Study Focus: Phil. 1:1–18, Eph. 5:18–21, Col. 1:4–8
Author D. A. Carson speculates on what is the greatest need of the Christian church today, hypothesizing different answers that people might offer to the question. Carson lists areas such as purity in sexual matters, financial integrity and generosity, evangelism, church planting, biblical thinking, and the genuine experience of corporate worship. He concludes, “There is a sense in which these urgent needs are merely symptomatic of a far more serious lack. The one thing we most urgently need in Western Christendom is a deeper knowledge of God. We need to know God better. . . . One of the foundational steps in knowing God, and one of the basic demonstrations that we do know God, is prayer—spiritual, persistent, biblically minded prayer.”—Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities From Paul and His Prayers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1992), pp. 15, 16.
Paul consistently underscored Christian disciplines, such as prayer and gratitude. Thanksgiving was also a crucial element of his prayers and even a typical section of his letters. He not only expressed his gratitude to God through his prayers constantly but also encouraged his audience to do the same (Col. 3:17, 1 Thess. 5:18). He saw gratitude as the fruit of God’s work in one’s heart (Phil. 1:6, 10, 11).
This week’s lesson emphasizes two major themes:
Gratitude and prayer are inherently connected as are the two sides of a coin.
Gratitude and prayer, among other things, serve as tangible manifestations of God’s good work within us.
Part II: Commentary
Illustration
Psychologist Robert A. Emmons quotes a lovely thought by Meister Eckhart: “If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ it would be enough.” In this context, Emmons shares the story of a woman with post-polio syndrome, beautifully illustrating the relationship between gratitude to God in prayer and a meaningful life. She wrote Emmons the following letter:
“One of my most profound experiences of thankfulness came at the birth of my first child. I had wondered, all my growing up years, as to whether I would be able to have children, whether I could care for children with only one arm, and whether God would choose to bless me in that way. When my daughter was born, all the nursing staff showed distrust of my ability as a caretaker. However, I realized that God had chosen to bless me with a child and he would bless me with the physical needs to care for her. Since God had not chosen to spare me from polio, I knew my having a baby was no sure thing. Therefore, when she was born, I praise[d] God for allowing my husband and [me] to share the joy of molding a new human being into a blessing to God. . . . What greater purpose could I ever have than to raise another human? None, and that was the joy in my thankfulness. The joy of meaning and purpose in life.” Further on, Emmons states, “The evidence is clear that cultivating gratitude, in both our lives and in our attitude toward life, makes us sustainably happier and healthier people.”—Emmons, Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007), pp. 90, 110, 185.
Gratitude and Prayer Are Inherently Intertwined
A customary feature in Paul’s letters is the thanksgiving section, which essentially functions as an act of prayer. This idea can be more clearly illustrated in the following table.
Passage
Thanksgiving and Prayer
Rom. 1:8–10 (ESV)
“I thank my God through Jesus Christ. . . . For God is my witness . . . that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers.”
1 Cor. 1:4 (NKJV)
“I thank my God always concerning you.”
Eph. 1:15, 16 (NKJV)
“Therefore I . . . do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.”
Phil. 1:3, 4 (NKJV)
“I thank my God . . . always in every prayer of mine.”
Col. 1:3 (NKJV)
“We give thanks . . . praying always for you.”
1 Thess. 1:2 (NKJV)
“We give thanks to God always . . . making mention of you in our prayers.”
2 Thess. 1:3 (NKJV)
“We are bound to thank God always for you.”
1 Tim. 1:12 (NKJV)
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord.”
2 Tim. 1:3 (NKJV)
“I thank God . . . , as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day.”
Philem. 4 (NKJV)
“I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers.”
Three key observations can be drawn from the preceding table. First, for Paul, giving thanks is an act of prayer, as thanksgiving is consistently interwoven with prayer. Second, even when the thanksgiving section in certain letters of Paul does not mention the term “prayer,” it is important to realize that his gratitude is directed toward God (2 Thess. 1:3, 1 Tim. 1:12). Third, the repetition of the term “always” suggests that both prayer and thanksgiving were consistent, even integral, components in Paul’s life.
