth part of the body of the letter summons the church to a life befitting believers {3:1–4:6}. Those who have been raised with the Moshiach are to seek the things that are above {3:1-4}. That means they are to put off the traits and attitudes listed in a catalogue of vices {verses 5-11} and to put on the traits and attitudes listed in a catalogue of virtues {verses 12-14}. In worship they are to conduct themselves in a unified and orderly way {3:15–4:1}. The so-called “household code” concerning marriage, children, and slavery {3:18–4:1} appears in a context dealing with worship {3:15-17; 4:2-6}. The most pressing admonitions in the code are addressed to wives and slaves, groups that especially would crave the equality promised in the gospel {Galatians 3:28; note Colossians 3:11}. So, Paul probably used the code to call for order in the public worship service. Paul concluded his letter by first stating that Tychicus and the recently converted slave, Onesimus, would inform the church about his circumstances {4:7-9}, and then added a series of greetings {verses 10-18}.

BIBLE STUDY --- NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS

PHILIPPIANS

One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.

AUTHOR

Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.

DATE AND ORIGIN

While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison {Philippians 1:12-13}, it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around AD 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely {the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill}. So, the alternatives of Ephesus {c. AD 55} and Caesarea {c. AD 58} have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea {Acts 23:33-35}, but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So, we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot {see esp. 19:30-31}. But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with the Moshiach” had now come {Philippians 1:23}. At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge. The traditional location {Rome} seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years {Acts 28:30}, and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.

BACKGROUND

Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony {Acts 16:12}, a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there {c. AD 50}, the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their Commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that believers likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centres of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.

THEOLOGICAL THEMES

In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of the Moshiach unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Yeshua described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11 -- humiliation followed by glorification -- becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So, alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of Adonai, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience {3:4-16}.

CONTENT

GREETING AND OPENING PRAYER {1:1-11}

In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart… I long for all of you” {1:7-8}, and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” {1:1-2; 4:21-23}. The grace of the Moshiach, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight {1:9}. Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word phroneo, “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times {as against seven in Romans}. Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the believer way of thinking about them {verse 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”}. This leads naturally to another emphasis -- growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So, Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of the Moshiach” {verses 10-11; cf. verse 6}. Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship -- linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel {verse 5; cf. verse 7} -- and also the introduction of the great theme of joy {verse 4}. All three are vital to the whole letter.

PAUL AND HIS IMPRISONMENT: MOSHIACH EXALTED {1:12-26}

Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is the Moshiach” {verse 21}, he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Adonai and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays the Moshiach and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” {4:9}. Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of the Moshiach, it was his privilege not just to speak on the Moshiach’s behalf but also to live out the Moshiach’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation. There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome {if that is where he is} was clearly divided about his imprisonment -- some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks {verse 18}. Whether by friend or foe, the Moshiach is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment {verse 14}. He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics. The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be {verses 19-21}. Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die {verse 22}, and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive {verse 25}. The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution. At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death {verses 19-20}, and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” {verse 23}, because it means being “with the Moshiach.” This section ends with a note of joy.

THE LIFE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL {1:27–2:18}

This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows:

1 -- 1:27-30 -- the worthy life in a hostile world;
2 -- 2:1-4 – the worthy life in Christian fellowship;
3 -- 2:5-11 -- the gospel that inspires us
4 -- 2:12-18 -- priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.

Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” {1:30}. For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with YHVH, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death {2:6-8}, then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in the Moshiach but also the privilege of suffering for him” {1:29}. The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” {1:27}, and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world -- and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship {2:1-4}, as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose {verse 2}, whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them {verse 1}. The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings. Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly, Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings. The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Yeshua himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.

TWO WORTHY EXAMPLES AND FRIENDS {2:19-30}

Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually, he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” {2:20}, because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Yeshua Moshiach {verse 21}. He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel {verse 22}. And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Yeshua was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Yeshua, he put his life on the line {verse 30}, and like Yeshua, he was restored to life again {verse 27}. Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.

