Partnering with Your Minister in the Gospel — Philippians 1:1-7

July 15, 2025/Zach Keele/Faith

Photo Credit: FatCamera / iStock.com

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We have a host of different relationships from family to church, from classmates to coworkers, but not all of these relationships bring us joy.

Sure, some folk we don’t care for, and they don’t like us. Other relationships aren’t that close. But there is the person that makes you groan a little bit inside. You see their name calling on your phone and you sigh, “Ugh.” You care for them and you can’t cut them out of your life, but the relationship is trying, difficult, and laborious. Paul had this relationship with other churches.

In his letter to the Galatians Paul lamented that he had to give birth to the saints all over again in the gospel. He and the Corinthians were consistently in tension. They would get into trouble, Paul would fix it, and then they would bad-mouth Paul in favor of a more eloquent preacher. The memories Paul shared with other congregations stirred up tears and frustration.

But not so with the Philippians; their shared history was permeated with gratitude and joy. And what is the effect of sharing his joy? When someone tells you, “I am so thankful for you; you are such a delight,” what does this do? It cranks up the comfort; it nourishes the love. Paul’s joyful gratitude strengthens and adorns the peace between them.

Paul and the Philippians were partners in the gospel.

And when a relationship is founded in a secure peace, perfumed with a thankful joy, then it is ripe for fruitfulness; it is ready to do good things together. Hence, one of the prime reasons Paul is so joyful for the Philippians is that they are partners in the gospel—from day one of their relationship, those ten years ago, to the present.

The Philippians partnered with Paul in his gospel ministry, but what does this exactly mean? We all know that Paul was a tentmaker; he supported himself as a traveling missionary. Yet, this was not his exclusive practice, for at times he would receive support from others. He was careful about from whom he accepted support, for giving can create undesirable entanglements.

Paul refused support from the Corinthians because it would be harmful to their relationship. This, however, was not the case with the Philippians as they were more spiritually mature and healthy. The Philippians supported Paul at the start, and they kept sharing their support over the years.

And the occasion for this letter is that the Philippian saints sent Epaphroditus to Paul to fellowship and bring him another gift. By prayer, encouragements, and monies, the Philippians partnered with Paul in his gospel ministry. Because they gave of themselves, Paul was more free and able to herald the good news of Christ.

And this dynamic sheds light on the church’s ministry, on the relationship between the minister and the saints. At times, the ministry can seem to be limited only to those who preach and teach. Those who sit in the pews can feel unessential, as if they aren’t important. Yet, this is not the case for the church’s ministry is comprised of two essential elements: the senders and the sent.

Between the minster and the saints rests mutual dependence.

There is no sending out preachers without a body to send them. The gospel herald cannot survive without the prayers, fellowship, and support of the saints. Indeed, ministers will come and go, but the church body remains. The church is the saints, not just the officers. Between the minister and the saints rests mutual dependence.

Fellow edification flows back and forth. And when this relationship is on key, it is a beautiful bond of gratitude, joy, and love. The minister knows he cannot survive without the saints; and the saints rejoice that the minister serves them the living Word of Christ. Each one prays for the other. Each remembers the other, and there is great joy.

And this vital bond blooms and perfumes between the Philippians and Paul. As he says, “I have you in my heart” (Phil. 1:7). He holds them in his heart joyfully in love. The apostle doesn’t keep them at arm’s length; he doesn’t uphold a professional distance, like a modern doctor or therapist. He keeps them in his heart as family. They are precious to Paul’s very being. He cares for them more than himself. Being their servant is easy because they fill him with abundant joy and exceeding thankfulness.

The Philippian congregation stood by Paul in his gospel chains.

Philippians is one of Paul’s prison epistles, and this happy peace is especially encouraging to Paul during his imprisonment and defense of the gospel. We know from Acts that Paul was arrested in Jerusalem in A.D. 58 and that he stayed locked up from Jerusalem to Caesarea to Rome until about 61. And during this three-year dungeon period, Paul wrote letters. From this time, we get Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians.