It is important to note that Paul expected his audience to imitate him with regard to a life of thanksgiving and prayer. For Paul, a visible characteristic of ungodly men is their failure to honor or give thanks to God (Rom. 1:21). Conversely, he encouraged the members of the church in Rome to be grateful to God (Rom. 14:6). When asking the Corinthians to pray for him and his coworkers, Paul desired that many would give thanks on their behalf (2 Cor. 1:11).
In Ephesians 5:18–21 (NKJV), Paul describes the characteristics of individuals whose lives are filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. They (1) engage in reciprocal edification by “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”; (2) fill their lives with praises to God through “singing and making melody” in their hearts to the Lord; (3) express gratitude “always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”; and (4) submit “to one another in the fear of God.” In this way, giving thanks to God is on the same level as singing praises to Him: it is an act of worship.
In Colossians 3:17, Paul goes a little further by saying, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (NKJV, emphasis added). Likewise, Paul says to the Thessalonians, “In everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18, NKJV). Paul stimulated his audience to embody thanksgiving and prayer in their lives, so as to mirror his own deep commitment to these practices.
God’s Work in Us
The letter to the Philippians contains one of the most remarkable statements in all of Paul’s epistles: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6, ESV). Some readers may be tempted to interpret the “good work” narrowly, seeing it as a reference to the Philippians’ care and love for Paul, demonstrated through their financial support during his imprisonment. While their concern for Paul and the advancement of the gospel was certainly a result of God’s work in their hearts, Paul is referring to the broader concept of salvation through Christ.
God is portrayed as the One who began the good work of salvation and will bring it to completion at Christ’s return. It is noteworthy that this thought is expressed within the thanksgiving section. In this sense, gratitude is seen as a powerful evidence of God’s work in one’s heart. Paul says something similar in Philippians 2:12, 13: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (NKJV, emphasis added).
Paul’s advice—to work out one’s own salvation—is intriguing, to say the least. After all, how do we do that? A good answer can be found in Hebrews 12:2, wherein Jesus is depicted as “the author and finisher of our faith.” Thus, Paul asserts, we are supposed to run “the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus” (Heb. 12:1, 2, ESV). But that’s not all. We must also “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Heb. 12:1, NKJV). Passages, such as Philippians 1:6 and Hebrews 12:2, remind us that salvation is ultimately God’s work, not ours. Yet, we are still called to work out our own salvation or, in other words, to “run . . . the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:2, NKJV) by living a life of prayer, seeking the Spirit-given Christian virtues (Phil. 1:9–11, Col. 1:4–8), and being grateful for God’s work in us (Phil. 1:3–6). In sum, we are supposed to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10, NKJV).
Part III: Life Application
Meditate upon the following themes. Then ask your students to answer the questions at the end of this section.
We all love it when good things happen to us. Whether it’s buying a brand-new car, purchasing a house, graduating after years of arduous and intense studies, or escaping from a dangerous situation, we thank God for these things. These are significant milestones that fill our hearts with joy and gratitude. However, if we pay close attention to everything around us, we will find innumerable reasons to be grateful. Nothing, though, should inspire more gratitude than the recognition of God’s good work in us. Ellen White says, “Our minds need expansion, that we may comprehend the significance of the provision of God. We are to reflect the highest attributes of the character of God. We should be thankful that we are not to be left to ourselves.”—That I May Know Him, p. 302 (emphasis added).
God expects us to bring a sincere attitude of gratitude into our prayers. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18, for instance, the instruction to “give thanks in all circumstances” comes right after the command to “pray without ceasing” (ESV). This notion implies not only that there is always a reason to be thankful but also that our prayers should regularly include expressions of gratitude to God. Notably, Paul does not say, “Give thanks for all circumstances” but “in all circumstances.” The fact that God gave us His only Son to die for us is reason enough to be thankful every day, demonstrating our gratitude through words of praise in our prayers and good works in our daily lives!
Questions:
For what spiritual blessings are you thankful to God? For what physical and material blessings are you thankful to Him, as well?
What does it mean to give thanks in all circumstances, as opposed to for all circumstances? What is the crucial difference?
What does it mean that we are not “left to ourselves,” as the preceding quote from Ellen G. White states? Why should we feel grateful for this assurance?
