Memorizing Philippians: Chapter 1
Hopefully there are a few of you out there continuing with the memorization challenge! If you’re keeping up with the schedule to memorize the entire book of Philippians by the end of the year, you should actually be working on Philippians 2:2 today.
So I’m a bit behind – the reasons are kind of interesting, but really not good enough, so why bother mentioning them? Anyway, I’m starting chapter 2 today.
That’s not to say that chapter 1 is solidly in my mind. I’ve been trying to work on it a little extra, because there were some verses in there that didn’t stick very well, probably because of how much I was concentrating on the first day I memorized them. 🙂
I have been puzzling a little over whether Paul knew he would get out of prison or not, or live or not. I think in the end he was convinced that it was God’s will that he live (Philippians 1:24-25). But he also makes it clear that there’s nothing necessarily better about living and being freed from prison – his imprisonment apparently freed some other believers to preach more boldly, and of course “to die is gain”.
Not only are there benefits to suffering, suffering is even something given to us by God (Philippians 1:29).
What do you think about chapter 1?