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The Joy of Gospel Fellowship
Philippians 1:3–5 and the Blessing of Partnership in Christ
By Joshua Mills
Do you remember the vows you made on your wedding day? You looked your spouse in the eye and said, “I promise to love you, both in sickness and in health.” On that day, there was a mutual commitment established. You and your spouse were wrapped under one banner: in sickness and in health.
As we come to Paul’s opening prayer in verses 3-5, we see something of that mutual commitment that Paul and the Philippians had for each other. This commitment began in Acts 16, when Paul first preached the gospel in Philippi. This commitment continues in the present, in sickness and in health. Right now, however, the Philippian church is beginning to experience a little “sickness.” As Paul wrote this letter, false teachers, known as the Judaizers, entered the church (Phil. 1:28-30; 3:2-3, 3:18-19). Also, the joy of gospel fellowship was starting to become lost as envy and jealousy grew among the members (2:1-4), and anxiety, disagreements, and distrust rose to the surface (chapter 4). Yet, in all of this, the apostle Paul is committed to this local church in sickness and in health. What can we learn from Paul’s opening prayer of thanksgiving? As one man put it, “There is everlasting joy when we fellowship with one another in the gospel of Jesus Christ.” What does this fellowship of joy look like in our church?
In verses 3-6, Paul grounds his thanksgiving to God for the Philippians in two things:
- The joy of remembering God’s people in prayer.
- The joy of partnering with God’s people for the gospel.
There Is the Joy of Remembering God’s People in Prayer (vv. 3-4)
You can know a lot about a person by listening to the first thing that comes off their lips. You can get a good sense of what a person thinks about Christ and His bride by listening to the first words that come off their lips. What comes off of Paul’s lips in verses 3-4? Most likely, Paul wrote this letter in prison while in Rome around AD 60. Paul suffered greatly both inside and outside the church. Paul faced times of poverty. And yet, his first words are not filled with doom and gloom for the future, or bitterness and anger toward the church. Instead, “in sickness and in health,” Paul’s words had the mark of joy. Paul experienced the joy of remembering God’s people in prayer (vv. 3-4). Verse 4 literally says, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” For Paul, remembering the Philippians in prayer was an occasion of joy. The joy of thanksgiving to God for the “saints in Christ” is evident in Paul’s prayer life. In every prayer for all the believers in Philippi, Paul had joy.
Beloved, if you do not regularly pray for those in our fellowship, you are missing out on God-wrought joy in your life. There is a joy to be found when you pray for God’s people regularly. E.M. Bounds said, “Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.” There is joy when you talk to God on behalf of your fellow teammates in Christ. Could that lack of joy in your life toward God’s people be the result of your lack of prayer for God’s people? How do we stir up the embers of joy in our prayer life?
First, do not take your eyes off of your praying Savior. Never lose the amazement that Jesus Christ is personally praying for you. He is praying that you would have His joy in you. In John 17:13, Jesus prayed the following to the Father concerning God’s people: “But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” Second, know where the place of joy is found. In Psalm 16:11 we read, “In your presence there is fullness of joy.” You must spend time in His presence to have joy. Maybe the lack of joy toward God’s people is not because of God’s people. Maybe the lack of joy is a result of your lack of time with God. Meet with God as you read His Word. Speak to God frequently throughout the day in prayer. Third, pray for each member in your local church. Keep a list of church members and regularly pray through it as a family. Thank God for something about them. This will stir your love and joy for those that you are praying for. There is joy in remembering God’s people in prayer.
There Is the Joy of Partnering With God’s People for the Gospel (vv. 3-5)
Most of us know the joy of working alongside others toward a meaningful goal. There is something in us as image-bearers of God where we experience joy when we partner together with others to achieve a great goal. In verse 5, Paul gives us the source of his joy. Here is why Paul thanks God in every prayer for the Philippian church: “…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” Partnership means koinonia, fellowship in the gospel. Literally, we have a close association involving mutual interests and sharing. Paul’s joy for the Philippians comes from the realization that there is a mutually shared interest among the whole church. The Philippians had a shared vision for the advancement of the gospel in the life of the church, in the heart of the Christian, and in the scope of the world. D. A. Carson writes, “Paul gives thanks, with joy, because from the moment of conversion the brothers and sisters in Philippi rolled up their sleeves and got involved in the advance of the gospel.”
When Paul spoke of this fellowship, he had two realities in mind. First, Paul thanked God for a mutual participation in the Spirit (2:1). Our Lord Jesus prayed for this (John 17:22-23). Paul gave thanks to God with joy for this (Eph. 4:4-6). The apostle John reminded us of this (1 John 1:3). Beloved, have you forgotten this glorious reality? What does participation look like practically in the church? Participation in the Spirit is seen in our mutual affection and love for each other. Look at Paul’s love for the one body (1:7-8). Look at the Philippians’ love for Paul (4:10). Participation in the Spirit is seen in our mutual prayers for each other. Paul prays for the one body (1:9). The one body prays for her leaders (1:19). There is this bond of love seen in the church, and Paul says that is what fellowship in the Spirit looks like.
Second, Paul thanked God for a shared provision for God’s workers. The second use of the word “fellowship” or “partnership” is seen in 4:14-19. Paul thanked God with joy because the Philippians supported his ministry and cared for his needs from the beginning till the present. The Philippian church held the rope for Paul financially so that the gospel would go forth to the unreached, and that local church would be planted and established. Beloved, there are so many ways to partner in the gospel in our local church. We can accomplish much more in the Kingdom together than alone. Have you, like the Philippians, rolled up your sleeves and got your hands dirty in the advance of the gospel in this church and in this city?
Paul’s joy was not ultimately rooted in the strength of the Philippians but in the faithfulness of God. The same God who began a good work in them would bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). Gospel fellowship produces joy because it is evidence of God’s saving, sanctifying, and sustaining work among His people. The partnership of the Philippians was not merely human effort. It was the fruit of God’s grace at work in the church.
There is joy in partnering with God’s people for the advancement of the gospel. Could it be that your lack of joy is a result of your idle service in the church? To have joy we need both input and output. Could it be that there is no output in your life? The Lord has placed you in your local church for a purpose. He has given you an opportunity to experience joy with God’s people in His presence as you pray for one another. Why would you not want to participate in that?
To conclude, do you remember your wedding vows? “I promise to love you, in sickness and in health.” Paul reminds us that there are vows, as it were, as we come together in the Spirit in the local church. In sickness and in health, as a church, we will remember:
- There is the joy of remembering God’s people in prayer.
- There is the joy of partnering with God’s people for the gospel.
If you miss out on remembering and partnering with God’s people, you miss out on joy! Why would you do such a thing?
Joshua J. Mills is married to his beloved Kyla and they have two children: Isaac and Lydia. Outside of the home, Joshua has the privilege of serving as pastor at Trinity Baptist Church (Burlington, Ontario) and as a guest lecturer through Carey International University of Theology.
