Joy in Gospel Partnership

JOY IN GOSPEL PARTNERSHIP

An Exposition of Philippians 1:3-8

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date:   February 18, 2018

Series: Philippians: Gospel Partnership on Mission in the World

Note:   Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

The Lord Jesus commissioned His servant Paul to preach the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Therefore Paul went forth in the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim God’s message of grace, make disciples, and start new congregations.

Paul was ‘all in’ to his evangelistic task because it was a task he had received from the Lord. God-given task. Although he faced opposition and persecution, although he experienced challenges and difficulties on every side, he carried on and proved faithful to his charge. 

Paul was also ‘all in’ to the gospel message because it is the message of life. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation, the good news that brings forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God. What a high calling to proclaim the glorious gospel for the conversion of souls and the edification of God’s people.

But Paul was ‘all in’ to something else as well. Some workers are diligent in the task, but they keep their distance from people. Some preachers are faithful to preach and teach the Word, but they don’t let the people into their heart. Some people have thought it wise that the clergy should maintain ‘professional distance’ from the laity, that a pastor should not let himself get too close to his parishioners, that preachers should not or cannot become friends with people from the congregation. The logic seems to be: play it safe by keeping your distance. If you let people into your heart and life, then you are setting yourself up to get hurt – as if protecting ourselves from hurt is somehow virtuous. If you let people get close, then they will see your imperfections and they won’t have an ‘ideal pastor image’ in their minds when they think of you – as if the effectiveness of pastoral ministry is based on people having faulty and inflated views of the pastor.

In some people’s experience the elders or overseers of the church have functioned as the members of a board who hand down decisions from upon high, but they are not shepherds who live among the people and care deeply for them.

But it is not only church leaders who have sometimes embraced a relationally disconnected form of ministry. Sometimes churchgoers themselves have embraced a relationally disconnected form of the Christian life. We like the worship services, but not our fellow worshipers. We like programs, not people. We like manageable tasks, not frank conversations. We like simple little formulas, not life-giving, heart-breaking fellowship with one another. Play it safe by keeping your distance.

By God’s grace, Paul’s ministerial training did not include ‘professional distance’ in the curriculum. This was not an oversight on the Lord’s part, for the Lord’s will was that His ministers would have His heart for His people, and that all His people would have His heart for one another. And so it is that the apostle Paul was ‘all in’ to the people who were won to faith through the preaching of the gospel. As Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica,

“So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8)

If your view of the Christian life is that it can somehow be lived in isolation from your fellow Christians, if you think that the only thing that matters is that you personally believe in the Lord and personally go to heaven when you die, and you don’t think that the fellowship of the saints in the present time is a big deal, then I hope that today’s message knocks you off balance and gets you thinking in a biblical direction.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

So then, let me read Philippians 1:3-8. Holy Scripture says:

³ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸ For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-8)

PAUL HELD THE PHILIPPIAN CONGREGATION IN HIS HEART

Let’s begin by observing Paul’s heart for the Philippians. These believers occupied a large place in his heart. For starters, Paul remembered them. Given the frequency with which we tend to forget others or are afflicted by the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ disease, it is remarkable that though they were separated geographically and didn’t have modern means of instant communication, nevertheless Paul often remembered his friends. How couldn’t he remember them, since he held them in his heart?

Further, Paul didn’t remember them in the form of a quick and passing thought, but in such a way that prompted him to thank God for them and pray for them. This remembering-thanking-praying reality was not a superficially rote or boringly repetitious thing, for Paul indicates that he prayed for them “with joy.” Paul had gladness of heart on account of his friends. He was energized as he thought about them, grateful as he remembered them, and passionate as he interceded for them.

Paul felt such joy for the Philippians because he held them in his heart. If our own experience of Christian fellowship lacks this depth of joy, or if our own experience of prayer for each other lacks such gratitude and gladness, we should consider the likelihood that we aren’t holding our fellow Christians in our heart. Instead, we may be holding them at arm’s length, insisting that they stay over there while we remain in our own little bubble. You can walk among us and attend services and show up at events, and all the while be in your own self-enclosed space, never letting others in. No wonder that the fellowship seems dull and the prayers dry! As for Paul, he had opened his heart to his brothers and sisters. They were precious to him, and he was tender toward them. Their concerns were his concerns, and their joys were his joys.

