A Christian Greeting
Notes
Transcript
text
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAY
Introduction: Writing a Letter
How many of you have ever written a letter to someone?
It’s something you probably learned how to do in Elementary School.
Different kinds of letters -
business letter,
letter to a friend,
birthday card,
sympathy card,
invitation to an event, etc.
The style and content depend on the occasion and kind of letter as well as the relationship with the person.
Basic Format of letters:
greeting to the recipient, “dear” so-and-so
introduction, something like “I hope you and your family are doing well” or some other personal greeting
body of the letter, stating your purpose for writing
conclusion, “love”, “sincerely”, etc.
your name
People have been writing letters for a long time, although it’s becoming less common with the advent of technology.
The oldest known handwritten letter is from 500 B.C., by the Persian Queen Atossa. By the time of Jesus and the Apostles, letter writing seems to have been fairly common. The majority of books in our NT are letters written by Apostles to individuals or churches, and in most of them we find a common format, especially Paul’s.
Paul’s Style
Every single one of Paul’s letters starts off with his name: Paul.
In 8 of Paul’s 13 letters he references Timothy in his introductory greeting (2 of those are the letters to Timothy)
In 9 of Paul’s epistles he describes himself as an apostle, defending the authority that he had received from Christ
Every one of his letters is directed to specific churches or individuals.
In 6 (almost half) of his letters, Paul describes his recipients as “saints” or holy ones.
In all 13 epistles Paul’s greeting includes “grace and peace” to his recipients, and the letters to Timothy also include mercy.
Every one of Paul’s greetings mentions God the Father, and all but two reference the Lord Jesus Christ or “Christ Jesus our Lord”
All of this to say, Paul had a specific style or way of introducing himself in his letters that shows us that he is the author.
Because the greetings are all so similar and familiar, it may be easy to skip over them and get into the “meat” of the text of his letter, but there are important things we need to see in Paul’s greeting before we get into the main portion of Philippians.
Many of the things that we find in the introduction to Paul’s letter set the tone for what the rest of the letter is about. And Paul’s greeting here is a Uniquely Christian Greeting.
Paul’s Description of Himself
Paul’s Description of Himself
Philippians 1:1 (BSB)
1 Paul and Timothy...
Paul and Timothy...
Paul places himself on the same level as Timothy (though he’s the spiritual father of Timothy)
Timothy was Paul’s spiritual “son”
22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Though Timothy grew up in a godly family, it appears that he was converted or at least discipled under Paul’s ministry, and he had the opportunity to travel with Paul and minister with him on his missionary journeys. He was one of Paul’s most trusted allies in the gospel ministry, and in Philippians 2, Paul sets Timothy up as an example of humility and service to follow.
Though Paul was a spiritual father to Timothy, he places himself on the same level here, perhaps to set an example of humility for the Philippian Christians. Some have suggested that there may have been some power struggle or pride in the leadership of the Philippian church that Paul is addressing in an indirect way, and here he demonstrates a humble use of authority in leadership.
Notice also what he says about himself and Timothy -
Philippians 1:1 (BSB)
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus…
**(KJV has Jesus Christ)
servants (slaves)
The Greek word translated “servants” here is probably better translated as “slaves,” although we tend to associate slavery with mistreatment and abuse, and that’s not the case here.
What does it mean that Paul and Timothy are slaves of Christ Jesus?
The Letter to the Philippians I. Greetings and Grace (1:1–2)
Paul’s use of the title of slaves for himself and Timothy points to their total subjection to the will of their master: they were not autonomous; they were subject to the claims of the one who owned them.
Philippians: Verse by Verse Paul Greets the Philippian Christians (1:1–2)
The primary aspect of the slave metaphor for first-century readers was belonging, with servanthood a secondary thrust. Slaves were owned by their master and completely under his control.
We often believe the lie of autonomy, that we are in control and that we have the right to do the things we want the way we want.
Paul recognized that he and Timothy belonged to Jesus and therefore must follow and obey Him. And it is this same attitude that he tells us to have in chapter 2.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
Paul is taking the same position that Jesus Himself took, in Phil 2:7, where he says that Jesus
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
This is the position that Paul takes, and it’s what we’re all called to as believers.
We are all slaves, whether we realize it or not.
Paul tells us in Romans 6 that we are all slaves, either to ourselves and our sin, or to God and His righteousness.
