Pr Ko Lingkang

A Beautiful Picture of Fellowship (Phil 1:3-8)

Introduction
It has been slightly more than half a year that our family has been away from home. It may not be that long a period, but it is long enough that we have begun to sorely miss and yearn for the fellowship that we enjoyed with all of you in church. Every update from home that we receive here makes us look forward to the day that we can return home and have fellowship with you all once again.

But what is fellowship all about? Is it just about meeting up and having a good time together? Is it because of common interests or identities? I’m sure we all agree that true Christian fellowship involves much more than that. We are not just a group that comes together for social activities. We do not enjoy each other’s presence just because we are all Singaporeans, or live in the same general area. We gather because of our common identity in Christ. We gather because we have all been saved by the precious blood of Jesus, and have a common purpose in this new life. We gather because we want to have a deeper relationship with our family in Christ.

We see this sort of fellowship being portrayed in the relationship that Paul has with the believers at the church of Philippi.

Of all the epistles of Paul, Philippians is often thought of as one of the most personal epistles. In it, he shows a deep love, warm relationship and close friendship that he had with this church. It was primarily written to thank and encourage the church for their support in his ministry, and to exhort them concerning certain issues.

In the opening few verses of this epistle, we catch a glimpse of the warmth and love that is so evident between Paul and the church. Through a study of the relationship that they had, we can have a better understanding of what true Christian fellowship ought to be like.

Joyful Prayers for One Another (v. 3-4)

(3) I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, (4) Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

The first thing that Paul brings up is the prayers that he had for them. The way he describes his prayers is warm and earnest, reflective of the deep personal relationship he has with them. He says that every time he thought upon the church and remembered them, it was always with joy and thanksgiving. They were constantly in his prayers, as he made petitions for their spiritual well-being, the contents of which we can see later in verses 9-11.

We must remember that Paul was a man of prayer. If you read his other epistles, they too speak of the prayers that he made for each of the churches that he was writing to. He would thank God for them, and assure them that they were constantly in his prayers. But to the church at Philippi, one aspect that stands out is the joy that accompanies his prayers for them. Whenever he thought upon them, they never failed to bring a smile to his face.

You can just picture the scene, as Paul was languishing there in prison. Apart from his personal, physical discomforts of prison life, he also had to contend with various problems from others that would take advantage of his situation and “preach Christ of envy and strife” and contention, as we will see in Phil 1:14-15. He also had the “the care of all the churches” (2 Cor 11:28) to deal with, with the multitude of problems that they had. It was therefore no small comfort for Paul, as he laboured in prayers for the many problems faced, that he could also remember the Philippians with such delight, and thank God for their care, faithfulness and fellowship in the Lord.

That is the value that true fellowship can bring. We can bring delight and refreshment even in the prayers that we share one for another. Is this how we are in our relationship one with another? Do we remember one another in our prayers, and do so with delight? Do we find joy in giving thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and pray for their requests with joy?

As a family, we are deeply appreciative and encouraged by the prayers that we know many of you have for us. On our part, we also try to remember all of you in our prayers as well, especially as we hear of the various medical ailments that some of our members have experienced.

Enduring Service with One Another (v. 5)

(5) For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

But what does Paul give thanks for? To him, what stands out about this church is their ‘fellowship in the gospel’. He looks upon them as his companions and helpers in the ministry of the gospel, as fellow servants that were sharing the burdens of the work with him. The word ‘fellowship’ (koinonia) carries with it the idea of sharing and giving (Phil 4:14-15), and that was their primary role in support of the work of the Apostle Paul.

We see that in 2 Cor 8:1-5 where Paul was encouraging the Christians at Corinth to give generously. He raised the testimony of the “churches of Macedonia”, of which the church at Philippi would be of them: “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. (3) For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; (4) Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. (5) And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” (2 Cor 8:2-5) In verse 4, the same word ‘koinonia’ is used to describe their giving.

Turning to Philippians 4:10-16, we see that one of the reasons why Paul was writing, was to thank them for sending some financial support (v. 10). In verse 14 and 15, the same word ‘koinonia’ is used again, translated as “communicate” in the KJV.

Through this we see that the church at Philippi, though not a wealthy church, yet was very generous in their support of the Apostle Paul. They understood the importance of his ministry, and were eager to be a part of the gospel work through giving. That was one form of service that they were rendering to him, from the first day until now.

But more than just monetary giving, he acknowledged that beyond just the finance, there was that strong bond of unity and fellowship that he had with them. From the very first day, where he brought the gospel to them, this church in particular had stood strongly with Paul.

