Philippians 2:19-24 says,...
Today's verses are Philippians 2:19-22, which read,
v.19 - But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
I am going to divide up this section by who Paul is sending to the Christians in Philippi. We find out in this verse that Paul is hoping to send Timothy, his right hand man, to them as he is sitting in a prison in Rome. The purpose of this visit will be two-fold. Timothy will bring more Biblical encouragement from Paul and he will also bring back to Paul the current state of affairs of the church in Philippi. It makes me question, if we are an independent church, who do we have coming with solid Biblical backing to check up on us? Who do we have coming to bring Biblical instruction and give a report of us? Do we invite into our personal lives this kind of evaluation?
v.20, 21 - For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.
This is a high compliment to Timothy. Paul and Timothy were of the same spirit when it came to the welfare of the church. The concern from Paul and Timothy was genuinely for them. The others, the false teachers and prophets, had their own agendas that focused on themselves and not on Christ Jesus. Paul is sending someone who genuinely loves them as he does. There is no one better that could be sent to them when it comes to the continued discipleship of them in their walk with the Lord.
v.22 - But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
Timothy has a proven track record when it comes to the furtherance of the gospel. Timothy has stuck with Paul when others have drifted away. Timothy's loyalty is like blood family and also the element of a young son to his father. We grow up and start to have a mind of our own but at the young stage we rely on the minds of our elders. The loyalty of Timothy to the gospel is like a young boy doing everything his father is telling him to do.
v.23, 24 - Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.
Paul has Timothy in the wings to visit them. He has a few loose ends to tie up in his life so that a release of Timothy can happen. Paul even has the faith that in may be in the Lord's will that he himself will be able to come back to them. Paul is praying for a return visit. Again, this would be a visit of Biblical instruction from Paul but it would also be a time of evaluation and accountability to another about their walk with the Lord individually and the corporate witness of the church. We will find out tomorrow that while Paul is waiting to send Timothy to them that he sends some others in the mean time. This visitation of Biblical instruction and accountability was very important to Paul as part of spiritual growth of the church.
Again, where is this coming from when you are a part of a totally independent church with no denominational affiliation? I am not pushing for denominational affiliation but I am looking at the instruction and accountability evaluation that pushes us to more growth in our dedication to the gospel message. Is it past pastors? Is it proven Biblical leaders who genuinely love the general church making a visit? Is it the practice of inviting in counsel from time to time into the life of ourselves personally and also into the life of the church corporately for us to be evaluated on our love and spread of the gospel?
Who speaks to you that way? Who do you invite into your life who truly thinks of you to give Biblical instruction and make an outside evaluation of your walk with the Lord? It may sound scary at times because we know there are times that we are not at our best but Paul sees this as necessary for the church in Philippi to have this type of intervention from a godly individual who loves the church of God. Some things to think about this morning. Let's pray.
"Lord, the visitation of other godly people into my life and also into the life of the church for the purpose to give Biblical instruction and report of what they see seems to be the focus this morning. Lord, help me to see that I need this individually and the church needs this corporately. We need continual godly instruction that sometimes needs to come from outside ourselves or from outside the group for we all have blind spots. When this comes in the way Paul describes, from a Timothy who is proven to love the gospel, may we accept this instruction and evaluation as from You and Your love for us to grow all the more. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.19 - But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
I am going to divide up this section by who Paul is sending to the Christians in Philippi. We find out in this verse that Paul is hoping to send Timothy, his right hand man, to them as he is sitting in a prison in Rome. The purpose of this visit will be two-fold. Timothy will bring more Biblical encouragement from Paul and he will also bring back to Paul the current state of affairs of the church in Philippi. It makes me question, if we are an independent church, who do we have coming with solid Biblical backing to check up on us? Who do we have coming to bring Biblical instruction and give a report of us? Do we invite into our personal lives this kind of evaluation?
v.20, 21 - For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.
This is a high compliment to Timothy. Paul and Timothy were of the same spirit when it came to the welfare of the church. The concern from Paul and Timothy was genuinely for them. The others, the false teachers and prophets, had their own agendas that focused on themselves and not on Christ Jesus. Paul is sending someone who genuinely loves them as he does. There is no one better that could be sent to them when it comes to the continued discipleship of them in their walk with the Lord.
v.22 - But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
Timothy has a proven track record when it comes to the furtherance of the gospel. Timothy has stuck with Paul when others have drifted away. Timothy's loyalty is like blood family and also the element of a young son to his father. We grow up and start to have a mind of our own but at the young stage we rely on the minds of our elders. The loyalty of Timothy to the gospel is like a young boy doing everything his father is telling him to do.
v.23, 24 - Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.
Paul has Timothy in the wings to visit them. He has a few loose ends to tie up in his life so that a release of Timothy can happen. Paul even has the faith that in may be in the Lord's will that he himself will be able to come back to them. Paul is praying for a return visit. Again, this would be a visit of Biblical instruction from Paul but it would also be a time of evaluation and accountability to another about their walk with the Lord individually and the corporate witness of the church. We will find out tomorrow that while Paul is waiting to send Timothy to them that he sends some others in the mean time. This visitation of Biblical instruction and accountability was very important to Paul as part of spiritual growth of the church.
Again, where is this coming from when you are a part of a totally independent church with no denominational affiliation? I am not pushing for denominational affiliation but I am looking at the instruction and accountability evaluation that pushes us to more growth in our dedication to the gospel message. Is it past pastors? Is it proven Biblical leaders who genuinely love the general church making a visit? Is it the practice of inviting in counsel from time to time into the life of ourselves personally and also into the life of the church corporately for us to be evaluated on our love and spread of the gospel?
Who speaks to you that way? Who do you invite into your life who truly thinks of you to give Biblical instruction and make an outside evaluation of your walk with the Lord? It may sound scary at times because we know there are times that we are not at our best but Paul sees this as necessary for the church in Philippi to have this type of intervention from a godly individual who loves the church of God. Some things to think about this morning. Let's pray.
"Lord, the visitation of other godly people into my life and also into the life of the church for the purpose to give Biblical instruction and report of what they see seems to be the focus this morning. Lord, help me to see that I need this individually and the church needs this corporately. We need continual godly instruction that sometimes needs to come from outside ourselves or from outside the group for we all have blind spots. When this comes in the way Paul describes, from a Timothy who is proven to love the gospel, may we accept this instruction and evaluation as from You and Your love for us to grow all the more. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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