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Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday December 17, 2025

Prayer Series: The Productive Prayer Life of Paul-Philippians 1:3-11

Lesson # 31

Philippians 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. (NIV84)

Philippians 1:3 also indicates that thanksgiving was an integral part of the apostle Paul’s prayer life and demonstrates his great appreciation for other believers who have been so gracious to him throughout his ministry.

Philippians 1:4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. (NIV84)

“Always” refers to Paul’s perseverance in prayer, which is steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, and a state and suggests activity maintained in spite of difficulties, steadfast and long continued application. 

“Joy” refers to Paul’s professional happiness as a pastor-teacher and is the result of the Philippians’ gracious and sacrificial support of Paul and his ministry from the first day that he gave the gospel to Lydia, which is recorded in Acts 16, up to time this epistle was written, which is expressed in Philippians 1:5.

Philippians 1:5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (NIV84)

“Participation” speaks of the Philippians joint-partnership with the apostle Paul in the propagation of the gospel by supporting him with their prayers, friendship and financial support.

“From the first day” marks the starting point of Paul’s relationship with the Philippians, which he recalls in prayer and denotes the point from which Paul’s entire memory of the Philippians begins, which was when he first preached the gospel in Europe (Acts 16:11-15).

“Until now” concludes the time period extending from the first day that the gospel was preached to Lydia (Acts 16:11-15) up to the moment that Paul was writing this epistle.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (NIV84)

This confidence expressed by Paul in Philippians 1:6 is based upon his entire experience with them from the first day that they got saved as recorded in Acts 16 right up to the moment he received their gift from Epaphroditus, which is recorded in Philippians 4:10-19.

The “good work” in Philippians 1:6 does “not” refer to the financial support that Paul had received from the Philippians but rather it refers to the Philippians being conformed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The technical phrases “the Day of Christ” mentioned in Philippians 1:6, 10 and 2:16, “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” in 1 Corinthians 1:8, 5:5 and 2 Corinthians 1:14 all refer to the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church that will be conducted by the Lord Jesus Christ, which immediately follows the rapture (1 Cor. 3:11-15).

We must not confuse this with the technical expressions “day of the Lord,” “that day,” “the day” or “the great day” that appear in the Old Testament and some New Testament passages, all of which refer to another prophetic category and Israel, and not the church.

In Philippians 1:6, Paul is saying that God the Holy Spirit will bring to a successful conclusion the work of conforming the believer into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, right up to the day of Christ Jesus, which refers to the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church that immediately follows the rapture (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).

Philippians 1:7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. (NIV84)

Paul offered intercessory prayers to the Father on behalf of the Philippians with thanksgiving and joy and was confident that God was at work in them because they were thinking of him, which expressed itself in their supporting Paul as a communicator of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Philippians’ gift to the apostle Paul was a visible manifestation that God was indeed at work in them.

The Philippians’ gracious gift to the apostle was a visible manifestation that he was in their thoughts and prayers.

“All of you share” refers to the Philippians’ fellowship with the apostle Paul, which involved their common relationship with Paul through regeneration, partnership in his gospel ministry, companionship with him and stewardship, which involves the exercise of the Philippians’ time, talent, treasure and truth.

Their support of his ministry in the form of intercessory prayers, financial support and friendship throughout the years made them “joint-partners” with the apostle Paul.

The Philippians were investing their time, money and materials in order to ensure that the Gospel would be communicated throughout the Roman Empire.

Philippians 1:8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. (NIV84)

Paul calls upon God the Father to be his witness that he does indeed have proper motivation to pray for the Philippians and is not doing so because he received their large financial gift from them through Epaphroditus.

In order to express the genuineness and depth of his love for them Paul introduces his next statement in verse 8 with an oath-God is my witness.

Philippians 1:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. (NIV84)

Paul’s intercessory prayer to the Father on behalf of the Philippians is that their love for God and each other would grow more and more each day by experiencing fellowship.

“Knowledge” refers to an “experiential knowledge” of Christ’s love.

Paul prayed that the Philippians’ love would continue to flourish yet more and more by means of personally encountering the Lord Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the pages of Scripture by the Holy Spirit through the process of experiential sanctification.

Paul prayed that the Philippians’ love would continue to flourish yet more and more by means of having knowledge or practical wisdom from observing, encountering the Lord Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Word of God by the Holy Spirit.

“Depth of insight” pertains to possessing the capacity to perceive clearly and hence to understand the real nature of something.

Paul prayed that the Philippians’ divine-love might continue to flourish yet more and more not only by means of an experiential knowledge of Christ’s love but also the faculty to discern, discriminate, and have acuteness of judgment and understanding of how to love like Christ.

