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Philippians chapter two. Philippians two, as we work our
way through Paul's letter to the church in Philippi, our focus
tonight will be verses 19 to 24, his commendation of Timothy. But I wanna read the section
beginning in verse 12 to the end of chapter two. Beginning
in chapter 2 at verse 12, do all things without complaining
and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children
of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the
word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have
not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being
poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service
of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the
same reason, you also be glad and rejoice with me. But I trust
in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may
be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded
who will sincerely care for your state, for all seek their own,
not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven
character, that as a son with his father he served with me
in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him
at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust
in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Yet I considered
it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and
fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to
my need, since he was longing for you all and was distressed
because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed, he was
sick almost unto death, but God had mercy on him, and not only
on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him
again, you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. receive him
therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in
esteem. Because for the work of Christ
he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was
lacking in your service toward me. Amen. Let us pray. Our Father,
we thank you for the written word of the living and true God,
We pray now that the Spirit who gave us this word would guide
us in our understanding, help us to see the glorious Christ
of the scriptures of the Bible, of the gospel, and may we see
how his servants conducted himself in this first century context.
We ask that you would forgive us for all of our sins and unrighteousness,
cleanse us in that precious fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness. And we ask this in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, amen. Well, now Paul starts to relate
some personal things to the congregation there in Philippi, and he kind
of is doing a bit of a travelogue, his intention to send Timothy,
he had already sent Epaphroditus. And so I want to look first at
the plan of the apostle in verse 19, and then secondly, his commendation
of Timothy in verses 20 to 22. And then finally, the hope of
the apostle in verses 23 and 24. And we'll learn a little
bit more about Timothy along the way. But remember the situation. The book of Acts ends with Paul
in prison in Rome, and that's about A.D. 60 to 62. While he's in the prison, he
writes Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. We
refer to those as the prison epistles. Notice in verse 25,
he had already sent Epaphroditus to the church in Philippi. Epaphroditus was likely either
a pastor, one of the elders in that congregation, and it was
the way that Paul would have sent that letter back to them.
In fact, if you look at chapter 4, specifically in verse 14. Nevertheless, you have done well
that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also
that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from
Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving,
but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you
sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek
the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.
Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from
Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma
and an acceptable sacrifice well-pleasing to God." So the church in Philippi
sends Epaphroditus with gifts for the apostle. It wasn't birthday
presents. It wasn't some other kind of
a gift exchange. It was probably food and clothing
and the things that he would need in the prison. And so then
Paul sends Epaphroditus back to them with the letter that
he has penned to them. So that's sort of the situation here in
chapter 2. Notice in verse 19, he says, I trust in the Lord
Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly. So this is what his
desire is. And then he gives the reason
for that at the end of verse 19, that I also may be encouraged
when I know your state. Now, Timothy would certainly
be an encouragement to the church in Philippi, but Paul also wants
to be encouraged by what he hears concerning the church in Philippi.
In other words, Paul, languishing in a prison, wants to know how
the saints of Christ are doing. calling his lawyer, he's not
bartering with the civil justice system, but rather he's concerned
for the churches. He's writing letters to them,
he's setting forth the glory of Christ, he's calling them
to live in a particular way, and he wants to hear about that
church in Philippi so that he himself can be encouraged. John
Gill says, the comfort and pleasure of gospel ministers lie in the
good of the churches of Christ. It puts them in good heart and
soul, as the word here used signifies. When they hear of their steadfastness
in the faith of Christ, of their love to one another and all the
saints, and of their patience under sufferings. He wants to
be encouraged with the state of the church in Philippi, a
church that he has great fondness and a great love for. And then
he speaks specifically concerning Timothy. And as he describes
or commends Timothy, we see something about what should be desirable
in a minister of the gospel. Listen to Zanke. He says, those
who lead in the churches, not just in everything generally,
but even in the sending of their envoys. So he's going to send
Timothy as an envoy. He's going to send Timothy as
a messenger. He wants Timothy to go and encourage
the church. He wants Timothy to bring back
a report concerning the church to be a means of encouragement
to the Apostle Paul. So those who lead in the Church's
ought, not just in everything generally, but even in the sending
of their envoys, to hope for the Church's health and comfort
rather than for their personal interests. And so, likewise,
they should not send blockheads as envoys, but Timothy-like men
who can and wish to attend to the health of the churches. Probably
should have given a trigger warning there because Zanke uses a mean
word. He refers to men that aren't
Timothy-like as blockheads. Now he goes on in verses 20 to
22 to show how Timothy is not a blockhead. how Timothy is the
man for this particular task. So I want to look at the devotion
of Timothy in verses 20 and 21, and then the service of Timothy
in verse 22. So with reference to Timothy,
notice in the first place, Timothy is like-minded with the apostle
Paul. So in verse 20a, we read, for
I have no one like minded. Turn back to the book of Acts
in Acts chapter 16, when Paul meets Timothy. It's a very instructive
situation, a very instructive setting. Paul and Barnabas setting
forth or setting out. They're not Barnabas anymore.
