In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes the following prayer in the first chapter:

“And for this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all sensitivity to it, that you may examine what is essential, so that you may be sincere and unoffending in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness which is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Philippians 1:9-11

The letter is mainly about the way of life. Daily practice is central, and the questions of how we can stand in this world with faith and trust.

Paul knows the Philippians and writes, “and I have this same confidence, that He who began the good work among you will also complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6). The community is in a process. People are transformed. That takes time: something today, something again tomorrow. The apostle perceives this and expresses confidence that God will also complete this good work among them. He speaks of trust and confidence.

This is followed by the prayer. Their love should overflow. Specifically, love should overflow in two things: Knowledge and sensitivity. These are two aspects that we do not quickly associate with love. Knowledge, of what? And sensitivity, for what?

Knowledge

In another prayer, Paul writes, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and spiritual revelation for the knowledge of Himself (after the eyes of your heart have been enlightened)” (Eph. 1:17-18).

Thus, overflowing in knowledge, as the apostle writes about it in Philippians, can point to the knowledge of God Himself. This also always includes a realization of His actions and His purpose. Also in Ephesians, he writes about all of us “attaining to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the matured man, to the measure of the fullness, the completion of the Christ, that we may no longer be babes” (Eph. 4:13-14). This is a growth process on the one hand, but a declared goal of God on the other.

Overflowing knowledge is not a goal in itself, but is directed toward God and His Son. He Himself and His actions are central, His outlook. It is an understanding of what God is up to and how He stands toward us personally and toward the world.

Good news is that God is for us (Rom 8:31-39). This is what the Gospel speaks of. This is not short-sighted, nor is it merely emotional dullness, but it is promise, outlook and confidence. It establishes in this world and then gives farsightedness. Knowledge starts from the reality of God and then looks ahead.

The letters Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians belong together. They were all three written toward the end of Paul’s career. Similar to the prayer in Philippians is found not only in Ephesians but also in Colossians:

“Therefore, from the day we heard this, we do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may come to terms with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to walk worthy of the Lord and to please Him in every way – as those who bear fruit in all good works, in to grow in the knowledge of God, and to be strengthened with all might according to the power of His glory, to all endurance and patience with joy.”
Col 1:9-11

At the latest here it may be clear that it is not about intellectual knowledge, but about cognition. Cognition transcends mere knowledge. Knowledge is also not secret knowledge (gnosis), but it is the deeper knowledge (gr. epignosis), as it happens by grace. Thus he wrote of the Colossians that they heard the gospel and ” knew the grace of God in truth “ (Col. 1:6).

Dear

Let us return to the prayer in Philippians. It says that love should overflow into knowledge. Love is not focused on itself. Love is always active. It does not seek itself (1Cor 13,5). Love serves, gives, has the other person in mind. Faith becomes effective through love (Gal 5:6). Love is the expression of healthy faith.

This love, this attitude, should overflow into knowledge. It is not a matter of knowledge, but it is the loving attitude that should recognize where and for what it should flow. It is a love that gains depth and clarity through the promises of God and trust in Him. If love is to overflow into knowledge, then we know what we are doing and we do it in gratitude to Him.

Sensitivity

Love should also overflow into sensitivity or sensibility (gr. aisthesis, only here). The writer of Hebrews uses a word with the same root: “For the mature, on the other hand, is solid food, who, being accustomed, have a trained sense to disc ern both excellent and evil” (Heb. 5:14 – Gr. aistheterion). Here, too, there is talk of growing up, of a process of maturity. It is a “trained” sensibility, which helps to recognize different things.

Paul uses sensitivity in this very context: “And for this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all sensitivity to this, that you may examine what is essential” (Phil 1:9). Love is the sustaining force, realization and sensitivity are the acquired skills. The possibility to test is the fruit or the result. Only subtlety allows a good test.

What is essential?

To examine what is essential – that is the concern Paul has for the Philippians. It’s about the alignment that it enables. The essential (Gr. diaphero) is literally that which carries through, namely that which carries through and endures.

Carrying through is what remains when what is not permanent falls away. It is about what is permanent, what has to do with the knowledge of God, what remains when we know God’s ways and purpose, and make it the supporting and sustaining element in our understanding of the world.

Since Paul’s prayer is based on love, we can easily see that these goals of God are also characterized by His love. To recognize the essential succeeds only from the perspective of God’s grace. It is a certain way of seeing, namely to see from God’s point of view, or to think from His goal.

Paul keeps talking about what is essential. He adjusts, so to speak, the thinking in the congregation, directing it toward God’s goal and toward the essentials. God’s promises and God’s love are central. Christ, with the cross and resurrection, is the basis for this.

As a final thought, Paul recognizes that one day when God will judge the hidden things of men, it will be according to His gospel, through Jesus Christ (Rom 2:16). The gospel of grace, the trust in God’s working for salvation, is what really carries us through.