Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
The main theme that I see running through these first eight verses is that "true joy and unity come from suffering together in the gospel." This theme is encapsulated in Paul's thanksgiving, to which In know turn.
In his thanksgiving for the Philippians, there are three things that stand out to me.
First, it was with joy (vs. 4-5). The emphasis here in the Greek is “with joy I always pray”. Paul’s joy comes to him as he looks back to the very first day in which they became partakers in the gospel, and how they continue to partake in the gospel. The word translated “partaker” or "fellowship" gives the idea of "participation in". Paul was joyful because they were participating in the spread of the gospel in tangible ways. What makes Paul’s joy so full is that the church just did not partake in the gospel during convenient times, but during difficulty and hardship. When we look back at Acts 16, we see that the beginning of the Philippian church was very difficult, and according to this present letter, things were still difficult. Not to mention that on top of all of the persecution, dissension, and hardship, Paul is in prison! How can they rejoice or find joy!
How do we develop this type of fellowship in the gospel that brings such joy such as Paul had? First, the gospel has to be the foundation. It was their partnership in the gospel that forged fierce loyalty and an inseparable bond. Second, this bond was strengthened through walking through the fire together, with the common goal of spreading the gospel and evangelizing others, even in the midst of hardship. Because of their circumstances, it would have been very easy for Paul and the Philippians to stop being evangelistic.However, their relationship ended up becoming very deep because they endured hardship and persecution together. Through all this difficulty, they did not stop sharing their faith and seeking the furtherance of the gospel. In the midst tribulation, they found fellowship and joy because of their common goal.
When I read this letter, and see the great loyalty, love, and authenticity that Paul and the Philippians had, I can't help but be grieved by what a wretched parody the modern church is in these things. We have much to learn from this letter. Only when we walk shoulder to shoulder with one another, through the pains and toils of the Christian life, can we develop what Paul is taking about here. Let me ask you a question: Do you pray with this type of joy in your heart for anyone? Are their those whom you have discipled through the fire? Are there those with whom your loyalties have been forged in the fire of suffering for the gospel?
Also, it would have been very easy for Paul to wallow in despair because of his circumstances. However, instead of being overcome by despair and depression, he finds joy by getting outside of himself and rejoicing in the work that God is doing in the lives of those dear to him. What kept him joyful was the partnership that he had with the Philippians in spreading the gospel. Therefore, if we want to have fullness of joy in the midst of hardship, we need to be founded in the gospel, and have rich, loyal relationships like Paul had with the Philippians. We also need to press on in sharing the gospel, and rejoice in the work that God is doing through others. We must deny our right to focus on how bad things are, reach out to others, and keep our focus on what God is doing in our midst. How glorious this is!
The second part of Paul’s thanksgiving is that he prayed with assurance (vs. 6). He had assurance that God would complete the work that He started in them. Notice the text- Paul’s confidence was not in himself or in the people- it was in the power and work of God. It was God that he was sure of; God and His ability to complete what He starts. We must now ask “what work does Paul have in mind here?” We must take notice that it is a work that was begun by God and will be completed by God, and that completion will happen the day of Christ Jesus (the return of Christ). I believe that Paul has in mind the whole salvation process, from start to finish. It was God who began the work in the church, and if He starts something, He aims to finish it. No one can thwart His will or His plan. God, who caused them to be born again and started their Christian growth, will also see it to completion. God would see that they continue to grow until the day that they are perfected at the return of Christ. So, Paul was confident that what God started, He intended to finish.
In the midst of sorrow, heartache, tragedy, and hardship, there are two things that happen. The first is in the realm of temptation. We are tempted by Satan to think that God has forsaken us. Yet according to this verse, God will not forsake us, but complete the work that He has started. What weakness on the part of God if He in His omnipotence could not carry out His will in adversity! Such a one is not deserving of the attribute of omnipotence! Oh, but He is omnipotent! Yet so many times we treat Him like He is not. Do things look bleak? God is omnipotent. Do things look hopeless? God is omnipotent. Do things look uncertain? God is omnipotent. Do you feel like Joseph, locked away in prison while everyone else gets their due? God is omnipotent. He will finish His work, and that very fact is enough to keep us rejoicing until the day of Christ Jesus.
