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Introduction
Early in the ministry of Scottish pastor, Charles Warr, one of the respected elders of the church, a man named Arthur, came to see him.
After a bit of small talk, Arthur spoke warmly about Charles’s first year as pastor. He encouraged him, told him he was doing well, and then paused for a moment.
Arthur stood up, walked over, and put a fatherly hand on the young pastor’s shoulder. He said, “My boy, the garden of your ministry is lovely, but there’s one flower missing. No pastor’s garden is complete without it. I know we’re not everything we ought to be, and yes, sometimes we need correction. But more than anything, what we really need is to know that you love us.”
Charles later said those words changed his ministry. And I think they capture what is most important about being a pastor. Yes, pastors preach, lead, and equip. Yes, we correct and guide. But above all, the calling is to love the people.1
And that brings us right to Paul’s words in Philippians 1:3–8. If I had to give this section of Scripture a title, it would be what New Testament scholar, George Guthrie has chosen for it, which is, “Paul’s affectionate appreciation for the Philippians.”
Right from the very beginning of his letter, Paul shows us that the heart of ministry is love. It is love expressed in gratitude, joy, and deep affection for the people of God.
Philippians 1:3–8 “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
This passage has at its heart the affection that Paul feels for the Philippian church. He thinks about them, thanks God for them, and longs for them with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Why is it important that we know about Paul’s affection for the Philippian church? Because, by becoming familiar with Paul’s love for the church in Philippi, you will grow in your understanding of how your pastor ought to love you.
In short, by understanding what Paul is saying in this passage, your expectations of me will be rightly aligned.
There are many possibilities for how I can spend my time and energy. Some of them are based on cultural expectations, traditional practices, or as is becoming increasingly common, secular leadership strategies.
And while I embrace many of these as possibly ways to function in my role, none of them measure up to the call of God to love you with the love of Christ.
In these opening remarks of his letter, Paul writes about his gratitude for the Philippian church, his confidence that they will persevere, and his affection for them.
A Pastor’s Gratitude (1:3-5)
Philippians 1:3–5 “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,”
Gratitude is an essential characteristic of God’s people. The concept of gratitude fills the pages of the Psalms and other Old Testament books. And Jesus often demonstrated gratitude, especially prior to sharing a meal with others.
In several of Paul’s letters, he expresses gratitude in a variety of ways, both for the churches and directed toward God. The gratitude in this passage is very personal and intimate. Paul says, “I thank my God every time I remember you.”
Whenever the Philippian church comes to mind, Paul expresses gratitude to God, with whom he has an intimate relationship. For him, thinking about this church is a pleasant thought, and he directs this joy toward God in thanksgiving.
In the midst of persecution and imprisonment, Paul is motivated by how churches like the one in Philippi are staying committed to the gospel.
He goes on to say that in all of his prayers he includes everyone in the church. The word “all” is used extensively throughout this letter, 33 times in total and 7 times in the first 8 verses.
This may be to emphasize the importance of unity in the church. At the time, there were clear divisions between various groups of people such as slaves, women, children, Jews and Gentiles, Romans and so-called Barbarians (those who didn’t speak Greek).
To include everyone in Paul’s prayers was to make a statement that all have equal standing in the church. All are equally deserving of God’s grace and Paul’s prayers.
Finally, the reason for Paul’s gratitude is because the Philippian church is sharing in the gospel mission given to Paul by Jesus.
From the day that Paul arrived in Philippi and the gospel was received by Lydia and her household, until the time of the writing of this letter, they have partnered with Paul. The nature of this partnership is likely multifaceted. As we see in chapter 4, the church sent support when Paul was in need.
Philippians 4:15–18 “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”
But it is not only financial support, or the sending of other supplies or people, it is partnership in the work of gospel proclamation and the suffering that comes with it.
Philippians 1:29–30 “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.”
Yet, in the midst of this partnership of suffering, Paul expresses his confidence that they will endure.
A Pastor’s Confidence (1:6)
Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
First of all, what is the work that God began in Philippi? We know some of what it is because of what Paul’s travelling companion, Luke, recorded in Acts 16.
First, is the conversion of Lydia: (Acts 16:13–15)
Then, is the slave girl who was possessed by a spirit: (Acts 16:16–18)
This caused the owners of the girl to be upset with Paul and Silas and had them arrested and thrown in prison.
While they were in prison, we read about an earthquake which shook the foundations of the prison and the doors were opened. The jailer, thinking the prisoners had escaped, was going to fall on his own sword instead of facing the wrath of his superiors.
But, the prisoners stayed. In Acts 16:29–34 we read about how the guard and his family came to believe in Jesus.
An important question should come to mind in this last story. What did the jailer mean when he asked, “What must I do to be saved?”
