Philippians 1:3-6
THE OCCASION FOR THE WRITING OF THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS
The partnership between the servant of the gospel — whether pastor, missionary, evangelist, teacher, or prophet — and the local church is one of the central themes of the Letter to the Philippians. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to express his gratitude to the believers of the church in Philippi for the financial gifts they had sent him. From Philippians 2:25-30 we learn that the courier who brought him their gift, and who on his return carried Paul’s letter of thanks back to the Philippians, was Epaphroditus.
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. (Philippians 2:25-30)
We do not know the exact circumstances of Epaphroditus’ illness, but we do know that in order to come and serve Paul, Epaphroditus fell ill and even risked his life. This shows us how important it was to him to be a partner in the ministry of God’s servant Paul.
In Philippians 4:10-19 the Apostle Paul is even more open and direct. Notice how delicate and tactful Paul is here! On the one hand he thanks them for the gift. On the other hand he takes care not to hurt them by suggesting that they could have provided for him sooner. And on yet another, he is careful to thank them in such a way that his gratitude cannot be read as begging for more. At the same time he encourages them by turning their gaze toward Jesus.
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. (Philippians 4:10-14)
THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT
It is especially important for us to know the secret of contentment, because very often the main obstacle to our support of God’s servants is our fear that if we support them, we will lose the chance to live the luxurious life we see in the television commercials. But listen to what the Apostle Paul says in verse 11:
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13)
The secret of contentment does not lie in material possessions. It lies in Christ and in the abundant life that only He can give. In one of our hymns, which may well have been inspired by these verses, we sing:
I am content that here I own no cottage,
I set no hope on silver or on gold;
There in heaven a home is being prepared for me,
A house of crystal with walls of gold.
I am not afraid that I have no resting place,
That I am poor, alone, and without means;
But I am a pilgrim, traveling upward;
There my cottage shines in gold.
Contentment is especially important in the Christian life. It does not mean resigning ourselves to deprivation and lack, but an attitude of thankfulness and of meeting hardships without complaint. God hates grumbling. He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and fed them with manna in the wilderness, but they were not content with the manna — they wanted quail. Are we not often like them? God gives us what is needful for our life, but we are not content — we want something more — we want “quail.” But we must remember that because of their greed many of the Israelites perished! If we do not want to be like them, we must be thankful. Thankfulness is the antidote to grumbling.
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12-13)
POOR PEOPLE, RICH IN GENEROSITY
The Philippians were especially dear to Paul, because they were the only church that supported his ministry systematically (Philippians 4:15-17).
15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. (Philippians 4:15-17)
Notice these words: “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.” What is this fruit that is credited to their account? I believe it is the fruit of the spreading of the gospel — the fruit of saved souls. And also the reward the Philippians will receive in heaven for their faithfulness. Although they were not rich in money, the Philippians were rich in generosity. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 the Apostle Paul boasts about them before the Corinthians:
1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. (2 Corinthians 8:1-4)
Notice that the Philippians were generous not only in their giving for missions and in particular for the Apostle Paul. With great eagerness they also took part in gathering financial help for their poor brothers and sisters in the Jerusalem church. The believers of Philippi are a great example for us, because they show us that the question of giving is not only a question of having, but a question of generosity, a question of grace. Their “extreme poverty” was no excuse for them to keep back what they could have kept for themselves. On the contrary, the Apostle Paul testifies of them that, by God’s grace, they gave “even beyond their ability.” This is why I am not surprised that God truly fulfilled for them Paul’s blessing, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory” (Philippians 4:19).
THE TRUE CHARACTER OF GIVING
Support for poor churches and the assisting of the servants of the gospel is not merely the giving of money. It is a spiritual sacrifice, a fragrant offering pleasing to the Lord (Philippians 4:18).
18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. (Philippians 4:18)
Finally, the Apostle Paul blesses them for their gesture.
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
Many people can tell us that they love us, but those who truly love us do not only say it — they show it to us by their support and their care for us.
MY BELOVED AND LONGED-FOR BROTHERS, MY JOY AND MY CROWN
Now that we know all this — what the bond between the Philippians and the Apostle Paul was, a bond of “giving and receiving,” as it says in verse 15 — we can understand why, out of all the churches, he calls them alone “my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown” (Philippians 4:1)! What a wonderful way to address them! And it was well deserved. I too know some people, both from our own church and from elsewhere, whom I could address with these excellent words. They are the ones who give their tithes in the church each month, the ones who gave and who keep on giving for the building of our sanctuary, the ones who support our ministry. And this is wonderful!
WHAT IS “PARTNERSHIP” IN THE GOSPEL?
Now that we know the occasion for the writing of this letter and what the relationship between the Apostle Paul and the Philippians was, we can better understand the opening of the letter. Paul begins his letter with an outburst of thanksgiving (Philippians 1:3-8).
