PAUL'S CHARGE IN PHILIPPIANS 1:28

Antonin Scalia (1936-2016) served twenty-nine years as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Scalia became distinguished as a man of strong character and unwavering devotion to both God and Country! In an article titled "Supreme Confidence: The Jurisprudence of Justice Antonin Scalia" (The New Yorker, March 28, 2005), Margaret Talbot wrote, "Scalia considers himself an interloper in the sophisticated world - a blunt-spoken, rules-are-rules jurist and traditional Catholic in a secular world made wobbly by moral relativism." This was illustrated time and again in his writings, his rulings from the bench, and his speeches. A good example of this can be seen in his address to the Knights of Columbus Council 969 at the Holiday Inn in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in January 2005.

To a gathering of his fellow Catholics, Scalia said:

"God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools ... and He has not been disappointed. ...

My message is this:

“Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for the Messiah Jesus. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world."

I can't help but think of the words of Paul to the Corinthians: "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.' Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Corinthians 1:18-20). "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (vs. 25).

Jesus declared: "Let not your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1). "In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Adolf Hitler noted, that one of the best weapons employed by the forces of evil in their effort to overcome all that is good and wholesome and reasonable is great terror in association with great force.

Many disciples of the Messiah Jesus have fallen victim to that terror and have perished as a result. Winston Churchill, in response to the terror befalling his nation from the forces of evil led by Hitler, declared in his first statement as Prime Minister before the House of Commons on May 13, 1940, "Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival."

The English novelist Robert Smith Surtees (1805-1864) summed it up this way: "Better to be killed than frightened to death."

To die while bravely fighting the good fight is far nobler than dying while fleeing in fright from the forces arrayed against us! The Scriptures repeatedly urge the people of God to "fear not," for after all, "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Like Jesus’ disciples who found themselves in the midst of a raging storm at sea, and who were terrified at the prospect of perishing due to the powerful forces pounding down upon them, we too, as his faithful disciples, quite often find ourselves facing a monstrous storm sent forth by the world about us which seeks to destroy us, and we, like those early disciples, too often find ourselves in the depths of despair over the mighty terrors that surround us. The words of Jesus to them that day are equally applicable to us: "O you of little faith; why are you afraid?!" (Matthew 8:26).

We should begin each new day with the powerful promise of the Messiah Jesus in our hearts and minds: "Fear not, for I am with you!"

As the apostle Paul penned the last of his four "Prison Epistles" to the brethren in the city of Philippi, he sought to comfort them and encourage them in their daily walk with the lord Jesus. He did not want them to be discouraged by his own circumstances, nor by the various trials they faced as a result of their commitment to Jesus and his message of the coming Kingdom of God. He wanted their hearts to be filled with joy rather than fear, and for them to live and serve courageously, rather than cowering in the face of the worldly forces arrayed against them. He also urged them to remain united in the Faith and in their love for one another, for a body of believers at odds with one another is easy prey for our enemy. Thus, Paul wrote to them saying that he hoped to receive word "that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel [the message of the kingdom of God]; 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" (Philippians 1:27b-28, NASB).

Paul always sought in his teachings to stress the importance of our unity and harmony in the One Body – the called-out Assembly of God - Yehovah, which is the body of the lord Messiah Jesus, and to warn of the dire consequences of allowing diversity within the body to distract and divide us.

If we stand together against the forces of evil, we can endure; if we strive against one another, we will not long survive the storm that will come upon us. As Jesus said: A house divided against itself cannot stand [Matthew 12:25]. A people divided will fall.

