Holding forth the word of life, so that I may have a boast in the day of Christ that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and I rejoice together with you all. Philippians 2:17.Witness Lee shares that it's pretty difficult to understand verse 17. And even after reading this chapter and looking back over it as I was writing this, I realized it's hard to get Paul's meaning here. In the early part of the chapter he points out that the meaning of faith mentioned here is a bit different than that used in other Bible passages. It is not an objective affirmation of faith in God but rather what occurs in our hearts when we hear God's word. We know the word is powerful, and he says that the Gospel of John shows us that the Lord's Word is Spirit and life (John 6:63).
But not only does God's word supply us with the Spirit and enliven us, it fills us with faith. I've always liked Romans 10:17 So faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Paul reminds us of this again in his letter to the Ephesian believers: In whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in Him also believing… Anyway the tie into Philippians 2:17 is that this kind of faith can become a sacrifice offered to God by the apostle.
Here are some lines that touched me on pages 439 and 445:
The first function of the Word is to infuse us with faith...In order to have the sacrifice of faith, we need to touch the word of life in such a way that it becomes in our experience the bountiful supply of the Spirit. Then we shall have faith, faith which is the result of the Word and the Spirit mingled with our appreciation. This is the sacrifice which can be offered to God...As used in 2:17, faith stands for the enjoyment of Christ, the experience of Christ, and the gaining of Christ. Our enjoyment, experience, and gaining of Christ become a sweet sacrifice to God... (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Philippians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1980, Print).
A lot of what he's talking about here is personal. And like what I got out of last week's reading, this faith is infused into us when we come to the Bible prayerfully. He says towards the end of the chapter that "What we enjoy in faith always depends on what is conveyed to us by the Word" (Page 441). The verses that we pray over infuse us with some element of Christ, and that infusion fills our hearts with an appreciation of Christ. Don't you think that this is what motivated Paul to know Christ, gain Christ, and pursue Christ? The version that I quoted from is the Recovery Version of the New Testament, and you can order it free from Bibles for America.
You can listen to excerpts from the Life-Study of Philippians given in 1980 on the Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. The commentary is excellent.
Blog Update 5/22/14: Check out the new free book put out by Bibles for America called A Life of Forbearance But Without Anxiety.
Other Posts on the Life-Study of Philippians:
What is the Bountiful Supply of the Spirit in Philippians 1:19?
What Does It Mean to Magnify Christ in Philippians 1:20-23?
How Does Religion, Philosophy & Culture Relate to Philippians 3:5-6?
Have You Ever Wondered What Gaining Christ is in Philippians 3:8?
Why Does Paul Put Anxiety and Prayer Together in Philippians 4:6?
What's Paul's Secret in Philippians 4:12?
What Does It Mean to Live Christ in Philippians 1:19-21?
From the Life-Study of Philippians: What's the Theme of the Bible?
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