The Normal Experience Of Christ
THE NORMAL EXPERIENCE OF CHRIST
Philippians is concerned with the experience of Christ. According to this book, the experi ence of Christ is a matter of mutuality between the apostle and the believers. As we read this Epistle, we see that Paul carried on fellowship with the saints in a proper way. In every aspect and from every angle, his fellowship with them was right. The Philippians, by contrast, were not proper in all respects in their fellowship with the apostle. Therefore, on the apostle's side, the experience of Christ was normal. But on the side of the Philippian saints, the experience of Christ was not altogether normal. To some extent at least, it was abnormal.
If we consider the book of Philippians as a whole, we shall realize that the experience of Christ involves mutuality. It is definitely not a one-sided matter. It is a fact that we cannot have a normal experience of Christ if we are individ ualistic. The experience of Christ is a Body mat ter. Whatever is in the Body and of the Body involves mutual fellowship. The experience of Christ thus requires mutuality. If the apostle did not have proper fellowship with the saints, his experience of Christ would not have been normal.