phil 1

Chapter One—Partnership in the Gospel

Philippians 1:1–30

Scripture Outline

Participants in the Gospel (1:1-11)

Proclaimers of the Gospel (1:12-18)

The Gospel Through the Person (1:19-30)

Every time Paul thinks of his friends in Philippi, he is filled with joy. The entire letter throbs with personal intensity. Most of Paul’s letters include in the greeting a prayer of thanksgiving, but none of these prayers compares in depth of feeling with this one. Affliction, gratitude, confidence, and joy fill the mind of Paul, even though he is in prison, as he thinks of the one church which never caused him trouble or anxiety.

While a number of themes are woven into the first chapter, they may all fall under the theme partnership in the gospel.

Participants in the Gospel

1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ⁷ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸ For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

—Philippians 1:1–11

Paul begins his epistle with a customary greeting, which includes a prayer. This greeting, with characteristic intensity, reveals the commanding passion of Paul’s life—his devotion to Christ. This has added meaning because of the relationship of Paul to the Christians at Philippi. They are his friends, so the tone of the letter is set in the fact that this is a letter from a friend to his friends.

Three times in the first two verses he speaks the name of his Lord. These references to Christ are the cord binding Paul, and Timothy, Epaphroditus and other companions in the Roman prison with the band of faithful and joyful Christians at Philippi. They are all participants in the gospel. Though we may never grasp the full meaning of this, three words begin to plumb the depths of what it means to be participants in the gospel.

Privilege

The privilege that is ours is spelled out in the first two verses and the three pivotal references to Christ. We are in Christ; this is the state of our being: “saints in Christ Jesus.” We are in a relation to Christ. That relationship is one of servants: “servants of Jesus Christ.” Blessings from Christ and God our Father are ours to receive: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The New English Bible expands a phrase in verse 1 to give even greater meaning to the thrilling designation of who we are: “to all those of God’s people, incorporate in Christ Jesus.” Isn’t that exciting? We have not simply taken on a new religion with a new belief system, we have a new status in relation to God, have been given a new life, and are now a part of a new community.

Get that firmly in mind and rejoice in the sublime privilege that is ours: a new status in relation to God—forgiven and accepted, a new life, and a new community. The gospel is universal, the gift of God of Himself in Jesus Christ is offered to all. Yet, the privilege is an exclusive one, belonging to those who by faith belong to Jesus Christ.

In a similar greeting to the Ephesians (1:3–6), Paul spells this out completely. It is absolutely breathtaking. God chose us in Christ to be holy, adopted us as sons and daughters through Christ, freely bestowed His grace upon us in the Beloved, and in Him has given us redemption and the forgiveness of our sins.

Promise

We may have passed too quickly over three aspects of the privilege that is ours as participants in the gospel: (1) a new status in relation to God, (2) a new life, and (3) a new community. The promise that Paul sounds in verse 6 stops us and calls us to look again, especially at the second aspect: a new life in Christ Jesus—”being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it” (v. 6).

The new status that is ours is that of being justified or accepted by God. Do not miss this: it is in Christ that we are justified (Gal. 2:17), and in Christ that we are new people, living a new life. We are always in need of keeping together the new status and the new life God gives us.

This illustration is a simple one, but it will make the point. A down-and-outer—some would call him a bum—comes to you in dire need. His dirty ragged dress is only the outer sign of his destitution and need. He is hungry and sick. You give him a bath and a change of clothing, but that is not enough. He is undernourished and sick, needing food and a doctor. Perhaps more, he needs love and friendship, healing of hurts, restoration of dignity, new purpose and meaning. So we come to Jesus, not in dirty rags but clothed in the garments of sin, spiritually starving and sick unto death. We are welcomed by Christ, accepted—bathed in His love and forgiveness. We are clothed in his grace, received as children—as though we were sinless. God sees us as righteous in Christ; this is our new status.

But that isn’t enough, nor is it all. Christ, the Physician, knows we are sick, so He gives us His Spirit to reside within us, to heal and strengthen, to provide direction and give new life.

