There are two very positive things immediately apparent in the finer Christmas cards. First, they focus on the incarnation of Christ, when God became a human baby and brought salvation to mankind. And second, at Christmas time they bring a word about what is being thought of and done in families so that we can exchange personal concerns with one another by means of these letters and cards. Both of those things are important and honoring to God. Of all the epistles in the New Testament, the one that is most like a Christmas card in these respects is the Book of Philippians. At the heart of this book is an ancient hymn on the incarnation of Christ. This is one of the most profound theological statements ever made. Paul writes of what it was like for God to give up his rights (though not His deity), to become a servant and die on a cross. This book is the most personal, familiar, and most brotherly of all the general epistles of Paul. It is not so much a letter of an apostle to his flock as it is a brother's letter to his family, a co-worker writing to those with whom he has labored. The Book of Philippians is a very human document containing many tender expressions of personal concern and yet is the very Word of God. We begin our Sunday morning expository studies from the PBC pulpit this month.