6 Conduct Worthy of the Church (Philippians 1:27–30)
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me. (1:27–30)
Paul had a special love, respect, and appreciation for the church at Philippi. It was one of the most mature of the churches described in the New Testament. Nevertheless, its members had a few problems, some of them potentially serious. Like every church in every age, they needed to be on guard against false teachers (3:2) and repudiate those in the congregation who were “enemies of the cross of Christ” (3:17–18). The apostle knew that it does not take long even for a faithful church to slip into indifference and eventually into moral and doctrinal error.
In 1:27–30 Paul turns from the autobiographical emphasis of the first part of the letter to focus on the Philippian congregation. He calls on the Philippians to maintain their spiritual commitment, to continue to behave in a way that is consistent with the power of the gospel. He calls them to look carefully into their own hearts to determine if they have spiritual integrity. That appeal applies, of course, to every follower of Jesus Christ in every place and time.
Because he believed it was necessary for their spiritual well-being, Paul was confident that the Lord would allow him to “remain and continue with [them] for [their] progress and joy in the faith, so that [their] proud confidence in [him] may abound in Christ Jesus through [his] coming to [them] again” (1:25–26). But regardless of what happened to him, he implored, Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, . . . whether I come and see you or remain absent. What truly mattered was their consistent, holy conduct. Monon (only) is placed at the beginning of the sentence in the Greek text for emphasis. Above all, Paul wanted their lives to reflect worthily on the gospel of Christ. It is a truth the apostle reiterates implicitly throughout the letter and explicitly in the next chapter, admonishing them: “Prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain” (2:15–16).
Politeuomai (conduct) is the main verb in verses 27–30, which in the Greek is a single sentence. It comes from the root word polis (city), which in earlier times usually referred to the city-states to which inhabitants gave their primary allegiance. The verb carries the basic meaning of being a citizen. But, by implication, it means being a good citizen, one whose conduct brings honor to the political body to whom one belongs.
Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a highly privileged status that gave its inhabitants many of the rights enjoyed by citizens of Rome itself. Such colonies considered themselves “little Romes” and took great pride in that association. They gave unqualified allegiance to Rome and to the emperor, adopted Roman dress and Roman names, and spoke Latin, the official language of Rome.
Roman society, like Greek society before it, was highly community-conscious. The individual was subordinate to the state, and a person’s skills, talents, energy, and endeavors were devoted first of all to the interests of society at large. It was not a coerced subjection, as in modern totalitarian states, but was based on a willing sense of interdependence in which citizens took great pride. A responsible citizen was careful not to do anything that would bring disrepute on his polis. And he tried always to be considered an honorable citizen, so that he would never be removed from the list of citizens.
Paul may have had that sense of dedication in mind in using the term politeuomai (to conduct). If the citizens of Philippi were so devoted to the honor of their human kingdom, how much more should believers be devoted to the kingdom of Christ (cf. Col. 1:12–13)? Therefore, Paul charged them to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, to live as faithful citizens of heaven (cf. 3:20). The church, though imperfect and temporal, is the earthly manifestation of that perfect and eternal kingdom of heaven in this present age (cf. Col. 1:13). Heavenly conduct is characterized by being “blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (2:15).
To live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ is to live a life consistent with God’s revealed Word. That includes living a life that corresponds to the divine truth Christians profess to believe, preach, teach, and defend. In other words, it means living with integrity in every facet of life. This mandate is expressed elsewhere in the New Testament as walking “in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph. 4:1), “in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10), and “in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:12; cf. 4:1). It means “showing all good faith so that [believers] will adorn the doctrine of God [their] Savior in every respect” (Titus 2:10), demonstrating “holy conduct and godliness,” and being “diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless”(2 Peter 3:11,14).
The church’s greatest testimony before the world is spiritual integrity. When Christians live below the standards of biblical morality and reverence for their Lord, they compromise the full biblical truth concerning the character, plan, and will of God. By so doing, they seriously weaken the credibility of the gospel and lessen their impact on the world. God’s people have always been at enmity with the world, because the world is at enmity with God (Rom. 1:28; 5:10; Eph. 2:3; Col. 1:21). But the world can hardly be expected to embrace a faith whose proponents so little emulate its standards of holiness and fail to manifest the transforming power of Christ.