There are two snares into which we often fall as Christians. One is the snare of thinking that receiving a new status before God, being justified, is everything needful. The second snare is despondency into which we sink when the tide of our Christian experience ebbs low. We become life-less. No fruit of the Spirit seems to be growing in us. We are battered by one failure after another and feel forsaken by God. Temptation is especially appealing and we feel the joy of our salvation will never return. Remember: God did not start His work within us to abandon it. He does not do things half-measure. We have the promise: He will complete what He started. Let us claim that promise and come to Him again in faith, in the same yieldedness as when we first gave our life to Him.

There is something else to be said here. The Christian life is not an achiever’s game. The Christian has no right to expect to fare any better in his own self-efforts than the non-Christian. What the Christian can count on is a God who keeps faith. The truth of Philippians 1:6 runs throughout Paul’s theological stance. He persistently insists, “God is faithful” (1 Cor. 1:9; 10:30; 2 Cor. 1:18; 1 Thess. 5:24). Because God is faithful and is going to complete what He started within us, we can appropriate the cross-resurrection way of life. We can “go on to perfection” because God has already invested his total self in us. We can face the coming judgment without fear for our relationship with God has been made right through Christ; we can expect the Christian mission to be vindicated and finally accomplished.

Partakers

“You all are partakers with me of grace,” Paul says in verse 7. He celebrated his fellowship with the Philippians “in the gospel from the first day until now” (v. 5).

The “first day,” not to be confined to twenty-four hours, was packed with tender memories as Paul remembered going to Philippi the first time. Finding no synagogue to which he could go on the Sabbath and speak with the Jews, he went down to the river where a group of women were said to meet on the Sabbath. After he told them the story of Jesus, one of the women, Lydia, opened her heart to the Lord. On “the first day” he cast an evil spirit out of a slave girl, and her owners were incensed to the point of having Paul flogged and imprisoned. But on “the first day” God worked miraculously again and the jailer was converted, then his family, and the Christian community grew in Philippi.

This was a big idea for Paul because it was a big experience. One of his most graphic ways of saying it was, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). Two communities are designated: the fallen community which with Adam we all have shared, by birth and by choice; the redeemed community which in Christ we share by new birth and choice. Once united to Christ by faith we are members of a new community which God is creating. In this new community “there is neither Jew nor Greek, … neither slave nor free, … neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). In this new community we are all servants of Jesus Christ (see commentary on Phil. 2:5–11) and we share a common life in Christ (see commentary on Phil. 2:1–4).¹

fellowship in the gospel

Paul greets the church (vv. 1–2)

Timothy, Paul’s son in the ministry, was with Paul at the time of this writing, and is, therefore, included in the greeting. There was no need for Paul, as was his custom, to identify himself as an apostle. There was no debate about this in the church of Philippi. The people there gladly acknowledged Paul’s apostleship and the authority this entailed. Paul was content, therefore, to refer to himself and to Timothy as ‘servants of Jesus Christ’ (v. 1).

We might be inclined to feel sorry for Paul. A life of servanthood! What a depressing thought! But the truth is we are all servants throughout our lives. We are either servants of the devil or servants of the Lord. The service of Satan is hard and oppressive, but the service of the Lord brings joy and peace.

Paul addresses his letter to ‘the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons’ (v. 1).

The word ‘saints’ means ‘set apart.’ All Christians are saints. God in grace has set them apart from people in general and made them his own special people for his own special purposes.

The ‘bishops’ refers to the pastors of the church, those who were responsible to watch over the church. The ‘deacons’ were those who had been selected to serve the church by giving attention to practical matters so the pastors could give their time to the Word of God and prayer (see Acts 6:1–7).

To all of these Paul extends his wish for ‘grace’ and ‘peace’ from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is, of course, the spring or fountain from which all of God’s blessings flow, and peace is one of the greatest of those blessings. Because believers have peace with God, they also have the peace of God, that is, a deep and abiding sense of peace within.