Moreover, his heart went out to them in the form of intense longing: “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” Although the Philippians could not see into Paul’s heart, Paul reveals his heart to them with the full realization that God knows his heart and that God could testify of his affectionate yearning for them. Paul yearned for their spiritual growth and well-being. Paul wanted to visit them again and was committed to helping them grow in the Lord. Whether physically present or absent, the Philippians were in Paul’s heart. In chapter 4 Paul calls them “my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown.” (Philippians 4:1) This deep love, this longing and yearning, was not the product of mere human emotion. For Paul says that he yearned for the Philippians with what? “With the affection of Christ Jesus.” Paul isn’t merely imitating Christ’s love, but is actively participating in it. Or perhaps it would be better to say that Christ’s love was actively at work in Paul’s heart, so much so that Christ’s affection flowed through him to the Philippians. This is how Christian love works: God’s grace fills our cup to overflowing, and the overflow flows outward in love for others.

Here, then, is Paul’s heart for the Christians in Philippi: grateful remembering, joyful praying, tenderhearted holding, and affectionate yearning. No ‘professional distance’ here, but profound relational connection characterized by great love.   

WHY PAUL HELD THE PHILIPPIANS CONGREGATION IN HIS HEART

Notice, however, that Paul doesn’t just tell the Philippians how he feels about them, he also tells them why. Don’t expect the ‘what’ to exist in the absence of the ‘why’. Don’t expect good fruit to exist in the absence of a good tree with good roots. Don’t expect the beauty of profound relational connection to exist in the absence of its proper foundation. So, why did Paul feel such affection and joy for the Philippians? The answer is first given in verse 5: “because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

We must understand that Paul is not a mere humanitarian who just goes around with a tremendous ability to win people over to his magnetic personality and inspiring message. Paul isn’t excited simply because he has friends and followers. Paul isn’t stoked because he thinks ‘All You Need Is Love’ (title of song by The Beatles). What good are warm bodies, warm spirits, and a hot cause – if the cause is all wrong?

To be sure, some people do experience a measure of joy because they have found partnership in something – partnership in a sports team, a business enterprise, a political cause, or a drama club. I recall the elation I felt in my participation in the school play my senior year of high school. As a tennis player, I was more attuned to individual competition and individual wins and losses. But as part of the drama club, I had a much stronger sense that the performance of the play was something that we pulled off together. The sense of togetherness can be a very powerful experience.

However, all the partnerships of humankind are going to come crashing down someday, and the only partnership that shall remain is “partnership in the gospel.” For this gospel partnership is nothing less than fellowship with the living God: it is “participation in the Spirit” (Philippians 2:1), it is sharing in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:10).

Paul has so much joy on account of the Philippians because they are partners with him in the riches of the gospel. The heart of the gospel is the forgiveness of sins and the sinner’s reconciliation with God through the perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In order to receive this salvation, a sinner must turn away from sin and put his or her complete confidence in the Lord Jesus. As the apostle Peter declared in Acts 2,

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

When you are lost in sin, you are separated from God – you do not have fellowship with God and with God’s people. But when you are “born again… through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23), a whole new set of relationships opens up. Now you have fellowship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the Holy Spirit dwells in you – He enriches your relationship with the Father and connects you to other believers in the body of Christ. Now we are part of God’s family, and we are all brothers and sisters to each other. And it is fitting that brothers and sisters love each other, since they are all sons and daughters of the same loving Father, since they are all friends of the same gracious Savior, and since they are all knit together in the bond of peace by the same Holy Spirit. It is this gospel fellowship – this gospel partnership – that has Paul all fired up when he contemplates his dear friends in Philippi. Is this what fires you up?

This gospel partnership is not theoretical. It’s not like you signed up for Amazon Prime, and so did I along with millions of other people all over the world, and therefore we all share this powerful thing called Amazon Prime. Let’s be honest: you really don’t care if anyone else signs up for Prime, you just want your free two-day shipping!

But gospel partnership isn’t like that. Through the gospel we are bound to our Lord and to one another, and this bond that we share is personal, practical, purposeful, and permanent. 

Gospel Partnership is Personal

When I say that gospel partnership is personal, I mean that it is personally felt in the heart as an exchange of love. This is on full display in our passage, where Paul is filled up with gratitude, prayer, joy, and affection for his brothers and sisters. Paul clearly expects that this heartfelt love would be reciprocated – that they would pray for him (Philippians 1:19), that they would “glory in Christ Jesus” on his account (Philippians 1:26), that they would “be glad and rejoice with [him]” (Philippians 2:17). Further, Paul clearly expects the Philippians to exhibit deep love for one another (Philippians 1:27–2:4). Gospel-generated fellowship is full of inter-personal love for one another – not because we are likable or have charming personalities, but because we have been made sons and daughters of the same kindhearted Father. 

