Philippians 2. Can the civic-Jesus surpass Christ?

 

[Introduction: Biblical literature offers hints to the-ineluctable-truth about human opportunity. Here are 3 hints: Jesus is the-God (John 1:1), Jesus’ will (Genesis 1:26-28, NIV featuring “may”), and Jesus’ message, "Be [as] perfect" as the-God (Mathew 5:48). Ineluctable means: not to be avoided, changed, escaped, hidden, neglected, rationalized, or resisted.

The living Jesus may have advocated the-good rather than claimed to be “anointed one& king”. Human-beings can& may accept the-good, continually pursue the-good, and continuously practice the-good. If asked how humankind discovered self-interest in the-good, we can& may express appreciation to Jesus. Also, see my Genesis-1 essay about human duty, at the end of this study.

Consider the scholarly Bible evidence, “From Jesus to Christ”, Parts 1& 2, FRONTLINE,1998 at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN8FM1NCOSk and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXqFvfCaFwY. Each Easter, we can effect the public resurrection of the-civic-Jesus and accept the mysterious-Jesus presence in the beginning until the end of time.

Under our generation’s mystery-watch to “ourselves and our Posterity”, Jesus, the-God, can surpass Christ, Judeo-Christian messiah& king.] 

Philippians 2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ [neglecting Jesus?], if any comfort from his love [appreciation], if any common sharing in the Spirit [personal motivation& inspiration], if any tenderness and compassion [kindness& justice], ² then make my joy complete [Pauline arrogance against Jesus?] by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others [together, oppressing Jesus for Christ].

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature [or in the form of] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature [or the form] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness. [Paul doubly misses Jesus’ emphasis on Genesis-1’s assertion that the-God willed humankind to be like the-God “so they may” rule” life on earth.]
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. [This is bold lessening of “Jesus” to “Jesus Christ”. It lifts a Christian squabble over Judeo “anointed one”, in-order-to suppress Jesus’s will: each human, in the likeness of the-God, can& may perfect their unique person before death. Shame on Paul for aggressive ignorance regarding Jesus’ references to Genesis 1, a Sumerian rather than Israeli political philosophy. Note: I constantly remind readers: Phil Beaver thinks Christ does not displace Jesus but does not know. And for all I know, Jesus is the-God.]

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling [a philosophical work by Søren Kierkegaard, published in 1843], ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” [So far, every generation has denied Genesis 1:2-28’s “so they may”.] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life [Jesus rather than Christ – the word of death]. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ [a brash Christ-prediction I’m glad I did not make] that I did not run or labor in vain. ¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should [can& may] be glad and rejoice with me.

¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. ²⁰ I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. ²¹ For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ [how does Jesus react to Christ-neglect of his person?]. ²² But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel [the gospel of Christ above Jesus]. ²³ I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. ²⁴ And I am confident in the Lord [what is Paul’s Lord: God? Jesus? Christ? Jesus Christ? Paul’s opinion? Paul’s pride?] that I myself will come soon.

²⁵ But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. ²⁶ For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. ²⁹ So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, ³⁰ because he almost died for the work of Christ [not Jesus]. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. [Let 2023 mark the reform of civic-churches from advocating Christ above Jesus. Civic implies reliability in human connections& transactions.]

The importance of Genesis 1, a 5,500 year old Mesopotamian political philosophy:

[I apply Genesis-1-NIV perspective to Bible interpretation, NIV because of the phrase “so they may” in V 26. Coming from the-God, “may” implies “can”. For all I know, Jesus is the-God, and the-God may be the-good.

I think Genesis 1:26-28, expresses the-civic-Jesus-message (CJM):  Human male unites-to female human-being and their spouse-hood can& may pursue comprehensive-safety& security to the living species and to the earth (SECURITY). Every person can& may aid SECURITY, and the civic-citizen so chooses. Some persons neglect, partially or wholly, mysterious-Jesus-appreciation, Jesus’-peace, and SECURITY. I don’t know that there are humans who cannot, rather than will-not, aid SECURITY.

I call Genesis-1’s message, “responsible-human-independence” or RHI. Some human-beings, throughout history, practice, facilitate& encourage RHI. History’s Jesus exemplified RHI. From the past, civic-citizens guide-us and consequences from non-civic-persons warn-us against error. I think the-civic-Jesus guides-us to RHI. “Civic” means reliable in human connections& transactions. Perhaps the authentic Jesus merely advocated the-good.

But I don’t know the-ineluctable-truth (IDK). “Ineluctable” means: not to be avoided, changed, escaped, hidden, neglected, rationalized, or resisted: I can& may choose either RHI or dependency, such as religious arrogance. I can& may be derelict.

Persons appreciating contemporary human being (verb), during each generation, develop CJM. In other words, CJM facilitates the civic-appreciation that human being (verb) applied “before Abraham was born” and since then. Given the question, “Was Jesus a man?”, I respond IDK yet value CJM, an attitude which seems sufficient& complete to my person. I advocate the-civic-Jesus and admit that could be the-good. Yet the-good cannot replace the authentic Jesus. Nor can Christ displace Jesus.

Perhaps CJM always was the-good human being (verb). Intention to the-good was present at the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago. There’s joy in accepting IDK, seeking ineluctable-evidence, and reserving humility to RHI. Joy may facilitate happiness.

It seems the-laws-of-physics& progeny (PHYSICS) constrains the consequences of each person’s choices. A person who claims to be a spirit nevertheless bleeds. Physics’ progeny includes: fundamental forces, mathematics, chemistries, biology, psychology, imagination, and their subsets. I choose to accept mysterious-Jesus and pursue Jesus’ “my-peace”, in-order-to commit-to and trust-in PHYSICS. For example, I work for food& shelter rather than accept what a bureaucrat might provide. Only if I secure my energy to work can I help the indigent. I work to aid SECURITY rather than pray for an entity to usurp RHI. Make no mistake: if one of my loved ones seems threatened beyond my protection, I pray to the-God IDK.

Admitting I could be wrong, IDK, I accept that Genesis 1:26-28, NIV, urges me to constrain chaos in my way of living; in other words, urges me to the-good suggested by the-civic-Jesus I pursue by listening to fellow-citizens.]