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Q2. (2:14-15) How does ceasing complaining and arguing enable a church to shine as stars in a dark sky? What does this shining as stars signify? Have complaining and arguing compromised your church's witness as a God-place? If so, what can you do to change this? Complaining and arguing among the congregation causes disunity. Unfortunately, we will always have some amongst us who demand extra attention. In my experience it has mostly been one or two individuals. It cannot be allowed to continue, and must be confronted and dealt with. As believers we should try and live lives without blemish, and not be seen as a bunch of hypocrites. Only then will we, among all the wickedness that goes on in the world, clearly stand out as shining lights. It will be like bright lights against the dark background of this world. The darker the world, the brighter the light. We do not create the light, but reflect the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ for all the world to see.

Q1. (2:12-13). In this passage, what does it mean to "work out your own salvation"? Is this referring to salvation from sin? If not, what kind of salvation is it referring to? In this passage, we are to work out our own salvation, refers to our sanctification – our becoming more and more like our Saviour Lord Jesus. We are to grow into maturity and “work out” our disunity, envy, rivalry, pride, and selfishness, so that we can honour Him by living in obedience to His commands. Redemption, salvation from sin, is wholly the work of God; we cannot earn our salvation, it is a free gift from God (Eph 2:8).

Q4. (2:9-11) We know we're supposed to humble ourselves like Jesus did. But how can we know whether or not God will exalt us? Why do we get impatient with this? What does our impatience sometimes lead to? He will exalt us because He has promised this to us, and He always keeps His promises. This promise only applies if we truly humble ourselves. However, I doubt we can be truly humble if we are focused on our reward, and not on emulating our Lord Jesus. We have to be careful if we seek a high place for ourselves, because there is always the possible shame of being demoted. Remember that whoever exalts himself will be humbled by God, but if we are truly humble, there is only one direction we can possibly move and that is up. Jesus taught that it is better to be advanced to a place of honour than to grasp that place and later have to relinquish it. It is not for us to get impatient – it is all about the Lord and His perfect timing. Being impatient can only lead to doubting our Heavenly Father and separation from Him.

Q3. (2:7-8) Was Jesus really a human being or only pretending to be one? What do these verses teach? What difference does it really make whether or not Jesus was human? Jesus Christ came to earth as a human being while still being totally Divine. He was still all all-knowing and all-powerful – He had to be to perform all the miracles He did. He was still 100% God. He still had all the attributes of God while He was in the world; only I think His glory was concealed in His body of human flesh. His glory was there, but only hidden to shine on occasions such as on the Mount of Transfiguration. He had to be human - blood had to be spilt for the redemption of sin. We know from Scripture that God demanded the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins. Animal sacrifices were only a temporary measure, what was required was Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, who would take away the past, present, and future sins of all who put their trust in Him. For this to happen, the precious blood of Christ had to be shed.

Q2. (2:6) In your own words, what does it mean that Christ didn't cling to His equality with God? How specifically does this passage teach that Jesus is Divine? Jesus didn’t cling to His equality with God since He willingly came into this world, as a man, to suffer and save humanity. This passage specifically mentions that Jesus is in very nature God. This does not mean that He merely resembled God, but that He actually is God – in every nature God. This agrees with other verses of Scripture, for example: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together Colossians (1:15-17). These all go to prove that Jesus Christ was whatever God was in eternity past. He is the infinite, the incomprehensible, the all holy, the all blessed Christ, who was and is absolutely One with Him.

Q1. (2:1-4). To achieve unity in your congregation, why is humility necessary? Can you give an example of how lack of humility caused a division in your church? What are you doing to bring unity in your church? Over the years I’ve come across people who have been founder members, for say 30 years or more, and have come to regard the church as their own. They tend to dominate and dictate activities in the church. There was never any maliciousness intended, but more of their pride taking over. Of course, we have all experienced people who are motivated by selfish ambition or conceit. They form cliques to promote their own interests. This all leads to strife, conflict, and division in the church, helping Satan achieve one of his objectives – the destruction of the church. Also, a divided church is spiritually weak and has very little power in spreading the Gospel. It is only when we are truly humble and act with others in mind that we can obtain unity in the church. We live in harmony by showing love for each other, and by having the mind of Christ; being united in what we think, not jealous or proud, being humble and considering others more important than ourselves, caring for others as much as we care for ourselves. However, to do this is completely foreign to our minds, and we cannot do it in our own strength, and only the indwelt Holy Spirit can help us to achieve this. I try by not being preoccupied with self, but realize we are all sinners saved by grace.