Verse 28 in the above statement by Paul to the assembly in Philippi is an interesting one in many ways, and also a surprising one, for Paul uses some unusual language in the original. He begins by pointing out that Christians, as disciples of Jesus and ambassadors of his gospel message, will have "opponents." No surprise here, for the lord Jesus made it clear time and again that if we choose to follow him, we will experience trials and tribulation, and we will share in his sufferings he faced. The Greek word Paul uses is "antikeimai," which means "to oppose, be adverse or averse to, to stand against; to occupy an opposite position." In our text, it appears as a present participle. "In addition to its legal sense it signifies 'to withstand'; the present participle of the verb with the article (Philippians 1:28), which is equivalent to a noun, signifies 'an adversary'" [Dr. James Strong, The New Strong's Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words, p. 963]. Paul uses the same word when he writes to the church in Corinth, saying, "A wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Corinthians 16:9).

Whenever and wherever we seek to faithfully serve the lord Jesus, we will be opposed; the enemy is always near and ready to pounce. We must expect it, and we must be ready and fearless always realizing that when we do hold our ground, our God and Father Yehovah will always provide us the enabling power of His spirit to be able to do so!

At this point, the question naturally arises: Who are these "opponents" and "adversaries" the brethren in Philippi faced, and what exactly is the nature of their opposition? "Various forms of 'antikeimai' ('to oppose') are used in the NT to denote opposers of the Christian faith, including opponents of Jesus, as well as adversaries of the called-out Assembly of God, both Jewish and Gentile" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 11, p. 120]. "Who were these opponents? We read about how hostile Jews often dogged Paul's steps and caused trouble in the assemblies he founded. Such was the case in other Macedonian churches (i.e., Thessalonica and Berea). In light of Paul's discussion in Philippians 3:2-6, it seems clear that Jewish hostility was present. But there is nothing in Philippians 1:28 that restricts the reference to Jewish opponents. What is virtually certain is that these were external foes, not false teachers within the assemblies. It is most likely that Paul was speaking generally of adversaries of the assemblies of whatever kind. Whether Jewish or pagan, they usually employed the same tactics, and thus the need for unity and courage among believers was crucial" [ibid, p. 119].

Dr. W. Robertson Nicoll, the noted NT Greek scholar, concurs: "Paul probably thinks chiefly of their heathen antagonists ... who would struggle hard against a faith which condemned all idol worship. ... At the same time, we cannot exclude the possibility that he had non-Christian Jews in his mind as well" [The Expositor's Greek Testament, vol. 3, p. 431]. "By virtue of their having embraced Christianity, they were looked upon by their neighbors as aliens, as followers after strange gods, and they were hated accordingly" [Dr. Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible - the NT, vol. 2, p. 300].

"It was a foregone certainty that Satan would use every device to induce Christians to waver or defect. The world at that time, as it always has been and is more so today, was a hostile environment for Christianity. The Christian life could be lived successfully only by those who were determined to fight with all of their strength enabled by the spirit of God to maintain their integrity. It is clear here that Paul expected the Philippians to do just that" [Dr. James Burton Coffman, Commentary on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, p. 273].

Although the nature of the "issues" that constitute challenges and oppositions to the Faith and our devotion to the lord Jesus today may be different than those faced in ancient Philippi, they are no less real and no less dangerous! Our adversaries today are just as determined as the adversaries the early saints – holy ones faced, and they are just as committed to destroying both us and the cause of the Messiah Jesus. Thus, we must be just as courageous! "What are the social and political issues to which the church must speak if she is faithful to the Messiah Jesus which may bring forth adversaries?

The rights of women and children; violence in the home; the cheapening of human life by easy abortion; inattention to the elderly, the poor, and the homeless; outrage against the rising crime rate that makes us calloused to persons caught in a cycle of living outside the law; etc. It may be that the assemblies can measure the effectiveness of her prophetic ministry by the adversaries who emerge to question and challenge her gospel" [Dr. Maxie D. Dunnam, The Communicator's Commentary: Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, p. 273].

Fellow believers (and fellow Americans... as well as fellow citizens of this planet), we need to open our eyes spiritually to some very harsh realities that face us right now!! As we begin this new year (2024), the forces of evil and tyranny are gaining ground in their opposition to goodness, righteousness, and sanity. Satan is unleashed and he is wreaking havoc across our nation and around the globe. I am witnessing things that, quite frankly, I never would have believed I would ever see in my beloved country. Good is called evil, and evil is called good; our leaders have not only abandoned all common sense and decency, but they have also abandoned us!