They had a split or a division. And so it's Paul and Silas going
out on that second missionary journey. That takes place in
chapter 15, verse 36 to chapter 18 at verse 22. and the dates are A.D. 49 to 52. So notice in Acts 16.1,
then he came to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple
was there named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman
who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well-spoken
of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. He already
was well-proven. He was already well-known. He
already had a good reputation in terms of faithfulness. So
when the Apostle Paul hears this, we read that in verse 3, Paul
wanted to have him go on with him. And as we look in the New
Testament, we learn a lot about Timothy. He resided in Lystra
and was likely a convert under Paul's preaching. He had a Jewish
mother and a Greek father. that necessitated the circumcision
issue, not because it was a law that Timothy needed to submit
to in order to be saved, but not to give offense to the places
where they would go where there were Jews. As well, he was taught
the Old Testament from his youth. We see that in 2 Timothy 1, 5,
and 2 Timothy 3, verses 14 and 15. He was named by Paul in several
of the greetings to the churches that Paul writes to. 2 Corinthians,
Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians. According to
Hebrews 13.23, he spent some time in prison and was ultimately
released from that. So the reputation of Timothy
preceded him. The Apostle Paul hears this and
now Paul wants to take him. on this second missionary journey.
He's well spoken of by those brethren. He is well known by
the church in Philippi, such that Paul doesn't have to launch
into a biography and where he was born and what he has done
and all those sorts of things. He says, you know his character,
you know that he's well proven. He was recognized as valuable
by the Apostle Paul. Paul speaks in his epistles this
way. He understands that Timothy was
a recipient of sovereign grace, 1 Timothy 6.12. He was a true
son in the faith to Paul, 1 Timothy 1.2 and 2 Timothy 1.5. And he
was a fellow worker with Paul according to Romans 16 and verse
21. So we know that Paul loves Timothy. We know that Paul values
Timothy. And going back to our text, we'll
see why he's not a blockhead. So notice in verse 20, for I
have no one like-minded. Go back to chapter two in verse
two. Notice, fulfill my joy by being
like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord of
one mind. In their own ways, both Timothy
and Epaphroditus exemplify certain of these exhortations that are
given in chapter two, verses one to four. So in verse five,
Paul says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus. So Jesus is the supreme example of those particular things
set forth in 2, 1 to 4, but so are Timothy. So is Timothy in
Epaphroditus. These men exemplify true Christian
grace, and they are godly men. Now when Paul says, for I have
no one like-minded, if we ask the question, what kind of mind
does the apostle Paul have? Well, it would take us a while
to sketch that in the New Testament, but with reference to this immediate
book of Philippians, we recognize several things. First, the priority
of the gospel. Timothy, like Paul, had priority
in terms of gospel. We see that with Paul in chapter
1 at verses 12 to 14. Secondly, the emphasis on Jesus
Christ. Philippians 1, verses 15 to 18.
Paul says that some preached out of ill will. Some preached
out of contempt for the Apostle Paul. They didn't like the fact
that he was in prison. They didn't like the fact that he perhaps
was throwing shade on the gospel of our Lord Jesus. But Paul didn't
care. It wasn't his reputation. These
men, though in their dislike of the Apostle Paul, nevertheless
preached the truth as it is in Jesus. And in that, he rejoices,
according to verse 18 in chapter 1. As well, Christ is the focus
for the Apostle Paul, both in life and in death. So when he
says that Timothy is like-minded, we conclude that Timothy is this
kind of man as well. Remember in Philippians 121,
for to live is Christ and to die is gain. As well, the Apostle Paul understood
what is necessary in the life of the Church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Again, the exhortations in chapter 2, verses 1 to 4.
