Phillipians 1:1-2
Greeting
1 ¶ Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 ¶ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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I always loved when Pastor Bill would start a new book in the Bible and he would spend time giving context or what was happening in the place, where they were at with Jesus, how they got their start and much more. Pastor Chuck Smith does the same thing in the commentaries here in the Blue Letter Bible and it is really helpful for me to really understand the “why’s” that crop up.
Paul was writing, as he did in Ephesians from Rome. He was still arrested, but had been allowed to rent his own place and live there chained to a Roman guard. So many of the Roman guard and other people employed by Caesar came to know the Lord during this time. While Paul was in prison the church of Phillipi sent him a very huge offering that was used to pay for care for Paul while he was imprisoned. He wrote the letter to the Phillipians partly because he was so thankful to them for their help.
It is written not as from an apostle to the church as are most of Paul epistles, but it is written as a letter from friend to friend. There is a very warm, friendly feeling through the whole epistle; it is interesting that the tone of the epistle is one of extreme joy and rejoicing.(Smith)
So apparently Timothy was in Rome with Paul and is serving the Lord right alongside Paul in chains. He explains that they are bondservants of Jesus Christ. A Bondservants is an indentured slave, once who chooses to be bound to their master for life. Unlike a slave, they choose to be a slave for life for the person they choose. Paul and Timothy choose to be sales or servants,of Jesus Christ.
Paul only writes two letters where he doesn’t emphasize that he is an apostle for Jesus, this book and 1 Thessalonians, where he writes the letter as their friend instead of their overseeing pastor.
He address the letter to the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Phillipi with the deacons and bishops, who are just the workers who serve in the church,
Chuck Smith on explaining the deacons and the bishops:
I go to the Greek word themselves to translate them so that we get the... again bishops, we think of some guy who was over a whole bunch of churches. But they were the overseers within the local church, and the deacons were the workers. Those workers in the church serving.
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So, Paul opens this epistle, and along with the little letter to Philemon and 1 Thessalonians, it's the only epistle where he does not begin by the affirmation of his apostleship. Usually, it is, "Paul an apostle by the will of God." But he is writing now as a friend to a friend.(Smith).
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Pray for Lorinda and Wanda Cheek, for their health, foe Debbie and Mike as well. Pray for Vicki Michael”s mission trip to Camas to help her family can see Jesus!
Randy is doing well after surgery, keep praying he heals up well.
Pray for Ben Reinhardt, I haven’t heard how his surgery went.
