The excellence of Paul’s writing is shown in the way he did not directly point out the defect of the Philippian saints. He did not say, “Dear Philippians, I want you to know that you are short of love.” Instead, in 1:9 he said, “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in full knowledge and all discernment.” These words indicate that their love was not adequate, not sufficient. Paul admitted that the Philippian believers had a certain amount of love, but there was still the need for their love to abound more and more.
It is significant that Paul prayed that their love would abound “in full knowledge and all discernment.” The Philippian believers had much love. Yet their love needed to abound, to overflow more and more, not foolishly, but in full knowledge; not in ignorance, but in all discernment, that they might prove by testing the things which differed. This should include discernment of the different preachings of the gospel in 1:15-18 and of the different peoples in 3:2-3.
Paul did not pray that the Philippians’ love would abound in zeal or in the affection of a good heart. As we all know, love is related to emotion. However, Paul prayed that their love would abound in full knowledge and all discernment, both of which are related to the mind. According to common human experience, love is blind. When a person exercises himself to have a sober mind, when he is calm, clear, and knowledgeable, love is gone. It seems that being loving and having a sober mind cannot exist together. Either a brother loves his wife foolishly, or, being clear in his understanding and sober in his mind, he becomes cold in his love for her.
Paul prayed that our love would abound more and more in full knowledge and all discernment. The Greek word for discernment means “sensitive perception, moral tact.” Discernment is the ability to sense things. Paul did not want the Philippians to love in a foolish way. On the contrary, he encouraged them to love with a mind full of knowledge and discernment, sensitive perception, and moral tact.
The knowledge and discernment about which Paul speaks in 1:9 are actually Christ Himself. When we experience Christ, He becomes our knowledge and discernment. The reason we lack the knowledge and the discernment to differentiate between the different kinds of preaching is that we are short of the experience of Christ.
According to the context of 1:9, Paul’s meaning was that the Philippians needed knowledge and discernment to distinguish between Paul’s preaching and that of the Judaistic believers. We today also need to discern between the many different kinds of preaching. Among Christians today, there are many different ways of preaching Christ. With all these ways, there are certain good points. If there were no good points at all in a particular way of preaching, no one would pay attention to it. But although the different ways of preaching Christ have certain positive features, we must ask whether or not such preaching is for God’s economy, for His move on the earth today. Deep within, Paul realized that some of the Philippians had been distracted by the preaching of the Judaistic believers. In these verses Paul seemed to be saying, “Philippians, certain of you have been distracted from God’s economy by the preaching of the Judaistic believers. I agree that you need to love these people. However, your love should abound in full knowledge and all discernment. Don’t love others foolishly—love them soberly, with knowledge and sensitive perception.”
Discernment is the power of perception, the ability to perceive matters in a sensitive way. Certain famous preachers may be knowledgeable and eloquent. But if we have discernment, we shall realize that the goal of their preaching is the furtherance of their own work, not the advancement of God’s economy. In order to discern the preaching of others in this way, we need more experience of Christ. Only the experience of Christ can cause love to abound in us in full knowledge and all discernment. Supplied with such a love, we shall love others, but not foolishly.
No doubt, certain of the Philippian saints appreciated the preaching of the Judaistic believers. For this reason, Paul prayed that their love for such ones would abound in full knowledge and all discernment. He encouraged the Philippians to love, but to love in knowledge and discernment, not in foolishness and in blindness.
Paul also prayed that the Philippians would “prove by testing the things which differ” and “be pure and without offense unto the day of Christ.” The Greek word rendered pure means “judged by sunlight, that is, tested as genuine; hence, pure, sincere.” To be without offense means not to be offending, not to cause others to stumble. In discerning things, we need to be pure. In particular, the motives in our heart must be pure. Otherwise, we shall offend others. It is not easy to be discerning in a way that is pure and without offense. This depends very much on our motive.
In verses 9 and 10 Paul prayed three things on behalf of the Philippians: that their love would abound in full knowledge and all discernment; that they would prove by testing the things which differ; and that they would be pure and without offense unto the day of Christ. The secret to these three matters is found in verse 11, where Paul speaks of being “filled with the fruit of righteousness, which is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” According to grammar, verse 11 is a modifier related to the three items for which Paul prayed. Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness, the Philippians could abound in love, prove by testing all things, and be pure and without offense. This indicates that being filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ is a necessary condition for these three matters. In order for our love to abound, to prove by testing the things which differ, and to be pure and without offense, we must first be filled with the fruit of righteousness which is through Jesus Christ.
Verse 11 actually refers to the experience of Christ. Once again we see that the key is the experience of Christ. We know that verse 11 refers to the experience of Christ because of the phrase through Jesus Christ. The fruit of righteousness is through Christ. It comes to us through our experience of Christ. From the Christ we enjoy and experience, we have the fruit of righteousness. The more we experience Christ, the more this experience will issue in the fruit of righteousness. The fruit of righteousness is the living product of a proper life with a righteous standing before God and man. This could not come about by the believers’ natural man for their boast, but through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Our love, therefore, should abound in a way that is according to God’s economy. If we experience Christ, our love will abound, we shall prove things by testing, and we shall be pure and without offense.