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Key Text: Philippians 1:6
Study Focus: Phil. 1:1–18, Eph. 5:18–21, Col. 1:4–8
Author D. A. Carson speculates on what is the greatest need of the Christian church today, hypothesizing different answers that people might offer to the question. Carson lists areas such as purity in sexual matters, financial integrity and generosity, evangelism, church planting, biblical thinking, and the genuine experience of corporate worship. He concludes, “There is a sense in which these urgent needs are merely symptomatic of a far more serious lack. The one thing we most urgently need in Western Christendom is a deeper knowledge of God. We need to know God better. . . . One of the foundational steps in knowing God, and one of the basic demonstrations that we do know God, is prayer—spiritual, persistent, biblically minded prayer.”—Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities From Paul and His Prayers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1992), pp. 15, 16.
Paul consistently underscored Christian disciplines, such as prayer and gratitude. Thanksgiving was also a crucial element of his prayers and even a typical section of his letters. He not only expressed his gratitude to God through his prayers constantly but also encouraged his audience to do the same (Col. 3:17, 1 Thess. 5:18). He saw gratitude as the fruit of God’s work in one’s heart (Phil. 1:6, 10, 11).
This week’s lesson emphasizes two major themes:
Gratitude and prayer are inherently connected as are the two sides of a coin.
Gratitude and prayer, among other things, serve as tangible manifestations of God’s good work within us.
Part II: Commentary
Illustration
Psychologist Robert A. Emmons quotes a lovely thought by Meister Eckhart: “If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ it would be enough.” In this context, Emmons shares the story of a woman with post-polio syndrome, beautifully illustrating the relationship between gratitude to God in prayer and a meaningful life. She wrote Emmons the following letter:
“One of my most profound experiences of thankfulness came at the birth of my first child. I had wondered, all my growing up years, as to whether I would be able to have children, whether I could care for children with only one arm, and whether God would choose to bless me in that way. When my daughter was born, all the nursing staff showed distrust of my ability as a caretaker. However, I realized that God had chosen to bless me with a child and he would bless me with the physical needs to care for her. Since God had not chosen to spare me from polio, I knew my having a baby was no sure thing. Therefore, when she was born, I praise[d] God for allowing my husband and [me] to share the joy of molding a new human being into a blessing to God. . . . What greater purpose could I ever have than to raise another human? None, and that was the joy in my thankfulness. The joy of meaning and purpose in life.” Further on, Emmons states, “The evidence is clear that cultivating gratitude, in both our lives and in our attitude toward life, makes us sustainably happier and healthier people.”—Emmons, Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007), pp. 90, 110, 185.
Gratitude and Prayer Are Inherently Intertwined
A customary feature in Paul’s letters is the thanksgiving section, which essentially functions as an act of prayer. This idea can be more clearly illustrated in the following table.
Passage
Thanksgiving and Prayer
Rom. 1:8–10 (ESV)
“I thank my God through Jesus Christ. . . . For God is my witness . . . that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers.”
1 Cor. 1:4 (NKJV)
“I thank my God always concerning you.”
Eph. 1:15, 16 (NKJV)
“Therefore I . . . do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.”
Phil. 1:3, 4 (NKJV)
“I thank my God . . . always in every prayer of mine.”
Col. 1:3 (NKJV)
“We give thanks . . . praying always for you.”
1 Thess. 1:2 (NKJV)
“We give thanks to God always . . . making mention of you in our prayers.”
2 Thess. 1:3 (NKJV)
“We are bound to thank God always for you.”
1 Tim. 1:12 (NKJV)
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord.”
2 Tim. 1:3 (NKJV)
“I thank God . . . , as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day.”
Philem. 4 (NKJV)
“I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers.”
Three key observations can be drawn from the preceding table. First, for Paul, giving thanks is an act of prayer, as thanksgiving is consistently interwoven with prayer. Second, even when the thanksgiving section in certain letters of Paul does not mention the term “prayer,” it is important to realize that his gratitude is directed toward God (2 Thess. 1:3, 1 Tim. 1:12). Third, the repetition of the term “always” suggests that both prayer and thanksgiving were consistent, even integral, components in Paul’s life.
