Philippians 1:10

“so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ”

“So that”: Here are the positive benefits of such an intelligent love. “Paul prays that the Philippian's love may be. controlled and developing love for two reasons: That they might know how to make the best choices possible and that they themselves might be the best people possible” (Hawthorne p. 27). “Approve”: To discern, examine, prove. “This may mean either ‘to test or examine, to prove by testing' as one would assay metals or test the genuineness of coins or ‘to accept as proved' hence ‘to approve'” (Hawthorne p. 27). “Present tense; keep on putting to the test” (Jackson p. 26). Often the Christian is commanded to "approve" (test, examine) certain things (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1; 2 Corinthians 8:8; 2 Corinthians 13:5). “It goes without saying that all ‘testing' is to be done in the light of the inspired biblical documents!” (Jackson p. 26).

“Things that are excellent”: What is of more value. “Enabling you to have. sense of what is vital” (Mof). “So that you may always approve the better things” (Wms). “That you may learn to prize what is of value” (Knox). “When so many competing forms of doctrine and ways of life are presented for acceptance (as they certainly were in the eastern Mediterranean world of the first century)” (Bruce p. 37). True discernment is absolutely necessary, for not all views and opinions are equally valid. We must be careful, lest we place great emphasis on the wrong things (Matthew 23:23). Even religious people can get mixed up on what is really important (Micah 6:6). Moral problems and dilemmas will constantly come our way and we must be prepared to distinguish between right and wrong (Hebrews 5:14; 1 Corinthians 10:13). “That ye may be”: Here is another positive benefit of such discerning and intelligent love. When Christians get mixed up on what is really important, when they start "swallowing camels and straining at gnats" (Matthew 23:23), they cease to be blameless. They become stumbling-blocks to those who are trying to find the truth. “The prayer, then, is that the Philippians, their faculties having been trained to prefer the good to the evil, and the essential to the trivial” (Hendriksen p. 61). “Sincere”: Judged by sunlight, tested as genuine, and pure. “People who are genuine through and through” (Lenski p. 719). “Transparency of character or perfect openness towards God” (Erdman p. 53). “Paul's goal for the Philippians is that they may be people of sincerity, honesty, cleanness of mind, who live lives that are transparent before God and other people” (Hawthorne p. 28).

“Void of offence”: “Blameless”(NASV). “Not causing others to stumble” (Robertson p. 437). Or without causing yourself to stumble. “It pictures either. person who carefully avoids putting anything in another's way that would cause that person to trip and fall, or one who is equally careful to avoid tripping over obstacles that may be placed in his own way” (Hawthorne p. 28). “Unto the day of Christ”: The judgment day. Intelligent love enables one to live in such. way that one does not turn other people off from the truth or lead them astray. One cannot stand blameless at the judgment, if one is not striving for such now. “They cannot be so on that day unless they lead pure and blameless lives here and now” (Bruce p. 37).