By Ainslee Zou, a first-year molecular biology/biochemistry major from Bristol, Indiana
Scripture: Philippians 1:3-11 (NRSV)
Agape: maybe this is a word you’ve heard, maybe not. Agape is the Greek word for love, not found in ancient dictionaries, rather based upon the teachings of the Gospel and Jesus. Agape describes Jesus’ love for us: love so vast that he gave everything so we could have life and life abundant.
Jesus tells us to love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). We’ve heard the phrase “love your neighbor,” but what does that really mean? In Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Philippians 1:3-11), Paul exemplifies showing agape to our neighbors and to God. Paul shows what it means to be a follower of Christ and a sister or brother in Christ. Paul shows how connected he is to the Philippians, God, Jesus, me, you.
Paul’s letter is not just a letter, but a template. He shows us that everyone’s walk in faith may be different, by no means are they separate. We are reminded that God created us each as individual masterpieces, but Jesus died for us one and the same. These scriptures are appropriately titled “Thanksgiving and Prayer” as Paul thanks God for Christians as well as God’s grace. Paul reminds us that loving our neighbors and loving God aren’t at all separate, but are sides of the same coin; both are agape. Paul reminds us to look around while looking up. Paul prays that our love may abound in wisdom so that we may know how to present ourselves as blameless on the day of Christ, and that we may be filled with the fruit of righteousness, rooted in Christ, all for the praise and glory of God. Paul’s words remind us that while life may not be going the way we expected, we can always find the joy in others, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’s love, and in God’s grace.
Scripture: Philippians 1:3-11 (NRSV)
I thank my God every time I remember you, 4constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
7It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.
9And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.