Suppose that I was an amazing basketball player with blazing speed up and down the court, and I have a paralyzing first step to the basket. I can dribble between my legs and around my back. I even have a killer-crossover. I should be called “the ankle breaker.” I have unlimited range on my jump shot. I can hit three-pointers that are so deep they should count as four points. All in all, my game has no weaknesses. I am an “offensive assassin.” Now after hearing all of this “trash talk,” you should ask: “What team do you play for?” If you asked me this question, I would reply: “I’m not really into organized basketball. I don’t play on any team. I just play alone in my front yard.”
Isn’t that a pathetic response? How can I possibly claim to be a superstar basketball player and not play on a team? That is ridiculous! In order to be a great “hoopster,” I must play ball on a team and use my skills! Similarly,
Christianity cannot be lived out by only reading the Bible, listening to praise songs, and praying by yourself, even though these are important to our spiritual growth. Christianity is not a solo sport, it is a team sport like basketball, and the local church is the team. To be on the team requires participation and partnership in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In Philippians chapter 1 Paul writes this joy-filled greeting to this local church. Paul shares in this letter the reasons
why he finds fellowship with the church at Philippi.
Last week, we studied Paul’s formal greeting referring to them as servants of God, saints of God and blessed by God! (1:1–2). Now Paul gives thanks for them that stretches from verses 3 through 11.
Take your bible and notice with me the language Paul uses in 1:3–5: “I thank my God in 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.”
This communicates the kind fellowship Paul had with the Philippians and how encouraged He was to know them.
Look again at verses 3 and 4 with me. Verse 3 begins, “I thank my God…” however, the rest of verse 3 and 4 is a parenthetical statement. [in every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.]
Simply stated, they had a special relationship with Paul. Let’s consider what this “fellowship” entails in 1:3–4.
In our study, we discover that “fellowship” entails.
- Praying for others.
Praying for other people that are in good health is a challenge since normally our prayers are motivated by a need. I believe that as we observe Paul’s prayer in verses 3 and 4, we can learn some great principles for prayer.
Notice that Paul consciously and continually trains his mind to reflect on God’s people. This is a discipline, just like working out or eating healthy. But it works wonders in prayer.
Several examples should suffice. When you see a little boy on a bike, instead of just thinking, “What a cute kid,” let this boy remind you to pray for the children in our church (AWANA, children’s SS, Kid’s Choir, VBS) and our children’s workers.
When you see a young couple in a store or in a restaurant, pray for godly marriages. Pray for the couples in our church.
When you see someone with gray hair, instead of thinking, “it’s terrible to get old.” Pray for the seniors. Pray for widows and widowers, who are lonely and in need, to experience God’s provisions.
When you hear a different language, instead of thinking to yourself, “Hmm, that’s odd sounding,” pray for the persecuted church. Pray that God would strengthen these brothers and sisters as they courageously live for Christ and His gospel.
When we discipline ourselves, we can be effective in our prayers for more hours of our day.
Notice that in verses 3 and 4 Paul wasn’t praying for people in trouble, ill or in need. We often turn to prayer, when someone is having problems, and that is good. But to build a fellowship in the gospel, we should also frequently pray prayers of thanksgiving and pray for strength of faith for others. We’ll see this later in verse 9-11
In verse 5, we continue to consider what a “partnership in the gospel” entails.
Philippians 1:5 “for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,”
Paul is thankful for the Philippians and Paul is thankful for their “fellowship in the gospel.”
There are two key words in verse 5 that are the main theme of the book. Fellowship and Gospel.
Here are a couple of facts for you.
- The word for “fellowship” is a term that you are maybe familiar with, the Greek word is “koinonia.”
- The word “gospel” (euaggelion) appears more times per line in Philippians than any other book in the New Testament.
We are going to focus on “fellowship” since that is the major context of this letter. By all means, the gospel is the priority of this letter and of the whole Bible. Yet, these Philippians knew the gospel! The letter was to encourage them to continue to reach others with the Gospel through their fellowship.
Now, the problem with this word “fellowship” is that when most Christians hear this word they think of coffee, cookies, and conversation.
Now, it’s true that drinking coffee and eating cookies has its place in fellowship, but this is only a small facet of fellowship.
Fellowship is a group of people that have a common purpose that is so valuable, that they are willing to make sacrifice for one another.