Gospel Partnership is Practical

Gospel partnership is also practical. At the risk of referring back to Acts 16 too many times, I simply remind us that the converted Lydia opening up her home to Paul and his team, and likewise the converted jailer opening up his home and caring for them, is a beautiful picture of gospel partnership in practice.

In our passage, “partnership in the gospel” in verse 5 is restated as “partakers with me of grace” in verse 7. These are similar statements. To be fellowship partners in the gospel is to be fellow partakers of the same grace that the gospel so generously supplies. If I may pick up on a line of thought from author G. Walter Hansen, it is important to understand that grace is a rich category that involves not only God gracing us with salvation, but also God gracing us with certain abilities or gifts that we can use to bless one another and build up the church, and God gracing us with the opportunity of giving money to support ministry and missions, and God gracing us with the privilege of suffering for the sake of the gospel (Philippians 1:29-30). Paul and the Philippians share together in all that God gives, especially within the context of mission.[1]

For in verse 7 Paul goes on to say that this “[partaking] with me” expressed itself “both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” The idea here is that the Philippians partnered with Paul in his missionary work and that this partnership continued even when Paul was put in prison for his preaching of the gospel. We know from Philippians 4 that this gospel partnering meant monetary support. On multiple occasions the Philippian congregation supported Paul’s missionary efforts with financial gifts. This is love made practical: sharing in a brother’s need, and sending a gift to provide help. Gospel-generated fellowship involves practical care for one another. We should not claim to be bound together in heart and soul, if we are unwilling to share our stuff with each other. Gospel partnership encompasses all that we are and all that we have – with everything offered up in service to the Lord.

Gospel Partnership is Purposeful

The next thing to note is that gospel partnership is purposeful. Of course, you already know this! For we have already learned that the gospel drives our partnership into mission, and that our fellowship together is a missional fellowship. So here I simply remind us that the Philippians partnership with Paul had a particular purpose: the advancement of the gospel (see Philippians 1:12). They partnered with Paul “in [his] imprisonment” and in his “defense and confirmation of the gospel.” Their partnership was not with Paul the man without regard to what Paul was doing. Their partnership was with Paul the missionary, with Paul the gospel preacher.

And even as a congregation partners with missionaries like Paul to advance the gospel, so the members of a congregation must partner with each other in order to defend and confirm the gospel in their own local area. As Paul tells the Philippians later in chapter 1, he wants to “hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:27) The missionaries have to do gospel work where they are, and we support their efforts; and we have to do gospel work where we are, and we support one another in our collective effort. Gospel-generated fellowship is purposeful, and this purpose is proclaiming the gospel and making disciples of all nations. 

Gospel Partnership is Permanent

The gospel creates a closely-knit fellowship of believers who love one another from the heart, care for one another in practical ways, and work together to advance the gospel. Gospel partnership is personal, practical, and purposeful. But there is something else that we must see.

Earlier I said that all human partnerships are going to come crashing down some day. Let that sink in. All the academic institutions, all the co-ops, all the social betterment groups, all the joint ventures in ecology or economics, all the political caucuses, all the Christian and denominational organizations, and even all the marriages that have taken place in this present world – they will all come to an end. Some will come crashing down as part of God’s judgment on the unrighteous. Others will pass away simply because their time is up. I trust that ‘South Paris Baptist Church’ as an organization serves a useful purpose in God’s kingdom, but our organization will not continue in the new heaven and the new earth. There it will simply and gloriously be Christ and His Church! Marriage itself will pass away, as Jesus taught us, except for that ultimate and wonderful marriage between Christ the Bridegroom and His Bride the Church! And when I say that only Christ and His Church will endure forever, that is just another way of saying that fellowship and partnership “in the gospel” is the only partnership that will endure forever. Now, how do I know this?

Well, I could point to many passages, but the one that has been set before us this morning is Philippians 1:6, in which Paul writes:

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

We often make a mistake in our Bible reading – and this mistake is to lift a verse out of its context and give it a meaning that makes sense to us. And some of us have probably made this mistake in our handling of Philippians 1:6, which is a very well-known verse. If I were to hand you this verse out of context, without any knowledge of verses 1-5 that come before or verses 7-11 that come after, how would you read it? Well, being good 21^st century Americans who have been trained in the philosophy of individualism, you would probably apply verse 6 to you as an individual believer. You would think of it like this: God began a good work in you individually and saved you individually, and He will continue what he has started in you and not only will he continue it but he will finish it, and on the last day you individual Christian will stand complete in the presence of the Lord. In this way of reading it, verse 6 is basically a word of assurance to the individual Christian, meaning that you cannot lose your salvation because God won’t discontinue the work He started in you on the day you were saved. But as a preacher of God’s Word, it is my job to tell you that reading verse 6 this way is misguided and represents a different emphasis than the one Paul intends. While the truth of verse 6 certainly applies to each believer individually, the individual dimension is not the main emphasis – and the reason I know this is because of the context of the verse.

