Dear Beloved of God,
By Walter J. Cummins, Scripture Consulting
January 2013

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God bless you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ.

My Oh My! The world has not come to an end, but then the trumpet has not yet sounded. We are still here in this old body that will someday be transformed into the same kind of body that our Lord Jesus Christ was raised with. What a glorious hope we have in Christ!

Since we are still here, I thought it was necessary to give you an update with regard to Scripture Consulting. A few changes have been made during the past two years for ordering materials made available by Scripture Consulting. The book sales are now available through the Continuing in the Scriptures website. The enclosed brochure gives the essential information for ordering books and other materials.

In addition to the books, the Introduction to Greek Scripture Study course and A Journey through the Acts and Epistles Audio Presentation are also available on the website, as also noted on the brochure. Rather than requesting information from me about these courses of study, you may read it directly on the website, and choose whether or not to accept the agreement for the use of those courses by checking the appropriate boxes online. The description and terms of agreement are on the website.

It should be noted that the person ordering one of those courses is the person who will receive the right to use it. In other words, you cannot order a course for someone else. These two courses are licensed to the person ordering the course to use in the manner described on the website.

Because Dan Bader has agreed to handle the books and courses of study on the website, I am able to spend more time with those who have been involved with the Greek Scripture Conferences and the development of other study materials. Beginning next autumn, the Greek Scripture Conferences will be renamed as “Scripture Consulting Conferences.” This name change reflects our concern for the study and understanding of the whole Word of God. In addition to Greek, there are other fields necessary to the study of the Scriptures, such as Aramaic, Hebrew, figures of speech, and customs of the lands and times of the Bible. The essential considerations for how the Scripture interprets itself are of vital importance to working with these various fields of study.

Scripture Consulting will continue to be a publisher of materials, while Continuing in the Scriptures will handle the retail part of what Scripture Consulting and others might make available for Scripture study.

These necessary changes at present will be an advantage for many of you, your family, and friends in the future study of the Scriptures until the trumpet sounds.

I can remember when we had one phone in our house and no TV, no computer, no internet, no printer. Now, many people have more than one phone, besides TV’s, computers, printers, CD/DVD players, and many other gadgets. Many people have become reliant on their mobile phones for calls, texts, e-mails, and even finding information.

Some of us have also become reliant on a mobile communication that has been available for about 2000 years ever since the new birth gift of holy spirit became available on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. We have, as it tells us in I Corinthians 12:7-11, nine manifestations of that spirit by which God may communicate with us and help us. The gift of holy spirit is with us wherever we go, and it never needs new batteries. What a wonderful communication device for our fellowship with our heavenly Father.

There is a record in Philippians 2 that speaks about fellowship of the spirit.

Philippians 2:1 and 2:
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

The word “Spirit” in verse 1 is used of the gift of holy spirit which we received from God, and the verse speaks of fellowship pertaining to that spirit that we received from God. If there is any consolation or encouragement in Christ, if there is any comfort of love, if there is any fellowship pertaining to the spirit, and if there is any bowels (compassion) or mercies, then we ought to be likeminded, with the same love, of one accord, and of one mind.

There is encouragement in Christ. There is comfort of love. There is such a thing as fellowship of the spirit. We have so much in that new birth gift of holy spirit by which we may have fellowship with our heavenly Father, with our Lord Jesus Christ, and with one another.

Verses 3-5:
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Rather than doing things out of strife or vainglory, this record goes on to speak of doing things with lowliness of mind, that is, humility. Let each esteem others better than themselves, being concerned about what each can do to help and bless others. Then verse 5 says “Let this mind be in you,” and it adds “which was also in Christ Jesus.” The mind spoken about here was just described in verses 1-4. It is a mind that is likeminded, having the same love, humble, and concerned with helping and blessing others. That was the mind that was in Christ Jesus. He had that loving and caring concern for others, and he was humble, as the record goes on to describe.

