1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 1:1-8
Today, we begin a study of the book of Philippians which is one of Paul's "prison epistles" written while he was a prisoner in Rome. Philippi was the first place Paul preached the gospel in Europe. Acts 16 records the story of how Paul was used of God to start the church in the city of Philippi. The first believer there was Lydia, a wealthy business woman. Then a slave girl was freed from demons. Then Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from prison, and the Roman jailer put his faith in Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul greets this diverse church with, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." This exact phrase is found in Romans, First and Second Corinthian, Galatians, and Ephesians. In this phrase we discover the first element that unites these people around what makes them a community: "God is our father. Jesus Christ is Lord."
The primary subject of the book of Philippians is the Lord Jesus. Philippians boasts the highest percentage of verses that reference the Lord Jesus in the New Testament. Thirty four percent of the verses in Philippians are about the Lord Jesus. It's the only book where over a third of the verses reference Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul highlights "grace and peace" without which the Christian life does not work. Grace is God's favor made accessible to the undeserving. Peace is the inevitable result of the activity of God's grace in our lives.
The Lord Jesus is our brother who connects us to the same father. We do not belong to the family without the person and work of Christ. Because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus, we who believe in Him, belong to Him and to one another.
This is the grace that God our father offers us. We do not earn our belonging. We don’t deserve it. We just receive it. We don’t have to do anything to belong here. We just belong to God. He is our Father. Christ is our brother. This is our family.
Paul is making it abundantly clear that he feels an intense emotion toward everyone in the community. Everyone belongs. He loves everyone deeply. There is a deep relational connection in the body of Christ.
In v.5-8, there are three things that draw us together with one another. In v.5 Paul writes, "because of your partnership in the gospel." There is nothing like sharing in the ministry of the Gospel that unites us with one another. Have you ever noticed that great things never come from comfort zones.
In v.6 Paul gives us the second thing that provides cohesion and it is "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." The best part about this statement is we know it will succeed. The “good work” that was begun is the work of the Gospel. And it’s this partnership in the work of the Gospel that God will bring to completion. What God starts, God finishes.
In v.7 Paul writes, "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." In this verse he gives us the third element which causes us to stick together. Paul is saying, "the family that suffers together, stays together."
When we go through pain together, something supernatural happens. Pain serves to bring the fibers of our souls together in the context of hardship. When we are going through something difficult, we must not go through it alone. We belong together. We share a purpose together for the sake of the Gospel that God guarantees will come about. This path is a hard one, it’s full of pain and struggle. However, when we deal with the pain together, we discover the kind of deep relationship that Paul is describing here and we all long for.
Adversity is the first path to truth and the truth has a name: the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the spokes in a bicycle tire, it is the Lord Jesus holds us together. Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. The key is seeking Him together through the pain, suffering and trials.
To help BYM, click here
