This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, March 7, 1993.
About this sermon
Paul wrote into a Roman world shaped by Cybele, the mystery religions, and the cult of Dionysus, and that background matters. The modern church has pagan practices of its own, and they pose a live danger. Against all of it Paul preaches self-sacrifice, the opposite of what those religions offered.
Sermon transcript
We begin our scripture reading this morning with Psalm 115. Listen to the word of God. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they speak not. Eyes have they, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not. Noses have they, but they smell not. They have hands, but they handle not. Feet have they, but they walk not, neither speak they through their throats.
They that make them are like unto them, so is everyone that trusteth in them. O Israel, trust thou in the Lord, he is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. The Lord hath been mindful of us. He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear the Lord, those small and great.
The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. You are blessed of the Lord, which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s, but the earth he hath given to the children of men. The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence, but we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.”
I know both how to be a base, and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things. I am instructed, or I have learned the secret of both to be full and to be hungry. both to abound and to suffer need. Father, it is no small thing that your word is preached, and what man would take such a responsibility to himself? O Lord, may the calling of your servants be confirmed in the proclamation which is given, and that in keeping with your word. O Father, we ask that we might be receptive today to hear your word as it is given to us. May that word come to us truly. Bless your church, O Father, with those who are workers in your harvest indeed, those who are true to their calling, true to you, true to the gospel. For Jesus’ sake, amen.
In the year 204 B.C., during the darkest, most dismal days of the Carthaginian invasion It was an invasion of another sort that took place for Rome. It didn’t come from the south, it didn’t come from Africa, it didn’t come from across the Mediterranean. It came from the east, from Phrygia, from Asia Minor. It came as a result of an oracle that had been consulted with respect to Rome’s future That Oracle had prescribed that the black meteor of Pessinus, the sacred object for the cult of Cybele, should be brought to Rome in order to reverse the fortunes of that city. But with the sacred object also came the religion, the religion of Cybele.
Now, to be sure, the Romans themselves recognize just how vile a religion this was. Therefore, this religion was in a sense outlawed, kept on the fringe of Roman society for over two centuries by official governmental decree. even though Romans were greatly influenced by it, and some even secretly were involved with it. But it was finally during the reign of Claudius, of I Claudius fame, about ten years, a decade before, Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians that the ban was lifted and the religion of Sibyl was recognized as legitimate. The Sibylle religion was indeed very powerful, but it was also very nasty.
Sibylle, C-Y-B-E-L-L-E, is a goddess. She is the wife of Kronos, the god of time. She is considered to be the mother of all gods. In the Asian version of her myth, she becomes extremely jealous over a handsome young man named Atos. Atos wishes to marry, thus causing jealousy. As punishment, she overpowers him with madness, after which he mutilates himself and dies.
The worshipers attached to this myth endeavored to capture within themselves the fierce and extreme emotions of these two mythical figures. And as you might well imagine, this led to wild orgies and frenzied worship, characterized by ornate, elaborate ritual, blood rites, and even self-mutilation in imitation of Hades.
But the Sibeli religion was hardly extraordinary in the ancient world. It was hardly extraordinary in the first century in which our Savior lived during his days in the flesh, in which the Apostle Paul lived. This religion was among many, the Egyptian religions, the Asian religions, the Syrian religions that came to be known as the mystery religions. These religions virtually overran the Roman world in the first century. These mystery religions were so called because these religions profess the essence of religious mystery and the secrets of religion were revealed to the initiates or candidates undergoing elaborate ceremonies through which then they would enter into the cults. These mystery religions were distinct amongst religions that were respectable within the empire because they reached out beyond the intellect and belonged essentially and completely to the world of sensuality and to the emotional dimension of the personality. In fact, the senses and the emotions were believed to be revelatory, a means by which then one had intimate contact with the gods themselves. What can account for the appeal of these mystery religions in the first century? Their appeal was due in no small way to the character of Roman religion and Greek religion.
Roman religion was official. It’s the best way to describe it. It was perfunctory. It was formal. and was pulled down. Had more to do with political loyalty than any real. Religious order. Great religion, on the other hand, had made its appeal even to the Romans. Who came after them. The Greek religion survives even the great empire. It makes its impact upon Roman society. For the Greek gods were so lifelike, so human. They were so close to the people. They even acted like the people. They even sinned like the people. You could feel real comfortable in the company of those gods.