Q4. (1:23) What do Philippians 1:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 teach about the state of Christians immediately after death? How does this comfort you? How does this energize you? This comforts me in that there is now no fear of the future, knowing He is in control, and on dying, I will immediately be with Him. This energizes me to share the Gospel and help all to realize the great free gift of salvation and eternal life awaits all who repent and put their trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Q4. (1:23) What do Philippians 1:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 teach about the state of Christians immediately after death? How does this comfort you? How does this energize you? This comforts me in that there is now no fear of the future, knowing He is in control, and on dying, I will immediately be with Him. This energizes me to share the Gospel and help all to realize the great free gift of salvation and eternal life awaits all who repent and put their trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Q3. (1:20-21) How can fear keep us from being a bold witness? Why does fear of people bind our tongues? How does "losing our life" for Christ's sake actually give us an abundant life? What fear is keeping you from clear witness? As Christians we should never fear the outcome of events, therefore, we can witness with confidence and courage. This courage and confidence is, of course, obtained by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. We will be equipped with a boldness enabling us to proclaim the good news of salvation to the lost world. Without this, we can be gripped by fear, preventing us from boldly proclaiming the Word. This fear is actually a fear of rejection. Perhaps this occurs because we are focusing on ourselves, being self-centred instead of being Christ-centred, and trusting the Holy Spirit. When we ‘lose our life,’ we can regard death as the ultimate gain – to spend eternity with our Lord and Saviour. But when applied to our life here, it can refer to us focusing more on the needs of others, becoming more and more like Jesus. It means that we will derive our strength from Christ. We will have the mind of Christ, rejoice in Christ, live for Christ and bring glory of our Heavenly Father. We will have become a new creation: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17).”

Q2. (1:18b-19) Why is our ability to rejoice so dependent upon our faith that God is in control, working even in the midst of difficulty? What must you believe in order to be able to rejoice in the midst of problems? What is your basis for believing that? Our faith in the Father of our Lord Jesus is such that we know that all things are working towards the day of Christ – even though it might not seem like it today. The world is in a mess; yet we know that our Heavenly Father is in control. In the thick of life, we must remain focused on Jesus only. Under most difficult circumstances, Paul did not feel sorry for himself or seek sympathy from others. In the same way we should be filled with the joy of the Lord. We rejoice in the midst of trials because of the promises our Lord has made, that He will never forsake us – “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Heb 13:5).” In Deuteronomy we read: “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." We also remember the boundless resources which the Holy Spirit supplies to enable believers to stand fast, regardless of what circumstances may be.

Q1. (1:12-14) From the standpoint of witness to others, you are much more credible when you are undergoing personal struggles, stress, and problems. Why is this so? Why was Paul's witness so powerful? What personal struggle are you going through that could enhance your testimony if you handled it right? When we think of all Paul had been through, and all the false accusations that were levelled at him, yet he still, despite this, can say that whatever happened to him was really to advance the gospel. This is an encouragement to us – if he can do it under all these circumstances, then we under much easier conditions, surely can also. His witness is so powerful because this is an example of true Christian living, despite his imprisonment, and all other hardships he endured. Even in great adversity he only wanted to spread the good news! I feel that there is much more I can do for the Lord; not having any of the impairments Paul had. It makes one feel that we are under performing and that there is much more that can be done to glorify our Lord.