When the unsaved look at the church and do not see holiness, purity, and virtue, there appears to be no reason to believe the gospel it proclaims. When pastors commit gross sins and are later restored to positions of leadership in the church; when church members lie, steal, cheat, gossip, and quarrel; and when congregations seem to care little about such sin and hypocrisy in their midst, the world is understandably repulsed by their claims to love and serve God. And the name of Christ is sullied and dishonored.
The gospel is the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is the truth that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3–4). It is the message Paul describes as “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). The point here is that those who belong to Christ through saving faith in His gospel should demonstrate that power by their changed lives (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).
Paul had just expressed his joyous expectation of visiting Philippi again (1:25–26); but that was not his primary concern. He understood that, like the church in Ephesus, the Philippians inevitably would be threatened by “savage wolves” and that, even from within their own congregation, false teachers would “arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:29–30). He understood that, despite the general spiritual maturity of the congregation, some of its members would prove their lack of saving faith by deserting Christ for a different gospel. Others, who had been saved by the power of the Holy Spirit, would fall into the legalistic trap of trusting in their own fleshly achievements for their sanctification (Gal. 1:6; 3:3). Whether or not Paul visited his beloved church at Philippi, their accountability was not to him but to Christ. Neither he nor anyone else was the source of their spiritual strength. His appeal therefore was that whether he was to come and see them or remain absent, they were to trust the Lord and live worthy of Him.
In the remainder of this passage, the apostle gives four characteristics of believers who live worthy of Christ: standing firm in Him (v. 27b); sharing with one another because of Him (v. 27c); striving together in obedience to Him (vv. 27d–28); and suffering for Him (vv. 29–30).
STANDING
I will hear of you that you are standing firm (1:27b)
Standing firm translates the single Greek verb st
k
, which refers to steadfastly holding one’s ground regardless of danger or opposition (v. 28 supports the emphasis on strength in the midst of opposition). The word was used of a soldier who defended his position at all costs, even to the point of sacrificing his life. Figuratively, it refers to holding fast to a belief, conviction, or principle without compromise, regardless of personal cost. Being firmly fixed in matters of biblical truth and holy living is included in this injunction.
Standing firm is both positive and negative. It is to stand for God and against Satan, to stand for truth and against falsehood, to stand for righteousness and against sin. Using an imperative form of the same verb, Paul makes a similar exhortation later in the letter: “Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved” (4:1). In Romans, he uses the word to describe the Lord’s enabling His people to stand for Him (Rom. 14:4). In other letters he admonishes believers to “be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13; cf. 1 Thess. 3:8; 2 Thess. 2:15), to “keep standing firm” in the freedom of grace and not to “be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). In Ephesians he twice uses a related verb in calling on believers to “put on the full armor of God . . . to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” and to “be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Eph. 6:11, 13). Only the armor of God can enable believers to stand firm, because they do not struggle “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).
Paul was not afraid of ridicule, hardship, suffering, or death. His convictions were firm and unwavering, so that he did not compromise divine truth. On such matters he was unshakeable. His one fear was that he would be disqualified from the ministry. No matter how sound his doctrine remained, Paul understood that the danger of disqualification stemmed in large measure from the misuse of his body. He therefore declared his determination to “discipline [his] body and make it [his] slave” (1 Cor. 9:27). The primary, if not the sole, misuse of the body he had in mind was sexual immorality. In the most sobering possible terms he said:
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Cor 6:15–20)
New Testament requirements for church leadership are high, because leaders are to set the standard for how all believers are to live. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul wrote: “Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. . . . Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households” (1 Tim. 3:8–10,12).
The qualifications for elders are explicit. An elder
must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Tim. 3:2–7; cf. Titus 1:5–9)
It is significant that in those passages setting forth the requirements for church leaders, Paul mentions three times that those leaders must be above reproach (1 Tim. 3:2; 10;Titus 1:6). And their standing firm in the truth and holiness sets the example for all the church to follow (cf. Heb. 13:7).
SHARING
in one spirit, with one mind (1:27c)
Along with standing firm in the faith, there also must be unity within the church, a mutual sharing of convictions and responsibilities in one spirit, with one mind.
