The Apostle Paul was very familiar with the church in Philippi. He goes as far as to say he thanked God every time he thought of them. He joyfully prayed for them. He called them partners with him in ministry. When he calls them his partners, he uses the Greek word koinōnia. It appears nineteen times in the New Testament for a variety of meanings all centered around fellowship, joining together, and partnership. The sense is always of a shared relationship, a two-sided relationship.
Imagine a man and a woman who meet. The man falls in love with the woman, but the woman’s heart is unmoved towards the man. That’s not koinōnia – it’s a one-sided, one direction relationship. But if the woman returns the man’s love, it is now mutual. It is bi-directional. Both are giving themselves to the other and that is koinōnia. The Philippians meant so much to Paul because they had been partners with him in the work of God.
There are several ways Paul would have thought of the Philippians as partners. First, they were joined in Christ. Acts 16 tells of how Paul and Silas went to Philippi and evangelized there. Lydia came to faith, as well as, a jailer and his household, and a new church was born. There would have been a tight bond between Paul and Silas and these new Christians because they would have shared with them the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Second, they went through suffering together. Paul and Silas went through severe persecution in Philippi. Acts 16:22-24 says that they were stripped and beaten with rods and severely flogged and eventually thrown into prison. It is likely all the new converts to Christianity suffered the much of the same treatment. Third, they shared together the cost of missionary work. As you read later in the book of Philippians, the fourth chapter is filled with appreciation for financial gifts in support of his work. Paul was the evangelist called to travel the Mediterranean area with the Good News. The Philippians made that possible by partnering with him financially. There is no doubt that we can each accomplish more together when we partner with others.
Upon reflection, answer the following questions:
- Why do you believe it is important to partner together with other Christians to accomplish the work of the Lord? What are some of the benefits of partnering with others?
- What may be some of the dangers associated with partnering with others? Should there be limitations for churches partnering together? Why or why not?
Comments are closed