Paul gives thanks for the church (vv. 3–8)

For their fellowship from the first day (vv. 3–5)

Paul could not think of the Philippians without giving thanks to God for their fellowship in the gospel. The word ‘fellowship’ refers to sharing or holding something in common. We have a tendency to use the word very loosely these days. Any gathering of Christians in which there is a feeling of happiness and camaraderie is called ‘fellowship’. We have almost made the word synonymous with good food and a few laughs. But that, of course, makes Christian fellowship no different from what unbelievers often enjoy.

We can be sure that the apostle had something far different—and better!—in mind. It was more than merely enjoying each other’s company. It was partnership.

Christian fellowship is a marvel. People who by nature have nothing in common find a common life in Christ. Think again of Paul’s ministry in Philippi. Lydia the slave girl and the jailer had nothing in common until they came to Christ (Acts 16). But the gospel of Christ made them partakers of the same life and partners in the same cause.

Because of this bond of fellowship the Philippians had supported Paul in both his ministry and his imprisonment. They had done the former by sending gifts to him while he was in Thessalonica (4:14–16) and in Corinth (2 Cor. 11:9). They had done the latter by sending one of their number, Epaphroditus, to minister to Paul (2:25; 4:18).

The bond of fellowship between the Philippians and Paul was so very strong that he earnestly yearned to be separated from them no longer (v. 8). To remove all doubt from their minds about how very strongly he loved them he writes: ‘I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ’ (v. 8).

Paul could go no higher than this. His love for the Philippians was such that it reflected the love of Christ himself.

For their victory in the last day (v. 6)

As the apostle gave thanks for the Philippians’ participation in the work of the gospel, he could not help but add a word of thanksgiving for the work of the gospel in them. He was thankful ‘… that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ …’

Paul was very good at slipping little nuggets of breathtakingly glorious truth into the mundane portions of his letters. This verse is one of those nuggets. It tells us the following:

• Salvation is God’s work. The Philippians did not begin the work of salvation in themselves only to have God come along and add a little to it. It was entirely his work. God provided the way of salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ, and he even enabled the Philippians to receive that salvation.

• Salvation is a good work. Salvation lifts the sinner from eternal condemnation and ruin and makes that person part of God’s family and a partaker of God’s eternal glory. Who would dare say that this is not a good thing?

• Salvation is a sure work. God does not begin it and then abandon it somewhere along the way. He does not pull his people from the flames of destruction only to allow them to slip back and be consumed. God completes the work of salvation. We know what it is to plan a work and undertake a work only to see it fail. But it is not so with God. We must not picture him looking over the redeemed multitude in eternity and saying: ‘We did fairly well. Eighty per cent of the saved finally made it home.’ God will not have to say such a thing because all his people will make it home. Not one will be missing! The faithful God will faithfully complete his work!²

INTRODUCTION

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons [Phil. 1:1].

“Paul and Timotheus”—Paul associates Timothy with himself. Paul brings this young preacher and puts him right beside himself, encouraging him. Paul loved this young man Timothy. He was Paul’s son in the Lord, that is, he had won him to Christ; and Paul was very interested in him. Paul is constantly identifying certain young preachers with himself.

Now that I am getting old, I receive letters from former students and from many folk who in my ministry over the years have come to a knowledge of Christ. I feel that all of these are my children. I have a lot of children scattered around over this world, and I love them in the Lord. I understand how Paul felt about Timothy. Paul’s name has come down through the centuries, and everywhere you hear about Paul, you will hear about Timothy—Paul was responsible for that. How wonderful!

“The servants of Jesus Christ.” Paul identifies himself and Timothy as the servants of Jesus Christ. The word servants actually means “bondslaves.” This is in contrast to his epistle to the Galatians where he was defending his apostleship. He began with, “Paul, an apostle.” He did the same thing to the Corinthians. He had to declare and defend his apostleship and wanted them to know he was an apostle not of men, neither by man. He didn’t need to defend himself with these Philippians. They loved him, and they accepted his apostleship. They had all been led to the Lord by him. So Paul takes a humble place, his rightful position: “Paul and Timotheus, we both are servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi.” Paul is not writing to one little clique in the Philippian church; he is writing to all the saints, and every believer is a saint. The human family is divided into two groups: the saints and the ain’ts. Saints are believers in Christ. They are saints, not because of their conduct, but because of their position in Christ. Saint means “holy,” set apart for God. Anything that is holy is separated for the use of God. Even the old pots and pans in the tabernacle were called “holy vessels,” and they were probably beaten and battered after forty years in the wilderness. They may not have looked holy, but they were. Why? Because they had been set aside for the use of God. Now that should be the position of every child of God. We are set aside for the use of God. Now, friend, if you ain’t a saint, then you are an ain’t.