What was that “first day” like? We turn to Acts 16:11-15. The city of Philippi was the first major city that Paul preached at after receiving the Macedonian call to go to Europe. In verse 13, we see how they went to a river side on the Sabbath, and met with certain women who were praying there. One of the first converts was a woman named Lydia. As Act 16:14-15 records, “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. (15) And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.” This was the early beginnings of the church at Philippi. We see their immediate hospitality and love for Paul, welcoming him into their home, and caring for his physical needs.

Paul here testifies that from that first day until now, they had been a constant source of encouragement, fellowship and help. Their service was not just a once off sort of thing, but had been consistent, steadfast and enduring.

Can the same be said of us as a church, or of our fellowship and contact groups? Can the same be said of you as a member, in that everyone else in the church fondly remembers you of being one who is a fellow-helper, fellow-giver, in the work of the gospel? If we do care for one another in the Lord, we would not only pray for one another, but desire to serve one another, and serve with one another.

Spiritual Familiarity with One Another (v. 6-7)

Confident of their salvation
(6) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

As he thinks of them, he speaks with an utmost certainty, that he is confident of the assurance of their salvation. In his service together with them, in his correspondence with them, he has this confidence that God, who had begun a good work in them, in calling them and saving them, will certainly and definitely keep them ‘saved’ all the way till the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Realize that one can only make such a strong declaration and affirmation if he knows them well, and not just at a superficial social level, but at an intimate spiritual level. Their fellowship was not just about meeting once a week and having coffee and biscuits together, but it was one that was established upon the bonds of Christ, where he knew of their spiritual struggles and triumphs, of their joys and pains. He therefore wrote to encourage them to place their complete confidence and trust in the God who called them, and to know that he would certainly lead them to the very end. Note however, that the basis of Paul’s confidence was not in their righteousness, or the strength of their faith. It was in the faithfulness of God that he knew would enable them to persevere until the day of Christ.

Is this how well we know each other? A lot of times our knowledge of each other is just at a very mundane, common level, of things concerning our jobs, our studies, our families, our interests etc. But our interactions seldom go to a deeper spiritual level, where we know of the struggles we have in our spiritual walk, or of what trials we are going through. It is only if we have such a level of intimate knowledge of one another, that we will be able to say together with Paul, that we are confident of each other’s standing before the Lord.

Confident of their support
(7) Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

Paul was not just confident of their salvation, but he was also confident of their support for him in the ministry. At a time when many so-called Christians were turning against him (Phil 1:16), he knew that he could count on them. Why? Because of all that they had gone through together in the past.

There are few things that bring people together better than to experience adversity together. That is what they went through, shortly after the church in Philippi was established (Acts 16). Since then, the Philippian church had cared greatly for and supported Paul a lot, especially through his trials. Thus there was this strong relationship, and he was warmly attached to them. He saw them as partners in his ministry, even though they were far away from him, and he only got to see them that few times. Yet he had this confidence in them that they were always standing by him. In all that he faced, in his bonds in prison, in his work of the gospel, he saw them as fellow partakers of his grace, fellow recipients of the grace bestowed upon him for the ministry that he was involved in. Such was the nature of their relationship, that they were constantly in his heart. He felt as though that even though they were not physically present with him through his trials, yet they were ever present, spiritually supporting him, and for that he was thankful and grateful.

As a church or fellowship group, are we all in it together? When trials come upon us, and difficulties arise, do the leaders of our church have the assurance that you are in it together with them? Whether it is in the trials that they face, the pains and labours of their ministry, are they able to say that they have us in their heart, and that we are all partakers of grace together with them? A church that truly practices such love and has such a maturity of fellowship, will be able to stand together with one another through thick and thin.

Christ-like Longing for One Another (v 8)

(8) For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

If all the above requirements are met, then this final point comes naturally - we would desperately long for spiritual fellowship one with another. As Paul was languishing in prison, what he greatly desired was their fellowship. He described it as greatly longing after them in the ‘bowels of Jesus Christ’, referring to their heart, the seat of emotions. He is saying that the longing he has of them is not just his own personal longing, but it is a true spiritual longing, the same way the heart and tender mercies of Christ longs and yearns for us too. He loved them, with a Christ-like affection, just as Christ loved the church.

Have we ever tasted such fellowship before? Can we nurture such warm affections and relationships in our churches, in our fellowship groups? Do we long for such sweet fellowship in the Lord, where we joyfully pray for one another, where we would be faithful and constant in our service alongside one another, where we would be so close and intimate in our spiritual knowledge of one another, and we long for the sweet communion that we can have when we fellowship one with another?

Truly such a union can only be had if we are all in Christ. He is the tie that binds us one to another. Will we pray for such a bond? We will do our part to nurture such a fellowship?