by Jerry Senn
Paul’s prayer for the Philippians suits the immediate needs of every congregation of the Lord’s people of any age.
“It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment (every kind of insight, NET), so that you may approve what is excellent (decide what is best, NET), and so be pure (sincere, ESV) and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil 1:9-11).
“This prayer ranks as one of the outstanding prayers of the apostle for his churches. Almost every word must be carefully weighed if the greatness and range of the petition are to yield their richness” (Ralph P Martin, “Philippians”).
The words to be analyzed here are “knowledge, insight and sincere). “The glory and praise of God” is to be the goal and purpose of every believer. Love is the “greatest commandment” said Jesus.
So what is the “knowledge” to which Paul is pointing to in his petition? It is surely not the knowledge which “puffs up” our pride (1 Cor 8:1) but it is “a mental grasp of spiritual truth, … knowing God in an intimacy made possible through his self-disclosure (in His Word, jcs) and received by faith” (Martin). A better knowledge of God and his ways will promote greater harmony within the fellowship with better understanding of our mutual relationships and as fellow participants in God’s grace.
Paul’s word “depth of insight” means “perception,” “discrimination.” It is the faculty which makes a person able to make good decisions. It is translated “wisdom and knowledge” in Proverbs 1:4, 7, 22). These qualities are necessary to avoid disunity and fault-finding, and to deal with such tendencies in resolving issues where conflict arises. Discernment allows us to focus on “things that matter,” choosing the best among the good.
The idea of being “sincere, pure” suggests being transparent and, genuine, and unmixed approach to one’s spiritual character, free from impurity.
Paul’s prayer flows from his compassionate regard of Jesus Christ on which his affection is seen in his love for his church. “‘His pulse beats with the pulse of Christ; his heart throbs with the heart of Christ’ (Lightfoot), as if Christ were expressing his love through the personality of his servant” (Martin).