16 Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
17 But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.
18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Like a great theologian, Bob Dylan, said, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” - Bob Dylan
You Gotta Serve Somebody
You serve yourself, your sin, the devil, this world, or you serve the Lord and His good purposes.
The fact of our slavery is good news because of the identity of our Master:
Christ Jesus
Christ = Messiah = Anointed One = King - see Acts 17:4-7
4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women.
5 The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.
6 But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here,
7 and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”
To use the name “Jesus Christ” or “Christ Jesus” is to say that Jesus is the Messiah or King. The Jews clearly understood that, and because they rejected Jesus, they didn’t want Him as their King. But He is the King - not only a future reality, but a present reality.
Jesus of Nazareth is the King of the Jews, just as was proclaimed on the cross. And He is the King of Kings as we read in Revelation.
King Jesus was Paul’s and Timothy’s Master - they belonged to Him, followed Him, and obeyed Him. And this is what we are called to as well.
Paul’s Description of the Philippians
Paul’s Description of the Philippians
Philippians 1:1 (BSB)
1 … To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
All
Paul was writing this letter to all the Christians in Philippi, which again reminds us of the unity of the church. In a moment he calls out the leadership especially, but we must remember that we are all together in our faith and our work for the Lord.
The saints
If you have a Roman Catholic background, you may be familiar with the idea of saints as a special class of people that are accepted as extra spiritual or virtuous. Catholics will pray to these extra holy people, but their prayers are not heard.
Other times the word saint is used to describe a really nice or good person. “My grandma was such a saint.” Similar to the way we use the word angel to describe someone’s good character.
Biblically, the word “saints” means “holy ones”, that is, people set apart for God. Separated from sin and self and the world, and devoted to God instead. And although we are called to be holy, biblically speaking it is God who sets people apart for Himself; He calls people to be His saints, His holy ones.
In the Old Testament, the people of Israel were considered “the saints.” They were the holy ones, set apart for God. God says to them through Moses in Exodus 19:4-6, “‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’”
They were the holy ones, separated from other people to belong to the LORD, set apart from the world for Him.
But with the coming of Christ, the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile has been broken down (Paul in Eph 2), so now along with the believing Jews, believing Gentiles are also part of God’s people and receive the same promises and benefits. To the Gentile believers, Paul says,
19 Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,
Jewish believers and Gentile believers are now part of the same family - God’s family. Together with everyone else who has ever trusted God’s promises in Christ, we are saints.
Being part of God’s people is not a matter of national identity or ethnicity, but of faith in Christ. And that’s the next phrase:
Philippians 1:1 (BSB)
1 … To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
In Christ Jesus
Believers are saints in Christ Jesus.
Paul uses the expression “in Christ” about 90 times in the NT, and many times when we see this phrase “in Christ,” what Paul wants us to understand is that believers are united to Christ by faith. We are one with Him, we abide in Him, we are vitally connected to Him by faith. He is our life, and we are spiritually alive because we are connected to Him.
We will come across this phrase more in Philippians (and other places in the NT), but for now it’s important to understand the aspect of union with Christ. By faith we are united to Him so that He lives in us and we live in Him.
Practically it means that no area of our life is unaffected by our relationship to Christ. I can’t separate my work or hobbies or family time or vacation or going to the store from being “in Christ.” All of my life as a Christian is lived in union with Christ, and that affects every other relationship and everything I do.
If you know Christ, if you’re trusting in Him, you are in Christ. Your life belongs to Him, and His life belongs to you.
At Philippi
We already talked last week about the city of Philippi and the church there.
Though this letter was written to the believers in Philippi addressing specific people and situations there, God means for us to read and study this book and apply it to our own lives and situation as well.
Together with the overseers and deacons (KJV “bishops”) - Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim 3:1-13; Acts 6. Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2.
It’s interesting that Paul specifically mentions the overseers and deacons here at the end of v. 1. By this, Paul is NOT elevating them to a status ABOVE the saints, but showing that they are equal with the saints. The words “together with” or “with” could also be translated “including” - that is, the overseers and deacons are part of the expression “all the saints,” not a separate class.
Why does Paul mention them separately then?
