Schedule

The Apostle Paul had a special affection for the church at Philippi, and this love shines through in the opening verses of his epistle to the Philippians as he tells them how he is praying for them. This session will open the conference by describing the context of Philippians and considering the special relationship between Paul and the Christians in Philippi. It will highlight Paul’s priorities in prayer, helping us see that they should be our priorities as well.

The Apostle Paul had a passion for the advance of the gospel. He was so committed to the gospel that he was pleased when it was being presented accurately even if the motives of particular preachers were not pure. This session will remind attendees of the primacy of the gospel and why we should be encouraged when we see it preached accurately. While encouraging gospel proclamation from right motives, it will also note that God’s Word will not return to Him void regardless of man’s imperfection.

Paul lived as a man torn between his desire to see Christ face-to-face and his desire to continue ministering to the Philippians. Looking to the Apostle’s desire to be with Christ and to continue ministering for the sake of the gospel, this session will consider how the central longing of the Christian is to be with Christ. This session will also look at Paul’s desire that the Philippians would continue to live in a manner worthy of the gospel.

The Christian life consists in imitating the humility and servanthood of Christ, who modeled this posture for us particularly in His willingness to become incarnate and die for the sins of His people. This session will look at the humiliation and exaltation of Christ, explaining how the Son of God became incarnate without giving up any of His divine attributes and showing that the way to glory is the way of the cross. After considering the incarnation, this session will also look at how our submission to the glorified Son of God displays itself in God’s working in us to will and to work for God’s good pleasure.

Among the men who assisted the Apostle Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus stand out for their faithfulness to the gospel and for their unselfishness. Paul wanted to make sure that the Philippians knew the value of these men and that they honored them for their loving service to God and His people. This session will look at Paul’s comments about Timothy and Epaphroditus, reminding attendees that it is good and right to honor those who have served God’s people well.

As we seek to honor Christ, it will not be long before we meet people who think their justification depends on their works. The Philippians knew such individuals. Paul warned the Philippians about the threat that works-based righteousness poses to the purity of the gospel, and he encouraged them not to trust in their own works, ethnicity, or anything other than the righteousness of Christ. This session will examine the threat that works-based righteousness poses to the biblical gospel, reminding us that the only works that can save us are the works of Christ, which are imputed to us by faith in Him alone.

Having been justified by faith alone in Christ alone, Christians are not called to passivity for the rest of their lives. Instead, like Paul, they are to express their gratitude for their salvation by pressing on in service to Christ, longing for the day when they will see their Savior. This session will dwell upon the Christian doctrine of the resurrection, and it will explore how we eagerly anticipate our resurrection by holding fast to Christ, leaving sin behind, and pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Christian growth begins and is sustained by thinking like a Christian as we renew our minds according to the Word of God (Rom. 12:1–2). In the concluding section of Philippians, Paul develops this point by teaching Christians how to think. Specifically, he encourages us to meditate on whatever is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. As we do so, we will find ourselves able to be content in any situation and to receive the strength of Christ to do all good things.

A questions and answers session with Drs. W. Robert Godfrey, Steven Lawson, Albert Mohler, and Stephen Nichols.