Study Questions - Series in Philippians [7]

Date: July 31, 2005
Passage: Philippians 2:14-18
Message: Whine or Shine
Theme: Series in Philippians [7]

1. Complaining = could be translated 'grumbling'. It's from a Greek word -'gongusmosai', which is an onomatopoeic word - that simply means a word that sounds like what it's describing.

Arguing = Greek word 'dialogismos', and this is a little bit different because it's inner reasoning. It's complaining in your mind and in your heart - 'dialogue', it's like talking with yourself.

If grumbling is an emotional thing, where these deep guttural sounds of moaning and murmuring come, this is an intellectual moaning. It's like an arguing with yourself:
'I don't deserve that, I'm going to get my own back',
Why is this happening to me? This isn't fair!'.

But what Paul is really trying to get at is that both of these things, the emotional grumbling and the intellectual disputing both are tell tale symptoms of a much deeper problem.

What is really happening when we complain and argue internally with what is happening to us or around us? How does this reflect on God?

2. The psalmists sometimes complained to the Lord. Is this
Okay? How does it fit in with Paul’s command in Phil. 2:14?

3. If you’re in a bad situation (work, home, etc.) is it wrong to complain to those in charge? To complain to a friend?

4. If a Christian’s life isn’t what it should be, should he/she give ver-bal witness of Christ? How “perfect” must we be to bear wit-ness?

5. “…pure and blameless children of God”
Pure = unmixed
Blameless = Simply being who we are.
Discuss these things in the light of being children of God.
How hard is it to be un-mixed in a syncretistic society?
How much are we trying to be everything as a Christian and in the end we have little or no witness for Christ?

6. “….shine like stars in a crooked and depraved generation”
Is that a fair description of the generation we live in?
Paul is not calling us to live perfect lives, but distinctive lives. Discuss

7. “…..holding forth the word of life”
How seriously are we taking up that challenge in our day?
What do we want to present to the world most?
How can a world that thinks it has life be interested in our offering of “the word of life”?