Not be the best people on the face of the earth, though, you
know, pursue that, but be loving to one another. Have unity among
yourselves. Let no one be filled with pride
and conceit, but rather esteem others as better than yourselves.
As well, the knowledge of the mystery of the Incarnation. Timothy
is like-minded, not only in the practical application of Paul's
doctrine, but in the doctrine itself. And for the Apostle Paul,
he highlights the mystery of the incarnation when he speaks
concerning the incarnate Son in chapter 2, verses 6 to 11.
But not only the mystery of the incarnation, the mystery of the
Trinity. How does the Son relate to the Father? The Apostle knew
that, the Apostle understood that, and like-minded Timothy
also understood that as well. So Timothy is like-minded with
the Apostle Paul. But then notice, secondly, in
terms of his devotion, Timothy is genuinely concerned about
the church. He is genuinely concerned about
the church. Notice in 20b and 21, "...who
will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own,
not the things which are of Christ Jesus." So he's like-minded with
Paul, but he has a genuine devotion to the church. He's sincerely
concerned about their state. That's what Paul says. Again,
look back at chapter 2 and verse 4. Let each of you look out not
only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. That's Timothy. He's genuinely
concerned. He is sincerely after the good
of the church in Philippi. Note that contrast with the men
of verse 21. Why is Timothy commended? Because
of verse 21, for all seek their own, not the things which are
of Christ Jesus. Now, Paul could be speaking hyperbolically. The Bible uses hyperbole. when
it says all something, but it doesn't mean every jot and tittle
of that something, but perhaps he is speaking literally. Notice
what he says in verse 20, for I have no one like-minded. He does not say, I don't know
anyone like-minded, but I don't have anyone like-minded. Paul is in a Roman prison. Paul
does not have at his fingertips every single Christian minister
that he knows. He has Timothy present with him. Those who are professing Christians,
those who are professing ministers, are not necessarily the sorts
of men that Timothy are. Timothy is willing to make the
long trek from Rome to Philippi. I just Google mapped it and it
said 19 hours. That's a long trip for a Timothy
to go from Rome to Philippi. And so all these other men were
not willing to undertake such a venture, but the apostle Paul
is. Timothy is, and Paul commends
Timothy for that very reason. And I think that the apostle
is speaking a priority. See, the minister is not to neglect
himself, and the minister is not to neglect his family. In
fact, in 1 Timothy 3, verses 4 and 5, a man shouldn't be in
ministry if he doesn't know how or doesn't take care, rather,
of his family. If he doesn't manage his own
family, how can he take care of the Church of God? The minister
must put Christ first. Again, not to the neglect of
his family. There's a couple of characters
in the history of the church that I think did this in a negative
way. They left their wives for extended
periods of time in a situation that I can't imagine was legit
and good, but they are heroes. I won't mention their names because
I don't want to I don't want to throw shade on them, but it
just doesn't seem that it was an appropriate task or an appropriate
venture. The minister must take care of
himself and his family. The minister as well, though,
must make a priority out of Christ. Notice in Acts chapter 15, so
just prior or just about the launch of the second missionary
journey, We have this sort of dissension or division rather
over John Mark. Notice in 1536, then after some
days, Paul said to Barnabas, let us now go back and visit
our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of
the Lord and see how they are doing. Now, Barnabas was determined
to take with them John called Mark, but Paul insisted that
they should not take with them the one who had departed from
them in Pamphylia and had gone with them to the, and had not
gone with them to the work. So the Apostle Paul says, no,
I don't want John Mark. He set out with us prior, but
he didn't continue with us. Now, John Mark was not dead to
the apostle Paul. Paul in 2 Timothy chapter four
says that we can use John Mark. So this wasn't an apostasy. This
wasn't a defection. This wasn't a relinquishment
of the truth. It's just that his priority at that particular
time was not Christ. It was not on mission. It was
not on the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that familiar
statement. You can turn there in 2 Timothy
chapter four concerning Demas. And I think we see world there
and we conclude that he went after prostitutes and smoked
meth. But I'm not sure that's what we ought to conclude from
