Philippians 1:1-11
1: Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:
2: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3: I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
4: always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
5: in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
6: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
7: 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 of grace with me.
8: For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9: And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
10: so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
11: having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Paul wrote the epistle to the Philippians toward the end of his imprisonment in Rome from 61-63 AD, probably around the Spring-Summer of 63. He greeted them, along with Timothy, addressing all the saints in Christ, specifically mentioning the overseers and deacons. At first, the apostles were the only authority over the churches they established, but over time they began to ordain elders and deacons as we see addressed in the pastoral letters of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.
Paul greeted them warmly letting them know he thanked God for them whenever he thought of them and their faithfulness to the gospel. His prayers for all of them were with joy. He expressed his confidence that Christ who had begun a good work in them would perfect it until His return. The Lord has not gone away, leaving us alone until He comes again. He is continually working in and among us.
This trust in the Lord and acknowledgement that it was He who has established them, and would continue to work in them, along with the mention of the overseers and deacons, indicated that Paul was not possessive of the Philippians but had committed them to the care of God. It's possible his time in prison made it clear to Paul that the care of his converts was not entirely up to him. God could, and would, raise up others to care for the flock, while remaining at work among them Himself. Yet Paul revealed that his love for them was still strong, even while imprisoned, for they were partakers of grace with him.
Paul’s prayer was that they would continue to grow even more in love, real knowledge, and discernment so they would properly discern and accept what was right and true, that they might be found sincere and blameless at the Lord’s return. The seed of righteousness which was planted in them through Jesus Christ having come to fruition. The good work that the Lord began in them would be perfected—brought into maturity.
2: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3: I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
4: always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
5: in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
6: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
7: 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 of grace with me.
8: For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9: And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
10: so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
11: having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
***
Paul wrote the epistle to the Philippians toward the end of his imprisonment in Rome from 61-63 AD, probably around the Spring-Summer of 63. He greeted them, along with Timothy, addressing all the saints in Christ, specifically mentioning the overseers and deacons. At first, the apostles were the only authority over the churches they established, but over time they began to ordain elders and deacons as we see addressed in the pastoral letters of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.
Paul greeted them warmly letting them know he thanked God for them whenever he thought of them and their faithfulness to the gospel. His prayers for all of them were with joy. He expressed his confidence that Christ who had begun a good work in them would perfect it until His return. The Lord has not gone away, leaving us alone until He comes again. He is continually working in and among us.
This trust in the Lord and acknowledgement that it was He who has established them, and would continue to work in them, along with the mention of the overseers and deacons, indicated that Paul was not possessive of the Philippians but had committed them to the care of God. It's possible his time in prison made it clear to Paul that the care of his converts was not entirely up to him. God could, and would, raise up others to care for the flock, while remaining at work among them Himself. Yet Paul revealed that his love for them was still strong, even while imprisoned, for they were partakers of grace with him.
Paul’s prayer was that they would continue to grow even more in love, real knowledge, and discernment so they would properly discern and accept what was right and true, that they might be found sincere and blameless at the Lord’s return. The seed of righteousness which was planted in them through Jesus Christ having come to fruition. The good work that the Lord began in them would be perfected—brought into maturity.
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