Being The Church 14

Philippians 2.19-30

From a close reading of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we can work out that the circumstances are as follows:

This young church held a special place in Paul’s affections. He had suffered to get it started (it was here that he and Silas were whipped and imprisoned in stocks for the gospel). However, the relationships between the Christians there had become strained, perhaps influenced by their diverse backgrounds which tend to magnify misunderstandings between people. A competitive streak had grown up between some of them, so that they felt like rivals instead of brothers and sisters. They were tending to be self-absorbed and thinking of how to advance their own interests first and foremost. This attitude was leading them away from Christ-likeness; they were losing the mind of Christ. Paul writes to urge them back to a ‘manner of life worthy of the gospel of Christ’ (1.27). He described that worthy living as having the same attitude as Christ Jesus who did not look only to his own interests but to the interests of others and counted others more significant than himself. On the basis of Christ’s example, he urges them to give up complaining and get back to living gracious lives towards each other.

In his letter, Paul says that he plans to send Epaphroditus (with the letter) to them. Epaphroditus was a young Philippian Christian who had been sent by the Philippian church across to Rome where Paul was imprisoned. He had probably brought a gift, although he was himself the Philippian church’s gift to Paul, sent to be his helper. Now Paul is sending him back prematurely, for three reasons: first, concerned about the breakdown in relationships among the Philippian Christians, he figured they needed him more than Paul did; second, Epaphroditus had been very ill and Paul wanted to allay their fears about him; and third, Epaphroditus was homesick and distressed that his friends and family in Philippi were worrying about him. Paul is a very unselfish man. He is thinking not only about his own interests but the interests of Epaphroditus and the Philippian Christians.

Our task is to learn from this personal touch in Paul’s letter (his arrangements for sending two of his best people to them) how we should work with others in the Church whether they are close to us or in another place. We will look at each of these two men, Timothy and Epaphroditus to see the quality of Paul’s gift to the Philippian church.