Skip to main content

Philippians 2:19: I Hope In The Lord Jesus To Send Timothy


Philippians 2:19
[19] I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. (ESV)

I am sure that you remember that Timothy was mentioned in the very first verse of Philippians. Paul was writing while imprisoned in Rome. Timothy was with him, not as a fellow prisoner, but as Paul's support. Any sort of help that Paul could have needed including medical care, food, and anything else would have been provided by Timothy. Timothy was a tremendous blessing to Paul.

So, why would Paul want to send Timothy to Philippi? Paul cares about their spiritual well-being. He wants Timothy to be there in Philippi as a godly example of all the things that Paul talked about in his letter. Timothy was referred to by Paul as his "son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2)." Paul had mentored Timothy spiritually and knew that he could trust him to carry out anything that was asked of him.

What kind of a leader are you? Do you focus on having all that you need? Or are you concerned about the needs of those whom you are leading? Clearly, the Apostle Paul is most concerned about these believers in Philippi. He is willing to sacrifice the comforts and encouragement that he has been receiving from Timothy in order to care for the spiritual needs of the Philippian believers.

We need Paul's and Timothy's in the church. There are those who are called to be like Paul. They teach doctrine. They evangelize. They defend the truth of the Gospel. Timothy's are those who are able to support those who are the more visible leaders. They live a godly life that is an example to others. They are willing to do whatever is needed to support the work of the ministry.

Are you a Paul? Lead humbly and place those whom you are called to serve as your first priority. Are you a Timothy? Be an example to others by living out a godly life and supporting godly leadership.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co