No Grumbling or Disputing
Philippians 2:14-16 · Miles Driedger · May 12, 2024
Philippians (2021-24), No. 18
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/492619358250

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

All right. So, yeah, so I I've been bouncing back and forth between classes and I know pieces of each one. But back in Philippians here and I do try to listen when I when I can. Um, it was a busy week last week, so I didn't get to, uh, listen to, I think Bob taught Philippians. So I didn't hear his last lesson, but I, if for my sake, if for no one else's, I thought we'd do a little review just cause, um, uh, get, get us, uh, kind of up to speed with where we're at here.

But, um, so we, uh, beginning in chapter one, verse 27 is where Paul began to exhort the Philippians. to conduct themselves on the basis of their citizenship in heaven. And depending on your translation, it'll say, you know, conduct yourselves or something like that, but the word there is actually conduct your citizenship in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

And as believers, our lives are to be consistent With our position in the heavenlies in christ jesus. So, uh in other words our condition Our earthly condition is to be consistent with our heavenly position and that's By faith not by not by our effort, right? um It can only it can only our position can only be lived out as our condition. Um as we're resting by faith so so paul says that um that the Philippians conducting themselves as citizens of heaven by faith results in standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. And I think that stands true for us in the church today as well as it did for the Philippians. So those words describe a particular unity of purpose that exists amongst us as believers when we're resting in our shared unity in Christ Jesus.

So when we're trusting the fact of our union with Christ, then there's a practical outworking of unity and love for one another in the body. On the other hand, when there's a failure to reckon or count on our identification with Christ, there's a breakdown of unity in the body, and the result is discord and division. And I think that's important context to set up for today's verses a little bit here. In the first part of chapter two, Paul describes the essential character of Christ, which is to be at work in the church. And Paul shows us that Jesus is fundamentally selfless in his character.

The thing that proves Christ's selflessness is the kenosis. We talked about that. In other words, the fact that he was not concerned for his own welfare, but willingly took on human flesh and became the lowliest of men. And he laid down his life in order to save sinners.

And more than anything else, the cross is what proves Christ's selflessness, his selfless character. So then we talked about the fact that that same selfless attitude or character as Christ had is ours because of our identification with Him. So because we are united to Christ, it's actually possible that we have the same selfless character in us that allowed Jesus to go to the cross. And it's not trying to be like Christ, but counting on the fact that we are united to Christ.

And then in chapter 2, verses 9 through 11, Paul explains that because Jesus willingly submitted to the cross, God the Father has exalted him to the highest point in the universe. So Christ's nature, his character, was to take on the lowest position, And the father glorified him to the highest position. And that's really a principle that Jesus taught over and over again.

He would teach that it's not the one who exalts himself who is exalted, but it's the one who becomes the least who God will glorify. And which is an interesting thing, because just try to make yourself the lowliest. Try to make yourself humble. You can't do it.

So so again because of our union with christ, um, we've we've not only become sharers in his suffering But we've also been made to share with christ in his resurrection in his glory. So just phenomenal, uh trues there and then last week in uh after uh, sorry verses 11 13 of chapter 2 we saw that on the basis of this tremendous grace that we partake of we are to uh obey we see the word obey which is to listen under and We listen under what God has said about our union with Christ. And that's always the way it is for a Christian. We must listen under what God has done in His grace, which really means just to rest in that truth by faith. It's not a doing thing. It's a trusting thing. That's really the key there when we see the word obey. So when Paul says, work out your salvation, we understand that this is an activity of faith, not of works.

And which is why in verse 13, he can say, it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure. And so the Christian life is always God's work in me, not my work for him. So that's a quick review. Any thoughts or questions on that before we move into today's verses? I think it's important to keep in mind that it is God who does the work here, because the first word of today's verses is, do all things. And so we have to keep in mind that it is God who is at work in me to will and to do of His good pleasure.

So this doing, if there's going to be any doing, it has got to be an activity of faith, not of my effort. All right, well, let's read today's verses. um, we're in philippians 2 verses 14 through 16 And paul writes do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you will 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 So do all things without grumbling or disputing.

