We are reminded often by pastors, Bible scholars and teachers to NOT cherry-pick verses from scripture and try to apply them without taking into consideration the context. Yet, it seems that the same ones who tell us not to do this, actually do it all the time. I’ll give you an example:

Phil 1:6 – For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

I don’t believe I have ever heard this passage taught correctly and in its proper context. In my experience, it has always been cherry-picked and then improperly applied as a blanket promise for all Christians. The basic idea is that no matter how our life goes, or how well we respond to Lord and His leading in our lives and to walking in the Spirit, that as long as we are Christians, somehow God will just work everything out in the end and His work “in us” will be completed just as He planned.

That is a nice thought, but it is not true and is not what that verse is implying at all. Again, read by itself, it might seem to be implying that, which is why so many grab onto that one verse and run with it. The verse is used often in devotionals, doctrinal manifesto’s and songs are written about it….but what does that statement from the Apostle Paul really mean and what about the context?

This verse comes right in the opening statement of Paul’s epistle to the Church in Phillipi. As he often did at the beginning of his epistles, he is specifically referring to them, the Philippian Church, and commending *them* for what he observed as their faithfulness to the Lord and to their participation in the Gospel. Look at the verses verses that immediately precede: 

Phil 1:3-5 – I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of *your* participation in the gospel from the first day until now……

Then, he makes his often quoted statement of confidence because of what he observed as *their* faithfulness and response to the Gospel. This verse was *never* meant to be applied to all Christians, for all time, irregardless of their specific walk of faith and obedience. His statement right after confirms this, here he explains why he felt this way and the basis of his confidence in them:

Phil 1:7 – For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.

Paul really liked what he saw in them and commended them for it. In contrast, go read the Apostle Paul’s opening statement to the Galatians, he was not so confident in them:

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel (Gal 1:6). I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain (Gal 4:11).

Clearly nobody wishes to proclaim those verses as a blanket statement for all Christians.

It is understandable, because of the positive nature of the commendation in Phil 1:6, why so many have taken this verse out of context and tried to apply it as a blanket promise, but we do ourselves no favors by this kind of mishandling of the truth. We would do better to follow the example of the Philippians in faith and practice so that the same confidence could be said of us.