Q4. (1:9-11) Why does Paul ask God to give the Philippian Christians discernment? What will be the result of discernment in their lives? How does selfishness cloud discernment? How is the good the enemy of the best in our lives? Being new Christians they needed the Holy Spirit to give them the gift of discernment. He knew they would be exposed to false teachings and that they needed this discernment to test what is the absolute truth. So there was a need for them to learn how to live life from His revealed Word, and to follow the example of His Son. The result of this discernment would be greater love which will bring about spiritual excellence and integrity, good works and more glory to God. Our discernment is clouded when we focus on ourselves instead of doing our best to please our Heavenly Father. In life some things are good but others are better. However, the good is often the enemy of the best, and in service to our Lord we must be able to distinguish between the two. This comes from our studying the Word and by spending time with Jesus, so that ultimately we will have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16).

Q3. (1:6) What does Paul expect God to do for the Philippian believers? Why does he expect God to do this? What is the basis of Paul's confidence? On what basis can we expect God to do this for us? Paul expects God to complete what He has begun in the lives of the Philippian believers, for he knows that God will always finish what He has begun. It is because of God’s work in them that the Philippian’s persevere in the faith and the gospel. In the same way, God’s faithful work in us will carry on until the day our Lord Jesus returns. Praise the Lord! The basis of Paul’s confidence is in God’s sovereignty, and it is grounded in Christ (Rom 8:38-39). We know that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He will never let us go, but will continue the good work in us. We know this confidence is based on His love for us, but also on the work of God before the foundation of the world when He chose us in Christ (Eph 1:4).

Q2. (1:6) When we become financial "partners" with a Christian missionary, minister, ministry, or church, what do we receive out of the partnership? What other kinds of support might we offer beyond financial? As financial partners we participate in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a spiritual unity in the partnership. All this is done to spread the gospel and bring salvation to the lost, which results in bringing greater glory to our Heavenly Father. Besides financial support, this unity will bring greater strength, encouragement, support, comfort, and help to the ministry as well as spiritual and material blessings to all concerned. From experience, we also know that we serve our Lord by caring, loving, and praying for others, and that this brings great joy to our hearts.

Q2. (1:6) When we become financial "partners" with a Christian missionary, minister, ministry, or church, what do we receive out of the partnership? What other kinds of support might we offer beyond financial? As financial partners we participate in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a spiritual unity in the partnership. All this is done to spread the gospel and bring salvation to the lost, which results in bringing greater glory to our Heavenly Father. Besides financial support, this unity will bring greater strength, encouragement, support, comfort, and help to the ministry as well as spiritual and material blessings to all concerned. From experience, we also know that we serve our Lord by caring, loving, and praying for others, and that this brings great joy to our hearts.

Q1. (1:1) What is the basic idea of "slave"? What is the root idea of "saint"? In what way are these words saying the same thing about a Christian's relationship to God? (Note: to answer this question correctly you'll need to refer to the notes on the precise word meanings.) As a slave we belong to our Lord and Saviour. We were bought at a price, our Saviour’s blood, and we are therefore owned by our Master. We have been set free from our own sins and also from the bondage of Satan, but now we are His, His slave, bound hand and foot to the Saviour. As a slave, we are completely dependent on Him. Slave might bring up ideas of forced subjection and even perhaps harsh treatment. However, I would gladly be Jesus’ slave – what an honour, what a blessing! Since we have been purchased, we are in Christ, and the Holy Spirit has entered our lives, making us holy, not sinless. Being in Christ we are now new creations; old things have passed away; all things become new. Here, Paul is defining what a Christian is – he describes what we are by grace, saints, and not what we are by nature and in this world. We are saints set apart to glorify Him.

Q5. (Revelation 11:15; Psalm 24:7) When people think of spending an eternity in heaven, who do they most look forward to being with? Relatives? Jesus? What does it mean that He will reign forever and ever? In what way is He the King of Glory in your life? I imagine heaven as a glorious place where we shall still worship and serve our Lord, without any fatigue, distress, persecution, or affliction. We will be morally like the Lord Jesus Christ, and our bodies will be free from the possibility of defilement, sin, sickness, sorrow, and death. The process of becoming like Jesus will have been completed and we shall see Him as He is - for to see Him is to be like Him. Therefore, when I think of spending eternity in heaven, I most definitely look forward to being with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And He shall reign, And He shall reign, And He shall reign, He shall reign, And He shall reign forever and ever King of kings, forever and ever, And lord of lords, hallelujah, hallelujah, And He shall reign forever and ever King of kings and lord of lords, King of kings and lord of lords, And He shall reign forever and ever Forever and ever, forever and ever (King of kings and lord of lords) Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah.

