Introduction
In
case you didn’t know, I post my lessons every week on a number of public
message boards. It’s really a great opportunity to get the gospel message out
to people who would never darken the doorsteps of a church building. Another
by-product of the internet is that it allows for commentary by readers while
maintaining relative anonymity. That anonymity means people have the courage to
say things they generally wouldn’t say to someone’s face. I receive most of my
commentary from unbelievers who abhor Christianity and they’re not shy about
expressing their thoughts or hatred. I’ve sort of gotten used to most of the
hatred and venom—I recognize where most of it comes from and where it’s really
directed. Sometimes I receive commentary from atheists that are very thoughtful
and considerate. In response to one of my lessons, one particular atheist
complained generally about our cultural system that assumes Christianity as the
norm and everything else as basically unnatural. The person referred to it as “Christian Privilege.” That phrase has
stuck with me over the months and you know what I’ve come to realize? That
person was absolutely right! Let me illustrate with just a few examples:
- You can expect to have time off work to celebrate Christmas and Easter.
- Scripture verses are prominently displayed in, on, or outside many public buildings.
- Christian music and television programming is readily accessible.
- When swearing an oath for public office, incoming officials will do so with their hand on the Bible.
- There are regions in our country known as the “Bible Belt.”
I’m sure if you think
about it, you can come up with dozens more. If you can’t think of any more, just
ask an atheist—they’ll give you an ear-full of them. We lament and cry out when
atheists succeed in having crosses removed from public buildings and lands. We
gnash our teeth when atheists succeed in having any and all biblical references
and prayer removed from our public schools. We’re left wondering what is
happening to our country when biblical references, biblical practices and
biblical values are being forced out of our culture. We feel like we’ve been
cheated out of something we earned; something we deserve—a safe and hassle free
Christian life and culture. In fact, we haven’t earned nor do we deserve a safe
and hassle free Christian life or culture. Don’t get me wrong, we need to do
everything we can to put an end to Christian persecution around the world. No
one should be persecuted for their faith—no one! But let’s take a step back for
a moment and consider what Christian
Privilege has done for Christianity in America. Is Christianity stronger or
weaker in America than it was even fifty years ago let alone when the country
began? The Pew Research Center did a survey recently that revealed 80% of
Americans claim to be Christian yet only 51% or Americans consider Christmas to
be a religious holiday (I’m usually pretty good at math but that makes no sense
to me). Biblical ignorance in America is higher than at any time in our country’s
history. Ministry leaders are being implicated and in many cases convicted in
more cases of illegal or immoral activity than at any time in the past. A survey
by the Barna Research Group determined that Christians and non-Christians have
virtually the same practices and/or attitudes towards a myriad of issues—divorce,
same-sex marriage, abortion, pornography, greed, and countless other values.[1] With Christian Privilege in hand, Christianity in the West generally and
in America specifically has seen in steady decline over the last two decades. So
what difference has Christian Privilege made from a Kingdom perspective?
It doesn’t look like much. Why? Maybe it’s because that “privilege” hasn’t specifically
cost us anything. Maybe it’s because we have a distorted understanding of what
our “privilege” is as Christians. Gerhard Leibholz, in his memoir on Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, gives us a hint of what “privilege” means from a Kingdom
perspective when he writes, “God heard his [Bonhoeffer’s] prayer and granted
him ‘costly grace’—that is, the privilege of taking the cross for others and of
affirming his faith by martyrdom.”[2] Perhaps we need to change
our perspective away from our modern understanding of Christian Privilege that
seems to have little transformative value and embrace the costly, biblical Christian Privilege that sets God’s Kingdom apart from this world.
Subject Text
Philippians 1:27-30 (NIV-New International
Version)
27Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear
about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one
spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28without being 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. 29For it has
been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on
him, but also to suffer for him, 30since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
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Philippians 1:27-30 (NLT-New Living
Translation)
27But whatever happens to me, you must live in a manner worthy of the Good
News about Christ, as citizens of heaven. Then, whether I come and see you
again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side,
fighting together for the Good News. 28Don’t be intimidated by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that
they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God
himself. 29For you
have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege
of suffering for him. 30We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the
past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle.
Context
Since
Paul begins our Subject Text with, “Whatever
happens,” it’s probably a good idea to know why he would say something that
seems so dire. Not surprisingly, Paul is writing to the church in Philippi
while he was in prison in Rome. Paul established the Philippian church on his
second missionary journey through the region (Acts 16:11-40). Most scholars
believe this letter was written around 61 AD. Although this wouldn’t be Paul’s
final imprisonment, Paul didn’t know that. Nero was the Roman Caesar beginning
in 58 AD and although Christian persecution was not uncommon, the Church throughout
the Roman provinces at the time of Paul’s letter to the Philippians was on the
leading edge of the Neronic persecution that would reach its bloody pinnacle in
64 AD. Paul and the Philippians were not unfamiliar nor unaccustomed to
oppression and persecution because of their faith. Paul is writing to the
Philippians in the midst of their ongoing struggles and in the face of the
coming Neronic storm.
