Tara-Leigh Cobble

This is important because suffering can bring out the worst in you.

It can prompt you to be short-tempered and selfish and live from a scarcity mentality.

So Paul reminds them to count others as more significant, not equal, but better.

He says to look to other people's interests.

That's what Jesus did, after all.

In this letter, Paul highlights God's work through Timothy and Epaphroditus.

We met Timothy in Acts 16.

He's the Gentile Paul had circumcised before he sent them to preach the gospel so that any Jews he encountered wouldn't be able to discredit him on that basis.

Paul tells the Philippians that he wants to send Timothy to them soon.

We'll read Paul's first letter to Timothy tomorrow.

Speaking of circumcision, Paul warns them about the people who insist on circumcision because they're adding to the gospel.

Paul says, look, as a Jew, obviously I'm circumcised and I can tell you it has zero impact on my relationship with God.

In fact, my whole list of credentials means absolutely nothing compared to knowing Jesus.

Everything I worked so hard for and everything that was given to me in my privilege, it's garbage.

The word Paul uses here for garbage or rubbish would be a curse word in modern language.

That's how strong the contrast is between what the world values and the all-surpassing value of knowing Jesus.

And Paul says he knows Jesus, but he wants to know him more.

He presses on.

He leans in.

Nothing about Paul is in neutral.