Many interpreters have argued that the phrase should read in one Spirit, referring to the Holy Spirit. Paul is obviously speaking of the Holy Spirit when he says that “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, . . . and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). The same is true when he notes that through Christ “we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father,” commanding believers to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” because “there is one body and one Spirit, . . . one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 2:18; 4:3–6). But the context of the present passage, which focuses on believers’ attitudes, seems to indicate that he is speaking of the believer’s human spirit.
Psuch (mind) is most often translated “soul.” Here mind seems more appropriate, because, as just noted, Paul is speaking of personal attitudes and perspectives. One spirit, with one mind refers to the experience of unity, harmony, and interdependence. From its inception the church was of one spirit, with one mind. Within a few days after Pentecost,
all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart. (Acts 2:44–46; cf. 4:32)
Early in this letter Paul commends the Philippians for their “participation in the gospel from the first day until now” (1:5), and he later admonishes: “If there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (2:1–2). Still later, he urges “Euodia and . . . Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord” (4:2), at the same time expressing great appreciation for those two women because they had “shared [his] struggle in the cause of the gospel” (v. 3).
Unity in His church was one of Jesus’ great passions. At the Last Supper He told His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). A short while later, in His High Priestly Prayer, He prayed that all who would believe in Him “may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one” (17:21–22). That amazing request was answered in the spiritual unity that actually does exist in the body of Christ. Believers share the eternal life imparted by God in the new birth, so that they are one with the Lord and with each other (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16–17).
Paul desired to see the practical outworking of that true spiritual oneness in loving care and ministry. The functioning unity of the church was also one of Paul’s great passions. He reminded the believers in Rome that, “just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. . . . Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly” (Rom. 12:4–5, 16). He implored the factious church at Corinth: “I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10).
Church strife does not always involve such flagrant sins as adultery, stealing, lying, or defamation. It is often generated by such “lesser” sins as holding grudges over minor issues, unjust criticism, bitterness, dissatisfaction, and distrust. Sometimes disharmony arises that cannot even be clearly identified or attributed to any individual, incident, or issue. The enemy of the church succeeds when God’s people turn their “freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,” forgetting to “through love serve one another,” and instead begin to “bite and devour one another,” sometimes to the point even of being “consumed by one another” (Gal. 5:13,15). The only solution is to “walk by the Spirit, and [thereby] not carry out the desire of the flesh” (v. 16). It requires taking special effort to “be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).
Paul continually had to deal with divisions in the church between Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, and men and women. In response to those issues, he declared that in Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Again, speaking of Jews and Gentiles, he reminded the Ephesians: “Now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph. 2:13–14; cf. vv. 18–22). “The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Cor. 6:17; 2 Cor. 12:18), and therefore should be of one spirit and mind with everyone else who belongs to Him.
Paul gives the key to true unity in the church when he writes, “[Be] of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:2–4). In other words, he goes on to say, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (v. 5).
STRIVING
striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. (1:27d–28)
A third characteristic of worthy conduct involves believers striving together. Sunathle (striving together) is a compound Greek word, composed of the preposition sun (with) and the noun athle, which means to compete in a contest, especially in a sport such as wrestling. It is the term from which the English words athlete and athletics are derived. Writing to Timothy, Paul used the verb twice in its literal sense as a spiritual analogy, declaring that “if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Tim. 2:5).
In the present passage, striving together obviously is the idea Paul has in mind, rather than the opposite one of striving or competing against, as the word could also be rendered. He is emphasizing the attitude not of taking advantage of another for one’s own benefit, but rather of sacrificing one’s own welfare to promote the welfare of others. The idea of contending against is implied, but only in the sense that the church must also be striving together against sin and the common enemy, Satan and his demon hosts.
Paul stresses here the positive relationship of believers with each other. More than one athletic team with many outstanding players has failed to win a championship because most of those players concentrated on their own success rather than the team’s. A less talented team can often win against one that is more talented because the weaker team works efficiently together to achieve a common objective. A player with outstanding talent may be temporarily sidelined or even put off the team, because, impressive as his individual efforts might be, he does his team more harm than good. Striving together in the church means playing as a team to advance the truth of God.