I personally have no doubt whatsoever that we are in the last days of which the Bible speaks: that time of ghastly, godless chaos that will reign until our God and Father Yehovah sends the lord Messiah Jesus down to take his place on the throne of David at Zion at the end of this age. The last years of this age are going to be very intense for the people of God. We have got to set aside sectarian squabbles and unite as one body in the Messiah Jesus, for the battle being waged against us is intense.

It is time to stand together as one body in the Messiah Jesus as we experience this last great engagement with EVIL that is taking place all around us. It is going to get uglier and uglier as the months go by, and we will witness and experience unimaginable things!! We must be ready to fight the good fight ... even to the point of death. The ultimate victory is assured for the people of God, as is the ultimate destruction of those who oppose our God, but the battle is going to be brutal, and it will test our resolve and our faith. We must not waver! We must as Paul says: “hold fast”

Notice: Philippians 2:12-16:So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do everything without grumbling and disputing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God blameless in a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

As Winston Churchill urged the British, so we need to urge one another, to fight on "at all costs, despite all terror, however long and hard the road may be."

The apostle Paul stated it this way to the brethren in Philippi, "Do not be frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved - and that by God" (Philippians 1:28, NIV). Our salvation, as well as the final destruction of all those opposing God, is assured. It is coming, and it will be accomplished by Him.

Our challenge is to remain faithful to the point of death, to stand in brave opposition to all the insanity around us, and stay united in love with all other believers, as that day draws ever closer. Although the end is certain, the present battle is going to be unimaginable, for EVIL knows few limitations when it is unleashed in its fullness. And we are seeing and experiencing this right now!

If you are a believer who takes seriously the call to "walk in a manner worthy" of that calling in your daily life, you are going to be opposed ... and it is going to get more and more brutal. Thus, Paul warned the disciples then, and he warns us now: "Do not be frightened in any way by those who oppose you." That Greek word he uses here in this verse is found nowhere else in the NT writings! It is the word "pturo," The word used by Paul in verse 28 means "to frighten, startle, scare; to be terrified." Other translations of the text (in different versions of the Bible) are affrighted, alarmed, intimidated, afraid, terrified, and paralyzed. It is easy to see how one could be intimidated and paralyzed with fear; that is a rather common human response to something so evil that it staggers the mind. However, it must not be the response of those in whom the Spirit of God dwells and in whom we have unwavering trust! Yehovah will prevail and provide us by His indwelling presence to prevail, therefore we will not despair. If our God and Father Yehovah and His son the lord Messiah Jesus are for us, who can stand against us!

There are many words Paul could have chosen to convey the idea of not being "frightened." So why did he select this one? After all, it appears nowhere else in his writings, and nowhere else in the NT writings. The word is unique in that it has reference primarily to horses. It speaks of the reaction of a horse to being "spooked" or "startled unexpectedly" (taken by surprise). It is also unique in that "it is almost always passive" voice in the Greek [Drs. Arndt & Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 727] - that is: one "lets oneself be intimidated" or terrified [ibid].

"The original word used by Paul is strong - literally, 'scared,' - flinching like a frightened horse" [The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 20 - Philippians, p. 7, 49]. "Literally - said of horses or other animals startled or suddenly scared; so, of sudden consternation in general" [Drs. Jamieson, Fausset, Brown, Commentary Practical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, p. 1304]. "From a word used of the terror of a startled horse" [Dr. Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, vol. 2, p. 53]. "Only here in the New Testament; properly of the terror of a startled horse" [Dr. Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 3, p. 427].

You and I, equipped with the full armor of God - Yehovah (Ephesians 6:11f), must "be strong in the lord Messiah Jesus and in the strength of his might" (vs. 10), and thus not flinch or falter or flee in fear before the enemy!