As the leaders of the church, the overseers and deacons are especially responsible for leading the other believers in obedience to God’s Word. The leadership of the church must work hard to set an example for the others to follow. They are especially responsible to receive and obey God’s commands given through Paul to be humble and unified and lead the church in humility and unity.
It has also been suggested that there may have been some power struggle in the leadership that Paul wants to address here indirectly. He is calling out the leadership to pay close attention to his instructions and to follow Paul’s example of humble service toward others, to lead by serving.
What are overseers and deacons?
According to Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 3, these are the two offices in the church. (No trustees, sorry!)
Overseers and deacons are both qualified for their office primarily on the basis of character, not ability. When it comes to the leadership of the church, God is not looking for savvy businessmen or experts but for men of godly character to lead His people. Character qualities like marital faithfulness, humility, gentleness, hospitality, contentment, self-control, and the like are to characterize these leaders.
The primary difference between these offices is their function - both are spiritual leaders, but overseers lead by teaching, and deacons lead by serving. Both are watching out for the church, but the overseers watch out more for the spiritual needs while the deacons look out for the physical needs of the church.
Another helpful thing to mention is that the NT uses 3 different words to refer to the office or work of the overseer.
Overseer (bishop) - refers to the aspect of management or spiritual watch-care of the church
Pastor (shepherd) - refers to the spiritual guidance and tender leadership of the church
Elder - refers to leaders of the community; refers to spiritual maturity more than age
1 As a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you:
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;
Peter speaks to the elders to be shepherds (pastors) of the flock, “watching over” (being overseers of) them. He uses all three terms to refer to the same office.
Many more things could be said about this (books have been written!), but hopefully this is a helpful start.
Our Church Board is supposed to be made up of elders and deacons, and we are working to return toward that, because that is the biblical model for church leadership.
Then in v. 2, we have…
Paul’s Greeting to the Philippians
Paul’s Greeting to the Philippians
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you’ve read any of Paul’s letters, this probably sounds familiar. This is the typical way he greets every church and individual he writes to. It’s easy to skip over, but there are important truths here.
Grace Precedes Peace
Grace is God’s unmerited favor to us, especially shown in the person and work of Christ for us and the salvation God gives us in Him. (Eph 2:8-10)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
God’s grace saves us from our sin and enables us to live for Him.
Peace is the result of God’s gracious work in salvation; in Ephesians 2, Paul beautifully describes the peace that believers now have with God and with each other because of Christ’s sacrifice. (Phil 4:7, 9; Eph 2:13-18)
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility
15 by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace
16 and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility.
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
18 For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Through Christ we have peace with God, and we are at peace with one another too.
God’s Spirit continues to work peace in the believer’s life as we grow to trust Him more and more.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
God our Father
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Another blessing that we have in Christ is that God is our Father. We have been adopted into His spiritual family. (Rom 8:15-17; Galatians 4:4-7)
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.
The Lord Jesus Christ (Deut 6:4)
Another amazing detail that we might miss is that in addition to calling God our Father, Paul refers to Jesus Christ as the Lord. (15x in Philippians)
We are used to calling Jesus the Lord, but think about what that meant for Paul.
Paul was as Jewish as you get. He grew up saying the Shema -
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
There is one God, and Yahweh (the LORD) is that God.
Now Paul refers to two separate persons in God - God the Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. He is telling us that Jesus is God. He is the Messiah, the long-awaited King from David’s line, and He is God in the flesh.
To call Jesus the Lord is to affirm that He is God. Paul used to persecute and even kill Christians for saying this very thing, and now he himself is preaching and writing it. Jesus Christ is Lord - He is God.
Application
Have you received the gift of God’s grace and submitted your life to Jesus as your Lord and King?
Come to Jesus today if you haven’t already. Receive His grace and peace and give your life to Him.
When you write a letter, text, email, FB message, etc., can people tell from your message that you’re a Christian?
For Paul, his love for God and others flowed through everything he said and wrote, and it should be the same for us.
Do your communications sound like this, or do they sound like the world around you?
For Further Study and Application
The way you use your time, energy, abilities, money, and other resources reveals who or what is your master. What do these things say about whom or what you are serving? What in your life gets in the way of wholehearted service to Jesus Christ?
What are the similarities and differences between overseers and deacons? (see Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim 3:1-13; Acts 6. Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4)
If you’re a believer in Jesus, you are by definition a saint. What does that mean practically for how you should live?