Self-Giving Love

"Have this mind among yourselves..."

Everyone needs examples. We all need mentors we admire and after whom we can pattern our lives. Without them, we will not mature.

Philippians is a letter full of good examples. Paul, Epaphroditus, and Timothy are all portrayed as exemplars. But none is more important than Jesus himself. In Self-Giving Love, Dean Flemming shows how Jesus and the story of his self-emptying love are the very heart of Philippians. This ultimate example provides a lens for clearly seeing the rest of the letter. By emulating Jesus' radical love, we will become mature, foster unity, and find joy.

Self-Giving Love presents the message and themes of Philippians in a concise and accessible guide, with probing questions for reflection and discussion.

Dean Flemming is professor of New Testament at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas. Dean has pastored churches in Ohio and Japan and taught in various countries throughout the world as a missionary educator for over twenty years. Dean is the author of several books, including Contextualization in the New Testament, winner of a 2006 Christianity Today book award; Philippians: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, which received a Smith-Wynkoop book award; and Recovering the Full Mission of God.