The two words there, grumbling and disputing, are actually nouns, plural nouns. So we have grumblings and disputes. Do all things without grumblings or disputes. The word for grumbling, it's kind of a, what do you call that when a word sounds like what it is, right? Gungus moss. Gungus moss. It's a, uh, grumblings.

And, uh, it is a secret, a secret displeasure or debate. You might think of the idea of muttering something under your breath. Um, and, uh, maybe, maybe just loud enough to be heard by the person next to you. Um, you know, sort of complaining about something, uh, maybe behind someone else's back. It's kind of the idea there, you know, these kind of grumblings.

The other word, disputes. Dialogismos, it means deliberating or questioning what is true. Debating. That's the idea. So it's, our English translation is fine. It's good. We're going to see, we're going to see where that, that word shows up, Elter and Paul.

So, dialogismos. So while grumbling is more of maybe a hidden bitterness type of an idea, disputes is the idea of arguing between one another about your disagreements. So similar, related, but kind of different aspects. So you can kind of see how grumblings might erupt into disputes, right? We have a question.

Is Paul, is Paul saying that we should never debate a point of doctrine as believers? No, no disputes, no debates. Um, no. Okay. Okay. Roger. We got one. No. Yeah. So, um, so, you know, I, I, I wrote down, it depends because, um, Paul always uses this particular noun. in a negative sense. And we see that in Romans 121, they became futile in their speculations, dia legismos. So that's a negative sense.

And then in 1 Corinthians 3.20, the Lord knows the reasonings of the wise that they are useless. So Paul equates this word with futile, useless reasonings of man. So this is not the kind of reasoning that we should be employing in the body of Christ. This is what Paul's warning against. On the other hand, there is a reasoning that Paul himself employed with people.

And we see in Acts 19, 8 and 9, that Paul was reasoning and persuading the people of Ephesus. And the word there is dialegami, which is really closely related to the noun that we're looking at, dialegismus. So Paul used a form of reasoning, a kind of reasoning, So, what made that legitimate as compared to the futile, useless reasonings? If you get your Bible, you can turn to Acts 17, 2-3, and we'll see there what makes the difference between the reasonings that Paul practiced in his ministry and the disputing that Paul was warning the Philippians against. So, Acts 17, verses 2-3.

And according to Paul's custom, so this was a regular thing that he did, he went to them and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead and saying, this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.

Different word there actually for reasoned. If I remember correctly, I didn't note it here, but if I remember from what I looked at, it was actually a different word, but the idea is the same. And what we want to know is, for three Sabbaths, reasoned with them from the scriptures. So I put that on the screen, so sorry.

So back to the question, should we never debate or discuss the point of doctrine as believers? And I think that we could say that the only correct way to handle the difference of opinion in a church is on the basis of the word of God alone. That's how it's done. And there really is no place in the body of Christ to argue an opinion that is not scripturally based, right? In the church, we don't debate things so much as we present the word of God clearly and on its own authority and where there you know, disagreements, we must be willing to allow scripture to change our minds, you know.

And that takes an attitude of humble submission to the word of God, which, of course, is the exact character that we've been talking about here. The character of Christ was total submission to the Father. And we are to have that same attitude of submission to his word in all things. So any thoughts on verse 14? Yeah, Miles? Yeah.

I'd like to point out that it also should be done in love. Yeah, that's right. Because you could be scripturally correct, but if it's done in love, it's not going to be taken correctly. Yeah, that's a really good point, Jim. Just a thought, I mean, complaining and disputing is really a good series of habits for the flesh, is it not? Yeah. Yeah. You know, you work on that, you continue to behave that way, right? I mean, it's really something much more than simply trying not to do these things. Yeah. Amen. Yeah. Yeah.

And that's where, um, that's, and that's why I wanted to run through that review and, and look at that so important phrase there that is God who is at work and able to will and to do. And we have to approach this in faith and not in an attitude of effort. We cannot, the harder you try not to grumble and just do something, the more it's going to exist. It's just, yeah. So that's good. Very good, Bob. Thanks. Yeah, so we can look at the first part of verse 15.