It is important to note that Paul expected his audience to imitate him with regard to a life of thanksgiving and prayer. For Paul, a visible characteristic of ungodly men is their failure to honor or give thanks to God (Rom. 1:21). Conversely, he encouraged the members of the church in Rome to be grateful to God (Rom. 14:6). When asking the Corinthians to pray for him and his coworkers, Paul desired that many would give thanks on their behalf (2 Cor. 1:11).
In Ephesians 5:18–21 (NKJV), Paul describes the characteristics of individuals whose lives are filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. They (1) engage in reciprocal edification by “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”; (2) fill their lives with praises to God through “singing and making melody” in their hearts to the Lord; (3) express gratitude “always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”; and (4) submit “to one another in the fear of God.” In this way, giving thanks to God is on the same level as singing praises to Him: it is an act of worship.
In Colossians 3:17, Paul goes a little further by saying, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (NKJV, emphasis added). Likewise, Paul says to the Thessalonians, “In everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18, NKJV). Paul stimulated his audience to embody thanksgiving and prayer in their lives, so as to mirror his own deep commitment to these practices.
God’s Work in Us
The letter to the Philippians contains one of the most remarkable statements in all of Paul’s epistles: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6, ESV). Some readers may be tempted to interpret the “good work” narrowly, seeing it as a reference to the Philippians’ care and love for Paul, demonstrated through their financial support during his imprisonment. While their concern for Paul and the advancement of the gospel was certainly a result of God’s work in their hearts, Paul is referring to the broader concept of salvation through Christ.
God is portrayed as the One who began the good work of salvation and will bring it to completion at Christ’s return. It is noteworthy that this thought is expressed within the thanksgiving section. In this sense, gratitude is seen as a powerful evidence of God’s work in one’s heart. Paul says something similar in Philippians 2:12, 13: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (NKJV, emphasis added).
Paul’s advice—to work out one’s own salvation—is intriguing, to say the least. After all, how do we do that? A good answer can be found in Hebrews 12:2, wherein Jesus is depicted as “the author and finisher of our faith.” Thus, Paul asserts, we are supposed to run “the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus” (Heb. 12:1, 2, ESV). But that’s not all. We must also “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Heb. 12:1, NKJV). Passages, such as Philippians 1:6 and Hebrews 12:2, remind us that salvation is ultimately God’s work, not ours. Yet, we are still called to work out our own salvation or, in other words, to “run . . . the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:2, NKJV) by living a life of prayer, seeking the Spirit-given Christian virtues (Phil. 1:9–11, Col. 1:4–8), and being grateful for God’s work in us (Phil. 1:3–6). In sum, we are supposed to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10, NKJV).
Part III: Life Application
Meditate upon the following themes. Then ask your students to answer the questions at the end of this section.
We all love it when good things happen to us. Whether it’s buying a brand-new car, purchasing a house, graduating after years of arduous and intense studies, or escaping from a dangerous situation, we thank God for these things. These are significant milestones that fill our hearts with joy and gratitude. However, if we pay close attention to everything around us, we will find innumerable reasons to be grateful. Nothing, though, should inspire more gratitude than the recognition of God’s good work in us. Ellen White says, “Our minds need expansion, that we may comprehend the significance of the provision of God. We are to reflect the highest attributes of the character of God. We should be thankful that we are not to be left to ourselves.”—That I May Know Him, p. 302 (emphasis added).
God expects us to bring a sincere attitude of gratitude into our prayers. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18, for instance, the instruction to “give thanks in all circumstances” comes right after the command to “pray without ceasing” (ESV). This notion implies not only that there is always a reason to be thankful but also that our prayers should regularly include expressions of gratitude to God. Notably, Paul does not say, “Give thanks for all circumstances” but “in all circumstances.” The fact that God gave us His only Son to die for us is reason enough to be thankful every day, demonstrating our gratitude through words of praise in our prayers and good works in our daily lives!
Questions:
For what spiritual blessings are you thankful to God? For what physical and material blessings are you thankful to Him, as well?
What does it mean to give thanks in all circumstances, as opposed to for all circumstances? What is the crucial difference?
What does it mean that we are not “left to ourselves,” as the preceding quote from Ellen G. White states? Why should we feel grateful for this assurance?