this particular statement. Notice in 2 Timothy 4 at verse
9, Be diligent to come to me quickly, for Demas has forsaken
me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica. Crescens for Galatia, Titus for
Dalmatia, only Luke is with me. Get Mark, here's the John Mark
that they had a division over, and bring him with you for he
is useful to me for ministry. So Mark was not dead to the apostle
Paul. They had a falling out or Paul
wasn't convinced that he should take him on the second missionary
journey. But that doesn't mean he's washed out and he's wiped
out and never to be heard from again. But with reference to
this Demas, he has forsaken me. It doesn't say he has forsaken
Christ. And in the context, basically the apostle is arguing that all
of his companions had departed from him. In other words, he's
alone now. This is his second Roman imprisonment,
and he's about to die, and he makes the great point that the
Lord did not abandon me. The Lord, according to verse
17, stood with me and strengthened me." Calvin makes this observation
on Demas, and so does Gill, similarly. And yet we must not suppose that
he altogether denied Christ or gave himself up either to ungodliness
or to the allurements of the world, but he merely preferred
his private convenience or his safety to the life of Paul. That's
a much more charitable reading and probably is something that
we ought to interpret with reference to Timothy. Timothy is willing
to forego convenience. Timothy is willing to leave Rome
and go to Philippi. Timothy is willing to go to that
church and to be served or to serve that church in a way that
is like-minded with the Apostle Paul. Not every man would do
that. Not every man is committed like that. Not every man has
that priority structure. And that's why the Apostle Paul
commends him. And then with reference to emphasis,
again, verse 20 in chapter 2, 4, I have no one like-minded
who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own,
not the things which are of Christ Jesus. What's the emphasis for
the Apostle Paul? when it comes to a Timothy? What
is the emphasis for the apostle Paul when it comes to a like-minded
brother engaged in the service of Christ? Again, I'll quote
Zanke. Zanke is one of those commentaries I like and I don't
like. I don't like it because I just
wanna stand up here and read the pages on the text. So my encouragement, if you want
Philippians, get Zanke. It's a very helpful commentary.
But listen to what he says concerning the office of an overseer and
teacher. These four things, which is what
Timothy was. We gotta make sure we jump back
for a moment and realize that Timothy's not a motivational
speaker. Timothy's not peddling wares.
Timothy's not a doctor. Timothy's not a lawyer. Timothy's
not a construction worker. All useful things and all helpful
in the life and in the context of the church. But what's Timothy? Timothy is a like-minded with
Paul preacher of the Word of God. That's what overseer, that's
what teacher, that's what he's doing. So these four things are
required of any overseer and teacher. First, he is to be like-minded
with the apostles to the greatest extent possible. That is, he
is to have a truly apostolic soul for performing his office.
Second, he is to be genuine, diligent, and solicitous in performing
his office. And he is to attend diligently
to the church. Third, he is to be a genuine
overseer, and he is to perform his office genuinely, teaching
pure, not impure or corrupt doctrine, and interpreting the Holy Scriptures
in a genuine way and not peddling the word of God. Finally, let
him seek after and attend to the things of the church, that
is, the well-being of the church and each of the faithful." It's
a blessed sort of exposition on what's going on in terms of
Paul's mind. Paul wants like-minded brothers
who are in gospel ministry to be like Paul, whose priority
was Christ and Him crucified, whose willingness to be insulted,
his willingness to be thrown under the bus, But as long as
somebody is preaching truth, Paul rejoices in that. A man
who's able to say, for to me to live is Christ and to die
is gain. A man who knows the mystery of
the incarnation. A man who knows the mystery of
the Trinity. This man has Timothy as a faithful servant. Notice
then the service of Timothy in verse 23. So 20 and 21 shows
his devotion. He's like Paul, and he's genuinely
concerned about the state of the church. But in terms of his
service, first he's proven. Verse 22, but you know his proven
character. They wouldn't have said, why
Timothy? Why would he send Timothy? Timothy
doesn't preach. Timothy just comes and tells
stories. Timothy brings his latte up to the front with his holes
in his jeans and just waxes eloquent about his life. No, they don't
do that because they know Timothy. They know his proven character.
