OUR FATHER WHO WE THANK FOR THOSE HE HAS ENJOINED US WITH

In a re-examination of the Apostle Paul´s letter to the church in the town of Philipi, we will look line by line into the precepts being communicated by the Holy Spirit.

By way of introdution, Paul begins his letter by giving his name and the name of his protege Timothy and labeling themselves as bondservants of the Lord Jesus Christ. He then indicates that his letter is generally addressed to all the saints in the town of Philippi with a mention of the spiritual and adminstrative leaders named as bishops and deacons. 

1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The  apostle then blesses his readers by conferring grace and peace on them that he was allotted from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 

Paul is perpetually grateful to God because of the Philippians and he discloses to them that he prays for them at every prayertime from the first day that he shared the gospel them to the time of the writing of the letter and that he was certain of the fact that the One who started the good work in them would continue to complete it on the great day of the revealing of Jesus Christ. This implies that the perfection of the saints is a continual work that will reach its perfection on the great day of the Lord.

7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

Paul declares that his perspective on them is accurate because they were the ones for whom he had been imprisoned for as he defended the gospel and saw its confirmation in their salvation and as such, shared in his grace. Because of how his life was entwined with theirs, he says to them that he has a great affection for them through the sharing of Jesus Christ.

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul writes to the Philippians that he prays that they would continually grow in love, knowledge and disernment so that they would have the tools necessary to distinguish the things that were excellent and right. Paul also prayed that they would be filled with the God-given  fruits of righteousness so that they would remain sincere and without strife until the Lordˋs return.

Amen

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