A tendency we have when reading the Bible is to make assumptions about the meaning of these things in light of how familiar certain terms or phrases have become to us.
We may not be all that surprised by the jailer’s question. And without giving it a second thought, we might assume he’s referring to the same sort of salvation that we associate with the gospel.
But, it is very unlikely that’s what the jailer was thinking about. He was in a dire situation. His job was to keep the prisoners from getting out.
Now, upon seeing the door wide open, he is terrified. He’s about to lose everything. So, when Paul and Silas are still there, imagine what went through his mind.
Perhaps he had heard stories about these men, that they were proclaiming a way of salvation. But he probably didn’t know what was meant by that proclamation, only that they seemed to speak of and demonstrate a power greater than human power.
So, in a moment of panic and fear, he placed his trust in these men who, instead of fleeing while they had the chance, stayed confidently where they were.
The question, “What must I do to be saved?” Probably had more to do with his immediate fears than that of eternal salvation. Yet, God used that moment to draw the jailer and his household to faith.
This is all too common for many of us. We are carrying on through life with relative control over our circumstances. Then, a crisis hits, and we scramble for answers.
The simple prayer of the jailer is rightly our prayer in those times. “What must I do to be saved?” is the right thing to ask. It speaks of our inner longing for things to be made right.
God is the one who makes it right. Paul and Silas shared with the jailer the hope of the gospel. Then the jailer and his entire household believed, and that very night they were baptized.
This and the other stories are what Paul refers to in his letter to the Philippians when he says, “the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion.”
It is important that we emphasize Paul’s dependence on God to complete the work. Paul cannot be there with them, and even if he could stay there, it would still be God who completes the work.
It has to be God, because we as pastors are so limited in our capacity. Too often, pastors burn out due to taking everything on themselves. Believe it or not, pastors are just as susceptible as anyone of a lack of prayer and trust in God.
It’s easy to let days and weeks go by, reacting to needs of the church only to reach the end of each week drained, slapping together a sermon in the last hours before the service.
This leads to a sense of shame and regret that causes someone to work even harder rather than seeking God’s sustaining grace. Paul sets an example for the church here in a simple statement. The one who began the work will finish it.
I can’t remember who I first heard it from, but there is a similar statement that I have been convinced of in every role I’ve filled over the last 20 years in various churches and communities.
The statement is that God has been working here long before I arrived and he will continue to work here long after I’m gone.
And while the role of a pastor is essential for the health of the church, I as the person who fills this role am replaceable and will one day be replaced. My goal is not to leave a legacy for myself, but for Christ.
This allows me to take my job seriously without thinking to highly of myself as the one who has to do everything.
As much as Paul would want to be with the Phillipians, God has other work for him to do.
So, he expresses his confidence, not only in the Christians because of their faithfulness to God, but most importantly in God’s faithfulness to finish what he started among them.
The same is true here. It is tempting to work 12-16 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is more than enough work to fill the time. But, I am not called here to do everything.
God is equipping each of you do respond to his invitation to join him in his work. It is his strength and faithfulness that will carry all of us, together, to the completion of God’s mission in this community and in the world.
A Pastor’s Love (1:7-8)
Philippians 1:7–8 “It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
The two central ideas in these verses come from the words affection and grace. The word in these verses that is translated as affection contains within it a deep and profound meaning.
It is a word used in secular Greek for the inward parts of a person. The origin of the word comes from the idea that the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys are special, or more honourable parts of the animal’s insides compared to the intestines, stomach, bladder, etc.
The word began to be used as a way of describing that part of a person from which emotions, desire, and passion is found. For Christians, it was eventually understood as the heart, or the place of affection and love.
So, when the word is used in this context, Paul is saying that he has a desire, a passion, an affection, and a love for the Philippians church that is equal to that of Christ Jesus.
This is saying a lot in very few words, as is often the case with Paul.
The word grace essentially means kindness. The idea behind it is to demonstrate kindness freely as a gift.
Paul wrote in Romans 3:23–24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
In other words, the grace of God is his kindness extended freely to all who want it. This is possible because of Jesus.
Paul’s statement in Philippians is a uniting statement, meant to communicate God’s abundant favour on all who trust in Jesus.
There is no hierarchy of God’s kindness. There is no special grace available to some and not to others as a result of status, wealth, position, or family history.
This was extremely counter-cultural in those days, but it was an idea initiated by Jesus.
In his final days with his disciples, he taught them many important things related to sharing in the grace of God.
An emphasis of his teaching revolved around being united through their connection to and dependence on him.
In John 17:22–23, Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
- Story adapted from George H. Guthrie, Philippians, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2023), 83–84. ↩︎