Text Analysis
When
Paul says “whatever happens” in v. 27a he is referring to the outcome of his
imprisonment. Paul is telling the Philippian believers that regardless of what
happens to him, their conduct should be worthy of the faith they profess. But
what does Paul consider “worthy?” Paul defined their worthiness in v. 27b as
being unified in their faith and standing their ground for the Truth of the
Gospel. “Paul’s churches confronted the pagan world around them, sought to win
over new converts and then to indoctrinate fledgling members. At the core of
such mission proclamation was the claim that God has exalted Jesus as sovereign
Lord and that faith is seen primarily as obedience to his authority.”[3]
The text breaks
between v. 27b and v. 28a but Paul’s instruction continues as he tells the
Philippians to stand united and firm in their faith without fear as they face
opposition. Paul goes on to explain that “this” will be a sign to those who
oppose them that unbelievers are destined for destruction while those who stand
firm will be saved. It can be a little confusing trying to figure out which “this”
Paul is referring to—unified and standing firm in their faith or doing so
without fear. I believe the confusion stems from the unnatural break between
verses. This confusion is unnecessary when we remember that the original
document was not divided into chapters and verses. Consequently, Paul was
likely referring to vv. 27b-28a in their entirety—God would save them if they
courageously stood united and firm in the faith they professed. Paul’s instruction
is consistent with the general biblical principal that believers in Jesus
Christ will be saved by God to eternal life and unbelievers will one day be
condemned by God to eternal death. “Doom would be sealed for those who
persecuted the believers; salvation is assured for God’s people. Like Paul,
whether the believers witnessed through their lives or through their deaths,
they would ultimately be saved because of God’s control of the entire
situation. Again, Paul focused on the assurance of eternal salvation for those
who believe.”[4]
When
we reach v. 29, the English translation of the Greek comes up short—especially the
NIV version of the text. The key word in the verse is echaristhE, and is translated literally as “to give graciously.” However,
that doesn’t really capture the true sense of the word and the true sense of
the word makes all the difference in this case. The translation of v. 29 that
is both accurate and captures the heart of the text would be: “God has granted
you the high privilege of suffering for Christ; this is the surest sign that He
looks upon you [with] favor.”[5] I don’t know about you but
I don’t normally associate oppression, persecution and suffering with “privilege”
let alone an exalted privilege. But that is exactly what the Bible teaches. It
isn’t a privilege to practice our faith without opposition. It is a privilege
to practice our faith in the face of opposition. This turns the whole
perspective of “privilege” on its head. However, this shouldn’t surprise us
since it is Jesus who explained the Kingdom perspective that the last will be
first; the lowest will be honored; when someone strikes you on the cheek, give
then the other cheek as well; when someone takes your coat give them your shirt
as well; consider it pure joy when we are persecuted because of our belief in
Jesus; pray for those who hate you; and countless other teachings and commands
that can often be hard to understand, stomach and accept. We want our faith to
be safe, comfortable and easy. We want the right to a smooth, carefree life
without opposition, pain or suffering. We want to have our cake and eat it too!
We know that Jesus said we must take up our cross daily and follow him, we just
don’t like that he said it so we try to ignore it. Unfortunately, many are
shocked and dismayed when they face opposition and suffering; questioning
whether or not God is actually as good as they thought He was when life was
comfortable and easy. “Paul’s claim that the opposition the Philippians
experience serves as a double-sided token indicates one aspect of the gift-character
of suffering for Christ. Such suffering provides clarity about who stands with
God and who does not. It is unlikely that anyone whose commitment to the gospel
is inauthentic will be willing to endure the fiery trials of physical
discomfort and emotional pain that persecution brings. In such a crisis,
inquirers who have been walking the border between commitment to and rejection
of the gospel must finally make a decision, and those who have professed
loyalty to the church for ulterior motives finally decide that their deception no
longer pays. Those who remain, as a result, have the assurance that their
commitment is real…In other words, the testing of the believer’s mettle in the
fires of persecution produces assurance of salvation and reduces the visible
church to something more like its true, invisible number. The confidence and
fellowship that results are gifts from the God so powerful that he can even
make evil do his bidding.”[6]
There’s
something about the bond that is forged in the midst of shared suffering that doesn’t
exist in an environment of ease and comfort which Paul acknowledges in v. 30. This
is always the part that is so difficult for me in the context of this ministry
because I am unable to relate to the oppression and persecution that so many of
you are experiencing. Here in America, we whine and cry about the slightest
insult to our faith while some of you risk your lives daily simply because you
call Jesus your Lord and Savior. But Paul did not have this difficulty because
he shared the Philippians’ experience of persecution. Therefore, Paul’s
instruction to the church in Philippi can and does extend to all of us as well.