The saints are “in Christ Jesus.” What does it mean to be saved? It means to be in Christ Jesus. When you put your trust in the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of God comes to dwell in you. The Holy Spirit baptizes you into the body of Christ. You are put in Christ by the Spirit of God.

Now these saints were in Christ, but they were at Philippi. You see, it doesn’t make any difference where you are at—that may not be grammatically correct, but it is a true statement. You may be at Los Angeles or Duluth or Moscow or Philippi. It won’t make any difference where you are at; the important matter is being in Christ Jesus.

I beieve the little phrase in Christ comprises the most important words that we have in the New Testament. What does it mean to be saved? I asked a theology professor that question, and he gave me quite a lecture on the subject. I was a little dizzy when he finished. He explained words like propitiation and reconciliation and redemption. These are all marvelous words, and they are all Bible words, but not one of them covers the entire spectrum of salvation. The Spirit of God chose just one little word, the preposition in, to explain what salvation is. It is to be in Christ. How do you get in Christ? You get in Christ when you accept Him as your Savior.

“With the bishops and deacons.” Notice he is addressing a local church with officers. “Bishop” means overseer or shepherd. The word bishop actually refers to the office, while the word elder refers to the individual who is in that office, and they should be men who are mature spiritually. “Deacons” refers to spiritual men who are performing a secular service (see Acts 6).

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ [Phil. 1:2].

“Grace be unto you, and peace.” You will find this form of address in all of Paul’s epistles, and grace and peace will always be in that sequence. Grace and peace were both commonplace words of Paul’s day.

Grace was the word of greeting in the Greek world. In the Greek language it is charis. If you had walked down the street in that day, you would have heard folk greeting each other with, “Charis.” In fact, this greeting is still used in modern Greece. It means grace. They say it as we say, “Have a good day.” And God is saying to you, “Have a good eternity.” When folk say to me, “Have a good day,” they don’t contribute anything to make it a good day other than just saying that. But God has made the arrangement whereby you can have a good eternity, and it is by the grace of God.

“Peace” always follows grace; it never precedes it. While charis comes out of the Greek world, “peace” (shalom) comes out of the religious world; it is the Hebrew form of greeting. Actually, the name Jerusalem means “the city of peace.” Jeru–shalom—city of peace. It has never been that; it has been a city of war. Right now it is a thorn in the flesh of the world. No one knows what to do with it. There will never be peace in Jerusalem or in the world until the Prince of Peace comes to rule.

There is, however, a peace that comes to the believer through the grace of God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). This is the peace that a sinner can have with a holy God because Christ died for us, paid our penalty, and now God in His grace can save us. It is not that we bring God something for our salvation. Very frankly, we have nothing to bring to Him. I have never brought anything to Him—except sin. Christ paid the penalty for that sin so that a holy God can receive me. And He can receive you. In a world of turmoil, a world of tension, a world of trial, a world that is filled with things that are wrong, we can know the peace of God in our hearts. This is the peace of God that He gives to those who trust Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior. We must know the grace of God before we can experience the peace of God.

This grace and peace is “from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Let me ask this theological question: Isn’t Paul a trinitarian? Doesn’t he believe in the Trinity? Then why doesn’t he include the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son? The reason is that the Holy Spirit is already over there in Philippi, indwelling the believers. Certainly Paul believed in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and he is being very accurate here.

PAUL’S TENDER FEELING FOR THE PHILIPPIANS

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you [Phil. 1:3].

