Philippians 2:16-17 (ESV)
[16] holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I
may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. [17] Even if I am to
be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith,
I am glad and rejoice with you all.
How can Paul talk about his death in such positive terms? Even
though he is being “poured out as a drink offering” he is glad and rejoices. A
drink offering would be poured out on the ground, the floor, or the altar as a
sacrifice to the gods or to God. There was no bringing back a drink offering.
It was gone. But despite the possibility of his imminent death, his joy is
found in their faith as he looks toward “the day of Christ.” His eyes are not
on his chains or his limitations, but on the day of Christ. Whether the day of
Christ is a reference to the rapture, his return to earth, or the judgment can
be argued. What is clear is that Paul’s hope goes beyond this life. On that day
all the things we argued over will no longer be all that important. So much of
our lives are focused on present comforts and present offenses. I have heard of
people being accused of being so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly
good. I think I know what is meant by that, but it seems to me that if we were
truly heavenly minded we would be of more earthly good. We would be less likely
to take offense, more likely to listen, and the testimony of Christ would be so
much clearer before the world. Paul was anticipating the day of Christ. Maybe we
should be too.
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