This passage further illustrates what all is going on in the Philippian church during Paul’s time. Like Paul, the Philippians are experiencing persecution for their faith in Christ. They also have enemies who are mistreating and even imprisoning some of them. Philippi was a Roman colony, and some of the people in the Philippian church were probably Roman citizens. You might expect Paul to urge them to demand their civil rights, or to use their political influence to protest. But Paul urges a different priority (see 1:27; 2:1-2) – that they conduct themselves "worthy of the gospel" (1:27) – meaning, they respond in a way that demonstrates that Christianity is true, and that attracts people to Jesus Christ.
And what is that response? That they maintain their unity with one another (1:27b; 2:2). Paul is echoing what Jesus prayed for His followers in John. 17 (see John 17:21-23). This unity that Jesus and Paul emphasize is not an organizational unity. It is a relational unity, which is why the term “community” is more fitting. Looking more closely at Paul's insights into this unity, namely, its key elements and its spiritual source, shows us what this community is all about.
In 1:27 and 2:2, Paul describes three key elements of Christian unity. He shows what these elements are, why they are essential for real community, and how they might contrast with our culture.
One element of Christian unity is a common source of truth. Paul calls on the Philippians to be "of one mind” (1:27) and “of the same mind" (2:2). This "one mind" has nothing to do with submitting your mind to the control of a human leader in cultic practices, or to some super-human power that destroys all legitimate diversity and removes a sense of free will and self-control. Rather, it is recognizing that we have a common source of objective truth and learning to relate to one another on that basis.
In another passage (1 Corinthians 2:13, 16b), Paul defines the "mind of Christ" as God's perspective on every major area of life as revealed through Scripture. On this basis, Paul calls the Corinthian Christians to be united (1:10).
This is hugely relevant to our cultures today! In many parts of the world, such as North America, many complain of loneliness and alienation and express a desire for close relationships. But most also insist on the freedom to define truth and morality for themselves – not realizing that this radical individualism is incompatible with close relationships and community. In order to have real closeness, there must be trust. And trust comes, in part, from submitting to the truth. Jesus identifies Himself as the truth in Scripture (see John 14:7); the very definition of truth is based on Jesus, not our feelings, our choices, our lifestyles. When each person insists on operating by "my truth," there is no basis for healthy closeness. Instead, there is irresolvable conflict, intimidation, and unhealthy compliance, and relationships that have the tendency to just quit and move on.
The postmodernist defines a person as 'something that can be humiliated.' Our sense of human solidarity is based on a sense of common danger, not on a sense of shared truth. How tragic! And how different the Christian position is! As people who have received absolute truth, we can agree to live under God's truth . This is not some abstract ideal; it is very practical. We agree to learn biblical truth together (see Colossians 3:16a). We also agree to apply biblical truth by "speaking the truth to one another in love" (see Ephesians 4:15) – encouraging one another, reminding one another of God's love, forgiveness, faithfulness, and admonishing one another as we call on one another to submit to God's moral guidance in both behavior and attitude. This leads to resolvable conflict, healthy closeness, and lasting unity amongst our faith community.
Do you regularly relate to other Christians on this level? This is one of the big differences between "going to church" and "being in fellowship." This is non-optional if you want true unity!
Another element of Christian unity is a common outward focus. In 2:2, Paul says that unity involves being "intent on one purpose." In 1:27, he defines this purpose as "striving together for the faith of the gospel." "Striving together" means "competing as a team." In other words, Paul is urging them to work together to both defend and spread the message of God's love to those who do not know Christ.
Relationships must have a purpose and a goal beyond just themselves. Christian community exists also to reach out to others beyond ourselves, to help them come to Christ and grow in Him. Paul will talk more about this in 2:14-16. This common outward focus is an essential ingredient for successful community.
Christian communities and relationships that are inward-focused will inevitably deteriorate in quality. Things get boring, and then sooner or later, conflict breaks out as people find things they dislike about each other, the leadership structures, the ways things are being done, and countless other things that break down due to that inward-focus mentality.
