Philippians

Rev. Charles G. Dennison
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Seventy-four sermons by Rev. Charles G. Dennison, former pastor of Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Sewickley, PA, his major verse-by-verse exposition of Philippians — the Christ hymn of chapter 2, justification and sanctification, joy amid imprisonment, and Paul's benediction — read throughout as a letter about knowing Christ rather than a manual for Christian living. Preached March 1991 - June 1993 and drawn from the Dennison Sermon Library archive.

  1. 06/20/1993

    Paul's Integrity, Christ's Pattern

    The church lacks strong men, and Paul's integrity across the letter's key passages corrects that lack. Vos foresaw the chaos the modern church now faces. Paul imitated Christ's integrity to the end by giving himself for others, the pattern the whole letter traces.

  2. 06/06/1993

    The Substance of a Benediction

    Numbers 6's priestly benediction shows that God gives authority to bless a congregation to its pastors alone. Paul's closing benediction to the Philippians works on the same terms. The 'grace' Paul communicates there has real substance, far beyond conventional politeness.

  3. 05/23/1993

    Paul's Emotional Farewells

    Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 is full of tears and affection, and he closes Philippians the same way, not with a formula. His final greetings bind Christians in Rome to believers in Philippi and show that the churches of his day belonged to one another. Even here Paul presses the letter's central message: the gift of oneself, realized in Christ and reflected in the apostle. "Brethren," his closing word of address, carries that whole message.

  4. 05/02/1993

    The Philippians' Participation

    Paul's second missionary journey brought him to Philippi, and there the Philippians began to share in his ministry. Their participation was real, and traces of selfishness showed even in their gift to him. Paul's gratitude does not require pretending the gift was flawless.

  5. 04/18/1993

    What Athletes Get Wrong About 4:13

    Sports celebrities' popular use of 'I can do all things through Christ' gets a direct correction here, read against what Paul actually means by his own sufficiency in Christ. 2 Corinthians 8 supplies Paul's fuller theology of generous giving as the real context for that sufficiency. Giving ourselves the way Christ gave himself, more than achieving personal victories, is what 4:13 is actually about.

  6. 03/07/1993

    Cybele, Dionysus, and Paul's Christianity

    Paul wrote into a Roman world shaped by Cybele, the mystery religions, and the cult of Dionysus, and that background matters. The modern church has pagan practices of its own, and they pose a live danger. Against all of it Paul preaches self-sacrifice, the opposite of what those religions offered.

  7. 02/28/1993

    Refuting Stoicism

    Greek philosophy discovered the individual, and in 4:10-13 Paul refutes Stoicism's famous self-sufficiency head-on. 1 Corinthians 1 gives Paul's wider critique of worldly wisdom. Christian philosophy turns believers out of themselves toward Christ, the opposite of Stoic self-sufficiency.

  8. 02/21/1993

    Give Yourselves, Not Just a Gift

    Paul draws the Philippians into his own ordeal, and that shapes how he receives their financial gift. His attitude toward the gift is more complicated than simple gratitude. Paul wants the Philippians to give themselves.

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Seventy-four sermons by Rev. Charles G. Dennison, former pastor of Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Sewickley, PA, his major verse-by-verse exposition of Philippians — the Christ hymn of chapter 2, justification and sanctification, joy amid imprisonment, and Paul's benediction — read throughout as a letter about knowing Christ rather than a manual for Christian living. Preached March 1991 - June 1993 and drawn from the Dennison Sermon Library archive.

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  • Creator
    Rev. Charles G. Dennison
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church
  • Show Website
    Philippians