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, (Philippians 1:3-5)
The Apostle Paul thanked God every time he remembered the Philippians, because the memories he had of them were truly wonderful. These happy memories were reflected in Paul’s prayers. The reason for the deep satisfaction the Apostle Paul felt when he thought of the Philippians was their “partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” The word “partnership” used in verse 5 is in Greek koinonia, and it means fellowship or two-way partnership. How did the Philippians share in the gospel? For about ten years they had supported the Apostle Paul through their giving. And this support began from the very first day he preached the gospel in Philippi. From Acts chapter 16 we learn that God founded the church in Philippi through Paul’s ministry. And literally from the first day of his acquaintance with the people there he enjoyed the hospitality of Lydia and of the jailer. In Acts 16:15 Luke describes this quite eloquently:
15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. (Acts 16:15)
Here Lydia sounds as if she would have been offended had they refused her invitation. And in the end it seems she simply took them captive to be her guests. Hospitality is an especially important Christian virtue. And the jailer of Philippi evidently possessed it as well (Acts 16:33-34):
33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. (Acts 16:33-34)
Later the Philippians sent money to Paul not only in Thessalonica (Philippians 4:16), but also in Corinth. In 2 Corinthians 11:9 the Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians:
9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. (2 Corinthians 11:9)
This is what the Apostle Paul remembered every time he prayed for the Philippians. He remembered the hospitality of Lydia and the jailer; he remembered the countless times God had blessed him through them. And he burst out in thanksgiving to God. Yes, like all the other churches founded by the apostle, they prayed for him. But they did not only pray — they also gave. And through this giving of theirs they became partners with the Apostle Paul in proclaiming the gospel among the Gentiles. And this is an encouragement to us — not only to pray for the advance of God’s kingdom, but also to take part in that advance through our giving.
A DOUBLE PERFECTING — IN SANCTIFICATION AND IN PARTNERSHIP
The main reason the Apostle Paul and the Philippians were so close was their shared interest in the advance of the gospel. The One who drew them together was their Lord Jesus Christ. And so the Apostle Paul encourages them in Him.
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. (Philippians 1:6)
On the one hand these words can refer to the salvation of the Philippians. The One who began the “good work” of salvation in them will finish it, and on the day of His coming they will be raised in God’s glory. This is the traditional interpretation of this verse, and it is a good one. But on the other hand the words “good work” can refer not only to salvation, but also to the partnership, to the “partnership in the gospel” of which the Apostle Paul speaks in the previous verse 5. Yes, salvation is a “good work.” But it is not the only “good work.” Giving for the gospel is also a “good work.” The One who at the beginning gave them the desire to give will also continue to work in them, so that their giving, partnership, and participation in the work of the gospel will be perfected “until the day of Christ Jesus.” God will save those who have heard the gospel preached with the participation of the Philippians. So the “good work” of giving, begun by God in the Philippians, will be brought to completion and perfected when, from a “good work of giving,” it becomes a “good work of salvation” in those who will hear the gospel preached in partnership with the Philippians.
HOW ARE WE TO TAKE PART IN THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL?
How can we, today, in our church, take part in the work of the gospel and be partners with its servants? Through our tithes, through our offerings and gifts, through giving money for missions, through supporting the pastor’s family, and so on. The one who has the desire finds a way. The one who does not want to take part and help finds excuses. Still, we must not forget that love gives. In the golden verse of the Bible, John 3:16, it says: “For God so loved the world that he gave…” And He gave the most precious thing He had — “his one and only Son.” And if we want to be imitators of God and to be like Him as His children, then we too should be generous as He is.
FROM BURDEN TO BLESSING
Finally, I would like to share something about the tithe as well. And I must say at once that giving a tithe is not a precondition or a requirement for attending our church. Many people stop coming to church with the argument that they cannot give a tithe. But this must not be an obstacle! Even if you do not give a tithe, you are welcome among us. We do not sell tickets. Admission here is free. As the Apostle Paul says, we do not want what is yours, but you! It is better not to give a tithe but to come and let your immortal soul be fed with God’s word, than for the devil to deceive you into thinking that since you cannot give a tithe you will not come to church, and so, ceasing to be fed spiritually, you return to the world and lose your eternal life. Salvation is more important than anything else. The tithe is not a law. We are not saved by what we give; we are saved by what God has given! And giving is a matter of personal choice, spiritual growth, and love. For it to gladden God and truly be accepted, it must be done freely and with joy. As the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7:
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Only when we give out of deep conviction and not under pressure can we experience the joy of giving. And only then does our giving turn from a burden into a blessing — the very blessing of which the Apostle Paul speaks in Acts 20:35:
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35)
On the other hand, even though the tithe is not a law, it is a spiritual principle. In ancient times all Israel gave a tithe. And back then this was enough not only for the wages of the priests, but also for the social care of widows and orphans. Today, in our circumstances, this social care is carried out by the corresponding state structures. From our salaries and from our taxes, funds are withheld by law that go toward pensions, maternity support, and other social activities. Our church, however, is not maintained by the state. It is self-supporting — it exists because of the voluntary offerings of its members and donors. And for its existence it needs a large sum of money. For a single person to gather all this money is impossible. But if all of us give our tithes — the money that is God’s and belongs to God — we will manage to gather these funds. So then, if we want our church to continue to exist and to be a lighthouse pointing the way of salvation for the people of Dolno Ezerovo, we must give — and give with joy, because we know that the funds we give will be used to preach the gospel and, in the end, will be used for the salvation of immortal human souls. And I am sure that God will not pass over those who have been faithful to Him on this earth, but will lavish His glorious rewards upon them on the day of Christ Jesus. Amen!