From the very introduction of Timothy in Acts chapter 16, we
see what? Faithful man, faithful servant. And so the apostle commends him
this way as he is planning to send him back to Philippi. So
the Apostle had heard of his character in chapter 16 of Acts
2 and 3. Paul wanted to go with him. I've
always thought that. If the Apostle Paul wants to
take you on a missionary journey, that's a good sign. We see he's
discriminating. We see that when it came to John
Mark and what appeared to be a divided road in that man's
heart, Paul's like, no, I don't think he's ready for it this
time. He left us the time before. I'm not sure I wanna bring him
back into the mission field in Acts, you know, in the second
missionary journey that's gonna start in Acts 15, 36. Barnabas
is like, no, I wanna take him. Barnabas was related to him.
I think Barnabas was his uncle. Barnabas is like, no, John Mark's
a good guy. Let's bring him. Paul says, yeah, he is a good
guy, but we can't afford to have somebody not go on with us. And
Paul and Barnabas disagreed very severely or sharply over that
instance, and they went their own separate ways. Now, brethren,
I deduce from that that at times good men differ. We shouldn't
read too much into that. Wow, I can't believe that Paul
and Barnabas actually Pauls and Barnabases have done that through
the history of the church and have been mature enough not to
cut each other off and have been mature enough not to delete them
from their address book or to unfriend them or block them on
Facebook. Pauls and Barnabases can dispute,
debate, disagree, and even get to the place where there is division
amongst them and go their separate ways. Some say, well, Paul's
commended in that particular passage, and it seems to show
that Barnabas, well, I don't read it that way at all. In fact,
it's a division of labor now. Barnabas goes his way and Paul
goes his way, and they do their thing. So the churches as well
had observed Timothy's proven character. And then he goes on
to say in verse 23, or I'm sorry, verse 22, but you know his proven
character that as a son with his father, he served with me
in the gospel. It's kind of like, like father,
like son. You see that in Jesus' ministry
in John 5, 19. Then Jesus answered and said
to them, most assuredly, I say to you, the son can do nothing
of himself, but what he sees the father do for whatever he
does, the son also does in like manner. So like father, like
son, that's the paradigm. The apostle Paul was the father
in the relationship. Timothy was the son in the relationship.
Timothy saw Paul and Timothy said, I want to be like that.
I want to function like that. I want to engage in service that
way. And that particular service,
notice the language, he served with me. Not he lorded it over
the churches, not that he was a pope, not that he was the hierarchical
sort of figure in church history, but he served with me. And I
love that language as well. Paul doesn't say he served me.
He doesn't say that. I really like Timothy because
he's really good to me. I really like Timothy because
here I'm languishing in this Roman prison and he always fetches
me water and he gets me some food. He doesn't say that. He
doesn't say he served me. He says he served with me. And
that is to Christ and to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle wasn't commending
his service to Paul, but with Paul. to Christ. The apostle was setting forth
a good example for older and younger ministers. And again,
I lean on Zanke here. I think he has some good observations.
He calls them senior and junior. But in the mind of Zanke, I'm
pretty confident I can go there. He didn't sort of envisage this
modern senior pastor, executive pastor, lead pastor, youth pastor,
this pastor. Do you know in the Bible you
find pastor Not all these subdivisions. Well, he's the pastor of the
parking lot. He's the pastor of the office. He's the pastor
of the fellowship hall. You don't have to be called pastor
to serve in a church. It's like you don't have to be
called deacon to serve in a church. I'm being a little bit absurd
here. I don't think any churches do
have pastor of the fellowship hall, but they stacked a deck
with all these different dudes doing all these different, sometimes
women, doing different things. There's elders and deacons in
the church. Those are the two abiding offices. Elder slash
pastor slash bishop. Those three terms apply to the
one office that has as its priority teaching, ruling, governing. How do they rule? How do they
govern? Through preaching and teaching. It's not magisterial,
but rather it's ministerial. And the Apostle Paul commends
Timothy in terms of his service. And then he gives, or Zanke gives
some good encouragements. The older must not exalt themselves
above the younger. He served with me. He doesn't
say, served under my judicious eye and my super, he served with
me. As well, the older should commend the younger to the church
