Intro: this is Part 1 of 7 contributions i'm supplying to what i like to call the Kem Meyer Bible Study Sensation. Our church (Granger Community Church, Indiana) is currently working through a series about love, and we've been challenged with reading Philippians 2:1-15 each day for the next week. Each of my contributions will cover 3 verses from that reading. These are just my thoughts - they're young, growing and fragile - so be kind.

I'm a bit of a head case; i like to dig in and break things down though i claim no authority in theology or the Bible. I just like the texture Hebrew and Greek translations bring to my "conversations" with God. So, whip out a concordance (or not) and walk with me.

In v1, i focused in on "united with Christ." The Hebrew word for united is yachad, meaning to be (or become) one - join, unite. - That was easy. Follow me to v2, where "make my joy complete" stood out. Here, the word complete comes from the Greek word pleroo, meaning to make replete (one def. the dictionary provides for replete is abundantly fed. Cool, huh?!) Pleroo also traces back to pleres (replete, or covered over) and pletho (to fill), a prolonged form of pleo (idea of plunging/to flow). Have I lost you yet? Bare with me! In v3, "consider others better than yourselves" with the word, better, our focus. It comes from the Greek word huperecho, meaning to hold oneself above. Huperecho can be broken down into huper (over, above, beyond, superior to, exceeding/abundantly above) and echo (to hold).

What does all of that mean!?! Good question. No, great question. United. Complete. Others Better. Maybe the apostle Paul is saying living a life according to Christ is a package deal. When we accept Christ, we're accepting a life lived out (united) with other believers seeking to serve (be completed in) Christ whole-heartedly, in like-mindedness (vs.2, also) and humility (the amplified Bible calls this lowliness of mind).

I like the expansion taken above on making Christ's "joy complete," as though Paul is sharing an invitation to a party. We get the 'theme' of our party, this idea of 'plunging' in the act of joy with repleteness, of being called to fully and abundantly provide joy to Christ by being unified in love and spirit. We also get the 'what to bring' to the party, a spirit of humility, a consideration of others as highly regarded souls, superior in sight and held above our own wills and desires. This is a wonder to me. Not because I don't agree with it - i absolutely do! - but because the One who died for us all is now calling us all to be one, to die to ourselves (Col. 2:11-12) and be raised up into a body of ONE. Christ's legacy on the cross was reconciliation by love. Our legacy to Him should be selflessly uniting in him (in love). It's so symbolic. It's so God.

Philippians 2:1-3