SLIDES

Paul an Example of Sacrifice and Joy - Philippians 2:17-18

Bob Josey

Introduction

Does everyone remember Mother Theresa? Saint Teresa, as she is called, of Calcutta was an Albanian-born Indian. She was a Roman Catholic missionary and nun who devoted her life to helping those most in need.  Mother Teresa was born in 1910 and died in 1997. She founded The Missionaries of Charity in India in 1950 which is active in 133 countries as of 2012. For over 45 years, she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned and dying. She received the Nobel Peace Prize of 2003. Even though there is much I don’t agree with much concerning the Catholic religion— Mother Teresa was a person who was dedicated to other people. Her life demonstrated that.  It was a life well spent. She shunned comfort and personal advancement for the sake of her calling. She is example of one who was dedicated to those to whom she was called.

Two thousand years ago there was a Jewish man who was saved and called into ministry on the Road to Damascus. Throughout the remainder of his life, he was devoted and committed to those whom he was called. He was an Apostle to the Gentiles, an evangelist, a church planter and one who discipled believers. Today Paul is an example to all Christians because he was dedicated to Lord who called him and dedicated those to whom he was called. Since he an example of one dedicated to the Lord, let’s see what we can learn from him concerning how to rejoice and how to be dedicated to those to whom we are called. 

A. Believers should be an example of dedication to and share their joy with those to whom they minister. (17)

2:17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

Paul was writing this epistle in Rome from prison.  Even though this prison is nothing like the prison he would be next, it was still a prison. Paul told the church at Philippi that he was rejoicing and wanted to share his joy with them.  How could Paul rejoice and share joy with the Philippian Church while in prison chained to a Roman solder 24/7?  We will discuss that in a few minutes but we must first discuss what he meant by “being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of their faith.” 

In this verse Paul was using figurative language to compare to his present life to the pouring out of a drink offering in Israel's worship. Under the Mosiac Law Israel had five different types of sacrifices. Three were classified as a sweet smelling. Depending on the translation they are also called soothing aroma or pleasing aroma, sacrifices. There were also non-sweet smelling or non-soothing aroma sacrifices. There were three sweet smelling sacrifices or soothing aroma sacrifices in which the Israelite could worship God, receive atonement for their sins, and thank Him for who He was and what He had done for them. Two of the sacrifices were non-soothing aroma sacrifices. These were sacrifices for sin that were made in order to restore the Israelite back to fellowship with God. They were the John 1:9 of the Mosiac Law.  Let’s look at a few verses in Numbers 28:4-7 that describe the process of making the sweet savor or soothing aroma sacrifices.

4 ‘You shall offer the one lamb in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; 5 also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil. 6 ‘It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. 7 ‘Then the drink offering with it shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb, in the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. 8 ‘The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

In the soothing aroma sacrifices we find grain offerings mixed with oil, animal sacrifices, and drink offerings. The phrase sweet smelling or soothing aroma is found 42 times in the Old Testament. The concept of God smelling a soothing aroma from a sacrifice is first found in when Noah sacrificed a kosher animal when they left the ark.  When God smelled the soothing aroma of the sacrifice, He vowed never again to curse the earth with water. God smelling a pleasing aroma is a figure of speech called anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is attributing human characteristics to a god, an animal, or an object. In this case, of course, it’s attributed to Yahweh.

So, we find one of the sacrificial rituals involved a twostep process - burning the animal and pouring the wine on the sacrifice. The animal was placed on the sacrificial alter to become a burnt offering. After the animal was placed on the sacrificial alter, the wine was poured on the sacrifice. As the sacrifice burned, it would a produce a soothing order that went upwards. Also, as the alcohol dripped on the fire, it would also cause smoke that was sweet smelling. The picture portrayed was that when God smelled the sweet aroma of the animal and the wine, He would be pleased. All of know how wonderful it smells when someone is bar-b-qing. On the other hand, the non-soothing sacrifice was not pleasing to God because it concerned the sin of the one who brought it. God accepted this sacrifice for sin but it was not soothing to Him.

Before we move on, I want to point out two things. One, pagans also had a ritual sacrifice of pouring out wine and some used blood. It was called a libation. Two, in Philippians chapter 2 we have seen two examples of humble men who became sacrifices for God the Father - Jesus and Paul. Both Jesus and Paul poured out their blood as a sacrifice. Jesus for lost humanity and Paul for the Philippian believers and other Gentiles and Jews to whom he ministered. 

Now it’s time to interpret what Paul meant in verse 17. From the above we know that Paul being poured out by another meant he was speaking of his death. There are two questions we must ask and answer. Who in the figurative language is the sacrificial animal on the alter and who is the libation or drink offering that would be poured on the animal sacrifice? Any ideas? The phrase about the drink offering is clear. The drink offering that was sacrificially poured on the animal sacrifice is Paul. He knew that at some time he would be executed for his faith in Jesus but he did not know exactly when that would be.  At this time in prison, he was thinking he would be released because in Philippians 1:19 Paul said, “for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ...” During Paul’s first imprisonment, he awaited trial before Roman governors Felix and Festus (Acts 24–26). He then was under house arrest in Rome for two years (28:30), awaiting an appearance before Nero. Scholars believe Paul was released sometime in AD 62 because the Jews who had accused him of being “a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension” (Acts 24:5) didn’t press their case before the emperor. However, during Paul’s second imprisonment in the Mamertine dungeon, he had apparently received a preliminary hearing and was awaiting a final trial as we see in 2 Timothy 4:6 -8,  “6  For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.  7   have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

The next time you read in 1 & 2 Timothy or Titus remember that Paul was in the Mamertine Prison in Rome. It was cold and dark.  Someone  said that it was “repulsive and terrible on account of neglect, dampness, and smell.” This is where Paul wrote 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.

