Finding Joy in Philippians
Background: For the next three weeks, we will be studying the Book of Philippians, another of Paul's letters from his Roman prison. In Philippi, men were using Paul's imprisonment as proof he was not genuine and seeking to undermine his authority. Many in the church were shaken at the fact that the Apostle was imprisoned. He wrote the letter to explain his imprisonment and to encourage his readers to walk in joy despite all the evil in the world.
Philippians is not nearly as easily outlined at Ephesians was - it is much more personal and exhortational compared to the theological intent of Ephesians. Philippians was the church that was founded when Paul received the vision of the Macedonian man saying, "Come and help us."
As often as time allows, the reader is encouraged to read the entire book - it will not take more than a few minutes. Each day we will work our way through the book passage by passage.
Today's Reading: Philippians 1-4 Focus Passage - Philippians 1:1-5
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus:
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
Through the Bible Readings: Jeremiah 7-8, Galatians 3:15–29, Psalm109:28–31, Proverbs 24:8-9
If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings.
Devotional: A Humble Encourager
This is another of Paul's boilerplate greetings. He identifies himself (and Timothy) and addresses his hearers (the church at Philippi and their leaders). He prays that they would experience "grace and peace" (his usual formula) in the Father and the Son. He adds in this greeting a personal note thanking them for their "partnership" in the gospel from the first day he showed up in response to the vision God gave him of a man from Macedonia until the day he wrote the letter. This partnership, we will learn in chapter 4, is more than just prayer and encouragement. Philippi was one of Paul's chief financial supports - they gave generously to help him in his ministry.
In this standard, normal greeting, there are five words or phrases that stand out and are worthy of mention. They tell us much about Paul, his attitude toward himself and toward others.
1. Paul AND Timothy - Paul included the young man who was his assistant in ministry and gave him a prominent role and honor in the greeting. He wasn't seeking to gain all the glory for himself or to elevate himself. Paul gave honor to others.
2. Servants - This is a word that we use with honor but in the Roman world, it was a word of shame. No one wanted to be a servant, a slave. Romans valued power, winning, strength. A servant lived for the blessing and success of someone else. Note that Paul does not badger the Philippians about being servants (he will instruct them on that in chapter 2, of course) but he defines himself and Timothy in the humble, servant roles. He lowered himself in humility.
3. Saint - this word has been badly misinterpreted through the years. Saint is a word that always refers to a believer, to all believers. As my dad used to say, there two kinds of people, "saints and aint's." A saint is one who has been redeemed and set apart for God's holiness by the blood of Christ. Note that Paul uses this honorific term for "average believers" and not for leaders or special people.
4. Overseers and Deacons - by this later date, a two-office leadership structure has developed in the church. The overseers, or elders, are the shepherds of the church who lead the church spiritually while the deacons are a body of "servants" who seek to meet the practical needs of the church.
5. Partnership - Paul gives constant thanksgiving to God for the regular partnership of the Philippian church. The key point here is how he included them in his ministry. He was not the star and they his supporting cast. They were partners.
You see throughout this how Paul, the Apostle, the great man of faith, continually humbled himself and lifted up the saints.
Father, may the Spirit of Paul dwell in me, a spirit of humility and encouragement.
Think and Pray:
Are you a humble encourager of others?
Do you seek glory and honor from others?
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