So that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God above reproach. Now, this is the NASB, which I typically read. And it has so that you will prove yourselves to be, but that's actually only two words in the Greek. Hina and ginamai. which uh hina is a is a purpose uh word it presents the the purpose of the previous statement and uh and ginamai um is is just the uh really to be um so so we're probably better to go with a different translation such as that you may be um which is you'll see the list there of references as a number of the ones that that uh translate that way that you may be blameless and innocent The NASB chose to put a, you know, that you will prove yourselves to be, and I don't know that that's necessarily reflecting the intent there.

But according to these verses, a life that is is devoid of complaining and arguing is so rare that those who see such a life will realize that this is a child of God. That's kind of the sense here. If you do all things without grumbling and complaining, you will be seen to be a child of God, blameless and innocent.

Remember that this passage has to do with Christian growth, not birth. Paul's not talking about our position. He's not saying, you know, work at being blameless and innocent so that you'll prove that you are truly saved. That's not Paul's thought here. we're about to see in the last part of this verse, this is about a testimony before men. And as you live your life, as you walk apart from this grumbling, complaining, disputing way of living, it is a clear manifestation of the life of Christ in you, because it's an impossible life. apart from Christ in you. So that's the, this is not about becoming saved, that you may be blameless and innocent.

This is about being blameless and innocent in the eyes of those who are watching. We'll see that in the next part here. But we could say that this is a manifestation of the life of Christ in us right here on earth. So I think that leads to another important question.

Is it really possible to be blameless, innocent, and above reproach right now? I say yes, but we have to qualify that. It is not only possible, but God has promised and provided everything necessary for that life. And this is not the heresy of sinless perfectionism. What we're talking about is the total provision of God for a perfect righteous life in the believer. There's a big difference.

Perfectionism says that a believer doesn't sin. And what the Bible says is that the Christian is free from the dominion of sin. So, in other words, I don't have to sin. Though I can and do sin, I can never say that I had to. And so the provision is made, but that's not to say that a true believer never sins or something like that, if that makes sense.

If we understand, and this is very basic to the Christian life, these three points here to Jesus, is perfectly righteous, or we could say blameless and innocent. B, I am identified with Christ, such that I've judicially died to the power of the indwellings in nature, and Jesus is now my life. And therefore, everything is provided for a perfectly righteous life in me. It's all provided.

And the only question is, will I walk by faith in that fact? At any given moment, am I walking by faith in that fact? that his righteous life is my very own. So we could say that this blameless and innocent life above reproach will only be our experience as we walk by faith, but it is always and every moment a real possibility for the believer. So we could say that Lord is working out in our experience what we already are in our position, right?

So rather than grumblings and disputes, Christ is displayed in contrast to that. So any thoughts there? We have another question here, but any thoughts on that before we ask that question? Miles, you could say that they're to see Christ's life, not our life. You know, it's his life that's displayed, not our life. When our life is displayed, all we see is the old man, we see Adam. When his life is displayed, we see perfection, we see righteousness, and it has to be that way. There's no other way. We cannot, in and of ourselves, produce any righteousness. Yeah, yeah. No, that's exactly it.

It's to be Christ who is seen. And what's interesting, though, is that from the world's perspective, they don't see, um, they, they see the difference. They, they, you know, they'll see. And, uh, you know, um, it's, it's happened to, you know, certain, certain people or someone will say, well, what is it about you? There's something different about you. I don't understand. And, um, and, you know, and they'll respond, well, it's, it's not me, you know, it's, it's Christ.

And sometimes, They don't get that. They just kind of scrunch up their eyebrows, scratch their head, and just walk away. It just doesn't make any sense to them sometimes. And sometimes it opens the door for a witness. But they have seen Christ in you, which is an amazing thing, really. So yeah, go ahead. Remember, to the Gentile, that's foolishness. Right. Right. That's right. It is. It just sounds like utter foolishness. Yeah.

No, it happened to Alissa one time, a new friend that she'd been getting to know, an unbeliever, and she just asked her, what's so different about you? And Alissa said, well, it's not me. It's Christ in me. And this lady said, oh, yeah, I was raised in Catholicism.