Let’s look at 2:17 again, "But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith...”  I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” The terms sacrifice and service could be understood as “sacrificial service” that stemmed from their faith and could be translated the sacrificial service arising from your faith.  So, if Paul is the drink offering that was poured out, who represents the animal sacrificial offering. It’s the Philippian believers sacrificial service to the Lord. Since the ritual consisted of two parts, the pouring out of the wine on the sacrifice and the sacrifice that was the burnt offering, we know that both Paul and the Philippian church were both part of the sacrificial ritual. We see this in Romans 12:1. Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  So, to sum it up, the drink offering represents the gradual ebbing away of Paul’s life in which he had been a living sacrifice for Jesus since the Road to Damascus. Paul’s shedding of his blood was at his beheading. The animal sacrifice represents the sacrificial service of the believers at Philippi that came from their faith

The last part of the verse says, “I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” His joy was that he and the Philippian believers were part of one another as the body of Christ. They were his joy because he led many of them to Jesus and planted the church in Philippi. The Gentiles, and in this case the believers in Philippi, were his ministry in which he found fulfillment and joy. They were one of his priorities.  Even though he was in prison, he loved them and was committed to them through prayer and long-distance counseling as with this letter. And they were committed to him. When several men from the congregation walked over 800 miles that took six weeks to minister to Paul and then took another 6 weeks and again walked over 800 miles to return to Philippi shows this.

Romans 15:15-16 gives us insight into Paul and his relationship with the Gentile’s in general, and the Philippian believers in particular. 15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Paul was ministering as a priest of God representing the Gentiles. He could not minister under the authority of the Mosaic Law for two reasons. One, he was not a Levite. Only Levites could be priests. He was from the tribe of Dan. Second, and more importantly, the Mosiac Law had been replaced by the New Covenant when Jesus initiated it at his death.  He also said that as a priest of God to the Gentiles that he wanted his sacrifice, that we have been discussing, to be acceptable to God. They were his joy!

B. Believers are exhorted to share their joy with those who minister to them. (18)

18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

In this verse the Philippian Christians are called upon to be happy about their being a sacrifice and to share their joy with the apostle. Rejoicing needs to be reciprocal; it must have two directions. First, Paul said: “I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” He rejoiced in the prospect of a death which would glorify God and which would advance their faith. Second, he called upon them to rejoice with him. They were saddened by Paul’s imprisonment, but he wanted their despair to be turned into joy by the truth of his epistle. 

As there is a correspondence in sacrifice, so also there must be a correspondence in joy. Here we find a perfect Christian partnership! Dedication and commitment to one another should cause both to have the same kind of joy. 

Application

If the Lord has given you someone or a group of believers to minister to, be dedicated to them and share your joy with them that they are your brothers and sisters in Christ with whom you are united and committed.

If the Lord has given someone to minister to you, share your joy with them that they are brothers and sister in Christ with whom you are united and for whom you are thankful.

Earlier I said that Israel had five different sacrifices that individuals could bring to the LORD. Three were pleasant smelling to the Lord that did not deal with sin, but two were non pleasant smelling that dealt with sin. All five were fulfilled by Jesus sacrificial death. I am going to describe each one at time. Then we are going to praise and thank Jesus that He fulfilled them and that we do not have to bring these sacrifices to Lord as Israel did.

Non-pleasant smelling sacrifices

1. The sin offering - An animal was offered by a priest as a sacrifice for personal sins. This sacrifice allowed the Israelite to have his fellowship restored with God.

Today we are to confess our sins because Jesus is our sin offering and it restores fellowship with God.  1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Thank Jesus that you do not have to bring a sin sacrifice today because He is your permanent sin sacrifice.

2. Trespass offering - This is also called the guilt offering. The trespass offering is an animal sacrifice that was also brought when an Israelite had had committed a violation against another person. In this case the offender, also had to repay damages or restitution plus 20 percent in addition to making the animal sacrifice.

Today the offender is to confess his trespass sin to God. It would probably be a good thing to then bring a payment of restitution to the injured party. They should be reimbursed. Romans 13:8 says, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”

Again, thank Jesus that you do not have to bring an animal sacrifice when you have committed a trespass against another person.

Pleasant smelling sacrifices

3. The burnt offering - This is a voluntary animal sacrifice offered by the individual himself not by a priest. This sacrifice was for sins in general not for specific sins.

Thank the Lord that Jesus is our sacrifice for all sin and that you do not have to offer a sacrifice to be burnt on an altar.  Instead, let us follow the directions in Hebrews 13:15.  “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.”

4. Meal Offering - This is also called a grain offering because it was an offering of fine flour. It was given to thank God for His provision of food and other things from the land.

Thank the Lord daily with your lips for His material provisions because of Jesus’s death and that do not have to take a grain offering to be burned.

5. Peace offering - This offering called for an animal to be sacrificed to give thanks to the Lord for the peace the person had with Him.

Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...”

Thank God you have peace with Him because of Jesus death on the cross instead of having to take an animal to be sacrificed on the alter.

SELAH