What is the context? Well, the context puts emphasis on the Philippian congregation as a whole: “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi” (Philippians 1:1), “in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy” (Philippians 1:4), “because of your partnership in the gospel” (Philippians 1:5), “for you are all partakers with me of grace” (Philippians 1:7), “how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:8). So verse 6 should be read in the context of verses 1-11. And when you do this, you realize that Paul’s confidence is that God, who began a good work in the Philippian congregation – who took these folks who were spiritually lost and brought them into His family and made them fellowship partners with the Lord and with each other and with Paul and Timothy and with all believers everywhere – God is going to continue that work in the Philippian congregation and he is going to bring that work “to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” So the Philippians would have read this as a promise to their congregation – to their fellowship – that God who birthed them would not abandon them, but would nurture them and strengthen them and uphold them, that God would grant them growth and progress in their congregational life and mission, and that God would see His work in them all the way to the finish line. Then at the last day they would be joined together with all of God’s holy people from every time and place, they would be clothed in splendor, and they would rejoice in their Savior, forever and ever, amen.

Notice the arc of time envisioned in verses 5-6. In verse 5 Paul says “because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” The “first day” was the day that Paul and his team took the gospel to Philippi, around the year 50ad; “now” was several years later when Paul was writing this letter to the congregation. But Paul isn’t content to drop off the line of thought at the present “now,” but he immediately considers that God’s good work of taking the raw material of perishing sinners and out of them forming a holy community of gospel partnership, this good work is going the distance. Therefore the thought is, not only “from the first day until now” (v. 5), but “from the first day” all the way until the last day – “the day of Jesus Christ” (v. 6), when all of God’s purposes will be fulfilled, and the everlasting joy of the everlasting fellowship of the everlasting gospel will fill the new creation. On that day we will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with the apostles and prophets, and with all the saints, and with the Lord Himself, and we will feast together in the kingdom of our God.

Do you understand that the personal, practical, and purposeful realities of gospel partnership are permanent realities? Is your life built into these permanent realities? Furthermore, do you understand that the living fellowship that we have with one another is an everlasting fellowship? And do you understand that the gospel work that we participate in is, in fact, part of God’s “good work” among us? If you understand these things, then the question is: is your work built into this divine work that will endure forever? Be assured that unless the Lord does His work in and through South Paris Baptist Church, then the work that we do here will not last. But if by faith we can lay hold of God’s promise, then we have every reason to stay true to gospel partnership and keep partaking of God’s grace, even in days of opposition and difficulty.

Paul is fired up about his fellowship partners in Philippi, not only because they are partners with him in the gospel, but also because their partnership with him isn’t a temporary flash in the pan, but is a partnership that will have no end. Gospel-generated fellowship is not only personal, practical, and purposeful, but also permanent. And because it is permanent, nothing is more sensible than to invest your whole heart, your time, your service, and your resources into it, because it will never come crashing down, moth and rust will never destroy it, and thieves will never break in and steal it. 

APPLICATION

So, we have seen that Paul had a large heart for the Philippians, and we have seen the reason why – “because of [their] partnership in the gospel.” And because of this gospel partnership, it is not only permissible for Paul to feel so much joy and affection on account of his brothers and sisters, it is actually right for Paul to feel this way: “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace.” Let all those who partake of grace, love one another in this way.

Now I have two final words of application flowing out of this passage. 

Application #1: From Spectating and Religious Consumption to True Gospel Partnership

My first word is especially aimed at those who have a view of the Christian faith that regards fellowship and partnership as something that is optional, peripheral, or unimportant to the Christian life. The whole letter of Philippians blows that view out of the water, but I want to sound an initial warning at this early stage of our study.

There are people – you might be one of them – who look at the Christian faith almost exclusively in terms of a person’s individual salvation. You were lost before Jesus found you. Then He found you, saved you, and promised you eternal life – and the next big thing is heaven after you die or when He returns. Not much else matters, really, except for a few things like personal Bible study, private prayer, and staying out of trouble. You have this idea that you should attend church services, so you do, but when it comes to the life of the church, you are either a spectator or a consumer.

If you are a spectator, you have some awareness of what is going on, you observe it from afar, and you always keep your distance. You say you believe the gospel, and yet something is blocking you from “partnership in the gospel” – something is keeping you from the rich relational life that characterizes Christ’s church. You’re on the sidelines, playing it safe, when you should be with us on the forty-yard line, standing shoulder to shoulder with your teammates and helping us move the ball up the field. The elders and members of this church would be thrilled if you would cease your spectating and start your participating in gospel fellowship and mission. Then together we can watch what God Himself will do in our midst!