I, you know, I, you know, I, she just, that was all she, she really, she's like, yeah, I know something about that, but I don't really, I don't get it, you know? So, yeah. So, sorry, did someone have a, No, I was mumbling, actually. It was good mumbling. Yeah, so that's the answer to this. Under the breath, grumbling.

So that's the answer to this question here. What is God's purpose for having the life of the Son reproduced in us here on Earth? And that's what it is, to put His Son on display, to glorify the Son and the Father. Um, so that's, that is the purpose that's, uh, as we've said here.

So, so, uh, let's read the last half of verse 15. Let's just read it together. I'll read the top of the slide there and then I'll change the slides so we can read the last half. But, um, so that you will prove, or we could read the way we have it so that you will be, um, 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. So, as we've been saying here, Paul is saying that if you walk by faith as a believer, there is this space-time expression of the life of Christ, and it's visible to the world around us. So, we all find ourselves in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Amen? But though we are in the midst of it, we are no longer a part of it. Right. We are separated from this dark world by grace. And and as the life of Christ has lived out through us, it's like a brilliant light in a dark place.

And I remember my parents live out in Manitoba, which would which is straight north of North Dakota. So middle of nowhere. And and they would They would take in Japanese exchange students, high school students, for a number of years. We were there one evening when the exchange student, one fall evening when he arrived, his first day in Canada, and we were having a campfire out in the backyard and just sitting around. It was late and they arrived quite late, drove in from the airport. and he comes out to the backyard, it's quite dark, we all kind of got acquainted in the backyard. And then somebody flipped off the yard light and this Japanese, you can imagine what it's like to be raised on an urban island like Japan where there's, probably like living in the middle of Denver, I don't know.

This, this young guy had never really seen the stars, you know, and, and he just, he just, wow. And, and he was, he was seeing the stars, you know, really for the first time in his life. I mean, he'd probably seen them a little bit, you know, and that's, and that's the idea here is that against that, that black backdrop, that, that pitch black darkness, of the crooked and perverse world that we live in.

The life of Christ stands out like that, and it's really quite something to see. Though, like Bob mentioned, they may not like it. They may not like what they see, because we know that the world is hostile to God. And, but they cannot deny that they've seen it. They cannot avoid seeing something of Christ. And God is glorified by that, just in revealing his son to people, so. Miles, there's such a contrast to what they're used to. It's true, yeah, yeah. The metaphor of light that started out in Genesis. Yeah. So, Miles, just a thought here, too. I think you alluded to this before.

It's so critically important that our positional truth impacts our walk by faith here. And I think those believers, our fellow believers who, in fact, don't have positional truth, are just thinking that that old nature is going to improve some if they continue to work hard to please God. There's a rest in this grace we're given, isn't there, that allows us to kind of respond by faith in our walk?

Anyway, just a point. That's really good. That's really, really good, Bob. I think that that also that's one of the things here is that Christ is seen in us, not just by the world around us, but by our fellow our fellow brothers and sisters, some of whom don't have a clue about about the life of Christ in them, which is sadly a large number, you know, saved by grace.

They put that, you know, they've trusted the fact of Christ's death on the cross, but they they don't know about their union with him. And and they see this and they think, I I don't have that. I don't understand that. And it can frustrate them, too. You certainly see that. They think you're some kind of weird Christian. There's something weird about you. Miles? Yeah.

I was just thinking about this crooked and perverse generation part here, and just think of it. I was just thinking that the Lord Jesus Christ himself walked among men. He was rejected, and he was the light. It's really amazing how wicked and perverse or wicked and perverse it is, right? Yeah, that's so true, Andrew. Yeah, that's a really, that's a really important thing.