Philippians 1:10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. (NIV84)

The result of the Philippians divine-love growing by means of a total discerning experiential knowledge of Christ’s love is that they might have a greater capacity to choose the essentials in life, which are revealed by Paul in Philippians 3:10-11.

“What is best” pertains to that which really matters, that which is important, that which is essential in life, important, excellent, of consequence, superior and is a reference to something, which has number one priority.

Philippians 3:10-11 indicates that “what is best” refers to an experiential knowledge of Christ, which involves: (1) Experiencing fellowship with Christ (2) Appropriating by faith in the Word of God the Spirit’s revelation of the power that has been directed toward the believer through His union and identification with Christ in His resurrection and session (3) Experiencing identification with Christ in His death through undeserved suffering that results in the believer being identified with Christ in His resurrection experientially (4) Experiencing identification with Christ in His resurrection.

“Sincere” is reference to the believer’s motivation in life and deals with the believer’s motivation in life in relationship to God.

“Pure” is a reference to the believer’s actions in life and describes the believer who has a right relationship with people as a result of possessing divine-love for all mankind as functional virtue.

“Until the day of Christ” is a reference to the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ.

Paul wants the Philippians’ divine-love to continue to grow in order that they might possess a right relationship to both God and man at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the Church. 

Philippians 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (NIV84)

“Fruit” is employed in the metaphorical sense for the “production” of Christ-like character, which is result of being obedient to the Word of God and in particular being obedient to the Lord’s command to self-sacrificially love one’s fellow believer as He has loved all men.

“Righteousness” refers to the righteousness of Christ in the experiential sense meaning that it is the righteousness of Christ that is reproduced by the Holy Spirit in the believer who is obedient to the Word of God, which results in the believer living in the new Christ nature.

“To the glory of God” refers to the “manifestation” or “reflection” of the character and nature of God that takes place when the believer lives in the new Christ nature and “to the praise of God” refers to the “recognition” of the character and nature of God.

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday December 14, 2025

Jonah Series: Jonah 1:5-The Crew Cries Out To Their Gods While Jonah Is Sound Asleep

Lesson # 8

Jonah 1:5 records the crew members crying out to their gods and flinging the ship’s cargo overboard in an attempt to appease their gods while Jonah is sound asleep down below the ship’s deck.

Jonah 1:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai:     2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. (NIV84)

“The sailors” refers to individuals who work on a sea vessel as a sailor or transport worker and refers to the crew of the ship, which Jonah had paid for the services of to take him to Tarshish.

The Scriptures do not identify the nationality of the sailors but they must have been Phoenicians who were renowned mariners (1 Kings 10:22) and were also well known for their worship of the sea god, Yam and the god Baal.

“Became afraid” is the verb yā∙rē(ʾ) (יָרֵא), which means “to be terrified” as a result of a threat to one’s life and refers to being in a state of great distress and anxiety and deep concern of losing one’s life due to an adverse circumstance.

“Each cried out to his god” indicates that each and every member of the crew of the ship was crying out to his god for deliverance at the height of this great and powerful storm caused by the Lord.

“To his god” refers to the idolatry of these heathen sailors.

Deuteronomy 32:17 and 1 Corinthians 10:20 teach that the worship of idols is connected to the worship of demons since the sacrificing to idols is in reality sacrificing to demons who promote the worship of idols.

Idolatry is the worship of something created as opposed to the worship of the Creator Himself. 

Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Idolatry is not only the giving to any creature or human creation the honor or devotion, which belongs to God alone, but also is putting anything ahead of your relationship with God and which would prevent you from doing His will (1 Cor 10:14; Gal 5:20; Col 3:5; 1 Peter 4:3).

Ultimately in the New Testament idolatry came to mean, not only the giving to any creature or human creation the honor or devotion which belonged to God alone, but the giving to any human desire a precedence over God's will (1 Cor 10:14; Gal 5:20; Col 3:5; 1 Peter 4:3).

1 John 5:21, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” 

The idolatry of these heathen sailors is an expression of their total depravity (Romans 1:18-23; 3:9-18).

“They threw” is the verb ṭûl (טוּל), which is used of the sailors of the ship Jonah hired to take him to Tarshish “hurling” the cargo of the vessel into the sea to lighten its load in the hopes of saving the ship.

“The cargo” denotes the equipment, containers, tools, goods, pertaining to the function of the ship, its maintenance and goods it was carrying to Tarshish.

The verb qā∙lǎl (קָלַל) means “to ease a burden” and does not means “lighten” in the sense of reducing the weight of the ship but rather, it means “to reduce a burden” upon the soul indicating that the sailors by throwing the cargo overboard are attempting to appease the Canaanite sea god so as to “ease the burden” upon their souls (See BDB, page 886; cf. Exodus 18:22).

“But Jonah had gone below deck where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep” presents a contrast between the crew’s frantic actions and Jonah’s lack of action and refers as it did in verse 4 to Jonah going down into the galley of this merchant ship.

