Joy in the Joint

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons” (v1).

Ever find a letter from an inmate in your mailbox? I’m not exactly sure how I would react if received an envelope from somebody I know and love and the return address was some far away correctional facility. I would expect to read about horrible conditions. I would expect to read about mistreatment by the guards. I would expect to read about bad food. I would NOT expect to read about joy. I would NOT expect to read about Jesus. 

Well, that’s EXACTLY the kind of letter a little group of Jesus’ followers in Philippi receive from the one who first told them the very Good News. Back in the first century, Philippi was Roman colony and seaport in what is now modern day Greece. It was the first place in Europe to hear about Jesus’ invitation into God’s kingdom. Dr. Luke had a front row seat and wrote all about it in his sequel called Acts (Acts 16:11-40). In 51-53 AD, the Apostle Paul was on his second tour telling people around the Mediterranean rim about Jesus when he hit town. God used the man formerly known as Saul to radically change lives. First, a fashionista named Lydia. Next, a demon-possessed girl who was subject to human trafficking. Finally, the warden of the local jail and his family. Through Paul, Jesus builds His church through these very different people.

About 10 years later, these Philippian Christ followers get a letter from the Apostle Paul. He’s in prison. This comes as no shock to them. They’ve already sent their pastor Epaphroditus to Rome with a care package (Phil 2:25-30). But don’t miss the fact that this is a REAL letter from a REAL person to a REAL church in a REAL place. The Bible isn’t a book of myths and legends that point us to a greater good. It is a collection of ancient documents which God inspired to tell us about Himself. What we’ve come to call the book of Philippians is a letter from a prisoner under religious persecution to his friends. And when they open it up, they don’t read about how tough their founder has it. While life behind bars is never fun, first century Roman prisons were awful. Paul may be in the joint, but this letter is all about joy. 

Our man Paul has quite a story. He’s the famous Pharisee everyone used to know as Saul of Tarsus. One of the best and brightest of Judaism. He shares a bit of his rather impressive resume later in the letter (Phil 3:5-7). One minute he’s tossing the followers of Jesus in the slammer, the next minute he’s one of them. It’s a crazy story that Luke writes all about in the last half of Acts. But the apostle is not alone. There’s a second name at the top of the letter: Timothy. Originally from Lystra in what we now know as Turkey, Tim is the product of a mixed marriage. His mom is Jewish while his dad is Greek (Acts 16:1-4). Once Tim hears about Jesus, he gains a spiritual father in Paul and joins him on his mission to tell the world about the radical Rabbi from Galilee. He was right there with his mentor when they rolled into Philippi for the first time. Timothy goes on to become one of the most dependable members of Paul’s posse, eventually pastoring the mega-church in Ephesus (1Tim 1:3).

Interestingly, Paul and Tim don’t throw their religious weight around when writing to their Philippian friends. Instead of playing the we-founded-your-church-so-you’d-better-listen-to-us card, they’re incredibly humble. They refer to themselves as “servants of Christ Jesus” (v1). This is the Greek word doulos, which describes a slave. It’s someone in unquestioning obedience to another. One devoted to to another to the disregard of one’s own interests. Think of being completely controlled by someone or something. That’s Paul and Tim. Because of all our Savior Jesus has done for the dynamic duo, they are totally devoted to Him in willing obedience. Not because they have to. But because they want to. Do you willingly obey Jesus? Or is it begrudging compliance? True joy is only found in following and obeying the One who died for you. Just ask Paul. 

Paul and his sidekick readily admit they serve “Christ Jesus” (v1). Don’t blow past the beauty and weight of these incredible words. Christ isn’t Jesus last name. It’s His title. It means “Anointed One.” He’s the Messiah, the long-promised and long-awaited One. God first hinted at His arrival back in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:15). Yahweh has continually promised through folks like Abraham, Moses, David, and His prophets that He was sending the ultimate Hero who has come to our rescue. That Rescuer is Christ.

In the Gospels, we find out exactly who He is. Jesus, the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from the boondocks of Nazareth. Jesus lives the perfect life that we fail to live. He died the death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to a glorious new life that we don’t deserve. It’s this risen Jesus who personally appears to Paul on the expressway outside of Damascus (Acts 9:1-19). If you want to know the truth, it was actually more of a divine mugging. We see throughout the Bible that Jesus is actually the fulfillment of all of God’s promises and blessings. And He’s using Paul to throw open the door to God’s kingdom to people of every race, culture, people group, gender, social status, and economic position.

On the receiving end of Paul’s letter are “saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons” (v1). He calls them “saints” (Gr. hagios). That little word means holy one, someone or something set apart for God’s purpose, or a person or thing that is pure and without flaw or blemish. The best way to understand the idea of holy is something or someone who is completely different from everything around it. These Philippian Jesus followers aren’t like every other resident of the city. There’s something different. There’s something about them that stands out. How about you? Do you stand out from the rest of the people in the workplace? In your neighborhood? And notice that this does NOT say “From St. Paul and St. Timothy to lowly, garden variety followers of Jesus in Philippi.” That’s because every follower of Jesus is a saint. It’s not some special title reserved for someone who’s life is subject to a special investigative panel. You and I aren’t saints because of anything we’ve done. We’re saints because of what Jesus has done for us that we could never do. 

Paul makes a point of mentioning “the overseers and deacons” (v1). These are the leaders who are serving the saints of Philippi. That’s probably the apostle’s point in listing them last. Leadership in God’s kingdom isn’t about rising to the top. It’s about bending over to the bottom. Bill Hybel’s calls it “descending into greatness.” It’s the kind of servant leadership that Jesus continually preached and demonstrated to His closest followers. The King of Kings made it clear that He’s actually the Servant of Servants. It’s not about being the grand marshal but walking behind the parade with a bucket and a shovel. That’s the role of these leaders in the church of Philippi.