He begins the body of his letter in this very lovely manner, which reveals the sweet relationship between Paul and the Philippian believers. That is the way it ought to be today among believers, especially between pastor and congregation. The literal translation would be, “All my remembrance of you causes me to thank God.” Every time anybody would mention Philippi, Paul would just thank God for the believers there. That is something really quite wonderful.

Every now and then I get a letter from some organization that wants me to do something for them. That is perfectly legitimate for them to make such a request, but they begin the letter with, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Sometimes I’m not so sure they really feel that way about me, but they are preparing me for the request that is coming. But how wonderful it would be to have a church like the Philippian church. And how wonderful to be the kind of person about which it can be said, “All my remembrance of you causes me to thank God.” If Paul hadn’t said anything else about his relationship to this church, this would have been enough to reveal how special it was. You can check the other epistles—he didn’t say this to the other churches, certainly not about the Galatians or the Corinthians.

Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy [Phil. 1:4].

“Always”—not just sometimes. Always in every prayer Paul remembered the Philippian believers.

The phrase “for you all” makes it very clear that Paul was speaking to all the saints that were in that church, the corporate body in the local church. When we reach the final chapter of this epistle, we will find that there was a little ripple of discord between two women in the Philippian church: Snytyche and Euodias. So Paul at the very beginning was careful to include all the saints in order that one group couldn’t say to the other, “He is writing to us and not to you.”

“Making request with joy.” Bengel said that the sum of this epistle is: “I rejoice; rejoice ye.” We realize what a remarkable expression this is when we consider where Paul was when he wrote. He was over in Rome in prison! He probably was not in the Mamertine prison at this time, but he was in a place equally as disagreeable.

Although the word joy appears nineteen times in this epistle, I have never felt that it should be called the “joy epistle.” If we are going to pick out the word that occurs more than any other word, we must take the name of Jesus Christ. His name appears over forty times in this epistle. He is the center of the epistle. He is the One who is the very source of joy. Therefore, the emphasis should be put upon Him rather than upon the joy. As we shall see, the philosophy of Christian living has to do with Him; the pattern has to do with Him. The price of Christian living has to do with Him, and the power has to do with Him. Actually, it is a personal relationship with Christ that brings joy to a believer’s life.

We try to produce joy in the church by external means. We have a program and tell folks, “Come and you will enjoy it.” We have a banquet—people enjoy a banquet—so we have joy, we say. Actually, joy does not depend upon outward circumstances. Real joy depends upon the inward condition of the individual. It depends on the proper attitude toward life. If you are complaining and whining about your lot in life, certainly you will not be experiencing joy. You may be able to go to a church banquet and have a little fun, but that will not be joy. When you and I get to the place where we find ourselves in the center of the will of God and know we are in His will regardless of our circumstances, then there will be joy in our lives.

Paul said, “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.” The time of prayer was not an ordeal for Paul. He didn’t say Oh, I’ve got to go through the ordeal of praying for those folk again! No. He said, “As I am here in jail, it is a lot of fun to pray for you Philippians; it brings joy to my heart.”

Now, having told them he thanked God for them, he gives a reason³

How about coming over to the house for some fellowship?”

“What a golf game! Man, did we have great fellowship!”

“The fellowship at the retreat was just terrific!”

That word fellowship seems to mean many things to many different people. Perhaps, like a worn coin, it may be losing its true impression. If so, we had better take some steps to rescue it. After all, a good Bible word like fellowship needs to stay in circulation as long as possible.

In spite of his difficult circumstances as a prisoner in Rome, Paul is rejoicing. The secret of his joy is the single mind; he lives for Christ and the Gospel. (Christ is named eighteen times in Philippians 1, and the Gospel is mentioned six times.) “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). But what really is “the single mind”? It is the attitude that says, “It makes no difference what happens to me, just as long as Christ is glorified and the Gospel shared with others.” Paul rejoiced in spite of his circumstances, because his circumstances strengthened the fellowship of the Gospel (Phil. 1:1–11), promoted the furtherance of the Gospel (Phil. 1:12–26), and guarded the faith of the Gospel (Phil. 1:27–30).

