“Philippians: Finding Joy When Life Is Hard” by Josiah D. Bancroft IV. A Review.

 

When my wife and I were new-made Christian converts, stationed at Incirlik AB in Turkey from 1981-1983, we stumbled onto some very rudimentary Bible study guides that gave us space to write answers and reflections as they walked us through a book of the Bible. We learned basic facts and details about each book as we went through them, and grew in our new faith. That experience has a very happy memory in our hearts and we’re always on the lookout for such resources. New Growth Press has teamed up with a missions organization, Serge, to pull together a similar Bible study series, “The Gospel-Centered Life in the Bible”. One of their newest installments is “Philippians: Finding Joy When Life Is Hard”. This 128-page paperback was penned by Josiah D. Bancroft IV, a church planter and director of Missions with Serge. The book is set up for group use, and has a section in the back for study leaders. It is easy-to-use, will walk readers through the whole of Philippians in 9 lessons, and leave them closer to Jesus and more knowledgeable of his Scriptures.

Each chapter of the book has three sections that also have a suggested time limit. There’s the very succinct “Big Idea” section that gives readers questions or highlights to look for as they read the passage. Then there’s the “Article” which covers, fairly broadly, what the major themes are in the Scripture passage just read. This section includes some discussion starters. Next comes the “Exercise” which gives those involved an opportunity to write reflections, answer questions, etc. and then share them with the larger group, which wraps things up with prayers related to what has just been read. Working through each of these sections, I can easily imagine participants growing in Christ together, and coming to appreciate one another more.

The author is very clear about how Paul’s letter to the Philippians impacts our daily lives, especially how we are united to Christ, made right with God because of Christ, and move forward in joyful sanctification secured in Christ. Bancroft is squarely grounded inside of Classic Protestantism and the role of justification and sanctification. And he also sees the importance of how our having been justified in Christ keeps us grounded in suffering, as well as reaching out in mission. In the manual are a couple of reflection or comparison charts that will likely cause participants to slow down and recognize how easy it has been to forget Christ’s work for us. That’s not a bad thing. It’s where many of our personal troubles arise from.

There was one letdown as I read through the work. Paul’s letter to the Philippians has a few main themes, and one of them is robust unity in the congregation. This becomes clear toward the end when the Apostle calls on the two Christian sisters to make up and even asks another Christian to help them. But all the way through the letter this is a central theme. For example, when he prays for the congregation (1:3-11) he tells them that he prays all the time for all of them. Later, as he calls on them to exhibit their gospel citizenship, he uses military legionnaire language about “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (1:27). And he keeps this united teamwork as the centerpiece all the way through Jesus’s redemptive humility (2:1-11) and into the end of chapter 2, with the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus. This central emphasis in the letter is almost completely missed in the study guide until one gets to chapters 4 and 8. Even the two times the participants are asked to take a specific passage from Philippians (such as 1:9-11 which is what Paul prays for all of the believers), the participants are coached to turn that prayer primarily to themself. There’s nothing wrong with that, in and of itself. It’s just that it misses a significant part of the point.

But for all of that, the book does come around to unity when looking at Philippians 4:1-9. The whole discussion in the study guide at that point is about unity. And Bancroft gives several heartwarming, personal stories that show what he means. Rightly, the author notes that in “the Lord, we have the righteousness of Christ, which frees us from having to win an argument. It frees us to move toward one another in love and not demand that the other meet our needs, because Jesus has already met our greatest need” (74-75). That statement in chapter 8 goes well with something the writer stated back in chapter 4, where he observed that the “gospel pushes us into the world to proclaim and demonstrate Christ, loving other people. And it pushes us as believers into the world together, loving each other as a witness” (35). I couldn’t agree more. In fact, this is one of the top-drawer points of Paul in this letter to the Philippians.

If you’re looking for a study guide to take you and your spouse through Philippians, or friends from church, this manual would be beneficial. Or you’re an older believer working with a younger one, then “Philippians: Finding Joy When Life Is Hard” is a rock solid resource. It would also be useful for weekly congregational small groups or an adult Christian education class. I recommend the work.

My thanks to New Growth Press for sending me the electronic copy of the book used for this review. They made no demands, offered no bribes, and no one was held hostage. Therefore, my evaluation is freely made and freely given.