The word koinonia in common day Greek speaking people was also used in commercial settings. For example, if two men bought a boat and started a fishing business, they were said to be in koinonia—a formal business fellowship. They shared a common vision and invested together to see the vision become a reality.
In much the same concept, “Christian fellowship” in verse 5 meant sharing the same vision of getting the gospel to the world—and then investing personally to make it happen.
That means the word used in a business setting also had financial overtones as well as a call to personal relations.
Fellowship normally first starts with a personal relationship. However, fellowship does not need personal connections to continue. Notice, when Paul thanks God for the “fellowship” of the Philippians, he thanks them from Rome.
Their fellowship was from the first day of their conversion, they rolled up their sleeves and got involved in the advance of the gospel.
Secondly a fellowship in the gospel entails;
- Hospitality.
Acts 16:11–13, describes how Paul first connected with these Philippians and what he remembers about them.
On a Sabbath day along the Gangites River, Paul began to speak about Christ, and the Lord “opened the heart” of one of the ladies there (16:14). This woman, Lydia, owned her own import business and had a large house. Lydia believed the gospel, and immediately she made her house available. She begged them, “If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house” (Act 16:15). She wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.
Hospitality is just one facet of fellowship.
Perhaps you’re saying, “Yes, if I had the same income as Lydia, I would be hospitable as well. The Bible implies that there are some Christians who will not be hospitable when they have more. He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. (Luke 16:10)
I have heard many missionaries and others tell stories that report some of the most astounding hospitality comes from believers with relatively meager means. I think the reason is that they learned the God can be trusted to meet their needs too. (Kevin Bawter article)
Now, please understand, I’m not saying, “Become hospitable and God will give you a six-bedroom mansion!” That’s not in the Bible.
Hospitality is a “full of faith” response to God’s grace, and a believer shouldn’t be surprised that God blesses you in some way as a result.”
Third, a fellowship in the gospel entails;
- Courageousness.
Now we also know that Paul and Silas were imprisoned for sharing the gospel and freeing a fortune teller. Paul also knows that the believers will also face persecution. The Philippians would suffer because of the gospel. In their culture when they became Christians, they paid for it willingly.
Philippi was a unique city that had a special government status. It was connected to the Roman emperor in ways other cities weren’t. As a result, it was important in Philippi to be politically correct, and that meant worshipping the emperor as if he were a god. Paul remembers that his Christian friends in Philippi were willing to pay the price of refusing emperor worship. He’ll say a little later in this letter: “You’re going through some of the same trouble I had to go through; you’re suffering some of the same things I did because of your Christian faith” (paraphrase). He will also compliment a couple of women in the congregation who were noted to contend for the gospel (4:3). Their tangible, sustained partnership is evidenced by their willingness to pay a price for their Christian faith.
It wasn’t easy to be a Christian in Philippi 2,000 years ago. Often it still isn’t easy to be a Christian today in our culture…and it’s not going to get any easier. We must make a decision of our will to stand strong at work, at school, and in our neighborhood. We need to ask for greater courage and confidence to boldly proclaim Him. This week, how will you contend for the gospel? Will you choose Christ or look to reduce your social conflicts?
Fourth, a fellowship in the gospel involves prayer, hospitality, courageousness, and another one other characteristic…
- Generosity.
Paul wrote to the Philippian Church mostly as a thank you note for the church’s financial generosity.
One of the purposes of Paul writing this letter to the Philippians was because of their generous giving. Today, this is strange since most letters received from ministries are asking for funds. Paul did ask them to give in this letter, but they were doing it all along without being asked.
The believers in Philippi gave cheerfully and sacrificially. More than once these Philippians had sent money to support the gospel. 4:15
One of the things, I do not have to speak regularly on is giving in our church, we have a generous church. Oh, what a thankful praise to God for our little work. Maybe if Paul were alive today, he would do as he did to the Philippians and write about you this way?
From the day of their meeting Lydia and the Jailor, until the time Paul wrote this letter over 8 years later, the church at Philippi gave consistently to the work of the Lord.
Nevertheless, Paul is not seeking to have his purse padded, rather he desires their reward. Paul says it best in 4:17: “Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the fruit that abounds to your account.” (Paul looked forward to the Philippians reward at the judgment seat of Christ.)
So far what have we learned? An important part of fellowship is sharing one’s earthly resources, home and time, so we can share the gospel message with others.