and recognize that he too is a gift given to the church and
speak well of him and respect him and understand that there's
parity in that eldership and that the younger man has valuable
contributions to make in the context of the eldership and
in the church. And then Zanke says this as well,
and I'll quote it specifically, not for any other reason than
I just think he says this well and it needs to be said. He says,
as for the juniors, although they are the seniors' fellow
servants, they ought nevertheless to defer to them, as is the duty
of children to parents, and submit themselves, yielding to their
counsel and admonitions and serving Christ with them. not as equals,
but as children serving alongside parents, following their example
in what they do to edify the churches. Now maybe he overstates
the case a bit, but I don't think so. The guy that just comes into
an eldership with reference to a church that's been established
and a pastor that's been there for a few years, it might be
the better part of wisdom for the younger man to take direction
from the older man. Again, the older man, if he has
any degree of wisdom, will listen to the younger man and will give
value and commendation to the younger man. Sometimes the younger
man is going to be right. There is a way that one conducts
himself in such a context, and the Apostle Paul is able to commend
Timothy as a son. But you know his proven character,
that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel. That is a blessed statement that
the Apostle is able to make about this man, Timothy. And that brings
us then finally to the hope of the Apostle in verses 23 and
24. It's basically the same. He hopes
to send Timothy and he hopes himself to visit Philippi. Notice in verse 23, Therefore
I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with
me. He wants to send Timothy to encourage
the church. He wants to send Timothy to get
a report on the church to bring it back to encourage the Apostle
Paul. But notice what he says, as soon
as I see how it goes with me, what does that mean? He's in
a prison. He doesn't have a direct line
to the warden. He doesn't know when he's going
to get out. He doesn't know at this point
if he's going to get out. It's a very fluid situation.
There's a lot of variables. There's a lot of things that
attention is increasing in the empire against the Christian
church. Not so bad at this point, but
it's on the way. Apostle Paul has been the target
of the opposition of unbelieving Jews. For that reason, he ultimately
stands before the civil magistrate. For that reason, he ultimately
ends up in jail. He's not really sure what's gonna
happen. I gotta kind of figure out what's gonna happen here.
Timothy might be more useful to me at this particular juncture. So I hope to send him soon, but
I need to figure out what's gonna happen relative to my particular
situation in this jail in Rome. And then notice verse 24, I'm
sorry, verse 24, but I trust in the Lord that I myself shall
also come shortly. Notice the object of his trust
is the Lord, not the emperor, not the civil state, not the
good public defender that's been assigned to him, but rather he
trusts in the Lord relative to his situation in this particular
prison. He is not trusting in horses
or in chariots, but rather his trust and hope is in the name
of the Lord, our God. And as we have seen in this particular
epistle, the apostle recognizes that he could die. He doesn't
seem to think it's going to happen, but he knows that it is a possibility.
Again, a fluid situation with a multitude of variables. The
emperor perhaps could get upset and get outraged. Christians
have to die, which does happen later. in about AD 65-ish and
67-ish. But right now, the apostle has
this idea that he could live, he could die, he could stay in
jail, he could be released. Again, he doesn't know. Notice
the real possibility of death. 121, for to me to live is Christ
and to die is gain. He's not just sort of hypothetically
telling us how great and glorious he is in his devotion to Christ.
The die thing could actually happen to him. Notice as well
in chapter one at verse 23, for I am hard pressed between the
two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is
far better. A desire to depart and be with
Christ means to die. So that's certainly a possibility
at this point. We see it in 2.17. Yes, and if
I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and
service of your faith, I am glad and rejoiced with you all. So
the real potential is that he could die. He could die. His confidence seems to be more
so that he's going to live. I mean, he's not a fool. He's
not a blockhead himself. He's able to see the goings on
in the empire. He probably hears the talk in
the cells. He hears the talk from people
that come and visit him. What's the temperature like out
there? I don't mean, is it 30 Celsius? What's the political climate?