And these Greek gods inspired more religious zeal and warmth than the official Roman religion of the Empire. While there was this degree of warmth and zeal In Greek religion, it still remained classical temperament. The Greeks loved the form of their God. They loved the shape of the contour. And when everything was said and done for the Greeks. Religion remained somewhat abstract and intellectual.
But there was a premonition of what was coming in the mystery religions amongst the Greeks. That came to them from the North, from Thrace. From the regions proximate to Macedonia and the territory of Philippi, in view here was the god Dionysus. Dionysus had invaded Greece, and so there was something even within Greek religion that was anticipating the rise of the mystery religions that would come.
Now, understand Dionysus. It is a mistake to say that Dionysus is equal to the Roman god Bacchus, the god of wine, as if Dionysus was merely a god of revelry. No, no, no, no, no. This God of praise was much more inclusive in the domain with respect to his religion. Dionysus was the God who ensured the removal of all inhibition, all restraints. particularly like your personality. A little bit too reserved? Embarrassed by your own shyness? We have the answer for you. We have a God who will encourage you to cast it all to the wind. Be yourself. for the removal of all of your inhibitions. Dionysus then enlisted many in his cult. His cult was especially adept at the development of dance through which one shed one’s inhibitions. in which you could act, leave your inhibitions aside, offstage.
These forms then especially developed in their religious form in the Dionysus cult. All of this then moving for that more intimate contact with the God. that more vital communion with the gods, not being left at a distance, but being brought right into contact with the divine forces. We are now able to see why the mystery religions gained such popularity in the Greek and Roman world. The people were looking for something much more intimate. The trail had been blazed by certain barbarian cults, and especially by the Dionysian cult. So powerful were these religions, these mystery religions, however, according to some, so much have they permeated the entirety of the Gentile world in that first century that Paul himself, born within Gentile territory in Tarsus, could not help but be greatly affected by those religions. In fact, it was popular at the turn of the century for some to go so far as to say that the world of the mystery religions provided the background out of which Paul constructed his own version of Christianity, thus gaining immediate access into the world of Gentile thought and practice. The mystery religions had elaborate order of ceremonies, washings, and even what some have identified as sacramental meals, all of which were intended to seal the bond of intimacy with the gods.
They seem to have all held to some form of personal immortality. They banked on the themes of death and rebirth, resuscitation, reincarnation. Even some have suggested resurrection. The mystery cults also espouse some form of spiritual transformation for the present life, so that the powers that were gained through communion with the gods were actually yours as you walked through your life day by day.
This transformation of life belonged to those who were the select few or the initiated, who came to know the mysteries or the secrets that belonged to the essence of life. And in what we have said, the description we have given, we can see parallels and similarities between these mystery religions and Paul’s gospel.
Paul will, in fact, speak about baptism and the Lord’s Supper. He will speak about these sacraments as means by which our union with Christ is sealed unto us in the Spirit. He is also the constant advocate, the advocate par excellence of that great fellowship which we enjoy in Christ and with God. He speaks continually in such a manner that we might conclude that this is the base of his entire doctrine. He speaks continually of death and resurrection with respect to Christ and our participation in that death and resurrection. We restored by way of Christ’s death and resurrection and preserved for eternity.
On one occasion, he goes so far as to say our life is hid with Christ in God. The ultimate statement with respect to communion. He speaks as well of spiritual transformation affected in the present life. He speaks of mystery. He talks of mystery, this way the mystery kept secret for long ages past, but now disclosed to God’s saints in the gospel events of Christ’s life, death, resurrection.
Gospel events of life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Boldly states in Philippians 4 verse 12, that he has found out the secret of the contented life. I know how to get along with humble means, he writes. I also know how to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. However, it should be clear to us.
Just how far removed the apostle in his religious expression is from the expressions of the mystery religion. Paul is fierce in his monotheism. He could never give quarter to the politics and syncretic religion. Of the first century. With respect to his old testament roots again and again grounding himself there. Christianity for Paul could have no affinity with the frenzy. the crime practiced by the mystery religions in the ceremonial reenactment. In their liturgical dances. In their religious drama. I hope you all caught that. If you have any question as to what is happening to the church today, I plead with you to go back and study what was going on in the first century.
