Anchored Hope
We often read the Bible through the lens of a traditional book, with each section referred to as a “book” of the Bible. When thinking about the construction of Scripture, we need to understand the different types of literature we are reading. For instance, the “book” of Philippians is a letter— written by the Apostle Paul to a community comprised mainly of Greeks and Romans. At the time it was written, Philippi was a mix of those two cultures, as the Romans had come to control the Greek province. The majority of the people would have been Greeks, whereas the other percentage would have been Romans—given they were the minority population, they were still the ones in charge of the providence. Through this breakdown of power and people, we see different dynamics that would influence the church structure in Philippi.
In letters written just after Jesus’ death, it was common for the author to greet the letter’s addressee. The practice of greeting the person is no different than how we would address someone in a letter or email. Paul greets the church community, stating, “to all of God’s holy people.” (Phil 1.1) The introduction of the letter and the message to the community communicates to us, as readers, the intended message Paul was trying to convey. An open reading of the letter was the intended goal for Paul as a form of connection and enlightenment for the community. The letter was more than just a form of communication at the time; it was a tool used by an apostle to spread the good news of Jesus. It was fundamental to the formation of the Philippians and is still relevant and essential to us today. Paul’s edification tool shapes God’s people to this day, and it is difficult to believe his message of joy and hope comes while he is imprisoned in Rome.
As is the case many times in the life of Paul, he was writing his letter while he was in prison. (Phil 1.12-14) The fact that Paul is in prison is not news to this community either because at the beginning of the movement in Philippi, Paul and his companion Silas, found themselves in a similar situation. To better understand the letter, we need to go back to the beginning of Paul’s movement in Philippi.
One of the great moments in the Book of Acts is commonly referred to as the Council of Jerusalem. It is through the work of many believers that the inclusion of Gentiles into the movement of Christ was possible. It was led by Peter, who believed that no roadblock should be placed in front of the Gentiles, even on the issue of circumcision. (Ac 15.6-12) Peter is given the courage to speak his mind during this session because of God’s vision concerning the clean and unclean Jews and the Gentiles. (Ac 10)
If you would like a deeper dive into the vision God gave to Peter, check out this blog—Vision Casting
The cliff notes version of that writing was that God had granted the Kingdom to everyone, and it was no longer about who you were, what your nationality was, or even if you were of prestigious wealth–all that mattered was the work of Jesus on the cross. Through him, the veil was torn, and forgiveness of sin was available for everyone. (Mt 27.51) Amid this meeting of the minds about the church’s future, all of this information of Jew and Gentile, clean and unclean, is going through the mind of Peter. Through his vision on a rooftop (Ac 10) Peter understood the Holy Spirit had made itself available to everyone, and this understanding would propel Paul into his second missionary journey, this time with the church’s full support in Jerusalem. (Ac 15.36-41) Through some travel and time, Paul and Silas find themselves in Philippi, spreading the good news of Jesus. People heard the words spoken by Paul and were turning to God, and even demons were running from the word of God. (Ac 16.14-21) Through these events, we read about Paul and Silas being thrown into prison, and in prison, their faithful trust in God leads to many being saved. (Ac 16.31-40)
This is the mission of the people in Philippi—through all of these events, people were turning to God. One of the significant moments recorded in this section is the work of Paul and Sials while they are imprisoned. So, when Paul states in his letter to the people in Philippi that he is in prison and Christ will be known throughout, even given his current imprisonment, the people believed. They have heard stories about Paul, who saved the jailer from killing himself and led him to Christ. (Ac 16.31-40) Nothing is impossible for God, and when we trust him to do his work and his will through us, we can be like Paul—one who trusts that God will empower us even if our situation is fraught with uncertainty.
Understanding Paul’s journey in the city of Philippi gives us the context we need to better understand the rest of his letter. During his imprisonment, Paul wanted to thank the church for sending aid to him in Rome. (Phil 4.10-19) Paul wanted to show the church that even in the most turbulent times, reliance on God is paramount.
Paul knew exactly where his hope was found. For him, the Spirit was the source of everything. Given his current situation in the city of Rome, he found joy in living on to further the mission of Christ or, through death, to meet Jesus and be glorified through martyrdom. Paul’s attitude toward his situation aligns with what has become known as the Stockdale Paradox.
The Stockdale Paradox refers to Admiral Jim Stockdale, a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. During that time, he faced brutal realities like no rights, an unknown future release, and the prospect of never seeing his family again. [1] The importance of the paradox is to keep the faith that good will happen but not lose sight of the brutal facts in your current situation—meaning one cannot look towards the future with hope without looking at their current situation with honesty. The Apostle Paul was living the Stockdale Paradox before it was even a term in the world’s lexicon. Read what he writes near the end of chapter one.
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your pride in Christ Jesus may be abundant because of me by my coming to you again. Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; and in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and this too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on His behalf, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”
Where do we find our hope?
Paul knew where his hope would come from. He had a solid foundation in the Holy Spirit. His foundation came from the moment he was blinded by the Spirit and started his journey with Jesus. (Ac 9) I understand and acknowledge that most of us will not have a blinding light shot down from heaven to set us on course to teach and preach Jesus to the world. In my experience, most people have small moments with the Spirit that act as a course correction to our lives over time. But it is in those moments with the Spirit that we anchor our hope in Jesus. It is easy to answer the above question with the statement of Jesus or God. Yes, that is the correct answer. We should find our hope in Jesus, but just as I would ask my young kids to tell me what that means when they say Jesus is their hope, I ask you the same question:
What does it mean to say your hope is in Jesus?
Our response centers around the idea that Jesus shows up in our lives, sometimes in a profound way and other times in small ways that add up over time. More often than not, the small, consistent times that God shows up in our lives have the most significant impact. No matter the state of affairs in my life, I know that God will show up in a way that will be profound. The effects may never be seen or may not change my current situation. Still, if we lean into our understanding of the Stockdale Paradox through the lens of Jesus, we will see God in it all—the Lord will give us strength to face our current situation with our hope anchored in Jesus on the cross.
What those small moments look like for you in your life will be different than in my life. That is the fantastic part about God; he shows up in our lives differently because we are all uniquely created. Spend time alone in meditation with the Spirit to discern how Jesus anchors your hope.
I would love to read your comments and grow as a community to learn how hope is manifested in your life.
[1]. Collins, James C. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap--and Others Don't. 1st ed. New York, NY: HarperBusiness, 2001.83-87.
