Philippians 1:1-2 – Servants and Saints
I am so excited to start teaching at these gatherings. Today we will finally start our first series, going
through the book of Philippians. It is a wonderful book in the New Testament. It has strong themes
of Joy through suffering and partnership in the gospel. Two amazing themes! But the reason I love
this little book, is how Pauls love for this little church that he planted shines thought the pages.
Almost every sentence oozes with Paul’s love for this little church.
Listen to verses 4-8:
“Jag tackar min Gud var gång jag tänker på er. I alla mina böner för er alla ber jag alltid med
glädje, eftersom ni har varit med i arbetet för evangeliet från första dagen ända till nu.”
Filipperbrevet 1:3-5 SFB15
As as we work together through Philippians, and plant a church in Krökslätt we pray that God might
knit us together with such love.
It wasn’t even Pauls plan to plant in Philippi. They had been trying to get to Asia, to preach the
gospel there. But in Acts 16, the Lord prevents them two times, and then gives them a vision of a
man of Macedonia, who called out to them for help. The first place they arrive in Macedonia is
Philippi, a thriving city, and within a few days a church is planted. The first converts were a gentile
woman, who prayed to the God of the Old Testament. She was a business woman and probably very
wealthy. Then they are harassed by a demon pos
sessed fortune telling girl. And after casting out her demon, Paul and Silas are thrown in Prison.
Rather than complaining they sing songs of praise, even after being badly beaten and then chained
to the cell walls. And after a miraculous, non-escape, their Roman jailer and his entire family are
converted and baptised. So that first small church was made up of a business woman and her house
hold, and the family of a working class Roman jailer and maybe, or at least I hope, a previously
demon possessed slave girl. Please, go and reread this amazing story in Acts chapter 16 this week.
It wasn’t Paul’s plan but it was God’s plan. This in itself is a reminder to us as we begin our journey.
That while we want to plan and prepare, we are in the hands of the master planner, who we pray
will guide us. A few road closures or redirections away fro our plans, will still, we trust, be God
guiding us to do what He has already planned in advance.
But today as we start this book I just want to focus on two words in the first two verses. Let’s read
them together. Verses 1-2:
“Från Paulus och Timoteus, Kristi Jesu tjänare. Till alla de heliga i Kristus Jesus som bor i
Filippi, tillsammans med församlingsledarna och församlingstjänarna. Nåd vare med er och
frid från Gud vår Far och Herren Jesus Kristus.”
Filipperbrevet 1:1-2 SFB15
The two words I want to focus on are “tjänare” and “de Helga”. Both words show us something
special about church life, that we must embrace in the new church. And together they help us see a
key thing about the nature of church leadership.
So firstly, Tjänare: What is interesting here is how the word used here is very rarely translated
accuratly. It is most often translated either as servant, as it is here in Swedish. Or as slave. In fact
both are almost correct, the word Paul uses most accurately translated is in English as ‘bondservant.’
But as most people don’t know what a bondservant is, modern translations either use slave or
servant. And the Swedish translation decides to use the softer word, probably because of the
modern connections with racial slavery. Which is not what the Bible talks about when talking about
slavery. Slavery was most often a form of debt repayment. And would be for a certain amount of
time. Once there debt was complete, they could either go free and live their own life; or if they loved
their master and wanted to stay in his service. Then they could choose to become a “bondservant,”
and remain in the service of their master their whole life. This is what Paul is talk about when he
refers to himself as a bondservant to the Lord.
The Lord bought Pauls life from slavery to sin, by the costly blood f His Son. And what does Paul and
Timothy want to do with thistle freedom? They want to bind themselves to serving Jesus and His
gospel their entire lives. Because they love their good master and could not dream of a better life
that serving Him with their lives!
Application: Every believer is bound in service to Jesus. We have been set free, through the gospel.
But not set free to once again do as we please. No. We are set free. And the only right response to
this lavish and costly freedom, is to lay down our lives in service to King Jesus.
Why are we seeking to plant a church? Because our loving King Jesus has asked us to serve Him this
way, and our joy is made complete by living for His joy.
And personally, the goal of the Christian life is to life wholeheartedly in Jesus service.
So Paul, Timothy and we are all bondservants of Jesus.
And the other word is, “De Heliga”: Paul writes, “Till alla de heliga i Kristus Jesus som bor i Filippi,
tillsammans med församlingsledarna och församlingstjänarna.”
Paul calls everyone in the Philppian church, a “holy one.” Now does that sound strange to you? What
if Paul were to write us a letter and he addressed it “to all the holy ones in Göteborg?” Who do you
think he would be talking to? Oh obviously the leadership, those are the holy ones. No. Because he
addresses the leaders separately next, the “församlingsledarna och församlingstjänarna.”
Well, maybe he means the ones who are really, really, really good. They are the holy ones. The ones
who have the Christian life all sorted, right? No again. Becasue no one is made holy by their good
deeds, as it tells us in the Bible, in Isaiah 64:6:
“Vi är alla orena, alla våra rättfärdiga gärningar är som en fläckad dräkt. Vi vissnar alla som
löv, och som en vind sveper våra missgärningar bort oss.”
Jesaja 64:6 SFB15
No. They, we, are not holy by human work or effort. It is a work of God, a free gift given through
faith. Everyone, in the church in Philippi was holy before God. Made so by Jesus! From little Johnny
who always messes up and is the first to repent, to good old Ingred, who has been in church all her
life and never missed a prayer meeting. Both are Holy, because God has made them holy.
And that is the same with us. You are a holy one. You are made so by Jesus. No, you are not perfect,
but you are holy before God.
Application: There are many things we could take from this. But what I would want us to learn is
this, there are no second class Christians in the Kingdom of God. No one is more valuable or holy
than anyone else. The Elders and Deacons are bondservants of Jesus, and like Jesus servants of the
church family. No one deserves a better or bigger piece of chicken at the church BBQ by way of
status in the church family. We are all equal before each other and God. Yes, some are called to lead
and given responsibility by the church. And some people will struggle with sin more than others.
Some will win major victories over sin and be able to help others who struggle. But we are all on the
same footing before God. We are made holy only by Jesus.
We are bondservants of Jesus, and made Holy in the Lord!
Question for us to discuss while we eat:
How will a right understanding of these two idea (bondservants and holy ones) make to the
life of a healthy church?