What's the situation like? Is it gonna be the case that
I'm gonna die? So he's not foolish and he understands
what's happening. So he has this reality, notice
in 1.24. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful
for you, and being confident of this, I know that I shall
remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy
of faith. That your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in
Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. He has this confidence,
more than likely he is going to be free and he is able to
come back or visit the church in Philippi. So, in conclusion,
I want to just point out a couple of things, and some of it has
to do with the blockheads. First, the encouragement of a
true minister. The apostle wanted to know their
state. Why? So he could be encouraged. It's
not about numbers, it's not about budgets, it's not about buildings,
it's about people. Are the people of God growing
in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Are they learning the mystery of the Trinity? Are they learning
the doctrine of the incarnation? Do they understand Philippians
2, 6 to 11? Not can they preach it, write
it, or solve it, but do they understand propositionally what
is revealed there? Are the people of God growing
in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ? Are they conducting themselves the way that Paul exhorts them
to in Philippians chapter 2 verses 1 to 4? Is that kind of stuff
going on? That's what encourages a true
minister with reference to his task. Secondly, the necessity
for true ministers, not blockheads, but Timothy-like men. If I was
A clever preacher and gave clever titles. This one would just simply
be called No Blockheads. Men that are like-minded with
the apostles. Men that are like-minded with
the apostles, doctrinally and practically. men that know what
the Scripture teaches, and men that can articulate what Scripture
teaches. The elder must be able to teach
1 Timothy 3, verse 2, Titus 1, verse 9. He can be all the things
that Paul enjoins for the minister in those passages with reference
to his character. He can manage his household well.
He could be a faithful servant, not greedy for money, not given
to drink, not given to those things that Paul forbids or condemns.
But if he can't teach, he shouldn't be an elder. I think that's a
tough concept today, but he's so nice. He's good with the books. He's really got a good mind for
if he can't preach or teach. According to the Apostle Paul,
this is an essential feature or an essential element involved
in the pastoral ministry. Again, you can be a godly great
guy, a fantastic benefit in the life of the church, but if you
can't open your mouth and articulate truth such that the people of
God can learn it and grow from it, then you're not supposed
to be an elder. I hate to burst people's bubbles,
but those bubbles at times need to be burst. It isn't the case
that godliness is only tied up in pastoral ministry. That's
pathetic. You can be godly without being
a pastor. I would submit there's a lot
of people a whole lot godlier than me, and I am a pastor. So it's a pretty interesting
juxtaposition going on. I would suggest, secondly, men
that are sincere in their care for the church, not themselves
first, not themselves first, seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and then these things shall be added to
you. Why is Timothy commended by the Apostle Paul? Because
he's not like those other guys that seek their own, but rather
Timothy is willing to genuinely and sincerely care for your state.
He's concerned about the life of the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Men, thirdly, of proven character
and who are able to teach. What's Timothy's value? What's
Timothy's contribution? What does Timothy bring to the
table? Yeah, he's a great guy, but he served with me in the
gospel. That's why I'm commending him. Paul no doubt knew a bunch of
great guys, but Timothy happened to be a great guy that was faithful
in preaching the gospel. Fourth, men that function as
servants in the church and not masters of it, not lords over
it. Second Corinthians, the apostle
Paul says, we are not We're not men that exercise dominion over
you. We're not lords of your conscience,
but rather we are workers with you for your joy. That's the
emphasis of the Apostle Paul on New Testament ministry. Workers
with you for your joy. Not slave drivers and taskmasters
and scolders and guys that are oppressive and abusive to the
sheep of the Lord Jesus Christ. No, we're workers with you for
your joy. And what brings joy to the people
of God? The word of truth. The Spirit's
blessing upon that word, such that it finds its way in their
minds and hearts, and then it fleshes out in their daily lives,
in their conduct, in their families, in their work environments. And
then I would suggest, thirdly and finally, the importance of
true ministers. We know from our confession,
but even more importantly, we know from the Bible, we know
from our theology proper that God is the first cause. In fact,
our brother mentioned that tonight. Samson, why? We really don't
know. I'm guessing she was probably
pretty attractive. That would be at least part of
it. She's right in my eyes. That's
what your margin says. That comes up later in the epilogue.
Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. So when he says
that to his parents, she's right in my eyes. She's probably attractive. but it was of the Lord. Why?
The Lord was starting a quarrel with the Philistines and Samson
was gonna beat them down. It's a glorious narrative cycle.