Q4. (Malachi 3:2-3; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15). How does Jesus purify and refine His church? How does He purify and refine us? On the Day that fire will test your deeds, will you have anything that remains, besides your salvation? Jesus purifies and refines His church by sanctifying it – that is setting it apart. This process of sanctification is one of moral and spiritual preparation. The lives of the believers are cleansed as they hear the Word of Christ and obey these Words. The church is purified and refined in a similar way as believers; being bathed, not with literal water, but with the cleansing agent of the Word of God. Just as the blood of Christ cleanses once for all from the guilt and penalty of sin, so the word of God cleanses continually from the defilement and pollution of sin. All my deeds will be like filthy rags. I will only have, by the love, grace, and mercy of my Saviour Jesus Christ, my salvation.

Q3. (Hebrews 1:2; Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 3:22) In what sense is Jesus "Heir of All Things"? What does it imply that we are co-heirs with Him? In what sense do we possess all things? Through His Son, God made the universes. In Colossians 1:16 we read: “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” This is also confirmed in Hebrews 1:2: “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” We recognise the majesty of the Son of God, who was present at creation and is the sovereign Lord of all created things. God appointed Jesus heir of all things, this we know from John 16:15, that “all that belongs to the Father is mine.” Here, Heir as applied to Christ means that as the Son of God, He is the possessor or Lord of all things – it all belongs to Him. Without Christ we are nothing, but as, believers, we share in His resurrection, and we share in His inheritance. Therefore, as believers, we become co-heirs with our Lord Jesus. This inheritance includes all that we will enjoy in heaven for eternity - it will be incorruptible (will never corrode, or decay), undefiled (will always be in perfect condition) and unfading (will last for eternity). Christ alone has the ultimate power, dominion, possession, and authority. And to think that He will share this with all who belong to Him!

Q2. (Revelation 1:17-18; Hebrews 12:2) What do the titles First and Last, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End teach us about Jesus' nature? How does knowing that Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith help build our trust in Him? These titles all tell us that He spans time and eternity, since He is before all things and will remain beyond all things. From Colossians 1:16-17 we read: For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Therefore, He is the source and goal of creation. Since Jesus is both the Beginning and the End we know that He will have all authority over everything in-between. Meaning that Jesus has a plan for history, and He directs the path of human events toward His designed fulfilment. He began and He will end the Divine program of this world. His life on earth was a perfect example of what the life of faith is like. In this sense He is the Author, or pioneer, of our faith, but He is also the Perfecter of our faith, in that He also finished His life victoriously. He focused His life on the coming glory when all the redeemed would be gathered with Him eternally. Jesus Christ who is the First and Last, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, and the Author and Perfecter, directs all human history and even our individual lives. However, this does not mean our lives are given over to blind fate, or random meaningless.