The word fellowship simply means “to have in common.” But true Christian fellowship is really much deeper than sharing coffee and pie, or even enjoying a golf game together. Too often what we think is “fellowship” is really only acquaintanceship or friendship. You cannot have fellowship with someone unless you have something in common; and for Christian fellowship, this means the possessing of eternal life within the heart. Unless a person has trusted Christ as his Saviour, he knows nothing of “the fellowship of the Gospel.” In Philippians 2:1, Paul writes about “the fellowship of the Spirit,” because when a person is born again he receives the gift of the Spirit (Rom. 8:9). There is also “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). When we share what we have with others, this is also fellowship (Phil. 4:15, translated “communicate” in kjv).

So, true Christian fellowship is much more than having a name on a church roll or being present at a meeting. It is possible to be close to people physically and miles away from them spiritually. One of the sources of Christian joy is this fellowship that believers have in Jesus Christ. Paul was in Rome, his friends were miles away in Philippi, but their spiritual fellowship was real and satisfying. When you have the single mind, you will not complain about circumstances because you know that difficult circumstances will result in the strengthening of the fellowship of the Gospel.

Paul uses three thoughts in Philippians 1:1–11 that describe true Christian fellowship: I have you in my mind (Phil. 1:3–6), I have you in my heart (Phil. 1:7–8), I have you in my prayers (Phil. 1:9–11).

I Have You in My Mind (Phil. 1:3–6)

Isn’t it remarkable that Paul is thinking of others and not of himself? As he awaits his trial in Rome, Paul’s mind goes back to the believers in Philippi, and every recollection he has brings him joy. Read Acts 16; you may discover that some things happened to Paul at Philippi, the memory of which could produce sorrow. He was illegally arrested and beaten, was placed in the stocks, and was humiliated before the people. But even those memories brought joy to Paul, because it was through this suffering that the jailer found Christ! Paul recalled Lydia and her household, the poor slave girl who had been demon-possessed, and the other dear Christians at Philippi; and each recollection was a source of joy. (It is worth asking, “Am I the kind of Christian who brings joy to my pastor’s mind when he thinks of me?”)

It is possible that Philippians 1:5 is talking about their financial fellowship with Paul, a topic he picks up again in Philippians 4:14–19. The church at Philippi was the only church that entered into fellowship with Paul to help support his ministry. The “good work” of Philippians 1:6 may refer to the sharing of their means; it was started by the Lord and Paul was sure the Lord would continue it and complete it.

But we will not go astray if we apply these verses to the work of salvation and Christian living. We are not saved by our good works (Eph. 2:8–9). Salvation is the good work God does in us when we trust His Son. In Philippians 2:12–13 we are told that God continues to work in us through His Spirit. In other words, salvation includes a threefold work:

• the work God does for us—salvation;

• the work God does in us—sanctification;

• the work God does through us—service.

This work will continue until we see Christ, and then the work will be fulfilled. “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

It was a source of joy to Paul to know that God was still working in the lives of his fellow-believers at Philippi. After all, this is the real basis for joyful Christian fellowship, to have God at work in our lives day by day.

“There seems to be friction in our home,” a concerned wife said to a marriage counselor. “I really don’t know what the trouble is.”

“Friction is caused by one of two things,” said the counselor, and to illustrate he picked up two blocks of wood from his desk. “If one block is moving and one is standing still, there’s friction. Or, if both are moving but in opposite directions, there’s friction. Now, which is it?”

“I’ll have to admit that I’ve been going backward in my Christian life, and Joe has really been growing,” the wife admitted. “What I need is to get back to fellowship with the Lord.”

