Reflecting on Philippians - Philippians 1:1-2

Paul’s letter to the Christians at Philippi begins with a greeting. I wonder whether we greet folk how and when we should or whether, sometimes, we choose to ignore that positive approach.

Paul begins by identifying himself, as would normally happen in a letter of the times. He aligns himself with Timothy and they are named as ‘servants’ of Jesus. I wonder by what designation we choose to introduce ourselves in various contexts. It might, for example, be by means of our work, through a family relationship, or linking ourselves to a particular activity. The question ‘who am I?’ is a big one, and deserves a more careful answer than we sometimes offer.

 

Paul goes on to name those to whom he is writing. They are the ‘saints’ of Philippi. We do well to remember that all God’s people are saints. It’s a description that we sometimes reserve for those whom we want to ringfence as special. But we are all special. We are all God’s people, God’s saints. He also makes reference to ‘bishops and deacons’ – or that could be translated as ‘overseers and helpers’. Everyone has a part to play in the church, but the role of leadership is an important one. Clearly, the Philippian church was sufficiently developed to have people in positions of leadership by the time Paul wrote. I wonder, for each of us, just what part God is calling us to play in the church right now.

 

Paul expresses his greeting in terms of a wish for ‘grace’ and ‘peace’ to be the experience of those to whom he is writing. Those are gifts from God. As Howard Marshall (The Epistle to the Philippians) puts it: “Grace is the loving favour of God, especially shown towards sinful people, and peace is the positive relationship between (God) and pardoned sinners in which they richly enjoy (God’s) blessings.”

 

So, Paul writes to the whole church, but recognising the importance of its leadership but, more especially, of the reliance of the people on God and God’s gifts. I wonder how aware we are, ordinarily, of the blessings, or gifts, we receive from God.