And I've been, I've been working through Romans 8 in our Wednesday night Bible study, we're at a similar place to actually where, where you guys are all out on your, in your Sunday morning message. And where, where Paul, I think I'm just a few verses ahead of you, but where he says, for your sake, the Lord's sake, that's a capital Y, for your sake, we are being put to death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. And I, so I've been reflecting on that some and, you know, as our, We share that we share that experience that christ experienced that rejection among men because we have we have his very life being being uh, Um expressed and lived through us and it's not it's not loved by the world, you know, it's rejected by most uh, unfortunately, um, but we we share in that we share in that suffering of his so That's really good Let's look at verse, uh 16 here And uh and see how this this fits together.

So verse 16 says 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 Now let's deal with that holding fast first. Um That's uh the word peco Um, and it's probably better translated as holding forth rather than holding fast It's true either way. I mean, we must hold fast to the Word of God and never deviate from it. That's true. But contextually, it really seems to make more sense as holding forth the Word of God. And in checking a couple, I think Wiest and others kind of lean towards holding forth the Word of God.

And the word is a participle, which means that it's a verb, but acting as an adjective, modifying the word light or lights from verse 15. So this is the lights are holding forth. And of course, we are the ones who appear as lights, right? holding forth the word of life. So as a believer, when the life of Christ is being displayed through you, you are a light in the darkness. And as a light, you are actively holding forth the word of life to a world lost in darkness.

So that's why I think the holy holy fourth is is perhaps better at connected with verse 15 there um when the life of christ is put on display through you it becomes a living witness to who jesus christ is and and um And like it or not that illumines people to their desperate need right and like we says sadly, you know many people harden themselves uh to the need um Uh But Nevertheless, they see it. They see Christ. They see something of Christ and they can't avoid it.

So Paul concludes that if the Philippians would hold forth the word of life in the darkness, then he had not labored over them in vain. That's kind of the idea here with his thought here. If he sees this in the Philippians, this lights in a dark generation, holding forth the word of life, that to him will indicate that his labor has not been in vain, his work amongst them. So, in other words, Paul didn't want his spiritual children to turn into spiritual benchwarmers. He longed to see growth in them. Paul labored and toiled over his converts for the purpose of seeing them become fruitful.

Not fleshly works, but like we've been talking about, the life of Christ reproduced in them through faith. And the idea here is that of a farmer who plants a crop and labors over it, intends it all summer long. If there's never any fruit, then all that work was in vain. It was for nothing, right?

So Paul wasn't interested in simply winning souls. He was intensely interested in believers growing in grace. And Paul wanted to see this fruitful abiding in the life of believers. Hopefully that makes sense in light of everything we've been talking about here. It sounds, you know, at first glance, it sounds almost a little bit extreme that Paul would consider his labor and his toil in vain if he didn't see the Philippians, you know, living as lights by faith and holding forth the word of life.

But I think if we understand and think about it, because this can get confusing sometimes in different theologies where they say, ah, well, if there's... you know, there must be fruit, there must be fruit. But typically the way that is expressed or understood is that if there isn't the right fruit or the right kind of fruit or the right amount of fruit, you know, and they're thinking here good works, good deeds, right, that therefore, There never really was real saving faith.

And that's not what Paul's saying. Paul's not saying, well, if you're not shining as a light in the darkness, then it's all in vain and all is lost and you're not. You know, you're not even you're not even saved, you know, that's not that's not what he's saying But what paul desires to see in the life of the body of christ is exactly the same thing that that god the father and and the holy spirit and christ desire to see in us is Is that the life of christ is is put on display to to glorify in order to glorify him That's the that's the fruitfulness um to which our our salvation is to um to result in and and it's not a measure of It's not a measure of justification. It's not a measure of eternal salvation um, it is it is the the intended result of the abiding life of christ in the believer is Is that his life is put on display and that's what the fruit is That's what we have to keep in mind the fruit of the spirit is the the life of christ the fruit of the spirit all the that list in galatians That simply describes Christ and who he is and his nature and his character. And that's what's to be displayed and held forth for the world to see. And if that isn't happening, Paul's not saying, well, you weren't really saved.

