Christ-Mindedness: Philippians by Peter Kreeft

Philippians is neither a treatise on systematic theology, like Romans, nor a treatment of one point of it, like Galatians. Nor is it a practical, moral letter answering many specific questions & local problems, like 1 Corinthians. It is a pastoral, personal, intimate letter whose unifying theme is sanctity, or Christ-mindedness (2:5). It was written from house arrest in Rome where Paul was awaiting death.

The most perfect & simple statement ever written on the meaning of life and of death is in 1:21: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” In other words, death is only more Christ.

“I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me” (4:13). The answer to the question: How much can we do? is the answer to the question: How much can Christ do?

Christ-mindedness, the pervasive theme of Philippians, means learning to bring our wants into alignment with our needs by learning to bring our minds into alignment with the mind of Christ.

Sanctity cannot be taught, like theology – only caught, like measles. The more we expose ourselves to highly contagious words like these, the more likely it is that we will be increasingly infected. They are words to get under our skin, under our conscious minds, into our memories and our hearts.