Theurgical dance does not have its origin in Christianity. It has its origin in paganism. Religious drama does not have its origin in Christianity. It has its origin in paganism. There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Paul espoused worship characterized by symbolism and ritualism. And those churches that pursue those things are not pursuing a New Testament perspective on the worship of God. There is no evidence whatsoever that Paul espoused worship characterized by symbolism and ritualism such as marked distinctively the religious practices of the pagans. Nor does his gospel operate at the mythical or personal psychological level as does the mystery religions.
Instead, his gospel operates self-consciously at the historical plane where Christ, the eternal Son of God, enters as man to redeem sinners, even idolaters, through his actual historical death upon a real cross and literal bodily resurrection. In fact, we can say, contrary to those who have said that Paul’s religion is grounded in paganism, Paul’s religion was presented as an answer to that very paganism.
Even Philippians 4.12 and its vocabulary, which seems so blatantly dependent upon the mystery false, I have learned the secret, Paul writes. This statement by the Apostle is actually a devastating indictment of paganism, and a response to it. So what was at the heart of these pagan and mystery religions, above all else These religions were inwardly directed.
What was the frenzy all about? It was completely self-centered. You worked yourself into a state because of the benefit that that state meant for you. The mystery religions were completely self-absorbed and self-focused. The mysteries and the secrets that they boasted of were conceived of as purely for personal benefit.
Someone else’s satisfaction was never the objective. The objective was your satisfaction. And I might add that this was pervasive with respect to every aspect of religious practice. No offering, no gift was viewed selflessly. The goal was always personal benefit. I give to you because of what I can get from it.
Even if it’s just a good feeling. Now, it has to be admitted that at first glance, the way in which Paul speaks about the secret that he has come to know seems to be full of self-sufficiency, as if he is a very well self-satisfied man. I have learned the secret of being full and hungry simultaneously, and I don’t need anything. In fact, I don’t need you. But that is indeed a misreading. For the sufficiency of which Paul speaks, as if he were in need of nothing, is actually a sufficiency that it expresses itself for the sake of the Philippians.
The pagan spirit that is a threat to these people and remains a threat to the present day would drive these and us to give theirs and our gifts to others for what profit we might and they might get out of that giving. But the apostle speaks as if he personally derives no benefit from the gift. In fact, it is offered along these lines. Since the gift is offered along these lines in the mind of the givers has value above all else, only as it benefits them.
So what possible benefit could it have for him? Paul’s secret, then, into which he has been initiated is his ability in Christ to stand beyond need in need of nothing. And this is true even when he is the one reversing the situation, even if he is the one who would then give the gift rather than receive it, as he is doing presently from the Philippians. He, then, who needs nothing, sufficient as he is in Christ, derides nothing from the giving of a gift, and thus the giving of the gift must be purely and wholly for the sake of those who receive it.
There is no other benefit. There is no other benefit. Now we can very easily get ourselves into the swapping turkey mentality that overtakes the beneficence of the church. I’ll give you a turkey if you give me one. and I won’t give you one because you haven’t given me one. I’m not going to do anything good for you because you haven’t done anything good for me. I’m not going to give anything to you because I realize there’s no benefit that I can realize from giving anything to you. Now let me suggest to you adding and subtracting turkeys ends up at zero.
He who then is sufficient in Christ who needs nothing derives nothing from the giving of the gift. And thus the giving of the gift must be purely and fully for the sake of those. For the sake of those who receive. And this is not what we find in Jesus Christ. The incarnation of the true God. was one who stands over against the self-absorbed preoccupations of paganism. Oh, to be sure, our Christ comes into the personal inheritance promised to him, the reward and the blessing, but only through the secret of self-sacrifice. Jesus says, he who would gain his life must lose it. Here is a religion expressed by Jesus that no self-respecting pagan would embrace.
Let’s pray. O Lord, do be patient with us, with us all. We ask, Lord, that we might realize the great sufficiency of Christ that we might also understand the nature of self-sacrifice and the abandonment that is in view in that self-sacrifice. Our Savior who gives himself for the benefit that that self-sacrifice will grant to us, O Lord, May we be pleased to give ourselves selflessly for the sake of the benefit that accrues to those to whom the gift is given. Truly, this is giving indeed. For Jesus’ sake, amen.
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