Former M.V.C.W.C. - HERALD ARTICLE ARCHIVE








"Fruitful Philippians"
by Kelly Purvis

"Blow upon my garden, that its fragrance may flow out. Let my Beloved come to his garden and eat its pleasant fruits." Song of Solomon 4:16

If the apostle Paul had a "favorite" group of believers... I would guess it was the Philippians. There was just something about this group of believers that made them "favorite" of many. Paul, in particular calls them "beloved, longed for brethren", "my joy and my crown". What was it about the Philippians that made them so likeable, such a joy to the rest of the Body of Christ? The mutual joy experienced in the Philippian fellowship is made obvious in Paul's letter to them from a Roman prison. This 50th book of our Bible points to a harvest... 50 - pente... the feast of Pentecost, firstfruits. The Philippians were a fruitful bunch - their fruit so ripe... it's fragrance flowed out.

When Paul first entered the Macedonian region to plant this, Europe's first Christian church, he found women praying at the river. As the law required any place of at least 10 Jewish men to establish a synagogue, Philippi must not have had 10 men who worshipped God. Through Paul however, God "opened their hearts to hear". The good seed that he planted, took root, grew and matured.

10 years later, Paul's epistle to this little fellowship paints a beautiful picture of harvest ~ of a bountiful, fruitful body. What began as a small women's prayer group on the banks of the river, a demonized girl, and a jailer and his family ~ had become a nucleus to the work of God, a vital Christian support system. Having been built upon Jesus Christ by Apostle Paul, a wise master builder laying the foundation, they had become a sturdy structure, a joyful congregation, caring, generous ~ a sweet smelling church! Paul himself speaks of their love, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, sincerity, joy, unity and humility. The church had been built upon a gold mine and planted in fertile soil (spiritually and literally as Phillipi was an important region known for its gold mines and fertile soils.)

Love became the hallmark of the Philippian church. Brotherly love abounded as Paul and the other apostles and disciples found refuge time and again within the safe harbor of the Philippian fellowship. How merciful of God to establish this "safe haven" of loving Christians strategically in the midst of the Via Egnatia ~ the main road from Rome! In a time of fierce persecution, the Philippians were a joyful rest. Paul speaks of the persecutions... the attacks from the Romans, the Judaisers and God forbid... "other Christians".

The Message Bible makes very clear what Paul thought about these "others" ~ how they were caught up in self-centeredness and pride ~ blinded and deaf to the simplicity of the message of the Kingdom of God ~ Love. He tells us how many were preaching Christ from envy and strife. Selfish ambition was rampant, Christians greedily hoping to get something for themselves, always striving to put themselves in the spotlight. Paul says, "they're merely greedy, their motives are bad", "looking out for themselves". He warned the beloved Philippians, "steer clear of these barking dogs, religious busybodies, all they're interested in is appearances, knife-happy circumcisers", he called them. This discord of pride and selfish ambition could only be countered with the opposite spirit - humility.

And that is what the Philippians did. They moved in sharp contrast to the "many others". They were a remnant bearing fruit. Paul says that they were the only ones, in fact, who helped him. They were a refuge, a giver of gifts and aid to the Body of Christ in tumultuous times. Paul says, "not that I sought your gift, but I sought the fruit that abounds to your account".

~ Let Paul's words to the Philippians edify and cause us too to grow ~

"Continue to bear good fruit, sincere love. There is no doubt in my mind that God who started this great work in you will bring it to a flourishing finish. Abound more and more in the love that He placed within you. Love one another, agree with one another, be deep-spirited friends. Don't become like the majority. Don't push your way to the front, don't sweet talk your way to the top, don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Continue to live in responsive obedience, energetic, reverent, sensitive, readily and cheerfully generous. Be as a breath of fresh air into a polluted society. Keep track of those you see running this same course. Make it as clear as you can that you're working with them and not against them. Don't waver as some do, taking paths, choosing other goals along "easy street". Stay on track. God is beckoning us onward unto Jesus. Keep focused on that goal if you want everything He has for us. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which He is putting everything as it should be, under and around Him."

"like a sweet smelling sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance, pleasing God."

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