Q1. (Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 17:1-2) In what ways did Jesus show the Father's glory in His ministry? Why do you think Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to see His Transfiguration? How do you think Jesus will appear in heaven? Our Lord Jesus is the exact image of God’s essential being. All the perfections that are found in God the Father are also found in Him. On earth, all the moral and spiritual glories of God are seen in Him. Peter, James, and John were privileged to see our Saviour transfigured. Prior to this they only saw His glory veiled in a body of flesh, but now they were given the opportunity of seeing His face and clothes becoming radiant and bright like the sun. This was a visible manifestation of His deity - very similar to the glory cloud of the OT which symbolised the presence of God. Now, they could recognise Him as God the Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords. I think that our Lord Jesus will have His own definite appearance, and will bear the scars of Calvary throughout eternity. Just like us, as believers, we will have our own distinct features, but we will all be morally like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Q4. (2 Corinthians 11:2) What does it take for us to be presented to Christ as a pure virgin bride? How faithful are we to Christ? To what degree do we partake with the adulterous and sinful generation that Jesus decried? What does the marriage relationship say about love, communication, and intimacy with Christ? We are to remain loyal and obedient to the Word of Christ. Similar to an engaged bride to be married, there is the responsibility of the bride to remain pure to her pledged husband. In the same way that wives are commanded to submit to their own husbands, are we to submit to Christ’s authority. However, today it is extremely unfashionable for people to remain faithful or submit to a person. People like to be uncommitted often leading to sinful behaviour. A marriage relationship should be a place of patience, humility, joy, truth, peace, and hope. Within marriage fellowship is expressed in acts of love. It is not a place for abuse. Jesus as the Bridegroom will provide for His followers, just as any bridegroom assumes responsibility for taking care of His wife and children.

Q3. (Colossians 3:2-4) To what degree is Christ the centre, the focus of your life? If you had to prove to another person that Christ is the centre of your life, what evidence would you muster? What evidence would contradict this? What kind of repentance is necessary to reprioritize your life? Having said goodbye to our former way of life, and having entered upon a completely new type of life, a life of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, we seek things which are above. Christ becomes the centre and focus of our life. Our union with Jesus has destroyed the power of sin over us. We are still on earth, and battle with sin, but our focus in on heavenly things. We acknowledge Him in everything we do; grateful for what the Lord Jesus has already done for us. With the help of the Holy Spirit we have His wisdom, power, and knowledge available to us; helping us to become day by day more like our Saviour. Our actions should be enough evidence that Christ is the centre of our life. The Holy Spirit will produce character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. It is by joining our life to His that the fruit of the Spirit grow in us, and will be visible for all to see. There must be a genuine repentance, one that will result in a changed life. There will be a sincere commitment to forsake sin, and to walk in obedience to Christ.

Q2. (John 6:51; 15:1-5) What do Jesus' teachings on the Living Bread and the True Vine teach us about drawing from His life? What happens to our vital Life when we rely on ourselves, and stop relying on Him? Why is it so hard for us humans to learn the lesson of dependence and trust? We learn that He is the Giver of real life, the life that overcomes the effects of death upon our spirit and soul – eternal life. But this only occurs when we repent and trust in Him as our Saviour. We then, stop relying on ourselves and start relying on Him; spending time in prayer, reading and obeying His Word, fellowshipping with His people, and being continually conscious of our union with Him. We are so self-centred that we always want to be in control of our lives. This makes it is most difficult for us to depend on someone else. Never mind trusting that person. This is what Jesus demands - a total commitment from us.

Q1. (John 1:9; 8:12) In what sense is Jesus the True Light? In what sense is He the Light of the World? In what sense are you the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)? Why do you think people resist Jesus' light, His truth, His view of the Father, our world, and eternal life? How does the world's so-called "light" differ from Jesus' light? What can obstruct Jesus' light in this world? What can obstruct our light? Jesus is the True Light since He is the full revelation of God’s Truth. Just as Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world; He is also the Light of the World that brings Life. Since Jesus is the source of the True Light, we as Christians are to reflect His Light. Our lives are to display the teachings of the Word. Our world does not recognise Jesus, His Light, His Truth, His view of the Father, our world, and eternal life, because those who love sin hate Light. Jesus the True Light exposes their sinfulness. The world’s so called light is human righteousness, whereas Jesus’ Light is Divine righteousness. Human righteousness is based on human achievement with the help of Satan. Jesus has accomplished it all on the Cross. The world cannot see, understand or comprehend spiritual truths. Their minds are darkened, and there is no ability to understand the Truth. It is only when we receive the True Light that we suddenly see things we have never seen before. We are granted an understanding of life’s mysteries. Our light can fade if we do not persevere with our prayers, our study of the Word, and our fellowship with our Lord and Saviour, acknowledging Him in everything we do.