Mea Culpa! Another Text Without A Context

How is it that the obvious is not obvious? How is it that a text popularized out of context can blind us to the text? How many more texts am I reading out of context?

Philippians 1:6 has long been a North Star to me; For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

I love the assurance these words give; assurance that Christ has us in the hollow of His hand, assurance the Potter is molding the clay, assurance the Author is finishing the book, assurance the Sculptor is fashioning the marble into His image, and assurance the Silversmith is refining the silver so that His own reflection is seen in His work. There have been many times I’ve used this verse to comfort and encourage others when they’ve doubted that they’d cross the finish line, when they’ve despaired of growth in Christ, and when they have doubted their security in Jesus Christ. But! O but! And it is a large and looming But! – I have only told half the story, I have only read half the story, for I have engaged this text without its context.

Perhaps a key to my misuse of the verse is the word “used” in the above paragraph; I have “used” the verse rather than submitted to the text of Philippians.

Verse 5: …in view of your sharing in the preaching of the Gospel from the first day until now.

Verse 7: For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.

From verses 12 – 30 Paul writes about the greater progress of the Gospel (verse 12), including the fact that the proclamation of the Gospel is accompanied by 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 (verse 29).

What then is the “good work” which Christ began in the Philippians? What is the “good work” which is the theme of Philippians Chapter One? Is not the theme of Chapter One the proclamation of the Gospel? Within the framework of this proclamation we see suffering, we see fellowship, we see the providence of God, we see a desire to depart and be with Christ, we see love abounding in all discernment; but the framework, the theme, the “good work” is the proclamation of the Gospel.

Verse 6, when used out of the context of the proclamation of the Gospel and the suffering accompanied by that proclamation can be self-centered – it is focused on me and not Christ, the Gospel, and others. On the other hand, when I submit to verse 6 in context it gives me hope and assurance that Christ will perfect the good work of Gospel proclamation in me and in my brothers and sisters. I need not fear the praetorian guards (verse 13) in my life, I need not fear suffering (verse 29), and I need not fear those with questionable motives (verse 15); I need not even fear death (verse 23).

Considering that most Christians do not share the Gospel because they are afraid, and considering that many Christians know Philippians 1:6 out of context (mea culpa!), can we not see the ironic tragedy that we’ve taken a verse which is supposed to spur us in Gospel proclamation and used it as a self-focused palliative – however sincere our motives might be?