2:1–4 · A call to corporate life in Christ:After calling the Philippians to an authentic Christian life and reminding them that he shares in their trials and sufferings, Paul makes a series of rhetorical remarks in order to comment on the character of the Philippians and remind them of the character of Christ. These four remarks all begin with the word “if,” but this does not mean that Paul doubts that they are true. It is better to understand the “if” as meaning “since.” Paul knows the Philippian congregation well. He knows these statements are true about this congregation, but he phrases them as “if” in order to catch their attention. With these remarks, Paul is telling the Philippians to pay attention. Paul both looks back and presses forward at this point. He constantly has his eyes o…