Verses 6-8:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but he did not use that esteemed position for his personal gain. He took on the form of a servant. He humbled himself. He was obedient, even unto death. He was the great example of humility and obedience.

When Jesus was twelve years old, he spoke of the necessity of his being about his Father’s business, as recorded in Luke 2:49. On an occasion in Samaria, he told his disciples, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work,” as recorded in John 4:34. On another occasion, he said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me,” as recorded in John 6:38. Jesus chose to do the will of God, Who had sent him, and he chose to finish the work that God had sent him to do.

On a later occasion in Jerusalem, Jesus said, “he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him,” as recorded in John 8:29. Shortly before his sufferings, he talked to the twelve apostles about service and said, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many,” as recorded in Matthew 20:28. Jesus chose to do the work that God had sent him to do. He served by giving his life for others. He was humble and obedient to God, and by his obedience, the new birth and all of its benefits have become available to others.

Verses 9-11:
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus Christ did not exalt himself. He humbled himself and was obedient to God. Therefore, God highly exalted him. God gave him a name above every name so that every knee is to bow to his name. Every tongue is to confess him as lord. By confessing him as lord and believing that God raised him from the dead, anyone may receive the salvation made available by Jesus Christ’s obedience to God.

Verse 12:
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

These Philippians were to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. The salvation spoken about here could not refer to the salvation that comes to a person when they confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in the heart that God has raised him from the dead, because this epistle was written to people who were already saved. They had received the gift of holy spirit with its manifestations. The spirit was also the guarantee for them of their inheritance and the salvation to come when Christ returns. They did not work for such salvation. It was freely given to them when they believed in Jesus Christ.

Thus the salvation they were to work out referred to another kind of salvation, or deliverance, which in the greater context of the epistle refers to deliverance from their adversaries. Philippians 1:28 told them: “And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation [deliverance], and that of God.” They were to look for salvation, or deliverance, from their adversaries, and they were to look for that deliverance to come from God.

Here in Philippians 2:12, they were told to work out their salvation, or deliverance, which would have been deliverance from their adversaries. They were to work it out with “fear and trembling.” According to Bishop K.C. Pillai’s teaching on the customs in the lands and times of the Bible, the phrase “fear and trembling” was an idiom, which meant “reverence and obedience” on the part of obedient servants who did what they were told to do. Servants in that culture would keep their eyes reverently on their master, looking for instructions, which they would obediently carry out. Psalm 123:2 alludes to that custom: “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.”

These born again ones in the Church of God were to work out their deliverance from their adversaries by keeping their eyes upon the master with reverence and obedience. The master they were to keep their eyes on was God, as mentioned in the very next verse in this passage from Philippians 2.

Verse 13:
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God works in those who are born of His spirit. Those who are His sons by the new birth of spirit are to work out their deliverance in day-by-day situations by keeping their eyes upon Him as servants with reverence for their Master. Then, as obedient servants, they are to do whatever the Master says to do. God is working within them to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was the greatest example of a Son of God working out deliverance with reverence and obedience, as mentioned previously in verses 5-8. He humbled himself and was obedient unto death. He served with great reverence for His Father, keeping his eyes upon His Father. He obediently did what His Father asked him to do. By his reverence and obedience, he accomplished what was necessary for our salvation, or deliverance.

When God made available the new birth (born of spirit), He also included new abilities (manifestations of the spirit) by which God could communicate with His sons and help them. They can look to Him with reverence and obedience, as Jesus Christ also did during his earthly life and ministry. God is with His children wherever they go. They have a new means of mobile communication, which has been available since the Day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2.

There is indeed fellowship of the spirit. There is encouragement in Christ. There is comfort of love. We have so much in the new birth gift of holy spirit by which we may have fellowship with our heavenly Father, with our Lord Jesus Christ, and with one another.

Keep your mobile communication turned on with reverence and obedience, for God is working in you to will and to do His good pleasure.