This post is piggybacking on some thoughts I started earlier on Philippians 2:12-16.
The text below is from the paraphrase known as The Message which was prepared by Eugene Peterson. I haven't read any of his other works but I have a copy of the Message on my bookshelf. I sometimes go to it when I want to shake up my reading a bit. The more direct translations are of course more accurate but they often don't carry the emotional content. Peterson's paraphrase gives the text an emotional flavor mixed with the words. Admittedly, doing so is speculative but in many case they are probably reasonable inferences.
The text for today in the Message paraphrase:
What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
Do everything readily and cheerfully - no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night ...
Apostle Paul had strongly encouraged them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. He gave them some practical steps to do so and the assurance that God is with them through it all.
He concludes by bringing himself along side them ...
... so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.
I'm sure there were times when Paul would explain Jesus to people and they would look at him and say, nope, not buying it.
The Philippian believers are special to his heart because they did respond and right from chapter one, we know he has a special bond with them.
Paul knows his time might be up soon yet he places his life in the context of worship to God.
Even if I am executed here and now, I'll rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith that you make on Christ's altar, a part of your rejoicing. But turnabout's fair play - you must join me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don't feel sorry for me.
He sees those beloved believers as a pleasing sacrifice on the altar of God. Paul doesn't separate himself from them despite his distance and possible death. Instead he sees himself as a part (an element) of the offering - a part of them and their very lives.
Phillipians 2:17 in a more literal translation has Paul describing himself as a "drink offering."
One can find many references to "drink offering" if you run the search over at Biblegateway so I'll just cite just one of them.
Exodus 29:39-41:
Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning - a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire.This isn't something we see in the religious context anymore as there are no more temple sacrifices.
However, we all have a connection to this in a visual, auditory and olfactory way when we cook. Imagine the food is cooking and the chef splashes wine onto the meats and there is the sizzle and sometimes flash of fire and the aroma that wafts forth.
Paul sees himself as that wine poured on top of the meaty offering which is the good lives of the Philippians!
Lord, help me to invest in the lives of others. Help me to pour myself upon the lives of others and that together we would be a pleasing sacrifice. Amen.
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