Then there are the consumers. You want to get something – you want to get fed, you want to feel something, you want to learn something, you want a need to be met. And since you are a Christian, you have found the church to be a great service provider – there is preaching to feed you, music to inspire you, teaching to instruct you, benevolence to assist you. Well, I’m glad you’ve found all this helpful, but let’s be honest: this isn’t all about you! Yes, there is music, but we’re not competing with the entertainment industry. Yes, there is teaching, but we’re not competing with the colleges and seminaries. Yes, there is benevolence, but we’re not competing with social action groups. We are members of God’s family; we are fellowship partners with one another and with all true Christians; we belong to the Lord and to each other; and the gospel causes us to grow together as a unified body. The elders and members of this church would be thrilled if you would set aside your religious consumption and start co-laboring with us in the ministry of the gospel. Do this, and you will receive far more than you can ask or imagine!

Our desire is that spectators and consumers would be drawn in, and that all strangers to gospel fellowship would become an active part of our church family.

Application #2: Encouragement For Our Fellowship Partners

My second word of application is for the many of us who are well acquainted with gospel partnership. You know that when you came to Christ you immediately became part of His family and His mission. You have seen the Lord work in remarkable ways: He has brought you into rich relationships with other Christians, and you have served alongside your brothers and sisters, and you have great joy in pursuing the advancement of God’s kingdom. I have two things to say to you who are truly gospel partners.

First, I want you to grasp the love that Jesus has for you. You are on the field, you are in the game, you are attempting to move the ball up the field, and sometimes it isn’t easy. Paul was in prison. The Philippians themselves had opponents who stood against them, as Paul indicates in Philippians 1:28. There are “enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18) who would love to get you off track. Every now and then you are tempted to grumble and complain at how difficult things are (see Philippians 2:14). Sometimes you seem to almost grow weary in doing good, and you are close to throwing in the towel. You’ve even thought that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to move from participating to spectating, from partnering to consuming – you know, just for a little while, just enough to catch your breath. But be careful: a little while, you blink, and before you know ten years have gone by!

Dear fellowship partners, do you have any idea the large heart that Jesus has for you? Notice what Paul says in verse 8: “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” Paul’s big tender heart of affection and joy for the Philippians is a reflection of the big tender heart of affection and joy that Jesus has for all His saints. It is “the affection of Christ Jesus” that goes out to the Philippians. The Philippians must see beyond ‘Paul the servant of Christ’ to Christ Himself who delights in His people. The Lord Jesus is glad to call you friend, and He rejoices in the fellowship that you share with Him and His Father and with all of His people. Do not lose heart, but stay at your post. For the Lord is near; His grace is here; the good work of gospel partnership will go on until that final day; and God our Father will finish His work and bring us to everlasting glory.

There is also a second thing I want to say to our fellowship partners: the Elders here have a heart for you! I make no claim to equaling the intensity or constancy of Paul’s affection for the Philippians, but I can say that we value you, we love you, and we are glad to share in this gospel work together. You are the Lord’s people! You are our brothers and sisters! You share the joys and the troubles with us! And like Paul, our desire is to minister to you so that you, along with us, might experience “progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:25), so that together we might labor side by side for the sake of the gospel (Philippians 1:27). And our chief desire is not that you do any particular thing, but that you lean into the gospel and put all your love and loyalty there; and that you lean into the mission of the gospel, and live with us in the Great Commission mandate to shine the light of Jesus Christ into our dark world; and that you lean into your fellowship partners, and lay down your life for one another. The Elders have no intention of keeping our distance, but we intend rather to be among you as servants of Christ, because Christ has given us a heart for you.

Let us pray. 

ENDNOTES

[1] See Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009: p. 53-55.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

NOTE: My inclusion of a bibliography reflects my interaction with other teachers in the preparation of my sermon. While the main part of my preparation involves my direct interaction with the biblical text, I find it helpful to invite other “discussion partners” into my preparation process. My mention of these teachers (writers, speakers, etc.) does not imply any particular level of agreement with them, nor does it constitute an endorsement of their work. That said, I am appreciative of those – past and present – who are seeking to faithfully teach God’s Word, and I am happy to benefit from their labor.

Boice, James Montgomery. Philippians: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000.

Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009.

Hellerman, Joseph H. Embracing Shared Ministry: Power and Status in the Early Church and Why It Matters Today. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2013.

Silva, Moisés. Philippians: Second Edition (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.