Philippians 1:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

NIV: because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

NASB: in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

CSB: because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

NLT: for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.

KJV: For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

NKJV: for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

Verse 4 notes the joy Paul receives from the Philippian church. In this verse, he refers to the major source of this joy: "partnership." These believers had been helping Paul to spread the gospel since they first became believers. This letter was written some 12 years after the founding of the Philippian church in approximately AD 49. This partnership included prayer, people, resources, and finances. This is why Paul does not specifically mention money here, though he will in chapter 4.

Their partnership was "in the gospel." They supported his missionary work to reach more people for Christ and start new churches. Paul started at least 20 local churches throughout his ministry and likely more. The Philippian church helped fund some of these congregations, making them one of the first "sending" churches, along with Jerusalem (Acts 2) and Antioch (Acts 13). The church at Philippi seemed to understand the importance of spreading the word as far and wide as possible.

Philippians 1:3–11 is Paul's expression of thanks and gratitude for the believers of Philippi. Not only have they been generous in their support of Paul, they have been faithful even when he was imprisoned. Paul claims to thank God for these Christians in all of his prayers. At the same time, Paul has high hopes that the church of Philippi will continue to mature and strengthen their relationship with Christ.

In chapter 1, Paul thanks the Philippian believers for supporting his ministry. Even when Paul was jailed, or persecuted, they had been generous and loyal. Paul encourages these Christians by explaining that all of his suffering has been for a good cause. Even better, these attempts to persecute Paul have actually caused the gospel to spread. For this, Paul is grateful. He fully expects to be released, and to see the believers of Philippi again.

Chapter 1 introduces the major themes of Paul's letter. A large proportion of the passage is given to thanking the Philippian church for their loyal support of Paul. Paul also encourages them with a reminder that, good or bad, anything a Christian experiences can be used for the glory of God. This sets the tone for the rest of the letter, where Paul will continue to stress the importance of living out the Christian life. This, he says, starts with having a proper attitude and approach.

Philippians is Paul's discussion of living the Christian life. In this letter to the church of Philippi, Paul highlights themes such as joy and glory. He also puts great emphasis on how a Christian's thinking—their attitude—affects the way they live out their faith. Paul is very thankful for the support of the Philippian church, but is also concerned about the influence of various false teachers. This letter is less theological than most of his other writings, and more practical.

Accessed 5/5/2024 10:30:56 AM