Introduction to Philippians

The church in Philippi was a great source of joy to the Apostle Paul.  It was his first church planted in Macedonia and the place where he was imprisoned with Silas but an earthquake resulted in the conversion of the jailer and his family.  This church was one of his most faithful supporters from both an emotional and financial standpoint.  Paul writes this letter as a way of thanking them for their support as well as explaining to them why he thought it wise to send Epaphroditus back to them after his almost fatal illness.  He makes use of the letter to give them so valuable instruction and urge them to be united with one another.  This is an exemplary church for which Paul is very grateful.  However, because it is such a great church Paul has great concern for it because he knows that it will likely come under attack from Satan.  The area Paul seems most concerned about is in their unity with one another.  Division in the body of Christ continues to be as issue in the church today and we would do well to follow Paul’s instructions in this wonderful and practical book.

JOY IN THE LEADERSHIP OF THE GOSPEL: Paul took on a leadership role in the advance of the Gospel.  This brought him a great deal of joy because he knew that he was investing his life in that which is eternal.  He also had great joy in the fact that the church in Philippi was able to join with him in the advance of the Gospel. They responded to the preaching of God’s Word and became key supporters of his ministry.  The price of leadership was very high for Paul and resulted in his imprisonment.  Even so he was still rejoicing because his role of advancing the Gospel was able to continue even while he was in prison.  He was repeatedly able to testify of God’s grace and to present the Gospel to judges, official, prison guards and other prisoners.  Too often we find excuses as to why we don’t share the Gospel with others.  Being in prison might be an easy excuse to use but it is not one that Paul used.  There were other people who were also preaching the Gospel but apparently had questionable motives for doing so.  Paul was not endorsing their motives but he was still thankful that the Gospel was being preached.  Any time we hear of the Gospel moving forward it should be a source of great joy.  There should be no place for jealousy or competition in the body of Christ. We are all striving together to lead the Gospel forward.

JOY IN THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE GOSPEL: Paul urges the church to strive to be unified in their relationships with one another.  He uses his own relationship with them as well as their relationship with Christ as a motivating factor behind the unity he is promoting.  God longs to see His children walking together in love and grace.  The most important prerequisite to unity and healthy relationships is humility.  Christianity is essentially a faith that is based on relationships.  It starts with our relationship with the Father through our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, continues as a relationship with the Holy Spirit and culminates as a relationship with other believers and the world.  The vital ingredient to all of these relationships is humility.  We must follow the example of Christ and understand that our greatest joys come from worshiping God and serving others.  When we try to promote our own worship and manipulate others to serve us it is a never ending path to sorrow.  It is a true joy to be able to cooperate with others for the cause of Christ.  Following Christ means turning from the ways of our flesh basking in the joy of knowing and obeying Him.

JOY FOR THE PARTNERSHIPS IN THE GOSPEL: Paul concludes the letter by expressing his great gratitude and joy for the partnership of the church in Philippi.  He makes it clear that he has had times of great suffering and hardship as well as times of great prosperity.  However, Paul has also learned to be content in either of those extremes because he knows that God is always in control of and has a purpose in our circumstances.  Paul’s joy in receiving the offering and partnership from the church was not so much in the abundance of the gift but in the eternal reward that the gift would provide for the church that he loved so much.  Giving to the work of the Lord is truly an honor and should be a source of great joy to us as well as to those who benefit from that gift.  We should all count in a joy to be able to partner with the advance of the Gospel whether that is through our prayers, our giving or our personal involvement with people.  This way of living will bode well for us not only bringing great joy to us while on earth but also bringing abundant rewards in the eternal kingdom of our Lord.