Genuine unity of any sort must have a purpose. Trying to achieve unity for unity’s sake is an exercise in futility, because it must have the motivation and focus of a common cause and objective. The church’s only true unity is grounded in the faith of the gospel, which refers to the Christian faith. In other places, Paul calls it “the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:7) and “the glorious gospel of the blessed God,” with which he and Timothy, as well as all other believers, have been entrusted (1 Tim. 1:11; 6:20; cf. Rom. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:14; cf. 4:7). Jude refers to it as “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3).
As already noted, striving together not only advances the faith of the gospel but also halts the advance of whatever opposes it. The church has always faced a hostile world. Some hostility is obvious and direct, such as that from atheists, humanistic philosophers, and other religions. Much of the hostility, however, is indirect and subtle, which often is more dangerous. False teaching has found its way into churches that were once biblical and evangelical. Proponents of false gospels, whatever the form, “distort . . . the Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16), as well as to the destruction of those they deceive.
At no time in the history of the church has there been greater need for discernment than in our own day. The church desperately needs to heed the Lord’s warning, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15; cf. Acts 20:28–30; Jude 4). “Sheep’s clothing” is any ungodly idea, principle, or practice that is couched in Christian terminology. Such demon doctrines, apart from thorough examination, seem to be biblical. Like Timothy, believers must constantly and carefully “guard what has been entrusted to [them], avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called‘knowledge’” (1 Tim. 6:20; cf. 2 Tim. 1:14).
The positive goal of striving together is proclaiming the faith of the gospel. At Pentecost, Peter declared, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Not long afterward he testified before the Jewish leaders in that city:
Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. . . . He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:10–12)
From the outset of the apostolic preaching of the gospel, its absolute and unambiguous claims have been ridiculed. To the unbelieving world, such claims are the great scandal of the gospel. But those unique and exclusive truths are the gospel’s very heart and substance. Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6), and that affirmation is reiterated throughout the New Testament.
Tragically, evangelism today seeks to remove the offense of preaching on sin and repentance, holiness and humility, in an effort to make the message more acceptable to fallen, depraved human nature. A growing number of churches intentionally play down the biblical elements of salvation and the demands of true discipleship. In so doing, the true gospel is trivialized or reduced to an impotent level, and packaged in those reductionist counterfeits are various forms of amusement and entertainment.
In the attempt to make the gospel appealing and acceptable, many churches minister in ways that effectively, though unintentionally, vitiate the very Word of God they proclaim. It is encouraging that biblically grounded, carefully reasoned, and theologically sound expository preaching is making a comeback. But, by and large, most evangelical worship services, Sunday school classes (including adult), youth meetings, and other activities are designed primarily to emotionally gratify those who attend. God-focused, reverent, and thoughtful worship, coupled with serious instruction, exhortation, and correction from the Word, is rare.
Much as Christians praise great preachers and theologians of the past such as George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, or Charles Spurgeon, most church members today would not be content to listen to any of those men for more than a few minutes, much less a few hours (the length of some of their sermons!). They would claim that those men were wonderful instruments of the Lord for their own days, but terribly out of touch with where people are today.
Paul encouraged the Philippian believers to be in no way alarmed by your opponents. Alarmed is from ptur, a verb used only here in the New Testament. It did not necessarily mean abject fright, as the King James Version’s rendering “terrified” would suggest. But it did refer to serious, fearful concern. It was used of a startled horse who bolted, often because of something perfectly harmless, and threw his rider. Christians in Paul’s day, including those in Philippi, often had good human reason to be terrified of possible beatings, imprisonment, and even execution by opponents of the gospel. Others faced somewhat less serious opponents: family members, friends, and neighbors who ridiculed and disowned them. But however serious their conflict might be, they were not to be alarmed, because the very fact that they were being attacked because of the gospel was proof that their opponents were headed for destruction. But it was also a sign of believers’ eternal salvation. Both signs are from God, the first to mark out His enemies, the second to mark out His children. Similarly, Paul encouraged the faithful Thessalonians, saying, “We ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure,” and then he explained that “this is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment” (2 Thess. 1:4–5; cf. vv. 6–8).
Sign is from endeixis, which refers to proving, or giving evidence, that something is true. In other words, by their very hostility to believers and to the gospel, the opponents of the gospel give twofold evidence that testifies against them and for believers.