PRESSING FORWARD AND STANDING FIRM {3:1–4:1}

This section also begins and ends on the note of joy {3:1; 4:1} -- not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy {cf. Hebrews 12:2}. It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” {3:17}. Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself. The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the believer’s life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents. It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were YHVH’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh {Philippians 3:4}. They thought they knew the way of righteousness -- it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to YHVH’s Law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own {verse 9}, having nothing to do with the righteousness that YHVH wants to give. The true way to be YHVH’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish {verse 8}, considered as loss for the sake of the Moshiach {verse 7}. The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in the Moshiach {verse 9}, for believers must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection {verse 10}. For Paul, dying with the Moshiach meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for the Moshiach’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.

THINKING, REJOICING, SHARING {4:2-23}

Again, the tone changes suddenly {both at 4:2 and at 4:10} -- so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns {in verse 2} to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can believers expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of the Moshiach {3:18} if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between believers means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged {literally} to “think the same thing in Adonai” {4:2}, and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel {verse 3}. The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for the Moshiach and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice -- both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer {verses 6-7} and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honourable” {verse 8} will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances. That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes {4:14}, and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing -- and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” {4:12}. Joined to the Moshiach, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs {verse 17; cf. verse 6}, but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that YHVH will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Yeshua Moshiach” {4:19}.

A new Edition of The
Lawful Literal Version
(AKA ‘Big Brain Bible’ BBB 🧠)
LLV Bible is out now!
…a work in progress with over 80,000 improvements so far!

The whole text of LLV383 Add_thou faith to_us Edition:

Gold nuggets in this edition: Finally translated literally, 'Add_thou faith to us' shows that the disciples thought that by the work of an outsider faith could be added to them, but Yeshua shows how by holding faith it is found to be enough to accomplish great things.

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The LLV translation expands the marking found in some English Bibles (such as KJV, ASV) which italicise some of their words which are not literally translated from words in the source text but are added for the needs of English grammar, or to offer a clear interpretation where the text seems otherwise difficult to understand: (round brackets means it’s a Hebrew/Greek thing, that the sense of the enclosed words is understood to be implied by the grammar or syntax in the original language text), whereas [square brackets means it’s an English thing, that the enclose words that seem required by English, or that the words otherwise go beyond the original language text to offer a possible interpretation]. Also, underscores_joining_words_together indicate that these words are translated from a single word in the original language text. All these markings are presently inconsistent, so that there absence should not be taken to mean that they should not be there; the marking should become more complete in future editions, and words remaining in italics will instead be converted into (round bracket) or [square bracket] style.

e.g. Genesis 1:10: “And God called the dry land Earth; and (the) gathering_(together)_of the_waters he_had_called Seas. And God saw that [it was] good.”
1. (the) is implied in Hebrew by the ‘the’ in “the_waters” at the end of the Hebrew construct chain. Hebrew thus implies all nouns of the chain to be ‘definite’ (as though having ‘the’).
2. [it was] is not needed in the Hebrew syntax here, but English seems to require it.
3. he_had_called is translated from a single Hebrew word.

As far as the translator is aware, every name is now spelled with the aim of accurately reflecting the correct, historical pronunciations of these historical names according to modern phonetic English-alphabet transcription, e.g. ‘y’ not ‘j’ for the sound at the start of ‘yellow’, ‘w’ not ‘v’ for the sound at the start of ‘water’. The transcriptions in the LLV are aimed to be better than those of any English translation of Scripture made so far, because they consider not only the pointings of the medieval Hebrew texts but also the older transcriptions in Greek and Latin letters.

The LLV translation restores the Name YHWH (as ‘YAH__’) where it has been replaced by 'adonai, removes added occurrences of 'adonai, and where 'adonai is original, interprets it according to its original meaning, 'my_Lord'.

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Thought for Today: Sunday December 07

We do not understand the intricate patterns of the stars in their courses, but we know that He Who created them does, and that just as surely as He guides them. He is charting a safe course for us. The next time you look into the heavens at night, remember the words of the psalmist: “The heavens declare the glory of YHVH” {Psalm 19:1}