because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
Phil 1:5
And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
Phil 4:15
It is not often that I start a Gem series knowing it will be a series from the beginning. But it happens and this is one of those times. I am going to explore Paul’s Partnership with the Philippian church from this first day until now. Don’t worry. The quote above does not refer to ‘our now’; but the ‘Philippians now’ when they received Paul’s letter. I am not planning to investigate the Paul ~ Philippian Partnership over the centuries. That would make no sense. But I do want to make the connection for you between these two verses and to investigate the depth of Paul’s relationship with the saints in Philippi.
In Gem 1908 I spent some time spelling out for you the word [koinōnia] and investigating the notion of Partnership. I will return to this Gem later in the series when the time is right. Suffice to say in Gem 1908 I looked into all the nuances of [koinōnia] to see how it was translated in Philippians 1:5 across the versions. I believe it is the best word to use for the relationship Paul had with the saints in Philippi. When I use the word Philippians, I am either talking about – the saints (believers) in Philippi – not the inhabitants of Phillip, there is a big difference between the two. Or I am talking about Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
Paul uses the word [κοινωνία] four times in this letter to the Philippians: [All readings are from the Literal Version}
- Phil 1:15 – over your fellowship in the gospel, from the first day until now, [κοινωνίᾳ]
- Phil 2:1 – So then, if there is any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tendernesses and compassions, [κοινωνία]
- Phil 3:10 – to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, having been conformed to His death, [κοινωνίαν]
- Phil 4:15 – And you know, too, Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I went out from Macedonia, not one assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only. [ἐκοινώνησεν]
Do you realise that Paul tops and tails his letter to the Philippians with koinōnia. He reminds them of their partnership with in the gospel from the beginning until the end of the letter. It is no coincidence that Paul opens this letter with the concept of partnership and closes it with a comment regarding their partnership. In Gem 1902 I commented on the nature of the likely visits Paul made to Philippi as well as a listing of the verses which indicate the nature of Paul’s deeper relationship with the Philippians. Remember I have told you several times of the fact that Paul’s letter to the Philippians is the warmest of all the letters Paul wrote. His relationship with the Philippians is a special one. How did it grow as it did to the point where he makes some very telling comments about the relationship he shares with them?
Our investigation of Paul’s partnership with the Philippians is going to bring up some interesting discussion. How did Paul’s relationship wth the Philippians grow so strong if he was only there for three months and then made fleeting visits back there on a few occasions. This fact has puzzled many commentators who place Philippians (the letter) in the same category as Romans. The point being that there was limited contact between Paul and the Philippians and no contact between Paul and the Romans except by letter. Yet Paul lists the names of many people in the church in Rome whom he wishes to receive his greetings. Yet he has never been there before! How did Paul know so many people in the church in Rome without ever having been there? How did Paul’s relationship with the Philippians grow so strong – likely the strongest of all the churches Paul wrote to – and yet he spent so little time there?
Paul’s use of the word [κοινωνία] is interesting to say the least. Especially in terms of “knowing the fellowship of His sufferings” (3:10) and “you were the only ones who shared my profits and losses” (4:15 in the GNB). To what degree did the Philippians “share in Paul’s profits or losses” or put another way “share in his sufferings.” You have to admit it is interesting. I would suggest before we begin our investigation into these interesting features of Paul’s relationship with the Philippians that you read again or read for the first time Gems 1902 and 1908 (linked above). A few of you have asked me about inked Gems and how you can read them throughly when I go back to Gems I have referred to a number of times. It’s easy. What I do is open the Gems which are relevant in a seperate window from the Berean Insights website and then I can flick between them. I have to follow the past Gems just as much as you do to see what I wrote in past ones to avoid having to repeat myself. So having multiple Gems open at the same time enables that process.
Well, that is enough to give you to do for this Gem so I will keep it short. The references in this Gem will help you to understand the nature of Paul’s relationship with the Philippians and why his relationship with them was so strong. We will investigate this partnership over several Gems.
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
Phil 1:3-5
And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
Phil 4:15
Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.
Henry Ford
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
African Proverb