As
we continue our study through the book of Philippians, let us imagine
Paul the apostle imprisoned in Rome. It was from prison that he wrote
to the church located in Philippi, and the occasion was an offering
sent through their pastor Epahraditus who brought Paul greetings from
the church. In chapter one and verse one Paul opens his letter with a
declaration of who he and his protege' Timothy were, and to whom the
letter is written. He wrote:
Paul
and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in
Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
The
verse begins, “Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ,...”
Paul considered himself and Timothy to be the “servants"
or “dulous” which means bond-servants of Jesus Christ. He and
Timothy were willing servants of Jesus, and even though Paul was an
apostle at this time in his life, he does not take on the
authoritative title, but writes to the church of Philippi as a
friend.
The
verse goes on to say,
“to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the
bishops and deacons:”
Paul directed his words to “all
the saints in Christ Jesus...”.
It should be noted that he called them “saints”,
and there was no special recognition from the hierarchy in the church
that they were so. Those who were believers in Jesus Christ were the
"saints"
in the church of Philippi. Paul also included "with
the bishops"
who were the overseers, and the "deacons"
who were as the "servants of a king or ones who by virtue of
the office assigned to him by the church, care for the poor and have
charge of and distributes the money collected for their use".
They are as a waiter or one who serves food and drink. In other
words, Paul directed his words toward the entire church whether they
held an office in the church or were attending "saints".
Once
again we explore the idea of the "bond-servant" in Paul's
opening greeting to the Philippian church. As we consider what it
meant for Paul and Timothy to be "bond-servants" and in
order for this book to have its full effect upon us, we should
imagine ourselves as "saints"
within the church of Philippi. Perhaps we hold positions of authority
and are in charge of serving others. Maybe we have the position of
being a believer in Jesus Christ, but we have not found where He
would use us in His kingdom yet. Whichever the case, Paul was writing
to the church of Philippi, and thereby he is in effect writing to us
as well. As we agree to make this book personal and as written to us,
we shall learn what the Lord would say to us through His word and
through His servant Paul.
Next
time we will see Paul use one of the most popular greetings in the
New Testament, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want
to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on
the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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