Paul is literally in a life or death situation as he writes Philippians. He thinks he might even die that day. That's why he famously says in Philippians 1:21, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." It could be either one: life or death. He doesn't know. Remember, Paul is writing while under house arrest in prison in Rome and he's under the horrific Caesar named Nero.

Recently, I preached a sermon entitled “the Christian Virtue of Loyalty.” That sermon was full of theology, for good reason. God’s individual people (believers) are to be loyal to God’s collective people (the church) because God loves the church and has knit the body of Christ together “as it hath pleased him” (1 Cor. 12:18).

The Urban Dictionary calls it the “green-eyed monster,” also known as envy, or jealousy. Jealousy has ruined relationships of every type. One young man is jealous of another because he runs faster or jumps higher. A young lady is jealous of another young lady because her hair is naturally fuller or because she’s taller. Even preachers are jealous of each other because one has a bigger congregation or more ministry success than the other.