1:1. Paul. Paul does not mention his apostleship in this epistle. He is not insisting on his apostolic authority; he is not defending some doctrine; he is not enforcing some command. And Timothy. Timothy is not the co-author of the epistle, but the co-laborer of the apostle. He was with Paul when the church at Philippi was founded (Acts 16:1) and had been there since (Acts 19:19–22; 20:4). Servants of Christ Jesus. A servant is one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will, a bondservant, a man of servile condition, one devoted to another to the disregard of his own interest. Paul and Timothy were the property of our Lord Jesus Christ. They were His slaves and of no one else. No man can serve two masters (Mt 6:24). Paul and Timothy had been servants of sin by the first birth, now they are servants of Christ by the second birth. They have been purchased by the blood of Christ and they are owned by Christ. Therefore, they have no will of their own, no business of their own, no time of their own. They are acting for Christ; they are dependent upon Christ; they are obedient to Christ. To all the saints. Saints are holy ones both in character and conduct. They are set apart for God to be exclusively His, dedicated to God, holy (holiness of heart and conduct in contrast to the impurity of unbelievers). Saints are set aside for sacred use. In Christ Jesus. This is the position of the saints. This is Paul’s summation of the Christian life, the most intimate and living union between the believer and his Lord. Which are at Philippi. This is the place of their residence, the place of their discipline, the place of their experience, and the place of their service. With the bishops. The bishops were the overseers, guardians, those who had a care for them. The word is synonymous with presbyter and elder; they were the spiritual leaders. They were not dictators, but godly examples and undershepherds (1 Pet 5:1–4). And deacons. Deacons are servants (in their activities for the work and not in their relationship to any other person). “The etymology (Gr dia, konis) suggests raising a dust by hastening” (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament, Vol. IV, p. 435). Both bishops and deacons were the recognized officers of the church at this time. There was simple organization in the early church. We must never violate the scriptural principals of (1) the priesthood of all believers and (2) the lordship of Christ.

2. Grace be unto you, and peace. Grace and peace, always in that order. Grace is the foundation and peace is the result. Where there is no grace, there can be no peace. Grace denotes unmerited favor and expresses God’s sacrificial love to men. Peace expresses “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, a soul fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.” Peace is that harmony and health of the one who has been reconciled to God through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1–2). From God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. The preposition (Gr apo) governs both objects, God and Christ, who form one unit and are placed on a level of equality. A definite affirmation of Christ’s deity. God is called our Father because we are His children by the new birth; Christ is called our Lord because we live under Him and serve Him in righteousness.

2. Thanksgiving. 1:3–8

3. I thank my God. Paul expresses his personal relationship to God. He says in effect, God is mine, and I am His. Upon every remembrance of you. This is Paul’s basis and the stimulus for his thanksgiving. Paul remembers their acceptance of the gospel, their consistency of faith, their growth in grace, and their burden for lost souls.

4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all. The word prayer (Gr deēsis) means supplication, petition, entreaty. Paul was a great prayer warrior. In a day when programs, publicity, and promotion characterize much of the Lord’s work, it should be emphasized that without prayer no lasting work will be accomplished for God. Making request with joy. Joy is the keynote of this epistle. Paul had been a happy prisoner in Philippi (Acts 16:25).

5. For your fellowship in the gospel. Fellowship is joint participation and cooperation in a common interest and activity. Not fellowship primarily with Paul or with each other, but fellowship in the furtherance of the gospel by their living, loyalty, love, and liberality. They were fellow laborers with Paul to take the whole Word to the whole world.

6. Being confident of this very thing. Paul has been persuaded. The Greek perfect tense signifies past completed action with present existing results. Paul is still firmly confident and will continue to be so. He has no doubts about their salvation or their security. That he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. God’s beginning the work is a pledge of its completion. What God begins, He will finish (1 Sam 3:12). The good work has its initiation in regeneration (past); has its continuation in sanctification (present); and will have its consummation in glorification (future). In the past there was God’s unchangeable purpose; in the present there is God’s unlimited power; and in the future there is God’s unbreakable promise. This is God’s guarantee for the final preservation and perseverance of the saints. Salvation is all of God.⁴

1 Dunnam, M. D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon (Vol. 31, pp. 253–257). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 Ellsworth, R. (2004). Opening up Philippians (pp. 15–19). Leominster: Day One Publications.

3 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Philippians/Colossians) (electronic ed., Vol. 48, pp. 15–20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

4 Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (pp. 2430–2431). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.