The second thing that happens is that we become stagnant in our growth or make very little progress. If we become stagnant, it is because we have lost our vision of God in the midst of everything that is going on. When we lose our vision of God we become hopeless, despairing, and throw off all restraints. The way to get the vision back is to do what the Psalmist says in Ps 46:10- be still and know that I am God. The second thing mentioned here- making little headway, is normal and should be expected in difficulties. Sometimes we feel like the disciples who in the absence of Jesus, were rowing all night in a tempest and hardly made any progress. When the weight of life falls upon us, we strain and we struggle, yet we feel as if we are making little progress in our Christian life at that time. However, remember this: that the true growth is not seen in the midst of the struggle, but afterwards. After all of the wrestling, straining, and fighting, we finally see what was produced during that struggle. So, if you feel as if you are making little progress in your Christian life right now because of all of the hardship you are going through, don’t let that steal your joy. You are growing, you just can’t see it yet. After the refining process, you will be able to see just what God has done. So, take heart, God is working in your circumstance. Right now you may not feel it or see it, but remember, we walk by faith and not by sight, and God’s word says that He is working, so He must be working. Though you do not see any evidence of God working now, by the time you are on the other side of this, the evidence will be as clear as day.
One author puts it this way:
When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man,
And skill a man,
When God wants to mold a man,
To play the noblest part;
When he yearns with all His heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Watch His methods, watch His ways!
How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects!
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him
Into trial shapes of clay which
Only God understands;
While his tortured heart is crying
And he lifts beseeching hands!
How He bends but never breaks
When His good He undertakes;
How He uses whom HE chooses,
And with every purpose fuses him;
By every act induces him
To try His splendor out-
God knows what He’s about!
First, he had them in his heart. His thanksgiving was more than just a response to their gifts and to the knowledge that God was at work in them. His thanksgiving came from a true sense of unity and hearts that were blended together for a common purpose.
Second, for their fellow service in his ministry. Paul is thankful to them because they have been partakers in his ministry during his imprisonment and in defending and confirming the gospel. The church stood by him for better or for worse. This church, for Paul , was one that he could count on. They stood by him and proved themselves to be dependable fellow-workers. They joined him in his apostolic ministry of reaching the Gentiles. This partnership formed a strong bond between Paul and this church.
Finally, there was a deep Christian bond between them. The language here is very descriptive and very insightful. Verse 8 is in the form of an oath, as Paul calls upon God to be his witness to the truth of what is in his heart. Paul also used two terms that were clearly distinctive. The first is "yearn" or "long," and expresses a strong desire. The next word is "affection." This word identifies the entrails as all being involved in the emotions. The entrails are that of Christ in this context. Thus, Paul is saying that his affection comes from Christ. This is a totally Christian emotion that was the result of both of them being Christian and both of them sharing in what God was doing.
Sadly, the type of loyalty we see with Paul and the Philippains is anything but common place. Oh how I long to see Gods' people love one another like this! I am so thankful to God for the people I have in my life who I can call my loyal friends. People who have walked through the fire with me. People who have stood with me for better or for worse. People who I can consider fellow dependable workers in the gospel. I am thankful that I have relationships that show true Christian unity and hearts that are blended together in love for a common purpose. "Friends" come and go, but when you are partakers in the gospel together, there is a level of love and loyalty that surpasses all things. A "friends" loyalty can be as fleeting as the morning dew, especially if being loyal to you might actually cost them. Partakers, however, share life together as loyal partners. They live as a band of brothers. If one walks through the fire, the others will go with him. These are the types of relationships that the gospel is meant to produce. If we are not living this way, it shows that we have both a shallow understanding and application of the gospel. It shows that we have not yet left the realm of self consciousness, into Christ-consciousness. Unit we do, we will not have the joy that Paul speaks of.