Furthermore, besides the normal hardships of Roman imprisonment, Paul endured a good dose of rejection. To be imprisoned injected one with shame, and shame was universally to be avoided in Roman culture. You didn’t associate with the shameful for they would bring you down into their disgrace. Thus, congregations broke ties with Paul.

Friends and co-workers abandoned Paul and disowned him. As Paul says about his second imprisonment, all had deserted him, save the good doctor Luke. Well, the Philippian congregation was another exception to this all. They stood by him in his chains. They kept praying for him and they even continued to send gifts.

The Philippian saints were co-workers with Paul in the ministry of grace.

They sent to the shameful Paul, all locked up, Epaphroditus with gifts and brotherly encouragements. Hence, he again labels the saints as his partners. They were co-workers with him in the ministry of grace. They partnered with him in the gospel and in grace. Their love fueled Paul so that he could administer the grace of Christ.

Their support was grace to Paul to strengthen his frailty, to shine joy on his painful imprisonment, to honor the yoke of his social shame. Paul was able to boldly confirm the gospel before the scary power of Rome because the Philippians stood faithfully as his support staff. Their care and faithful love for Paul was like a wonderful photo in his memory.

Every time he looked at the picture of the Philippians during those bleak days of jail, Paul was overcome with joy and delight. Their partnership was a conduit of grace to keep Paul steadfast in defending the gospel. This is the beautiful harmony and partnership of the church between saints and minister, senders and sent. And due this bond and co-working of grace, Paul is, therefore, confident that the saints will go all the way. The joy Paul shares with the saints reminds him of its source, the all-sufficient work of God in them.

Christ’s grace works the entirety of his love in you.

Without doubt, God who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). It is God alone who begins the work of redemption in us. He chose us before we him. Christ found us while we were yet lost and hostile. The Spirit first recreates our heart before we can believe in grace. The Lord brings the Word to us that works faith, repentance, and love in us.

In our experience, it can seem like we take the first step to believe the gospel, but then we do trust and come to realize that God took the first step. He was working in us long before we started to work for him. By grace alone God in Christ began the good work of salvation in us. And our Lord never leaves anything half-done. Thus, what he started in us he brings to perfection.

Who is the author of our perseverance? Who is the agent of our fidelity? Who is the effective source of our sanctification? Who ensures our glorification? Well, it is not us. We don’t reach the finish line by our efforts; we don’t muscle our way to glory. It is not our behaviors that make us grow in sanctification; rather, this too is all of grace.

Sure, we have to put in effort; we need to be disciplined in the means of grace, but even these efforts of ours are shaped in us by the Spirit’s grace. Jesus is the author and perfector of your faith. The Good Shepherd leads you from the starting blocks to the victory ribbon. A salvation that starts by grace and ends by our good efforts turns out not to be gracious at all. It will never succeed but always fail.

Christ begins his redemptive work in you and by his loving mercy, he finishes this salvation in you unto resurrection and life everlasting. From beginning to end, from regeneration to resurrection, from depravity to holiness, Christ’s grace works the entirety of his love in you.

Dear saint, you are in the heart of your minister, and you fill his heart with surpassing joy.

And this amazing truth is confirmed and made evident by the joy between the saints. As Paul rejoiced in the Philippians, as he gave thanks for their partnership, the total grace of Jesus was pressed upon him. And this is a key attribute of joy—to rejoice in another realizes that you need them.

Joy in others testifies that they add to your life; they impart good to you. Without them, your life would be impoverished. We are not an island; we cannot make it on our own. We depend upon others and those who bless us well are a potent joy. The mutual joy between Paul and the saints reflects their mutual dependence, which in turn reveals our utter dependence on Christ.

Therefore, dear saints, your minister needs you. You are in the heart of your minister, and you fill his heart with surpassing joy. And this joy testifies to the certainty that Christ who began a good work in you will bring it to complete in the day of Jesus. Thus, let us give thanks to God, for one another, and for our blessed Savior.

This article is adapted from the Rev. Zach Keele’s sermon on Philippians 1:1-7, preached at Escondido Orthodox Presbyterian Church on April 6, 2025.