But when we come together and reach out beyond ourselves to others, engaging with them, praying for them, discussing how we can help them, thanking God when they come to faith in Christ and have their lives changed, the result is a teamwork unity that is both productive and personally transformative!
Are you already a follower of Jesus and considering where to make your church home? As you make this decision, consider not only what the church can offer you, but whether you are ready to join in with the community as a whole, to serve others both in and out of the church.
Church community is not only intended to be a place where you can receive; that will ultimately leave you disappointed. But, if you are ready to be part of a team, serving and worshiping and growing together, the entire community will be enriched!
A third element of Christian unity is a common understanding of love. Paul speaks of "maintaining the same love" (2:2). The word for "love" here is agape. The early Christians used this infrequently-used Greek word to emphasize that this love was different from the kinds of love that were popular in their culture, like eros love, which is often associated with romantic relationships, and philia love, which is associated with friendships. This love is also very different from the superficial niceness that often passes for love. Paul describes this love in the next paragraph of the passage.
Reading verses 2:3-4 shows that this kind of love is radically other-centered. It is not self-absorbed, functioning with the mindset of “Will he help me get what I want? Does she admire what I do?” It forgets the interests of self and is constantly looking for and thinking about other people's best interests and needs.
Verses 2:5-8 show that this kind of love is radically sacrificial. It does not insist on its rights; it willingly surrenders its rights to Christ in order to meet the needs of the loved one.
If you want a closer look at this kind of love, notice the nouns in verse 2:
Yes, this kind of love is also willing to discipline and set boundaries, but as an act of sacrifice for the person's good, not as rejection or a pay-back.
Imagine the unity between people who are driven by this kind of love! But if we base our relationships on how attractive and stimulating the other people are, how well they treat us, or on whether we have common cultural tastes, those relationships will likely not get very deep!
North American society is a sad example illustrating the tragic loss of communities within marriages, families, and neighborhoods. Even more tragic is the lack of community in American Christian churches, because they should demonstrate the reality of Jesus and His unique power to unify people who follow Him.
Ask yourself: "Which do I focus on more – how well others are serving me, or how well am I sacrificially loving them?" Your answer will reveal how successful your relationships are and how fulfilling Christian community is to you.
Review these three elements. All three of them, especially the third one, reveal much about the state of our hearts when it comes to our understanding of the value of Christian community and a Jesus-oriented kind of love. The Christian life, including Christian community, is not just humanly difficult – it is humanly impossible." This is why 2:1 is so important.
This verse is easy to misunderstand because it is poorly translated. Paul is not saying: "If these expressions of love exist;" the word "if" here means "Since they do exist."
This is exactly what Jesus said in John 7:37b-39a. The universal thirst of humanity, whether we realize it or not, is to experience God's perfect and inexhaustible love.
Jesus is the only One who makes God's love personally accessible to us, because only Jesus died for the sins that separate us from God. Jesus gives His Spirit to everyone who believes in Him, and His Spirit enables us to become a channel of His love to others.
What does it mean to believe in Jesus? He implies an answer with two parts, which other New Testament passages make explicit:
First, you need to "come to" Jesus, meaning you must decide to receive Him as your Savior. This is a one-time decision, and the moment you make this decision, His Spirit comes to live in your heart so you can begin to experience His love for you (see John 4:14). If you have never experienced what Paul wrote in 2:1, you probably have never received Jesus. But you can do this today; you do not need to clean your life up first, and you do not need to have a faith free of all doubts. You just need to open the door of your heart and ask Him to come (see Revelation 3:20). Why not decide today?
Then, you need to "keep drinking," which is intentionally meant to be written in present tense – keep receiving Jesus' love from His Spirit, day by day and situation by situation. This is an ongoing decision to stay filled up with Jesus' love, so that you can give His love to other people in your life. Jude 1:20-21 provides a glimpse of what this looks like: building yourself up with His Word, praying personally to Him, and looking forward to His return.
If you are unable to relate to 2:1 except as a past and/or very irregular reality, you probably are not "drinking" on a regular basis. But you can begin doing this today – you do not need to undergo some spiritual catharsis. You just need to begin relating to Him like Jude describes or like you may have in the past. Why not re-start today?
