It has often been noted that if Paul had ever written an autobiography, the chapter on his visit to Philippi could have been entitled, ‘Praise in the Prison’, or ‘Joy in the Jail’! That concept is carried over into the epistle, and in his book, Ian pursues the theme of joy throughout the letter. The sub-title is, ‘Notes on Philippians divided into 31 Days’, and that adequately describes how the subject is handled. These are bite sized chapters that cover the epistle section by section, allowing the reader to augment his regular devotions with a short reading from Philippians; there is the bonus of a concise summary of the short section that has been read.
A volume of this size cannot be a complete exposition of the epistle, but having said that, a fair bit of flesh is added to the bones of the outline. It gives the reader an adequate understanding of the drift of the letter, and an explanation of some of its weighty doctrinal statements. Another heartening observation is that despite the attempt at brevity, adequate space has been devoted to practical applications and these are presented in a pithy manner. They are both challenging and encouraging, and relate both to our personal lives and assembly principles. An example of the pointed challenges that feature is when Ian encourages us to emulate Paul and live sacrificially in view of the Judgment Seat of Christ: “The question is, will the loss be suffered here or at the judgment seat?” On the back page, the Publishers have used the word ‘inspiring’ to describe the practical impact of these relevant applications.
Ian’s flair for alliterated points is evident on every page, but it never seems forced, and the words that he uses are real words that are familiar to us! Another interesting feature is that there is a very appropriate verse of a hymn at the conclusion of each day’s reading. It may be that if you are in the habit of incorporating the singing of a hymn in your devotions, the day’s verse might prove to be suitable.
Ian would be the first to acknowledge that publications like this are in addition to our daily spiritual intake and not the complete diet. This is a worthy addition to what is available in that realm of spiritual nourishment. It is more than a snack, and will give the reader a month’s material for meditation, and a working knowledge of the delightful Epistle to the Philippians.
Review by Jack Hay
Daily Joy in Philippians by Ian Steele is available to purchase here.
