Sunday, November 22, 2009

Philippians 2:17-30 Examples of Faithful Servants

Text: Philippians 2:17-30

This portion of Philippians shows Paul's appreciation for his fellow faithful servants of Christ. In verses 19-24, Paul discusses sending Timothy to the Philippians. From this passage, we can see that even in the early days of the church described here, it was difficult for Paul to find faithful men - he said he was unable to find any other kindred spirits besides Timothy; all others were seeking after their own interests. We would like to be found faithful as Timothy was!

Paul refers to his relationship with Timothy as "like a child swerving with his father". From this we see that Paul had a great fondness for Timothy, and we can see from this that he wasn't just a cold, dry theologian. There is a reality and depth in Christians' love for each other.

Verses 25-26 discuss Paul's sending of Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus was incredibly selfless. He literally wore himself out helping Paul, but he wasn't concerned about his own health. Instead, Epaphroditus was distressed because the Philippians had heard he was sick, and was concerned they would be worried about him! Epaphroditus is a great example of a Christian giving the best he can in service. He was deeply and emotionally invested in the work he was doing; he didn't see his service as merely an occupation.

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