Paul also points out another great benefit of this unflinching faith - it is evidentiary in nature, both to the lost (our enemies) as well as to the saved (ourselves and our fellow believers). "The courage of God's saints amid dangers is a proof of His presence and favor; a token of final victory" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20 - Philippians, p. 7]. Paul makes this connection in 2 Thessalonians 1 also. Speaking of the "steadfastness and faith" of the brethren there "in all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring" (vs. 4), he states that "This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God" (vs. 5). Specifically, that God would avenge the afflicted and destroy those who were afflicting them, thus manifesting to all concerned those who were worthy of life and those who were worthy of death (vs. 5-10).

This fearlessness in the face of unimaginable evil speaks volumes to both sides. We fear no evil, for you our God and Father Yehovah are with us!! "The courage and heroism of God's witnesses was a sign of coming victory and salvation. It was also a sign of defeat and doom to their adversaries. A triumphant spirit often carries the day against fearful odds. God gives His people the assurance of victory and then makes that assurance a most powerful element in the issue. The dauntless is carried through discouragement to triumph" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20 - Philippians, p. 25]. "Failure of the church to be intimidated by enemies was a token of the ultimate failure of the enemies of God. The adversaries may not have recognized this, but it was nonetheless a sign that their attacks were futile and that the church would prevail" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 11, p. 119].

David Lipscomb (1831-1917), a leader in the early American Restoration Movement, wrote, "The undaunted bearing of the Philippian Christians in the face of opposition and persecution was a token of destruction to their adversaries. It showed that their persecutors were powerless to thwart God's work and that their resistance to it was working their own spiritual ruin; that they were fighting against God, which could mean only their destruction" [A Commentary on the NT Epistles, vol. 4, p. 174].

I want to close with the following thoughts penned by Dr. Paul E. Kretzmann (1883-1965), an American Lutheran pastor and seminary president, who issues this powerful plea to the people of God in light of Paul's words to the brethren in Philippi:

"That is the spirit which is needed in our days also: the feeling of solidarity, the consciousness of being one with all believers in the Messiah Jesus, ... the spirit which makes for true unity and union and stands firmly against all attacks for the faith once delivered to the saints. ... Not in a single point of their faith, not in a single principle upheld by the Bible, should the Christians be overcome by terror and thus give way. Though the adversaries are strong and full of guile, they cannot and should not be able to strike terror into the hearts of the Christians. And the fact that the believers battle so valiantly and are not terrified is to their adversaries a token, an indication, of perdition, indicating that the victory must finally be on the side of the Christians. The latter, a poor small crew, standing up valiantly against a world of unbelievers without the sign of a tremor, is a token of their eventual victory over their many enemies. They will receive salvation in the fullest and deepest sense, the last great healing, the final glory. And all this from God, who alone is the Author and Finisher of our salvation" [Popular Commentary of the Bible - the NT, vol. 2, p. 301]. To this, I say, AMEN!! Come, Lord Jesus!

Note: I cannot emphasize strongly enough that we can only withstand all evil and persecution as we are enabled to do so, by the spirit of our God and Father Yehovah and the spirit of His son Jesus. We of and by ourselves are completely helpless to stand fast without the indwelling presence of our God and Father Yehovah and the spirit of His son enabling us to go forward relying and trusting in our God - Yehovah and His son Jesus to be with us to the end of our lives or the end of this age when we will experience rising up to meet the lord Messiah Jesus in the air as glorified and immortal men and women!

It is really all of our God and Father Yehovah and nothing of us, but to trust in Him! We are His workmanship! We are His slaves bought and paid for by the blood of the lord Messiah Jesus. We are His sons and daughters by the spirit of adoption that He has placed in His household. WE are all of those things according to His amazing grace that has saved us; whom He foreknew from before the foundation of the world; those who would be companions of His son Jesus in the New Age that will appear after the White Throne Judgment takes place, and this earth is cleansed by fire.