by Emanuel Henriksson
While reading Paul’s letter to the Philippians it is easy to get the impression that he had a special relationship with them. We can see that from the very start of the letter. Normally Paul opens his letters by establishing authority, “Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus,” but he does not have to do that with the Philippians because they are already good friends. Instead he opens with “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.” By doing that, he not only points to their friendship but also introduces something else of importance that he will take up later in the letter, namely servanthood.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians has usually been regarded as a “thank you letter.” Paul is thanking them for their financial support and for their faithful partnership in the gospel. However, Paul takes the opportunity to include something more. He not only gives them thanks but also some moral instructions that will correct their behaviour in order for them to stay within the group of people Paul has already established that they belong to, the group of people that are friends in Christ.
Moral instructions in the first century were normally offered through models to follow. Paul follows this pattern as he points towards Jesus, Timothy, Epaphroditus and himself as models for the Philippians. In 1:21-24 Paul gives himself as a model to follow as he points towards his unselfishness. For Paul it would be better to die and be with Jesus, but for their sake he rather stays alive. In 2:6-8 we have the qualities of the next model to follow, Jesus. Jesus did not consider the fact of Him being God as something that he should keep for his own advantage, but for the Philippians’ sake he humbled himself, became a servant and lived his life in obedience to God, even to the point of death. Timothy is the next model Paul presents to the Philippians. In 2:20-22 Timothy is described as someone concerned about the best for others, someone who is obedient (proved himself) and someone that is a servant of the gospel. In many ways he is described in the same terms as Jesus just a few verses earlier. Next Paul presents Epaphroditus as a model for them to follow. In 2:29-30, they are told to honour people like him because he was willing to die for the work of Christ.
The significance of all this for us today is the fact that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were normal human beings just like we are. If they could live a life described in the same terms as the life Jesus lived, if they could live “Jesus-lives” there is no reason why we couldn’t. In fact, Paul is telling them that if they want to stay friends in Christ with himself and Timothy, there is no other way than to live a life that will identify them as that. If you and I really want to be the followers of Jesus as we say we are, it is necessary for us to live a life that will identify us as such. We are to live our lives in the same way as the models given to the Philippians did. They had their heart and mind set on serving others. Do you?
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