The book of Philippians was written around A.D. 61 or 62 by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Philippians is a letter written to the church in Philippi during the time Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Paul had visited Philippi on his second missionary journey. While there, many trusted in Christ as their Savior. Among those were Lydia and her family as well as the Philippian jailer and his family. It is believed that Epaphroditus may have been the pastor at the church in Philippi and was sent by the church with a financial gift to give to Paul to encourage him in the Roman prison. Such loving action by the church at Philippi compelled Paul to write this letter to thank them for their gift and to encourage them in their faith.
The theme of the book of Philippians is “Joy”. This term is used many times throughout the book along with instructions in living out the Christian life. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “…The joy of the Lord is your strength.” It is the joy of the Lord that gives us the strength to live the Christian life in a hostile world.
In Philippians 1:1-11 we learn of the joy of growing together. It must be understood that as a church, we are one family serving one God. Therefore, we have one purpose. Unity is found in growing together as one organism, as one body. As we grow together, there is great joy.
Thankful for the fellowship of the Gospel. Notice what Paul says in verses 1-5. “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.”[1] Paul is thankful for the relationship he has with the Philippian church. He thanks God for them and for the fellowship they have in the Gospel from the first day until now. ‘The first day’ is a reference to the time they first believed. They’ve had a fellowship in the Gospel that started at the moment of conversion.
The word fellowship means partnership. The church at Philippi had a partnership in the Gospel. The joy of growing together begins with this partnership. We need to be constantly reminded of this partnership. Too often we find ourselves bickering over petty issues and personality differences. Instead of such trifle arguments, we should focus on the one thing that unites us and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our fellowship is not to be divided according to persuasions and opinions. Our fellowship is not to be along political lines or power struggles. We must constantly remind ourselves that it is not about you and it not about me, it’s all about Jesus. The Gospel is what unites us. The Gospel is what we believe. The Gospel is what we preach. The Gospel is what we teach. The Gospel is what we live. If our fellowship is based on anything other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ then we should close our doors, for if the Gospel is not center of our fellowship, then we can no longer be called a church! Our partnership is in the Gospel. We cannot experience the joy of growing together unless we have the fellowship of the Gospel.
Thankful for growth in the Gospel. Paul expresses thanksgiving not only for the fellowship of the Gospel but also for the growth they experience in the Gospel. The Gospel is not something you graduate from. It is not a one-time thing. We are to grow in the Gospel, and we are to live out the Gospel in our daily lives. Notice a few things we see concerning our growth in the Gospel. First, God finishes what He starts. Verse 6 says, “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.”[2] Warren Wiesrbe wrote, “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.”[3] God started a work in you the moment you said ‘yes’ to Him. He is working in you to mold you and shape you to be just like Jesus. This is what we call ‘progressive sanctification.’ You can be confident that as you allow Him to mold you, He will finish what He started.
Second, we are partakers of grace. Verse 7 says, “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.”[4] Paul has a strong connection with the church at Philippi as partners in the Gospel partaking in the grace of God. It was the assistance that Paul received from the church that gave him such confidence that they were true partners in His ministry. Therefore, as Paul found himself in prison for preaching the Gospel, he felt a connection with the church at Philippi. This connection was founded in the grace of God. Paul could not endure the chains without God’s grace and the church could not carry on the work in Paul’s absence without the grace of God. Grace is God’s ‘unmerited favor’. We are saved by God’s grace, and we live by God’s grace. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:18 that we are to ‘grow in grace.’ As we grow closer to the Lord, we experience more of His undeserved favor. Though strange to us, Paul understood that his imprisonment was part of God’s favor on his life. He counted it a joy to suffer for the cause of Christ. As we grow together in the Gospel as a church, we should embrace whatever that process of growth looks like and embrace God’s favor in whatever form such grace is bestowed upon us.
Next, we see that as we grow in the Gospel together, our love grows. Verses 8-9 says, For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.[5] Paul has a great love for the saints at Philippi. He loved them with the same love that Christ has for us all. “The emphasis is upon the similarity of his affections to Christ’s, and therefore this clause may be rendered as “I love you in the same way that Christ Jesus himself loves you.”[6] This love that Paul had for the church led him to pray that their love would abound. This love is the key to true knowledge and judgement and a life of holiness. As we grow in the Gospel, our love for one another should abound more and more. It should grow deeper. The church is to be filled with the love of Christ. As we are filled with His love, our love for one another grows. As our love for one another grows, so does our care for one another. As our care for one another grows, so does our holiness. The closer we are to the Lord and the closer we are to one another, the greater discernment we will have pertaining to living a godly life and living in obedience to God’s plan and purpose. This love we have in Christ overshadows everything. It goes beyond our differences. It wipes away our sin. It brings us together in one mind and one purpose and one mission. It is the love of God that unites us. It is the love of God that hold us together. It is the love of God that compels us to press on despite our troubles. Let us grow in the Gospel so that our love may abound.
Fourth, as we grow in the Gospel together, our holiness develops. Verse 10 says, “That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”[7] Paul’s desire for the church is that they be holy. A holy life comes from having a relationship with Christ and with others. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “Paul wanted his readers to be rightly related to God and in fellowship with Him. Paul also was concerned that their relationships with others be what God would have them to be.”[8] You cannot say that you are right with God if you are not right with others. You cannot say you are right with others if you are not right with God. You cannot say you are holy if you are not right with God and with others. To be holy is to be complete. It is to be a well-rounded believer, having your house in order. Holiness begins with right relationships. It is not just about being pure or separated from the world. Purity and right living are natural byproducts of right relationships. It begins with your relationship with God. You cannot be holy apart from Him. Holiness develops and grows in your relationship with others. You cannot be holy if you’re not right with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Being right with God and with one another produces a holy life which in turn causes our faith to be known to the unbelieving world as we are known by our love for one another. It is as we grow deeper in the Gospel that our relationship with God and others is strengthened, and our holiness then develops.
Finally, as we grow in the Gospel together, we are filled with evidence of righteousness. Verse 11 says, “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”[9]The fruits of righteousness are the results of a holy life. As we live as we should and we serve Him as He leads us, it will result in great fruit. Such fruit can only come as we are right with God and with each other. We must be united and growing in the Gospel together in order to experience such fruit. May I just be very candid on this point? The church cannot and will not experience growth if we are not growing in the Gospel together. The church will not see people saved, discipled, and sent out on mission if we are not growing in the Gospel together. The key is to be right with God and right with each other. Only then can we be holy and see the fruit of God continuing His work in and through us.
There are no lone rangers in the body of Christ. We cannot grow on our own. The church cannot grow if we are divided. We must grow in the Gospel together so that we may experience God’s favor as He continues His work in us. Then and only then will we bear much fruit.
[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Php 1:1–5). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] The New King James Version. (1982). (Php 1:6). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 65). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] The New King James Version. (1982). (Php 1:7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[5] The New King James Version. (1982). (Php 1:8–9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[6] Loh, I.-J., & Nida, E. A. (1995). A handbook on Paul’s letter to the Philippians (p. 15). New York: United Bible Societies.
[7] The New King James Version. (1982). (Php 1:10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[8] Lightner, R. P. (1985). Philippians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 650). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[9] The New King James Version. (1982). (Php 1:11). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Pastor Chris Noland 