Philippians 1:3-8 (NIV)
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.
It is clear that Paul was never idle. Even while under house arrest in Rome, when he was not sharing the gospel and bringing even his guards and members of Caesar’s household into the kingdom of God (Philippians 1:13, 4:22), he was constantly praying for the believers in cities all across the Roman empire.
Paul considered the Philippian believers to be partners with him in the gospel, which they had been working at with him since they had first become believers. A part of this partnership has been eagerly supporting his continuing ministry, sending Epaphroditus to Rome to minister to Paul’s needs (Philippians 2:5), as well as providing financial support to him over the years (Philippians 4:10, 14-16).
Paul was very fond of the Christians in Philippi, because they had stood strong in the faith despite hardships and persecution, not denying the faith, or him, when he had ended up in prison in their city for casting a demon out of a slave girl (Acts 16:16-40). This showed Paul that theirs was not a shallow faith, but was solid and strong, grounded firmly in Jesus. It also proved to him that God was sure to continue to work in and through them all the way to the finish line.
All this was even more remarkable because Philippi was a gentile majority Church in a gentile majority city. The tie between Paul and the Philippians was not one of blood or shared religious or cultural background. It was the reality that they shared the same Savior, the same salvation, and the same Holy Spirit that bound them together so securely.
Father, especially in that day it was truly remarkable that people who had come from such disparate backgrounds would end up so close for so long. And not just one or two people, but Paul and the hundreds that made up the Philippian Church. But that same dynamic plays out even today. I have some amazing friends that, except for a common Savior and a common faith, I would probably never have known. But You unite us as true brothers and sisters in Christ, drawing us together and giving us a bond that will last through all eternity because we are all in You. Thank You for this great blessing, Lord. Amen.