It is wondrous and blessed and delightful. So God, the first
cause, Samson, the second cause, she's attractive. Something about
her, she's good in my eyes. Well, with reference to the ministry,
Yeah, God could snap his cosmic fingers and save who he wants,
but that's not what he's ordained. Paul tells us unequivocally in
1 Corinthians 1.21, For since in the wisdom of God the world
through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness
of the message preached to save those who believe. I've always
found it intriguing that in Acts 13 at verse 48, you've got a
statement concerning absolute sovereignty. All those who are
appointed to eternal life be lead. And then you have another
statement in Acts chapter 16 of absolute sovereignty. When
God opened Lydia's heart to receive the things spoken by the Apostle
Paul. So absolute sovereignty, 1348. Absolute sovereignty, 164-ish. 14-1, the apostles so spoke that
a great multitude believed. Huh, second causes. And not only second causes, but
good ones. They so spoke. They had facility, they had competence,
they had content, and they were able to articulate that truth. They so spoke that a great multitude
believed. So God, in His infinite wisdom,
having ordained the salvation of a great multitude that no
man can number, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
that God has ordained the Christian ministry as a means, a primary
means, of proclaiming the truth so that God saves sinners. I would suggest as well the sincerity
by which the church is governed. You're never going to get perfect
elders. You're never going to get perfect pastors. Can I let
you in on a little secret? All pastors are odd ducks. Can I let you on another secret? All people are odd ducks. The subset of pastors in the
genus all people are odd ducks too. They've got strengths, they've
got weaknesses, they've got issues. Sometimes lots of issues. I mean,
looking after themselves is a full-time job. Then they're usually married.
Then they're pastors and they got lots of other things going
on. So, odd ducks. We need to be gracious in this
phase as we look at men for the eldership to realize that they're
all messed up in one way, shape, or form. And I don't say that
to burst our bubbles and say it's an impossible task. No,
it demands grace and patience and love and kindness and the
recognition that pastors are all ducks. Thirdly, the servitude
necessary by those who labor in the word and doctrine. I love
the language the apostle uses there, that as a son with his
father, he served with me in the gospel. How does Paul view
preaching? He doesn't view it, you know,
Sunday morning, I wake up, I have a cup of coffee, I greet the
wife, I kiss the kids, I flip my Bible open and I say, where's
the spirit leading me to preach today? That's not how Paul approached
it. Paul says it's labor. Now, I'm
not one of those guys that thinks the pastoral ministry is the
hardest ever. I don't. Or the hardest job. I mean, when it's pouring rain
outside, I'm not outside. That's a benefit. That's a good
thing. I could say when it's really snowing out, I'm not outside,
but I am. But I got a trusty snowblower,
and I'm cleaning off the sidewalks, trying to build love in the neighborhood. It was a good thing during the
COVID era. They'd see me out there, and
it gave us a little bit of traction in terms of the neighborhood.
It's not the hardest job physically. It's not the hardest job mentally.
We're not splitting atoms. We're not trying to figure out
the mysteries of the universe. But it is labor if done well
and done rightly. Listen to the Apostle in the
way that he speaks of it in Colossians 1. Him we preach, warning every
man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present
every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving
according to his working, which works in me mightily. Labor is
what he refers to it as. 1 Thessalonians 5, 12 and 13.
And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among
you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem
them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace
among yourselves. And 1 Timothy 5, 17. Let the
elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially
those who labor in the word and in doctrine. So men that want
to function in a Timothy-like way, not the blockhead way, have
to be given to service, have to be given to industry, have
to be solicitous, to use a Zankeism. They have to be devoted to the
task at hand. And the primary emphasis with
the task at hand is to pray and to preach. That's the reason
deacons were selected by the apostles, the apostles' admonition
in Acts chapter 6. We want you to pick men from
among you that can administer the giving of the food to the
widows. Why? So that we can devote ourselves
continually to the word and prayer. That is what we're looking for
in gospel ministers, Timothy-like men, faithful, earnest servants,
and that know truth and can preach truth. Well, let us pray. Our
Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for
this commendation of Timothy in the Bible. We thank you for
this good example for us in our churches. We just pray for your
blessing to raise up men. Jesus says, the harvest is plentiful,
but the laborers are few. So we pray to you, Lord Jesus
Christ, Lord of the harvest, that you'd raise men up, qualify
or equip them and qualify them for usefulness in the church
of the Lord Jesus. And we pray this in his most
blessed name. Amen. Well, let us stand and
close our service by singing the doxology 568.