“Adversity is a part of the Christian life and should come as no surprise. Those
that follow Christ should expect opposition. Believers have two privileges: to
believe on him and to suffer for him. Both are an integral part of Christian
living. The apostle had faced opposition on many occasions throughout his
ministry. The Philippians had to face the same struggle and wanted to know how
Paul had coped with these difficulties. He encouraged them to face their
adversity in the way that he had, in Christ with joy.”[7]
Application
Think
about this: What would it matter if atheists were successful at having every
single cross torn down? What would it matter if they were able to have every
single biblical reference removed from every public property? What would it
matter if they were successful at having all prayer removed from every public
forum? Atheists would have you believe that their only goal is to right some
perceived inequality or injustice being perpetrated against unbelievers as a
result of Christian Privilege. Consider
the irony of their complaint: Without God, the concept of right and wrong
wouldn’t even exist. The concept of right and wrong originates with God.
Without God there would be no wrong to be corrected; no inequality to be
equalized and no injustice to be adjudicated. Instead, recognize the
persecution and hatred by unbelievers for what it is—sinners that refuse to
acknowledge their sin and don’t want to be reminded of it either. It is a
hardness of heart forged in the fire of sin that can’t stand to be challenged. Christians
reach out to unbelievers out of love because they know what awaits unbelievers.
Unbelievers want to silence Christians because they love their own sinful life
and don’t want to give it up. The heart of an unbeliever resides in darkness
and the Christian represents a light that exposes that darkness. Remember this
when you face opposition, “our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against
the powers of
this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms
(Eph 6:12).” Unbelievers can have every image and reference
that witnesses to Christ removed from the public but do you know the one most
important witness they cannot remove? You! In fact, the more opposition you receive
against the profession and practice of your faith, the brighter your light of
Christian faith will shine if you stand firm in your faith. Here in America,
the worst that can happen to us as Christians is that unbelievers will call us
names, demean us, marginalize us, or try to have all images and references to Christianity
removed from the public square. Rather than stamp your feet, whine, cry, complain,
or demand that you have the right to live in a culture that prizes your faith, you
be the image and witness of Christianity in the public square through your
righteous life and unashamed confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Most of us
learned at an early age to be thankful for the things we have received. Here in
America, it is supposed to be a privilege to practice our Christian faith
without opposition or fear. When we think of “privilege,” we think of receiving
or maintaining something we want. We are not offended when we see a cross or a
biblical inscription carved in stone on or outside a public structure because
we want that or want to maintain that. We are not offended by images of
Christmas or Easter because we want that or want to maintain that. Unbelievers
call this Christian Privilege. I’ll call it the selfish
desire to exist in a culture that is comfortable, safe and easy. Instead, it’s
time we begin to change our perspective on “privilege” and start to define “privilege”
from a Kingdom perspective. It is a privilege to be hated for our faith in
Jesus. It is a privilege to be labeled as weird or a bigot because we live by the
Bible’s standard and not the world’s standard. It is a privilege to pray for
those who hate us. It is a privilege to stand arm in arm with our brothers and
sisters in Christ around the world who face death daily because of their faith.
It is a privilege to preach the Gospel when no one seems to be listening. It is
a privilege not to take revenge against those who seek to hurt us because of
our faith. It is a privilege to stand firm in our faith in the face of those
who accuse us of being ignorant, foolish and weak. It is a privilege to know
that no matter how much or how often we are condemned for our faith by
unbelievers, our eternal salvation is assured because God has saved us. It is a
privilege to tell people about the love and forgiveness that is found in Jesus
Christ knowing we will probably be hated for it. It is a privilege to endure
anything and everything this world can throw at us knowing it is because we
have put our hope and trust in Jesus Christ who endured everything the world
threw at Him because of His love for us. I suspect that if we changed our
perspective on “privilege” to a Kingdom perspective, unbelievers would actually
stop complaining about Christian
Privilege.
[1] George
Barna, The Second Coming of the Church, (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 1998),
p. 6.
[2] Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship,
(New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1959), p. 26.
[3] Gerald
F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, Dictionary of Paul and his Letters, (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 191.
[4] Bruce
Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osborne, Linda K. Taylor, and Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary,
(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 849.
[5] Cleon
L. Rogers Jr. and Cleon L. Rogers III, The
New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), p. 451.
[6] Frank
Thielman, Philippians—The NIV
Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995), pp. 101-102.
[7] Max
Anders, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians
& Colossians—Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: B&H
Publishing Group, 1999), p. 211.
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