A believer gives because they fully trust the Lord with their life and trust Him to provide. God will meet all the needs of a person who puts their trust in Him!
This leads us into the well-known promise of 1:6: “being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Although this verse typically is understood as referring to salvation/sanctification, yet in context it is also dealing with the financial faithfulness of the Philippians.
Notice this with me, back in verse 3 the subject is “I thank God” and this continues through verse 4, 5, 6 and the first part of verse 7. I thank God … to remember them…through prayer for them…for their fellowship…for God working in them…to think of them.
The opening words of verse 3 “I thank God,” continue the sentence structure, “being confident of this very thing [God’s faithfulness], that He [God] who began a good work [generous financial giving] in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. [Referring to the rapture and judgment seat of Christ].
This is a tremendous promise from God, and it motivated them to continue to give.
A faithful believer gives “worthship” to God, His Word, His Work and desires for others to know Him.
For example, the support of a missionary begins a spiritual ripple effect. As the gospel touches a life, it sets off a reaction, and then one other life is impacted, and then another. Who can possibly calculate the millions of lives the Philippians have impacted over the centuries as God has kept their deposit “earning interest” through this letter!
Fellowship in the Gospel also means that we…
- Love others.
Verses 7–8 supply the subjective rationale for Paul’s confidence. He writes, “For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers[co–partners] of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
Here we know how Paul cherishes the fellowship of the Philippians. He wants them to know his love for them and the gospel. However, in verse 8, he puts himself under an oath—“For God is my witness.” He swears before God that his motive is for others and the gospel, not more money for himself and his needs.
There are two words that are important for us to relate to Paul’s motive.
The first word is “long” (epipotheo) and is a very strong word for desire. The apostle Peter used it for a baby longing for its mother’s milk (1 Peter 2:2). Not only do we see the intensity of Paul’s love but also the extent of it—“for you all with the affection of Christ.”
The second word is “affection” is splagchnon (SPLONK-non). It refers to the entrails, bowels, or stomach. The Greeks understood that the stomach is the seat of strong emotions.It is the reason for a loss of appetite when you’re upset or angry or even sad! Splagchnon describes a longing of affection and compassion so intense it controls digestion!
Now we come to end of this section of the letter with Paul’s prayer in 1:9–11. “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.”
Interestingly, the word “love” (agape: sacrificially doing the best for another) does not have an object attached to it. However, the overall context of the letter reveals that Paul prays especially for the Philippians’ love for the gospel and others.
This prayer has key words that need explaining.
When Paul says “abound” (perisseuo) he doesn’t mean “bound like a deer or a gazelle”; he means “to flow over,” like a shaken carbonated drink that is opened too soon.
Of course, loving others can be an incredibly sacrificial and difficult task! This is why like Paul, we need to pray about our choices.
The motivation of the Philippians’ love is found in 1:10: “so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.”
The word for “approve” (dokimazo) was used of assaying metals, testing for genuine money, or sifting wheat from chaff. It suggests “to approve after testing.”
The word “excellent” (diaphero) can be translated “the things that really matter.” Often the choice is not between good and bad, but between good and eternal. That which is eternal are “the things that really matter.”
Paul prays that the believers sift through the objects and choices at hand and pour out themselves for “the things that are excellent.”
The goal of their love is “that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”
The word for “sincere” (eilikrinees) does not mean “honestly or trying hard”; it means “pure, genuine.” The emphasis is upon a life of integrity; one which is devoid of hypocrisy or insincerity.
The word “blameless” (aproskopos) means “without causing others to stumble.” The discerning overflow of love (1:9) should lead to a life which is sincere before God and sensitive towards others (1:10).
The result is honor at the judgment seat of Christ.
Paul’s prayer ends in 1:11: “having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
The word “filled” (pleroo) means “filled to all fullness.” As we say “filled to the rim.”
In this context Paul is referring to “fruit” being filled to the rim. This “fullness of fruit” comes “through Jesus Christ.”
Fellowship is an important facet of Paul’s view of a church. Paul was filled with joy as he thought about those who he prayed for those who encouraged and supported him.
In just a few years’ time they had developed a special fellowship. Paul helped them understand the Gospel and now they are helping others by helping him.
Fellowship should characterize every believer in every church. In fact, this is what it means to function as the body of Christ. Helping and supporting others.
I close with the reason for our fellowship, declared in the last words in our study of chapter 1:3-11 “to the glory and praise of God.”