No, he's saying you're an unfruitful Christian. Um, and, uh, and so that's what he's, um, that's what he's toiling and laboring towards is to see the life of Christ, uh, lived out in, in these, these believers. I've got a quote from Hudson Taylor that, that I think really sums it up well, and then we can discuss things a little bit, but, um, Hudson Taylor said, if we do not abide in him, it is not that we bear less fruit or inferior fruit, but apart from him, we can do nothing. It is either fruit, good, much, and abiding, in which God is greatly glorified and man greatly benefited, or no fruit at all.

Oh, that's good. Wow. Yeah. Yeah, Alyssa found that one, and I really appreciated that. It has to be Christ's life. We go to a part of our life and say, what's this pretty good fruit? No, it's a zero. Yeah, yeah. It's a zero. That's exactly right. It's a zero if it's sourced in us and not in Christ.

And so that is what Paul is laboring towards and striving towards. And that's really all it is. He's not exhorting them to try harder to produce something. He is just continually teaching them about about who they are in Christ, and teaching them to count on that, to reckon on that, and depend on it for every moment of each day.

So, yeah, yeah. Mounts' Greek dictionary agrees with you. They say, they translate it, the peko is to hold out, present, exhibit, or display. The modern translations, ESB, NASB, and HCSB, all have holding fast, the Word of Life, but the King James Version, the old one, says holding forth, the Word of Life. Yeah, as Hal said in a message I listened to lately, the good version.

That's not true all the time, but still, you know. Yeah, I know, I know. We don't need to grasp on to the Word of Life. We need to let Christ live through us. That's so true. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. No, it's great. I appreciate it. Yeah, I did. I had red mounds. I was trying to remember as I was going through that, where did I read this? But yeah, I did. I did read that definition.

And I thought, yeah, that that makes perfect sense in the context here. I mean, if you the Greek word just kind of has to do with holding, and there's different ways the word could be used. And you know, there might be a context where it could mean perhaps holding, holding on to something. But in this case, it means, I think holding it holding it out to hold, you know, extending it and, you know, offering it or holding, holding it forth. So, and the word of life here, right? It's, that is Christ himself, right? Christ is the word of life. So, so we hold forth Christ to the world.

So, yeah, yeah, very good. Well, any other thoughts before we close? Miles? Yeah. It says here, so that in the day of Christ, I will have reason to glory. Paul's mission was not only to be an evangelist and get people saved, but it was also to bring them to maturity and to bring them to Well, so that they would mature in Christ. And the same should be true for us today. There's a lot of people that just go out and have evangelistic services, people get saved, and then we forget about them. It should be our mission to not only bring them to the Lord, but to show them how to mature in the Lord.

Yeah, you're right. And that's where this Paul said, so that in the day of Christ, I think that one day he's going to stand before the Lord. You could call it the judgment seat of Christ or whatever you want to call it. And he and he's going to give account of what God called him to do. Yeah. Yeah, that's so good, Bob. Yeah.

You know, I kind of mentioned it, and I keep thinking of Paul as a farmer. You know, it wasn't enough to put the seed in the ground and watch it sprout, you know. His desire was to stay until the harvest, you know, to tend those shoots, you know, to tie them up to the trellis, you know, to get all the way to the fruit bearing. And and he and he says, yes, I love reason to glory. And Paul often talks about that. But, you know, you are joy and glory and crown.

The fruitful, fruitful, mature believers are what Paul Paul intended to present to Christ. We see elsewhere that he intended to present the church as a as a bride, a spotless, pure bride to Christ. So whether it's, you know, the image of a a fresh plump tomato or a spotless pure bride, you know, it's the same idea. Something that is a church that is mature, walking by faith, depending on their Savior to live his life through them. That's the bride that Paul is preparing for Christ. And the goal in the church today should be exactly the same, that we are seeking that mature uh Abiding walk in in in the body. So that's really good. I great. This is great.

Let's close in prayer Heavenly father. Thank you so much for the work that you are carrying out um through through instruments like paul, um in in your body, uh as you seek to uh, produce your fruit through us so that uh, so that you would uh, prepare each one of us to to be that pure and spotless bride, um prepared as a bride for our groom, Jesus Christ, and that we would be fruitful for His glory with His life being reproduced in us, being held forth for the world to see as a living testimony of who He is, all to Your glory. We just pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.