Skip to main content

Philippians 1:5

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
(Philippians 1:5, ESV)
Previously, Paul has told us that he is thanking God for these Philippian Christians. He does this on every remembrance of them, and he does this with joy!  Now he is telling us a specific reason why these Christians turn Paul toward thankful, joyful prayer.

Paul says that it is because of their "partnership in the gospel" that he is exulting in joyful prayer. The Greek word that is translated "partnership" is very much a business word. It is the same word that is used to describe two "partners" going into business together.

In a very real sense, these Philippian Christians had gone into business together: The Gospel Business. The church at Philippi had shown support to Paul more than once. They had even recently sent Epaphroditus (one of their members) to visit Paul in prison. Roman prisons wouldn't always take care of their prisoners so well, so a prisoner would be dependent on friends and family to meet their needs. The Philippians knew this and sent Epaphroditus along with some supplies.

So Paul is thanking them for this genuine partnership in the gospel.

An important lesson to begin to learn from this is that the work of the gospel is not to be left for the apostles. It is a work for the whole church to partner in. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hebrews 11:23

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. (NIV) My first thought when I read this was, "Well, what parent doesn't think that?" Most parents think that their child is no ordinary child those first three months. I know that I still think of my two boys as extraordinary. I know that the creator God has designed them in a unique way. I know that they have talents that have been given to them to serve the King. I may not get the chance to see my son stand toe to toe with a pharaoh of Egypt or call down plagues, but I do think that I will get the chance to see them serve their purpose. I also want to point out that Moses' parents hid him for those three months. They didn't flaunt him, the chose a course of action that was very practical. Some would have you think that if it isn't flamboyant and take unnecessary risks, then it isn't fai...

Hebrews 11:24-25

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. (NIV) Moses had the chance to align himself with the rich and the famous. He had the opportunity to really make it in this world. To be the son of Pharaoh's daughter, the possibilities could have seemed endless. The world wants to paint that picture for us. A place that is endless in possibility. But Moses knew that the pleasures of sin only last a season. He knew that to truly have endless possibility, it would require the alignment with the people of God, so that is exactly what he did. How did he know to do this? How did he know that he couldn't continue on with pharoah? The answer to that is Faith . It was faith that brought sight to this man. It is faith that will allow you to see clearly in your decision making process. Some other thoughts about this pas...

James 4:1

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? (NIV) This is truly an amazing verse, applicable in so many ways. What is the underlying cause of fights and quarrels?  It is your desires that are battling within you.  The outer war that is going on with others in your life is a result of the inner skirmish.  The reason why I love this verse is because when I stop and consider, when I am truly honest with myself, at the heart of every argument has been a wrong desire. I am not necessarily talking about every time I have been argued with or every time someone has disagreed with me, I am referring to the times when things have crumbled into a dispute...  Those times when peace wasn't being made. (Consider James 3:18 ) Next time there is an erosion into a dispute in your life, stop for that moment and consider what the desire is that is at the root of the fight.  Then eliminate it and become a peacemaker.