Gleanings from Philippians 1:10

Notes from my study on Philippians 1:10

10: that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,

Approve -> to test, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), to recognize as genuine after examination, deem worthy

The things that are excellent -> to test, prove, the good things that differ, to distinguish between good and evil, lawful and unlawful, to approve of things that excel, surpass one

Sincere -> without falsity, pure, found pure when unfolded and examined by the sun's light

The Romans loved statues and sometimes when a statue was being made, a little piece of the stone would break off.  Rather than throwing the whole thing away just because the tip of the nose broke off, they became very adept at mixing marble powder with wax and patching it.  This worked fine until the statue was exposed to heat.  On a hot day the wax would just melt right down the side of the statue.  Those statues that were made without wax were more expensive and would have a sign on them that read, sincerus (sine cera), meaning “judged in the brightness of the sun”.  This is what Paul was praying for the Philippians, that their faith would hold together in the heat under close scrutiny.  That their relationship with God would be sincerely real.  What a great prayer to pray for someone.  Chuck Smith said, “I would love for people to pray that I would be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ”. (From Chuck Smith's commentary in the Word for Today Bible)

Without offense -> not causing to stumble, metaph. of not leading others to sin by one's mode of life, blameless; oven tested (Boice)

Our lives must be open before God and before others.  There must be no hypocrisy.

2 Corinthians 4:2 "But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God."

Till day of Christ -> of the last day of this present age, the day Christ will return from heaven

Praise the Lord that He never gives up on us!  He has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
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More to come!
Dawn