Discussion Guide on Philippians 2:17-30 The following is a suggested discussion guide for you to use with your family, small group, or Sunday Morning Bible Study as we walk through the book of Philippians. Feel free to use what is helpful in this guide to lead you in discussion. Introduction Spend a few minutes answering an icebreaker question in your group. An example icebreaker question might be: “This day and age, we often communicate with phone calls, text messages, and emails, but for thousands of years, most people communicated through the writing of letters. Who is the last person you received a personal letter from, or wrote a personal letter to?” Explain that this question connects with our passage today, which is part of a letter Paul wrote to the church at Philippi. Today’s section of the letter, Philippians 2:17-30, discusses Paul’s itinerary and his fellow ministry companions. Although we might be tempted to overlook these types of sections in biblical letters, often these types of passages, full of details about companions and plans, have a lot to say to us about what it means to live the Christian life. Video Watch the video for Philippians 2:17-30, which can be found at www.mbbc.org/home-church. Discussion Read Philippians 2:17-24 again as a group. Ask, “Does it seem odd to you that, in the middle of this long explanation of who Christ is, and who we are called to be, Paul would include these details about his companions?” Explain that while these details may seem insignificant, the information included about Timothy, Epaphroditus, and Paul himself helps illustrate the point of Philippians 2. At times of discord, when we are at odds in the church, we need to be reminded that Christ is the model for our behavior. We shouldn’t see ourselves as high and mighty, but rather, we ought to humble ourselves and put others above ourselves. Ask, “According to these verses (and what we know from the rest of Scripture), how do we see this truth lived out in Paul’s life? In Timothy’s life?” The first two model Christians we get are Paul himself, and Timothy, his protégé. In this passage, Paul says he is being poured out like a drink offering. Paul is in prison, and perhaps facing execution. Yet he recognizes God’s sovereignty in it all, and knows that, whether he lives or he dies, his life is the Lord’s. Paul also has a lot to say about his protégé, Timothy. When everyone else is looking out for their own interests, Timothy is looking out for the interest of Christ and the church ahead of his own interests. Read Philippians 2:25-30 again as a group. We also see this same truth, that Christ ought to be the model for our behavior, in the life of Epaphroditus. Ask, “How does Epaphroditus’s life illustrate this truth, according to this passage?” The Philippians sent Epaphroditus to Paul, to be an ambassador for them and to help care for Paul. Epaphroditus became ill upon his arrival. While it might be easy to view his trip as a failure (he became sick, yet he was the one sent to serve Paul), Paul encourages the Philippians to raise the banner and welcome him home gladly, because he risked his very life for the sake of Paul and for the sake of the gospel. This is another picture of Jesus, who was willing to suffer death, even death on a cross, for the sake of his brothers and sisters. Epaphroditus is a model, from right among the Philippians, of what their faith should look like – not concerned with their standings, but ready to sacrifice their very lives for others. Ask, “What challenges you or convicts you from these verses?” Ask, “As you think back on your own life, have you seen someone faithfully bear witness to the gospel like Paul, Timothy, or Epaphroditus, even going so far as to risk their very lives for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of others?” .