It indicates the second stage in Jonah’s downward journey of refusing to obey the Lord’s command to go to Nineveh and announce judgment against it and the first stage is Jonah going down from Jerusalem to Joppa.

The noun sep̄î∙nā(h) (סְפִינָה) refers to an ancient ship large enough for cargo on the open seas, with limited sleeping holds, though not necessarily “cabins” and the noun yerē∙ḵā(h) refers to the area below the deck of the ship or the interior and most isolated part of the ship.

“Fell into a deep sleep” reflects the third stage in Jonah’s descent in his rebellion against the Lord.

The verb rā∙ḏǎm (רָדַם) “generally describes a trancelike state or deep sleep, such as experienced by Daniel when he had his visions of the end time interpreted to him by angelic figures.” (Dan 8:18; 10:9) (Concordia Commentary: Jonah, page 104)

To summarize, Jonah 1:5 contrasts the frantic efforts of the crew to save their ship and their lives with that of Jonah’s indifference.

Undoubtedly, he must have been exhausted not only because of the journey to Joppa and seeking out a ship going to Tarshish but also he must have been exhausted and thus psychologically depressed by his determination to rebel against the command of the Lord to go to Nineveh.

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday December 14, 2025

Jonah Series: Jonah 1:4-The Lord Responds To Jonah’s Disobedience

Lesson # 7

Jonah 1:1-3 records the first of seven scenes in the book of Jonah.

This passage records Jonah disobeying the Lord’s command to go to Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants because of their wickedness.

The second scene in the book of Jonah appears in Jonah 1:4-16.

Jonah 1:4 records the Lord responding to Jonah’s disobedience by hurling a powerful wind on the sea that threatened to break up the ship.

Jonah 1:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai:     2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. (NIV84)

The reason why Jonah disobeyed a direct command from God to preach the Gospel to the inhabitants of the city of Nineveh is given in Jonah 3:10-4:3.

Jonah did not want the Ninevites saved because Assyria, the nation in which Nineveh was the capital, was one of the most brutal nations of the ancient world.

Jonah 1:4-2:10 records the consequences of the prophet’s disobedience.

In verses 4-16, we have the Lord bringing about a storm that results in Jonah being cast into the sea.

Verse 17 records, the Lord appointing a great fish to swallow Jonah up.

Jonah 1:4 presents a contrast between Jonah’s actions and Yahweh’s.

“The Lord” is the proper noun Yahweh (יהוה), which is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with man’s salvation.

It is emphasizing that Jonah was rejecting God’s sovereign authority over him and rejecting the personal relationship that Jonah had with God.

It also reminds the reader of the “immanency” of God meaning that He involves Himself in and concerns Himself with and intervenes in the affairs of men.

Thus, it reminds the reader of the foolishness of Jonah in that he is attempting to flee from the presence of God who is sovereign over and transcendent of His creation and creatures.

It emphasizes God is intervening in the life of Jonah and is concerning Himself with the runaway prophet.

“Sent” is the verb ṭûl (טוּל), which is used of the Lord “hurling” a great wind on the Mediterranean sea in an effort by Him to turn Jonah around and have the runaway prophet go in the direction of Nineveh and emphasizes with the reader the Lord’s sovereign control over His creation and His omnipotence over creation.

“A great wind” is describing the intensity or the intense power of this wind that the Lord cause to be hurled upon the Mediterranean Sea.

“A violent storm” describes a meteorological phenomenon with a rapid focus on rapid movement of air blowing (or swirling) in the storm involving rain and maybe lightening with emphasis upon its destructive force and the intensity of this storm.

The Lord’s control of wind and sea is a theme expressed often in the Old Testament (e.g., Exodus 10:13–19; 14–15; Numbers 11:31; Job 26:12; Psalm 89:9; 135:7; Isaiah 50:2; Jeremiah 49:32–36; Amos 4:13; Nahum 1:4; cf. Mark 4:37–39).

“The ship” is a merchant ship bound for Tarshish and specifically its captain and crew whose services Jonah paid for and contains the figure of metonymy where the ship is put for its captain and crew.

“Threatened” is the verb ḥā∙šǎḇ (חָשַׁב), which is used of the captain and its crew “considering” that this ship would be broken to pieces.

Jonah 1:4 stresses with the reader that the Lord is also sovereign over the life of Jonah and will exercise that sovereignty and omnipotence to change the prophet’s mind about obeying His command to go to the great city of Nineveh and announce judgment against its inhabitants.

This scene that ends in verse 16 emphasizes the providence of God, which expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God.

The providence of God emphasizes that God is in control of Jonah’s life and the life of the heathen crew and controls the circumstances of our lives, right down to the weather.