First, the sign shows that the enemies of God and His people are under His severe judgment. Paul describes that judgment as destruction, a reference to eternal punishment, not annihilation. It is that everlasting suffering in hell described in 2 Thessalonians:
Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (1:4–8)
The Lord Jesus Christ referred to this destruction in hell as everlasting fire and torment (Matt. 25:30, 41). As Psalm 73 makes clear, the wicked who seem to prosper and escape pain and suffering are, in fact, in a pitiful state and headed for destruction.
The second thing this sign gives evidence of is the salvation of those who suffer hostility from the opponents of the gospel. Persecution for the sake of Christ proves believers belong to Him. Thus persecution that tends to be discouraging to believers should be a source of confidence and joy because it shows they are saved. Paul was honored to “bear on [his] body the brand-marks of Jesus” (Gal. 6:17; cf. Col. 1:24), that is, to have been afflicted by those who hated Christ.
As the church struggles to fulfill its divine mission, it must never be intimidated, either by unbelieving opponents in the world or by critics from within its own ranks. Both its opponents’ destruction and its salvation are divinely secured, because the outcomes are from God.
In reverse order, Jesus spoke of the same dual truth in John 3:16–21. In this powerful and unambiguous declaration, the Lord asserts the eternal damnation of unbelievers as well as the assurance of eternal life for believers. The warning of damnation is implied in the phrases “shall not perish” (v. 16c) and “might be saved” (v. 17c) and then given specifically:
He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (vv. 18b–20)
SUFFERING
For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me. (1:29–30)
The fourth mark of conduct “worthy of the gospel of Christ” is believers’ suffering because of their faith in Him. As with the previous mark, the provision here is twofold. For Christ’s sake, God provides His children with both faith and suffering.
Has been granted is from chariz, which is from the same root as the noun charis (grace) and literally means “to give, render, or grant graciously.” In His sovereign grace, God not only gave believers the marvelous gift of faith to believe in Him, but also the privilege to suffer for His sake. Such suffering provides the reward of future glory (Rom. 8:17; 1 Peter 4:12–16).
The first thing believers have been granted for Christ’s sake is saving faith to believe in Him. Through that faith comes the salvation Paul has just mentioned (v. 28). In Ephesians, he explains in more detail that
God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Eph. 2:4–8)
All that is in salvation, including the grace and the faith, is a gift from God. As John proclaims in the introduction to his gospel, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). Later in that gospel, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (4:10).
The second gift that God grants to His children for Christ’s sake is not as appealing as the first. Nevertheless, it is also an integral part of divine grace. Paul reminded Timothy, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). During His earthly ministry, Jesus made clear to those who truly sought to follow Him,
You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. . . . A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! (Matt. 10:22, 24–25; cf. John 16:2–3)
“If anyone wishes to come after Me,” He declared, “he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Mark 8:34).
Yet not long after that He said,
Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mark 10:29–30)
On another occasion, after He commanded, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,” He immediately added the divine assurance: “for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:29–30).
That is the point here: To suffer for Christ’s sake not only is a command but also a privilege. Paul never forgot the Lord’s prediction through Ananias that he would be “a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel,” and that “he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15–16). Later in Philippians, he makes it clear that, in light of the immense, eternal riches believers receive in Christ, nothing on this earth that they forsake for Him can truly be a sacrifice. Paul affirms that
whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. (3:7–9)
Among the immeasurable blessings he had received through faith in Christ were not only that of knowing “Him and the power of His resurrection,” but also sharing in “the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (v. 10). Suffering for Christ’s sake is not a burden but rather a high honor He graciously bestows on His faithful saints.
Believers are, in fact, to “exult in [their] tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:3–5; cf. James 1:2–4). Reminding believers of their heavenly inheritance, Peter echoes Paul’s admonition:
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. (1 Peter 1:6–8; cf. 4:13; 5:10; Acts 5:41)
When they suffer for the Lord’s sake, Paul goes on to tell his readers, they are experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me. The conflict which you saw in me refers to the hostile opposition and persecution he and Silas faced when they were imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:16–40). And now hear to be in me refers, of course, to the apostle’s present imprisonment in Rome, which he has already mentioned (vv. 12–18).
It is the mandate of the church to stand, to share, to strive, and to suffer for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is for this “that we have been destined” (1 Thess. 3:3).