Philippians 1:5

Note

Philippians opens with thanks. Paul says that he thanks God every time he remembers the believers at Philippi and prays for them with joy, and in this verse he gives the reason: they have been partners in the gospel from the first day until now.

"The first day" recalls Acts 16. Paul and his companions came to "the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia" (Acts 16:12). They had crossed the sea after Paul's vision of a man of Macedonia (16:9), and there "The Lord opened her heart" (Acts 16:14): Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, the first believer in Europe whom Acts names. From then on the church at Philippi stood with Paul after he had left. In Thessalonica they sent him help more than once (Philippians 4:16), and as he writes he has just received their gifts by Epaphroditus (4:18). Paul says in the next verse who began it: "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

Here euangelion is in the accusative after the preposition eis: koinōnia eis to euangelion. Eis means "toward" or "for," so what Paul gives thanks for is not only a fellowship enjoyed within the gospel but a partnership for the gospel, a shared work aimed at its advance. The noun koinōnia means having something in common, sharing a part. In Romans 15:26 the same word names a gift of money: Macedonia and Achaia "were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem" (Romans 15:26). In Philippians 4:15 Paul uses its verb when he says that no church but the Philippians "partnered with me in the matter of giving and receiving" (Philippians 4:15).

The versions show the breadth of the word. The KJV says "your fellowship in the gospel," which a modern ear may hear as friendship only. The BSB's "partnership in the gospel" brings out the shared enterprise. The LSV goes further: "for your contribution to the good news," naming the gifts that were part of that partnership and keeping the sense of eis, "to." Each is right about something; the Greek word holds them all.

Wesley gives the sense as thanks "for your fellowship with us in all the blessings of the gospel" Wesley, the blessings they shared. Matthew Henry looks at what Philippi had cost Paul: "At Philippi the apostle was evil entreated, and saw little fruit of his labour; yet he remembers Philippi with joy" Matthew Henry. Paul had been beaten with rods and thrown into prison there (Acts 16:22–23), and still the city is a joy to him. The two readings meet. Those who share the blessings of the gospel become partners in its work, and they share in the cost of it too.

Early in the second century Polycarp of Smyrna, writing to the same church, reminded the Philippians that Paul had taught them the word of truth when he was among them and had written them letters when he was away Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians 3. The church's bond with Paul was remembered into the next generation.

The gospel is heard one person at a time, but it makes those who hear it partners in a common work. In this verse the day a church received the gospel is also the day it began to take part in it.